Question:

Cool! Thanks Dan, I’m learining lots of stuff here. How come I was told that when you start you should get cleats that don’t move too much (no float?) and when you get more experienced/better move onto cleats with more float? Was I being misinformed?

Michelle, I don’t know why that advice was offered. Some of the high float systems may be harder to learn than a system like Look but that is not directly related to the level of float. Thanks, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

Response:

I think you will find that that is because "some" people believe it is easier to learn to ‘unclip’ from the Look style of pedal if there is no movement. The cleats that have extra float are different to exit but if you know no better then you should be OK with both. I always suggest people that are just learning to use clip-less pedals do so where there is a grassy, soft surface they can escape to if they cannot get their feet out. Lloyd

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Cool! Thanks Dan, I’m learining lots of stuff here. How come I was told that when you start you should get cleats that don’t move too much (no float?) and when you get more experienced/better move onto cleats with more float? Was I being misinformed? Michelle Stupid question, but how are they easier on the knees? Michelle, Pedals that are referred to as "easier on the knee" will generally have more float. That is they allow your foot to rotate side to side as you pedal allowing your lower leg to align itself and reduce stress on you knees. Depending on how bio-mechanically efficient you are and on how accurately you set your cleat position you may need any thing from no float (a fixed pedal/cleat) to quite a bit (20+ degrees). Look offers 8 degrees, which is enough for the vast majority of cyclists provided you set you cleats up in the right position. Speedplay has 37 degrees in most models and with that much float there is no need for angular cleat adjustment. Generally speaking there is no downside to having more float than you need, however, some people don’t like the "loose" feel of high float, free floating systems like Speedplay and Bebop. Thanks, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

Response:

As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons? Thanks, Sharkie

Response:

For a novice I would recommend SPD

Response:

As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons? Thanks, Sharkie

I love Speedplay…..but SPD, and Look designs are good too! Sam

Response:

As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons?

Sharkie, I would definitely recommend Look. It is not the most glamorous or the lightest (although more modern models like the PP256 are pretty good) but it has a lot going for it: – very easy to learn to clip in – easy (and on most models adjustable) release tension and release action – large stable platform – good value based on quality and operation – very walk-able and inexpensive cleats Good luck, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

Response:

Best bet is to get a pair of Look Pedals. Easy to learn how to use.  Consider Speedplay X-3s as well.  Most shops will tell you Look is the way to go. Steve’s Multisport – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons? Thanks, Sharkie

Response:

Speedplay … they’re much easier on the knees which is crucial to the long tri-runs.  They are about 1/2 the weight than SPD or even Look. Regards, Scott

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons? Thanks, Sharkie

Response:

Stupid question, but how are they easier on the knees?

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Speedplay … they’re much easier on the knees which is crucial to the long tri-runs.  They are about 1/2 the weight than SPD or even Look. Regards, Scott As a novice to the sport, was wondering what pedal system is best for doing triathlons? Thanks, Sharkie

Response:

Stupid question, but how are they easier on the knees?

Michelle, Pedals that are referred to as "easier on the knee" will generally have more float. That is they allow your foot to rotate side to side as you pedal allowing your lower leg to align itself and reduce stress on you knees. Depending on how bio-mechanically efficient you are and on how accurately you set your cleat position you may need any thing from no float (a fixed pedal/cleat) to quite a bit (20+ degrees). Look offers 8 degrees, which is enough for the vast majority of cyclists provided you set you cleats up in the right position. Speedplay has 37 degrees in most models and with that much float there is no need for angular cleat adjustment. Generally speaking there is no downside to having more float than you need, however, some people don’t like the "loose" feel of high float, free floating systems like Speedplay and Bebop. Thanks, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

Response:

Cool! Thanks Dan, I’m learining lots of stuff here. How come I was told that when you start you should get cleats that don’t move too much (no float?) and when you get more experienced/better move onto cleats with more float? Was I being misinformed? Michelle – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stupid question, but how are they easier on the knees? Michelle, Pedals that are referred to as "easier on the knee" will generally have more float. That is they allow your foot to rotate side to side as you pedal allowing your lower leg to align itself and reduce stress on you knees. Depending on how bio-mechanically efficient you are and on how accurately you set your cleat position you may need any thing from no float (a fixed pedal/cleat) to quite a bit (20+ degrees). Look offers 8 degrees, which is enough for the vast majority of cyclists provided you set you cleats up in the right position. Speedplay has 37 degrees in most models and with that much float there is no need for angular cleat adjustment. Generally speaking there is no downside to having more float than you need, however, some people don’t like the "loose" feel of high float, free floating systems like Speedplay and Bebop. Thanks, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

Response:

Stupid question, but how are they easier on the knees? Michelle, Pedals that are referred to as "easier on the knee" will generally have more float. That is they allow your foot to rotate side to side as you pedal allowing your lower leg to align itself and reduce stress on you knees.

