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Radcliffe vows to continue campaign Paula Radcliffe insists she will continue her fight to expose drug cheats in athletics. The British runner knows her campaign is dangerous but says she will not be deterred. "There is a risk in rocking the boat and I realise that I could become a target for those who have something to hide," she said. "That will not stop me." More…. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/in_depth/2001/world_athletics/… Ken Ken Parker Runner’s Web <http://www.runnersweb.com A running and Triathlon Resource Portal

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Radcliffe vows to continue campaign Paula Radcliffe insists she will continue her fight to expose drug cheats in athletics. The British runner knows her campaign is dangerous but says she will not be deterred. "There is a risk in rocking the boat and I realise that I could become a target for those who have something to hide," she said. "That will not stop me."<<

Good for her. I found it hillarious that El G. could _only_ barely break 3:31 in a timetrial-type EPO-TESTED WC 1500 final when he has no trouble running 4-5 seconds faster at the invitational meets… More…. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/in_depth/2001/world_athletics/…

id_1488000/1488232.stm – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Ken

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With all due respect to Oleg, if you’re not able to get your heart rate up by cycling, you’re not cycling correctly.  Try maintaining a pedaling cadence of 90-100 rpm as you work through the gears on a decent bike and watch as your heart rate climbs.

Well, with all due respect… It’s been pretty well demonstrated that most people can’t achieve as high a heart rate on a bike as they can running. This leads to the interesting phenomena of having a measured MHR on a bike lower than your measured MHR while running. This isn’t to say that you can’t get it up there, in the mountains, for example. Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Ironman Canada ‘98 16:17:03 Great Floridian ‘99, 17:13:38

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I am not a physiologist and I don’t no the reasons for it, but every book or article I have ever read states that you would most likely have different anaerobic thresholds and VO2 Max measures for different endurance activities.  I don’t recall there being any difference in Max heart rate if the tests are done correctly; in fact, I’d be surprised to see different max heart rates between sports.  Perceived exertion is another matter… — Tom I. St. Paul, Minnesota – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug

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Since I have probably done ~500 max tests in the past 4 years, I can say that in general the following occur: 1)  A trained cyclist but untrained runner who does a treadmill ™ test might have an equal max HR on both a bike and a tm.  This, I theorize, is due to increased muscle use and having to support the body weight on the tm. 2)  A trained runner but untrained cyclist who does a bike max test will most likely have a lower max HR on the bike than on the run.  This could be due to local fatigue setting (the legs get tired before the heart/lungs give in) and also having not to support body weight on the bike 3)  A trained triathlete will have a tendency to have MaxHR that are pretty close to another. YMMV

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am not a physiologist and I don’t no the reasons for it, but every book or article I have ever read states that you would most likely have different anaerobic thresholds and VO2 Max measures for different endurance activities.  I don’t recall there being any difference in Max heart rate if the tests are done correctly; in fact, I’d be surprised to see different max heart rates between sports.  Perceived exertion is another matter… — Tom I. St. Paul, Minnesota Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug

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With all due respect to Oleg, if you’re not able to get your heart rate up by cycling, you’re not cycling correctly.  Try maintaining a pedaling cadence of 90-100 rpm as you work through the gears on a decent bike and watch as your heart rate climbs.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug As far as cardiovascular system is concerned, your heart has no idea if the rest of your body is biking, running, if your favorite team is losing or you are

falling in love from the – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – first sight. It’s a lot more difficult to get your heart rate up by biking than it is by running, that’s why it feels different. Being physically tired and having your heart rate going up is often two different things. —  Oleg

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Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug

As far as cardiovascular system is concerned, your heart has no idea if the rest of your body is biking, running, if your favorite team is losing or you are falling in love from the first sight. It’s a lot more difficult to get your heart rate up by biking than it is by running, that’s why it feels different. Being physically tired and having your heart rate going up is often two different things. —  Oleg

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Unless you are well trained in all 3 disciplines it is unlikely that your max HR would be the same for all 3;  thus the aerobic zone would be different.  Cycling and swimming would most likely be lower due to your not having to support body weight in either case and in the case of swimming the prone position reduces stress on the heart and increases pre-load on the heart. Another question is how did you determine your max HR?  If you used one of the myriad of formulae to estimate, the odds are that it is off by a few beats at the least.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug

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Hello everyone, I have been using a heart rate monitor for several years now.  I determine my aerobic max hr by subtracting 40 bpm from my max heart rate.  I was wondering if my aerobic training zones for running, swimming and biking should be the same?  I feel like my running aerobic zone should be higher than my biking aerobic zone.  Any response will be appreciated. Thanks alot! Doug

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – please post sites that have event listings for multi-sports! I know of two, but am looking around to see if there are a couple more good ones. Here are the ones I know about: http://www.event-horizon.com – nice presentation nationwide http://w3.one.net/~triweb/triweb.html – great site, mostly for tris http://www.runningnetwork.com – has lots of info, but harder to find http://www.maraceguide.com – seems to be broken right now You can add the following site to your list of sites that list events: http://www.MultiSweatRacing.org The site is growing and expanding to include races not only in Louisiana but beyond the borders of our state and region.  It was just a good place to start since that is where we are.

Also try Triathlete Magazine at http://www.triathletemag.com/clndr/ David — David & Suzi

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please post sites that have event listings for multi-sports! I know of two, but am looking around to see if there are a couple more good ones. Here are the ones I know about: http://www.event-horizon.com – nice presentation nationwide http://w3.one.net/~triweb/triweb.html – great site, mostly for tris http://www.runningnetwork.com – has lots of info, but harder to find http://www.maraceguide.com – seems to be broken right now

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please post sites that have event listings for multi-sports! I know of two, but am looking around to see if there are a couple more good ones. Here are the ones I know about: http://www.event-horizon.com – nice presentation nationwide http://w3.one.net/~triweb/triweb.html – great site, mostly for tris http://www.runningnetwork.com – has lots of info, but harder to find http://www.maraceguide.com – seems to be broken right now

You can add the following site to your list of sites that list events: http://www.MultiSweatRacing.org The site is growing and expanding to include races not only in Louisiana but beyond the borders of our state and region.  It was just a good place to start since that is where we are.

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Off the top of my head, no one likes to put on a triathlon on that weekend and compete against the Bolder Boulder 10k. But this 10k is the best road race I have ever been at. The Longmont triathlon is usually the following weekend. I am not aware of a tri the weekend before. Luis Vargas

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I’m going to be in Boulder, CO, for a wedding the Friday before Memorial Day.  I was wondering if there were any races either that weekend or the weekend before.  I’ll be staying in a suburb of Denver with a friend.   I’d also be interested in any club training sessions during that week, especially on the bike or in the water.  Maybe Mark Allen will want to go for a ride with me… Thanks, mike

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The Ironhorse Bike race and tri are that weekend in Durango (bit of a haul from Boulder).  Great race.  The tri is actually part of the bike race on Saturday (50 mile, from Durango to Silverton, two big climbs.   You start at 6500 ft, climb Coal Bank Pass at 10400 and then Molas Pass at 11,000. Takes about 3 hours)  The swim (1500 yd I think) and run (10 mile) are on Sunday in Durango.

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do you know of any

other events in Durango that weekend ??? The Roostmaster mountain bike race features an inivited group of top riders competing over a sprint distance event.  Nice for spectators because you can see the entire course from one viewing spot.

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The Ironhorse Bike race and tri are that weekend in Durango (bit of a haul from Boulder).  Great race.  The tri is actually part of the bike race on Saturday (50 mile, from Durango to Silverton, two big climbs.   You start at 6500 ft, climb Coal Bank Pass at 10400 and then Molas Pass at 11,000. Takes about 3 hours)  The swim (1500 yd I think) and run (10 mile) are on Sunday in Durango.

have you seen an announcement for this race yet ??? i have heard of the challenge against the train, is’nt it called the iron horse challenge ???  i seem to remember that name. anyhow,  if a swim and run are added on sunday it may just be worth the trip.  do you know of any other events in Durango that weekend ??? doug from boulder — doug jones colorado

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The Ironhorse Bike race and tri are that weekend in Durango (bit of a haul from Boulder).  Great race.  The tri is actually part of the bike race on Saturday (50 mile, from Durango to Silverton, two big climbs.   You start at 6500 ft, climb Coal Bank Pass at 10400 and then Molas Pass at 11,000. Takes about 3 hours)  The swim (1500 yd I think) and run (10 mile) are on Sunday in Durango.