There are actually two sorts of float, rotational and lateral. Why anyone would want 20degrees of rotational float is beyond me, but I can see why a bit of lateral float might ease some tension in the knees. As far as I’m aware, Time pedals are the only ones that offer both sorts of float. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Depending on how bio-mechanically efficient you are and on how accurately you set your cleat position you may need any thing from no float (a fixed pedal/cleat) to quite a bit (20+ degrees). Look offers 8 degrees, which is enough for the vast majority of cyclists provided you set you cleats up in the right position. Speedplay has 37 degrees in most models and with that much float there is no need for angular cleat adjustment. Generally speaking there is no downside to having more float than you need, however, some people don’t like the "loose" feel of high float, free floating systems like Speedplay and Bebop. Thanks, Dan Rishworth Enduro Sport – Your Triathlon Source 1-800-448-4678 and http://www.endurosport.com/ —— To Subscribe to Enduro Sport eNews, our free email newsletter, please use the following link:

– Baker Atlas GEOScience      Tel: +44 (0)208 202 2433 154 Brent Street,           FAX: +44 (0)208 202 2287 London, NW4 2DR, ENGLAND.   WWW: http://www.zands.com

Response:

Question:

I’m thinking about cutting my QR too. Anyone have experience in that? …

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve got an old school Aleeda wetsuit that I got used 5 years ago and who knows how long the original owner had it but my question is this: The suit is not technically a long-john but does come down mid calf or so and is a pain to get off.  Im wondering how the suit will fair if I cut the legs off to just above the knees.  Im not concerned about looks this would be entirely utilitarian but I don’t want to damage the suit in such a way that would make it unusable.  Anybody done this?? td

Response:

I’m thinking about cutting my QR too. Anyone have experience in that? …

On QR’s website http://www.rooworld.com/onandoff.html see the instructions under "Taking it off", paragraph 3.

Response:

I’ve got an old school Aleeda wetsuit that I got used 5 years ago and who knows how long the original owner had it but my question is this: The suit is not technically a long-john but does come down mid calf or so and is a pain to get off.  Im wondering how the suit will fair if I cut the legs off to just above the knees.  Im not concerned about looks this would be entirely utilitarian but I don’t want to damage the suit in such a way that would make it unusable.  Anybody done this??

I took my second-hand Aleeda to a dive shop, where they put in a ten inch zipper in the back of each calf.  Fits correctly, comes off easily.  As long as I don’t get sand in the zipper… Ken Lehner

Response:

I’m still using an old Aleeda suit I got my first year in triathlon (1990). After a season or two I cut about four inches off each leg and, although water enters the legs since they doesn’t fit as tightly now, the suit has done just fine, still saves about 5 sec/100m.  If you’ve got the model that has the lycra sleeves, I recommend discarding those, too. David

I do have those lycra sleeves on mine and have thought about cutting them off as well but I am concerned that I wont cut as fancy a figure without them. td

Response:

I’ve got an old school Aleeda wetsuit that I got used 5 years ago and who knows how long the original owner had it but my question is this: The suit is not technically a long-john but does come down mid calf or so and is a pain to get off.  Im wondering how the suit will fair if I cut the legs off to just above the knees.  Im not concerned about looks this would be entirely utilitarian but I don’t want to damage the suit in such a way that would make it unusable.  Anybody done this?? td

Response:

I’m still using an old Aleeda suit I got my first year in triathlon (1990). After a season or two I cut about four inches off each leg and, although water enters the legs since they doesn’t fit as tightly now, the suit has done just fine, still saves about 5 sec/100m.  If you’ve got the model that has the lycra sleeves, I recommend discarding those, too. David "This is just like television, only you can see much further." http://www.geocities.com/soho/gallery/8374

Response:

Im not concerned about looks this would be entirely utilitarian but I don’t want to damage the suit in such a way that would make it unusable.  Anybody done this??

I have just taken scissors to two old wetsuits making them into shorties.  Just cut and go. This was several years ago and have had no problems. Bob

Response:

Question:

I was wondering if anyone knew of when the Loggerhead Triathlon in Jupiter, FL is to take place? Last year it was on June 6th, conflicting with the Key West Swim, but I have not seen it appear in any schedules this year. Its a sprint with a 1/2 mile swim, about a 15 mile bike and a 5K run, for any interested. P. Dale Mason "Tri-harder, Tri-faster, Tri-again next week"

Response:

I was wondering if anyone knew of when the Loggerhead Triathlon in Jupiter, FL is to take place? Last year it was on June 6th, conflicting with the Key West Swim, but I have not seen it appear in any schedules this year.

My KIds Just received their apps for The School’s Out Tri, which run with the Loggerhead. That race is Sunday June 7, which if it is like previous years, would make the Loggerhead June 6. And yes It’s a great race for a good cause. The awards are fantastic, custom made ceramicware. My daughter eats her breakfast almost every day from her’s ( A wonderful pottery bowl )… Al Kormesser

Response:

Question:

: I found myself in a peculiar situation Saturday. I’d like to know if I : was blocking or not.

<big snip Mike, without being there, here is my call:  It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong.  At intersections we "back off" and let folks do what seems to be the safest way to get through.  Sounds like that’s what you did.  If there was any room for the passer to go by on the left without crossing the center line, then he was guilty of an illegal pass.  If you were closer than three feet to the center line, then you forced him to the right, but that doesn’t sound like what you did. -Charlie

Thanks, Charlie.  There was room for him to pass on my left without even getting into the actual lane of traffic – I was a couple of feet onto the deceleration lane. Now I feel better… <g Mike "TriBop" Tennent Remove "nospam" for email reply WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

Response:

: With all due respect to Charlie, it really doesn’t matter what he says : in this case. Unless I happen to be the marshal observing the incident – then it matters. -Charlie

Response:

Charlie Crawford is the Mills Lane of Triathlon. Or Mills is the Charlie Crawford of Boxing. Best referee in a difficult to police sport I ever saw.

And remember, No ear biting at Columbia Nationals this year.  ;-) TriRef

Response:

Hey Charlie C: I found myself in a peculiar situation Saturday. I’d like to know if I was blocking or not. Here’s the situation. We’re racing on a divided four lane road, with a wide shoulder. Few, if any, bikers use the full shoulder because of debris. I stay near the white line, moving further (right) onto the shoulder when being passed. We came to a big intersection which has a long deceleration lane for cars turning right and an acceleration lane on the other side of the intersection for cars turning onto the 4-lane. The course continued straight thru the intersection. When I came to the intersection, I did not follow the shoulder over to the right of the deceleration lane, but continued on a straight line, tho slightly more into the deceleration lane than I had been. To me, this was safer, since I didn’t want to lure a right-turning car into cutting me off when I didn’t turn right. Been there, done that. About half way thru the intersection, I discovered a faster biker passing me to the inside. He was all the way to the right of the deceleration lane. He wasn’t upset, but it made me wonder whether I was guilty of blocking. I even had to slow a bit to give him room when we got to the other side and the acceleration lane ran out. Was I blocking by not following the exact edge of the roadway (the deceleration/acceleration lane)? I had left room plenty of room on the "real" road for someone to pass where I expected them to be. I felt a little guilty, but on further reflection I don’t think I was blocking. Your call. Mike "TriBop" Tennent Remove "nospam" for email reply WebRunner Running Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/running/running.html My Model Railroad Page http://www.webrunner.com/webrun/srr/

Response:

Mike, without being there, here is my call:  It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong.  At intersections we "back off" and let folks do what seems to be the safest way to get through.  Sounds like that’s what you did.  If there was any room for the passer to go by on the left without crossing the center line, then he was guilty of an illegal pass.  If you were closer than three feet to the center line, then you forced him to the right, but that doesn’t sound like what you did. -Charlie

Let reason reign. Charlie Crawford is the Mills Lane of Triathlon. Or Mills is the Charlie Crawford of Boxing. Best referee in a difficult to police sport I ever saw. Timothy Carlson

Response:

: Was I blocking by not following the exact edge of the roadway (the : deceleration/acceleration lane)? I had left room plenty of room on the : "real" road for someone to pass where I expected them to be. I felt a : little guilty, but on further reflection I don’t think I was blocking. : I am not sure what Charlie’s interpretation will be, but as far as I can : tell, sounds like the faster rider is guilty of passing to the right when : he should have passed on the left, especially since you say there was room : on the real road. The faster rider created a hazard by passing on the : inside,  Charlie? : Mike Plumb Right! -harlie

Response:

: I found myself in a peculiar situation Saturday. I’d like to know if I : was blocking or not. : When I came to the intersection, I did not follow the shoulder over : to the right of the deceleration lane, but continued on a straight : line, tho slightly more into the deceleration lane than I had been. : To me, this was safer, since I didn’t want to lure a right-turning car : into cutting me off when I didn’t turn right. Been there, done that. : About half way thru the intersection, I discovered a faster biker : passing me to the inside. He was all the way to the right of the : deceleration lane. He wasn’t upset, but it made me wonder whether I : was guilty of blocking. I even had to slow a bit to give him room when : we got to the other side and the acceleration lane ran out. : Was I blocking by not following the exact edge of the roadway (the : deceleration/acceleration lane)? I had left room plenty of room on the : "real" road for someone to pass where I expected them to be. I felt a : little guilty, but on further reflection I don’t think I was blocking. Mike, without being there, here is my call:  It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong.  At intersections we "back off" and let folks do what seems to be the safest way to get through.  Sounds like that’s what you did.  If there was any room for the passer to go by on the left without crossing the center line, then he was guilty of an illegal pass.  If you were closer than three feet to the center line, then you forced him to the right, but that doesn’t sound like what you did. -Charlie

Response:

With all due respect to Charlie, it really doesn’t matter what he says in this case. If you had followed the right lane, and then gone straight, you would have committed a traffic violation for which a cop could have written you a ticket. And that’s always against USAT rules. The other guy violated the law, and therefore violated USAT rules. He should have stayed in the through lane and passed you on the left. Bicycles are legal users of the road, subject to the wording in the Uniform Vehicle Code (adopted by most states as traffic law) that states the riders should ride as far to the right as is "practicable". That word "practicable" is subject to some interpretation, but I can’t imagine it would require riding through debris in the shoulder, unless you were purposely blocking traffic (which makes motorists, cops, and judges angry enough to adopt the strictest possible definition). Your practice of riding close to the white line seems a very reasonable one to me, especially given that cars had a second lane to pass you. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey Charlie C: … Here’s the situation. We’re racing on a divided four lane road, with a wide shoulder. Few, if any, bikers use the full shoulder because of debris. I stay near the white line, moving further (right) onto the shoulder when being passed. We came to a big intersection which has a long deceleration lane for cars turning right and an acceleration lane on the other side of the intersection for cars turning onto the 4-lane. The course continued straight thru the intersection. When I came to the intersection, I did not follow the shoulder over to the right of the deceleration lane, but continued on a straight line, tho slightly more into the deceleration lane than I had been. To me, this was safer, since I didn’t want to lure a right-turning car into cutting me off when I didn’t turn right. Been there, done that.

…

Response:

Was I blocking by not following the exact edge of the roadway (the deceleration/acceleration lane)? I had left room plenty of room on the "real" road for someone to pass where I expected them to be. I felt a little guilty, but on further reflection I don’t think I was blocking.