You should probably be a USCF licensed rider if you are going to do this. Otherwise, they put you in the citizens class with a lot less support etc…  There was a previous post a few years back about this from Scott Schumaker.  You might want to email Scott directly for the low-down on his experiences. Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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I haven’t been able to run for the last two weeks due to a pulled gastrocnemius (calf) muscle.  I have been able to swim and bike with no pain, and by not running both have been increased during this recovery period. Here’s my obsesessive/compulsive  triathlete worry:  What will I have lost by not running for two weeks?  I assume that for the first week or two I will just run easy and relatively short.  My next race is the last weekend in January. Steve Rogers

If you’ve been able to continue exercising in other disciplines I doubt you’ll   have lost much in terms of aerobic ability. The thing that is most likely to suffer is your adaption to the running action.  e.g. tendon strength, shock tolerance (foot hitting the floor) and so on.  You may also have gained some (unwanted) muscle bulk. So when you return to training I think you’ll just need to take care to allow your body to adjust again. Dan.

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Steve, That’s easy! You will have lost the pain in the gastrocnemius! Happy Holidays! The BikeDoc – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I haven’t been able to run for the last two weeks due to a pulled gastrocnemius (calf) muscle.  I have been able to swim and bike with no pain, and by not running both have been increased during this recovery period. Here’s my obsesessive/compulsive  triathlete worry:  What will I have lost by not running for two weeks?  I assume that for the first week or two I will just run easy and relatively short.  My next race is the last weekend in January. Steve Rogers

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I haven’t been able to run for the last two weeks due to a pulled gastrocnemius (calf) muscle.  I have been able to swim and bike with no pain, and by not running both have been increased during this recovery period. Here’s my obsesessive/compulsive  triathlete worry:  What will I have lost by not running for two weeks?  I assume that for the first week or two I will just run easy and relatively short.  My next race is the last weekend in January. Steve Rogers

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Has any of you done the 1/2 IM Keahou Tri in Kona? Any information on that race? I have the entry form and such but would like to hear tips, warnings or suggs. Thanks in advance, Steve…

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: Has any of you done the 1/2 IM Keahou Tri in Kona? Any : information on that race? I have the entry form and such but : would like to hear tips, warnings or suggs. Thanks in advance Greetings… I have been associated with the Keauhou Tri for years and can tell you that, although never having competed myself, all I have spoken to have been very positive. It’s the most organized and most ‘quality’ event in the islands, (excepting the IM, of course). This year will be my first competition in the 1/2 IM and I’m really looking forward to it. Hope to see you there!                         -=Mark=-

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Did Keahou last year.  Great Race, Great Course, Great Support from the Community.  Course uses most of the same roads/routes as Ironman except the swim.  Stay at the Keahou Beach Hotel ( I think their the sponsering hotel).  Bike/Run transition and finish is right in fron of the hotel. 1st Class awards banquet catered by the hotel following the race. Steve Grove

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For the NYC Triathlete’s… Has anyone else noticed the Triathlete motif of the New York Telephone display between 6th and 7th ave on 42 street? Tom Roehr

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I’m not in the NY area, but tell me about what is there Andy Dell

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Now I am sure that there are people out there who are going to hate me for this, but I think we could have a competition where Jurgen Zack could prove he is the best biker and I would wind up middle of the pack even if nobody had handle bar fairings and instead had a parachute on their back and rode Huffy’s.  And I think the results would be the same if we all rode $40,000 bikes.  But instead of finishing in the middle of a pack of 1000, I would be finishing in the middle of 4 or 5 damn rich people.  So wh y don’t we all just ride standard bicycles and put our money into travel and entry fees.  As a bonus, when that fast biker goes whipping by me I will know that the guy is just a hell of a lot stronger than me, and not because his bike has 78 degree angles and titanium brake bolts.

How about a handicap series where the stonger bikers would be required to carry several bricks on their bikes proportionate to their bike splits at last years race on the same ( or a qualifiying) course. Bruce Platt p.s. I know… profile would eventually come out with a brick that looks just like a fairing!!

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(John Walker) writes:

Hi all, I’m just getting starting to look at all these messages. I wish the "was PR Bar" was not attached to this folder. Although I consult with PR Nutrition, along with a number of other companies, I’ve been using the concepts for almost 20 years. The bottom line: they are effective when you match