I am not sure what Charlie’s interpretation will be, but as far as I can tell, sounds like the faster rider is guilty of passing to the right when he should have passed on the left, especially since you say there was room on the real road. The faster rider created a hazard by passing on the inside,  Charlie? Mike Plumb

Response:

Question:

G’day triathletes, coaches and sport scientists. I am posting this letter to aid my research for my independent study which I am completing with 2 other students.  We are 3rd year Human Movement and Sport Science students at Ballarat University in Victoria, Australia. We are keen sport scientists and all avid athletes, I (Michael) am a duathlete, Simon is a triathlete, and Angus plays Australian Rules Football. Our research is into the structure of triathlon training programs, with an emphasis on minimising the problem of overtraining amoungst triathletes. By gathering information from coaches, athletes and other sport science persons, we are endeavouring to determine a set of guidlines and criteria for the ideal structure of triathlon training programs.  Such a program will of course be fully periodised and consist of macro and microcycles specifics.  Any information which you can email us would be greatly appreciated, as it will expand our knowledge base, and result in a comprehansive and more valid study.  If interested we would be happy to supply all informants with the results of out research, which hopefully could be quite useful and practical to both coaches and athletes. We look forward to your response. Yours in triathlon, Michael Humphreys, Simon Connolly & Angus Ross

Response:

G’day fella’s,      I am currently in a bad overtraing rut right now,  could I have a copy of you research when you complete it?  I’d be happy to shoot the bull with you guys sometime. Talk to you later.     Oli

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stuff relevant to teh subject, deleted. Timothy Carlson PS; The same goes for all of you RSTers who think they have to put quotation marks around some strong word or what they think is slang or some cute phrase. Quotation marks — unless used for quoting things human beings actually said — are lame! If you feel you have to put quotation marks around some phrase because you won’t own up to using it yourself — then DO NOT USE IT. Now wait just a gosh darn minute!  I "LIKE" quotes or ohter punctuation, or whatever, to place emphasis in the posts we see on the ‘net. It helps a bit, along with the beloved smilies, to get back some of the "feeling" we lose in this typed forum. Many times the punctuation is used incorrectly technically speaking, but is that REALLY important. The important thing is to get the intended message across. Punctuation, even wrong punctuaion, helps in that regard. I’m as bad as anyone for being a weenie about semantics, spelling, punctuation and all the rest. However, I look past that much of the time, because I don’t have time to flame EVERYONE! Since I don’t know the english language skills of everyone on the net, and the fact that I realize that the ‘net is wonderfully international in flavour, I look past the errors. I try to look at what the person is trying to say, not how they said it. Jump on the person for being sexist, racist, stupid, a drafter, etc, but hassling the punctuation is even beyond the arrogant TriDork — Marcus Perry "TriDork" always have a plan "B"……

"DITTO!" — Tod Meinke All comments and opinions expressed are those of my employer and not my own.  Please sue them and leave me out of it.

Response:

Mark: Thanks for sharing your goals publicly — I’d say RST is quite a large audience! I’m always curious why the human race decided to give so much importance to keeping track of time.  There’s definitely a primal sense of accomplishment and reawakening that comes with hitting milestones, like 40 trips around the sun. Make it your year, and keep r.s.t. up-to-date on your experience! Mike Llerandi

Response:

Excellent! Brave! Hurrah! But remember this: It walks like a quest. Talks like a quest. Quacks like a quest. It IS a quest. No quotation marks to downgrade it. Quest is part of the language, a fine word, it fits. You used it. Not somebody else. So don’t apologize for using it. Don’t disown it by putting lame quotation marks around it. Live it. Shout it. Do it. It is not a "quest." It is a quest. Your quest. Timothy Carlson PS; The same goes for all of you RSTers who think they have to put quotation marks around some strong word or what they think is slang or some cute phrase. Quotation marks — unless used for quoting things human beings actually said — are lame! If you feel you have to put quotation marks around some phrase because you won’t own up to using it yourself — then DO NOT USE IT.  

Response:

Sentiments expressed by TriDork and Tod Meinke deleted but agreed with. PS; The same goes for all of you RSTers who think they have to put quotation marks around some strong word or what they think is slang or some cute phrase. Quotation marks — unless used for quoting things human beings actually said — are lame!

Chicago Manual of Style, 13th Edition: "SLANG "6.69 "Words classed as slang or argot may be enclosed in quotation marks if they are foreign to the normal vocabulary of the speaker." It is worth noting that "Chicago" discourages–but does not forbid–the use of quotation marks to indicate irony. David Schoonmaker

Response:

Sentiments expressed by TriDork and Tod Meinke deleted but agreed with.

How could TGCarlson have been so misunderstood?  He wasn’t criticizing anyone’s punctuation.  He simply noted that the poster was selling himself short by putting "quest" in quotations, seeming to lessen the importance of his intention.  Tim was saying that the quest deserved to stand as is and the poster should give himself credit for a worthy effort  not requiring the belittling effect of quotation marks. Ruth Kazez

Response:

"Gads…I wish I had the original post!  I don’t think I put any quotes around anything!" said Mark.

Response:

Stuff relevant to teh subject, deleted. Timothy Carlson PS; The same goes for all of you RSTers who think they have to put quotation marks around some strong word or what they think is slang or some cute phrase. Quotation marks — unless used for quoting things human beings actually said — are lame! If you feel you have to put quotation marks around some phrase because you won’t own up to using it yourself — then DO NOT USE IT.

Now wait just a gosh darn minute!  I "LIKE" quotes or ohter punctuation, or whatever, to place emphasis in the posts we see on the ‘net. It helps a bit, along with the beloved smilies, to get back some of the "feeling" we lose in this typed forum. Many times the punctuation is used incorrectly technically speaking, but is that REALLY important. The important thing is to get the intended message across. Punctuation, even wrong punctuaion, helps in that regard. I’m as bad as anyone for being a weenie about semantics, spelling, punctuation and all the rest. However, I look past that much of the time, because I don’t have time to flame EVERYONE! Since I don’t know the english language skills of everyone on the net, and the fact that I realize that the ‘net is wonderfully international in flavour, I look past the errors. I try to look at what the person is trying to say, not how they said it. Jump on the person for being sexist, racist, stupid, a drafter, etc, but hassling the punctuation is even beyond the arrogant TriDork — Marcus Perry "TriDork" always have a plan "B"……

Response:

I tell my students that if you have a goal, it’s a good thing to make it public.  If it’s out there, you are more likely to do what it takes to make it happen.  So, practicing what I preach…. I want to race in Hawaii next fall and I’m going to do whatever I can, while keeping whole my personal and professional life, to make that happen.  I’m going to enter the lottery, do the training, find the races, take this 6′1" 187lb., 40 year old body and try to qualify, buy the equipment, ask for advice, watch my diet, save some cash, and thank my much better half and alot of good friends for their support. (I hope that includes some of you!) Why next year? 1.)The race falls around our school-scheduled Columbus Day holiday and if I could make it happen, I could take a combination of personal and scheduled vacation days so as not to take too many days away from the kids. 2.) When I ran Boston 100 this year, we had a community based "See Mr. Mannebach Run" pledge drive for the Sycamore Education Foundation and raised a couple thousand dollars.  When I went to the Foundation meeting to turn in the pledges, one of the Board members asked…."Now what about that triathlon in Hawaii….is that next?" No pressure huh? Actually, I thought it was pretty cool that a 50-something banker knew of the race….kind of makes you understand how strong the Ironman is in the general-public consciousness. 4.) I want to get out there just once with my great and good friend Kara Hughes, who had an awesome 1996 race (10:02…second amatuer woman, 17th overall!), and sit on the beach and laugh with her when it’s finished. 3.) Maybe it’s a "40" thing!!!:)   Anyway, I will keep you posted, probably ad nauseum, on how the "quest" is going. The sport has kept me healthy and adventurous for a long time and I’d like to take one last crack at a finish in Kona. Thanks for indulging me the forum!     Best, as always, Mark

Response:

Question:

I did two triathlons this summer, and unfortunately received race results from neither even though they were promised. The two races I did were:               Great Lakes Tri in Pinkney, Michigan in July         Sylvania Tri in Sylvania, Ohio in August If anyone else received results from these races I would greatly appreciate it if they would email me my splits and final times! I am in the 20-24 age group, probably in the middle of the pack. Jeff O’Neill

Response:

I did Great Lakes and had the same experience.  A Tri-Fed publication (Mideast Triathlete?) published race results, but included no splits.  To all race directors: Always send out results!  Also, DONT give out the number 666.  It is too easily mistaken for 999 (as well as being bad luck).   Dave B.

Response:

Question:

Writing as a software developer in Australia, "PB Training Diary" and "CoachMan", I read the previous articles with interest, and cannot immediately think of a good response, except to say that for users, it comes down to personal choice: whether you want a straight forward diary, or a system with more features/"bell and whistles" that permits recording of everything under the sun about your training, or even to suggest training to do. Another factor that is important is price, since the last time I checked, a simple diary and calculator would be no more than $10 – $15 (Aust$). So, I will continue to continue to read this thread with interest of the developments in US. I must say I did like the reply by Mike Burg, about his "Training-4U" software – sounds too good to be true!!!!! Campbell

Response:

Wouter, your copy is on the way via postal service.

Thanks Troy, Dr. Buress do follow this example ? Wouter              April 23rd, Rotterdam marathon, sub three hours                      Wouter Gerritsma  —   O             Wageningen Agricultural University   —  <^_            Department of Agronomy  –  /             Tropical Crop Science Section  —                Haarweg 333 / P.O.box 341                      6700 AH Wageningen          —   O     The Netherlands           —  <^_        —-  /     Telephone: +31 (0)8370 83081      ——-        Telefax  : +31 (0)8370 84575

Response:

FYI: In this month’s Triathlete (just arrived today), there is an eval of   most of   the major training software pkgs. Also, they give out the URL of their new WWW page!!!! – Eric Bruce

So what is the URL ????? —   Marty Miller (aka The Noodle) Proprietor of "The Triathlete’s Web" http://iac.net/~miller/triathlon-home.html

Response:

No one else has reacted, so maybe I’m the only one, but I am getting more than a bit tired of the software wars which are erupting of late. We’re going to soon get into a situation where any software question is immediately responded to by Ken Burres and Paul Stewart on behalf of UltraCoach, Troy Jacobsen on behalf on Train Right, and myself on behalf of The Athlete’s Diary; others can’t be far behind.

Here we come… Announcing "Train-4U" by Sirius Fun Software.  The beta pre-release version will be available in exactly 9 days. Imagine sitting in the comfort of your home, office or car and competing in the same races as featured on ITV "Eye over Iceland".  Real courses, real people all on real-time MPEG compressed video right on your lap-top. Heck our software even sweats for you. How much would you pay for all this?  But wait there’s more…  We’re also introducing world renowed health specialist Dr. I.B. Fat (Ph.D., M.D. D.C., R.N., III) who is for the first time in the U.S. introducing his 60/90/0 plan along with the NEW STANDARD (150 – SQR(3.14159)/Age).  Dr. Fat is quoted, "I wanted something simple that everyone could understand that had solid scientific foundation…" In recent tests by "Runners Guide", "Bicycle World", and "Nibbles, Bytes, and Mouthfuls", our software was rated far superior to our competitors (Athelete’s Foot, Ultra-Couch, and Over-Trained).  In fact our software was rated "5 sneakers"!!! Listen to what some of our sponsored athletes have had to say, "…I’ve been using Train-4U for years and all those natsy training injuries have disappeared" and "…there is nothing else on the market like it…" and "…if I’d been using Train-4U for my whole career, who knows where I’d be today…" SPECIAL OFFER:  For all males in the 30-34 age group who are willing to follow Dr. Fats dietary plan and let my software Train-4U, then my software is absolutely free (OBTW, I’m 30).  Just send $50 for shipping and handling to the above address.   You will also be eligible for our new software Race-4U.  Tired of drafting, over-priced entries, dirty hotels?  Those days are history! Stay tuned for more info. Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

Response:

No one else has reacted, so maybe I’m the only one, but I am getting more than a bit tired of the software wars which are erupting of late. We’re going to soon get into a situation where any software question is immediately responded to by Ken Burres and Paul Stewart on behalf of UltraCoach, Troy Jacobsen on behalf on Train Right, and myself on behalf of The Athlete’s Diary; others can’t be far behind. Wait until this extends to bike manufacturers, running shoe manufacturers, etc. Either information on the various software programs (and other products?) should be added to the FAQ, so enquirers can be referred to that, or commercial firms such as the ones I just listed should respond directly and privately to the enquirer. I am certainly not afraid of going head-to-head with anyone with regard to training software, and I’ll be glad to publish on these lists point by point comparisons of different programs with ours. Frankly, however, based on earlier discussions in these newsgroups, I don’t think that’s what most people want. However, I simply have to respond to several statements made by  Ken Burres from UltraCoach. He seems to feel it is his right to use these newsgroups not only to rave about his own software, but to run down other software as well. His latest post to r.s.t. is replete with interesting statements: Swimmer’s World in 1993 rated Ultracoach #1 over TAD based on our old DOS program–available since 1990.

I assume Ken is referring to Fitness Swimmer,  not Swimmer’s World. Reviews in the December 1993 issue of Fitness Swimmer were based on DOS versions of BOTH The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach. The Windows (and Macintosh) versions of The Athlete’s Diary are of course substantially enhanced. And there were no "ratings" in the article, although the author does say that UltraCoach is the most "swimmer-friendly" of the programs he reviewed. The program is the  Official Athletic Training Software of the World Triathlon Championship [sic]–they had their pick.

I have no idea what "they had their pick" means. World Triathlon Corporation certainly didn’t ask us for a copy of our software and then do an evaluation of all the software packages on the market. Everyone knows that’s not how these things work. These are business arrangements, pure and simple. Last year we were the Official Software of Tri-Fed; this year Train Right is [I have refrained from going into details on the net of how this happened because I don't wish to say anything negative about Tri-Fed in public, but I am happy to share details with anyone who writes me privately]. Ask pro triathlete’s what they would  use–we cannot afford their

endorsements. I’m not sure what Ken is getting at. Is he suggesting that there are pro triathletes who use his software but aren’t willing to say so publicly, or that there are pros who would use his software if only he could pay their fee? In any case, one has to think about what a pro endorsement would mean in this field. It would, of course, mean something in a marketing sense – "Bill Rodger’s WinTrainer" got a lot of sales because of Bill Rodger’s name (now it apparently has disappeared from the market). But what does pro endorsement mean in a *real* sense? Pro triathletes are good athletes. However, with the exception of a few (Andy Kelsey, Troy Jacobsen), most probably know little or nothing about computers and software. They might even not have very good ideas about training – see the article on Kenny Souza in this month’s Inside Triathlon, for example. If there were a top pro who said in public that he or she turned on their computer in the morning, got their suggested workout from a computer program, and then did that and only that workout, and improved significantly after doing so for six months straight, that would be interesting. I’m not holding my breath. Runner’s World in 1993 rated UltraCoach #1–also based on the old 1990 DOS program

*This is SIMPLY NOT TRUE.*  The last Runner’s World review appeared in the May, 1992 issue. Ken Newhams described 17 programs at that time. There were no "ratings". The author does refer to one program (Compu-Run) as "the worst" and another (Run-Log) as one that "happens to be my favorite." Most of the other programs, including The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach, are simply described as to what they do, without any critical comment. Again, these were all DOS programs (one or two Mac) so the relevance of this article today is questionable. The most interesting thing about this article today is this: Of the 17 programs described in this article, only two (The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach) are still available (as far as I know) and being advertised in Runner’s World; only one (The Athlete’s Diary) has been continuously available and advertised over that whole period. The rest, including some that spent a lot of money (e.g., Running Counts which became Running Best, Fitness Tracker), have disappeared as far as one can tell.  This is a very volatile market; anyone who wants to buy software today that will still be on the market and supported five years from now might want to take this into account. One thing that The Athlete’s Diary is unique in doing (to my knowledge) is to store your log in a tab-delimited ASCII format, readable by any word processing, database, or spreadsheet program on any platform, guaranteed to be readable 20 years from now under Windows 2015, MacOS 12.0, and Solaris 9.3. We continue to encourage people to do their own evaluations, which is why we make available at our site (see .sig below) not only excerpts from dozens of published reviews and comments from our users, but also free downloadable demo versions of the Windows, Macintosh, and DOS versions of the software.  I personally hope that this kind of competitive discussion ceases in the newsgroups, but if it doesn’t, I’m more than prepared to have my say. Steve Patt, Stevens Creek Software   http://alumni.caltech.edu/~slp/tad.html (The Athlete’s Diary home page)   ftp://alumni.caltech.edu/pub/slp (Information and demo copies)

Response:

And Troy, Where can we get a demo of your programme ? Wouter              April 23rd, Rotterdam marathon, sub three hours                      Wouter Gerritsma  —   O             Wageningen Agricultural University   —  <^_            Department of Agronomy  –  /             Tropical Crop Science Section  —                Haarweg 333 / P.O.box 341                      6700 AH Wageningen          —   O     The Netherlands           —  <^_        —-  /     Telephone: +31 (0)8370 83081      ——-        Telefax  : +31 (0)8370 84575

Response:

And Troy,

Where can we get a demo of your programme ? Wouter< A presentation demo of Train Right can be acquired by calling 1800-297-2828 or 410-321-1494 or e-mail. Wouter, your copy is on the way via postal service. Thanks, Troy Jacobson Train Right Software

Response:

Apology to Dr. Burres: I apologize for choosing the wrong terminology describing Dr. Burres and his marketing techniques in my recent posting.  I called to eliminate personal attacks and found myself walking that fine line.   Sorry folks…it’ll never happen again! Troy Jacobson

Response:

No one else has reacted, so maybe I’m the only one, but I am getting more than a bit tired of the software wars which are erupting of late.

[Snip] Yes, you are absolutely right ! The statements made by some are absolutely not verivyable, and this is rather irritating. If a company advertises a software product in this platform, I would encourage that a site is created as well, where we can get a copy of the software and check the claims ourselves. In this respect I like the FTP-site of the Athlete’s diary, so I could play with the programme myself. The FAQ of rec.runners in this respect is also out of date, the manufacturers should be encouraged to provide some objective information on what the product is and does, and no claims like choosen as the official for this, or no.1 in that magazine. Maybe that the maintainer of the FAQ can include that kind of objective information. In the FAQ some of the shareware programmes are already mentioned but I got the impression these were outdated by more recent developments. At the moment I am waiting for a demo copy of ultracoach as well, until now I have’t found anything that stops me from using a simple spreadsheet. Wouter              April 23rd, Rotterdam marathon, sub three hours                      Wouter Gerritsma  —   O             Wageningen Agricultural University   —  <^_            Department of Agronomy  –  /             Tropical Crop Science Section  —                Haarweg 333 / P.O.box 341                      6700 AH Wageningen          —   O     The Netherlands           —  <^_        —-  /     Telephone: +31 (0)8370 83081      ——-        Telefax  : +31 (0)8370 84575

Response:

FYI: In this month’s Triathlete (just arrived today), there is an eval of most of the major training software pkgs. Also, they give out the URL of their new WWW page!!!! – Eric Bruce

Response:

In response to Steve Patt’s posting…BRAVO! I developed Train Right Software last year because I coach a number of athletes on the East Coast, dabbled with computers and thought "wouldn’t it be cool to develop a software application that could set up a training program for an athlete…like a coach!?".   Personally, I like the logging and graphing features of Athlete’s Diary. Train Right has the same basic features, but still doesn’t have the "flexibility"(yet).  The fact of the matter is, Train Right is a unique COACHING PROGRAM.  If you want a nice computer log, please try TAD.  If you want a training program customized for you that WILL get results, please try Train Right. Regarding UltraCoach and K. Burres…uhhhh!  Life is too short and too hard for ruthless business men like Dr. Burres.  I actually got calls from retailers who carry Train Right who said that the good Doctor offered them free copies of UC if they would pull Train Right off the shelves and send them back to me!  Holy well-funded-companies-backed-by-the-owner/Neurologist-paycheck Batman!! I’m just trying to live the American dream and start a business (while racing of course!) and this guy is trying to bury me.  Dr. Ken…have a heart! C’mon software guys, let’s avoid the personal attacks on one another and just market our products to the athletic community…and let them choose. Thanks for listening, Troy Jacobson Train Right Software 1-800-297-2828

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No one else has reacted, so maybe I’m the only one, but I am getting more than a bit tired of the software wars which are erupting of late. We’re going to soon get into a situation where any software question is immediately responded to by Ken Burres and Paul Stewart on behalf of UltraCoach, Troy Jacobsen on behalf on Train Right, and myself on behalf of The Athlete’s Diary; others can’t be far behind. Wait until this extends to bike manufacturers, running shoe manufacturers, etc. Either information on the various software programs (and other products?) should be added to the FAQ, so enquirers can be referred to that, or commercial firms such as the ones I just listed should respond directly and privately to the enquirer. I am certainly not afraid of going head-to-head with anyone with regard to training software, and I’ll be glad to publish on these lists point by point comparisons of different programs with ours. Frankly, however, based on earlier discussions in these newsgroups, I don’t think that’s what most people want. However, I simply have to respond to several statements made by  Ken Burres from UltraCoach. He seems to feel it is his right to use these newsgroups not only to rave about his own software, but to run down other software as well. His latest post to r.s.t. is replete with interesting statements: Swimmer’s World in 1993 rated Ultracoach #1 over TAD based on our old DOS program–available since 1990. I assume Ken is referring to Fitness Swimmer,  not Swimmer’s World. Reviews in the December 1993 issue of Fitness Swimmer were based on DOS versions of BOTH The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach. The Windows (and Macintosh) versions of The Athlete’s Diary are of course substantially enhanced. And there were no "ratings" in the article, although the author does say that UltraCoach is the most "swimmer-friendly" of the programs he reviewed. The program is the  Official Athletic Training Software of the World Triathlon Championship [sic]–they had their pick. I have no idea what "they had their pick" means. World Triathlon Corporation certainly didn’t ask us for a copy of our software and then do an evaluation of all the software packages on the market. Everyone knows that’s not how these things work. These are business arrangements, pure and simple. Last year we were the Official Software of Tri-Fed; this year Train Right is [I have refrained from going into details on the net of how this happened because I don't wish to say anything negative about Tri-Fed in public, but I am happy to share details with anyone who writes me privately]. Ask pro triathlete’s what they would  use–we cannot afford their endorsements. I’m not sure what Ken is getting at. Is he suggesting that there are pro triathletes who use his software but aren’t willing to say so publicly, or that there are pros who would use his software if only he could pay their fee? In any case, one has to think about what a pro endorsement would mean in this field. It would, of course, mean something in a marketing sense – "Bill Rodger’s WinTrainer" got a lot of sales because of Bill Rodger’s name (now it apparently has disappeared from the market). But what does pro endorsement mean in a *real* sense? Pro triathletes are good athletes. However, with the exception of a few (Andy Kelsey, Troy Jacobsen), most probably know little or nothing about computers and software. They might even not have very good ideas about training – see the article on Kenny Souza in this month’s Inside Triathlon, for example. If there were a top pro who said in public that he or she turned on their computer in the morning, got their suggested workout from a computer program, and then did that and only that workout, and improved significantly after doing so for six months straight, that would be interesting. I’m not holding my breath. Runner’s World in 1993 rated UltraCoach #1–also based on the old 1990 DOS program *This is SIMPLY NOT TRUE.*  The last Runner’s World review appeared in the May, 1992 issue. Ken Newhams described 17 programs at that time. There were no "ratings". The author does refer to one program (Compu-Run) as "the worst" and another (Run-Log) as one that "happens to be my favorite." Most of the other programs, including The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach, are simply described as to what they do, without any critical comment. Again, these were all DOS programs (one or two Mac) so the relevance of this article today is questionable. The most interesting thing about this article today is this: Of the 17 programs described in this article, only two (The Athlete’s Diary and UltraCoach) are still available (as far as I know) and being advertised in Runner’s World; only one (The Athlete’s Diary) has been continuously available and advertised over that whole period. The rest, including some that spent a lot of money (e.g., Running Counts which became Running Best, Fitness Tracker), have disappeared as far as one can tell.  This is a very volatile market; anyone who wants to buy software today that will still be on the market and supported five years from now might want to take this into account. One thing that The Athlete’s Diary is unique in doing (to my knowledge) is to store your log in a tab-delimited ASCII format, readable by any word processing, database, or spreadsheet program on any platform, guaranteed to be readable 20 years from now under Windows 2015, MacOS 12.0, and Solaris 9.3. We continue to encourage people to do their own evaluations, which is why we make available at our site (see .sig below) not only excerpts from dozens of published reviews and comments from our users, but also free downloadable demo versions of the Windows, Macintosh, and DOS versions of the software.   I personally hope that this kind of competitive discussion ceases in the newsgroups, but if it doesn’t, I’m more than prepared to have my say. Steve Patt, Stevens Creek Software  http://alumni.caltech.edu/~slp/tad.html (The Athlete’s Diary home page)  ftp://alumni.caltech.edu/pub/slp (Information and demo copies)

Response: UltraCoach encourages athletes and coaches to try UltraCoach–free copy–Call800-400-1390 including features and cost comparisons.   UltraCoach has "been around" as Tri-Log Plus and then UltraCoach since 1987–so it has a bit of staying power like TAD. We have users from 1990 who have converted their data with a free untility program provided into the Windows version and are delighted.   The athletic training software market is blossoming and it is unfortunate that there are miscommunications and distortions and defensive postures, but I believe that athletes deserve to know what they are getting, that they should get the most for their money and comparisons and criticisms have their place. Ken Burres MD UltraCoach

Response:

Question:

I’m looking for a triathlon bike or some advice. I’m considering things like 26" wheels, advanced seat position, etc. Any thoughts?   Dan

Response:

     I’m currently riding a Gardin Custom Triathlon (Excell 1.4K tubing) and I’m thouroughly impressed by it.  I’ve always ridden standard geometry frames before, then I added a Torque Platform, but it doesn’t compare to the feeling of a true 78-degree seat tube!  The bike is light, super-stiff, fast, and it’s Canadian-made (Mississauga even!)  If you’ve done any triathlons in Canada, you should have seen some of these bikes.  Look into it. Jef Verheyen Student University of Toronto

Response:

Question:

I’m preparing for my first triathlon (Crystal Lake, IL).  I wear glasses and am wondering how best to deal with my crummy vision before, during, and after the swim.  I realize that the best solutions are prescription goggles and wearing contacts.  I’d like to be sure I like doing tri’s before investing in the former and do not use the later.  I’d guess that others have been in this position and any advice on how to cope would be appreciated. Road Runner Sports has some relatively cheap ($25) prescription goggles in the newest catalogue.  I don’t have any experience with them, but for the price I’m planning to try them this summer.  If your eyes are vastly different, I don’t thing they are the thing because both lenses are made the same to keep the price down.  If anyone has experience with them, I would like to hear it.

A friend of mine from Knoxville was literally blind as a bat without his glasses and his vision was so poor, contacts were out of the picture. He used a pair of prescription goggles for the swim but his regular glasses for the bike and run.  His vision is so poor that he keeps his goggles on during the trip from the water to his bike.  He’s been doing tri’s for about 10 years like this with no trouble.  Don’t let a little problem like poor vision keep you from racing.  Give the goggles a try(i) and go for it. — Suzanne Roat Chevron Research and Technology Company         Richmond, CA                    

Response:

I’m preparing for my first triathlon (Crystal Lake, IL).  I wear glasses and am wondering how best to deal with my crummy vision before, during, and after the swim.  I realize that the best solutions are prescription goggles and wearing contacts.  I’d like to be sure I like doing tri’s before investing in the former and do not use the later.  I’d guess that others have been in this position and any advice on how to cope would be appreciated. Road Runner Sports has some relatively cheap ($25) prescription goggles in the newest catalogue.  I don’t have any experience with them, but for the price I’m planning to try them this summer.  If your eyes are vastly different, I don’t thing they are the thing because both lenses are made the same to keep the price down.  If anyone has experience with them, I would like to hear it.

Response: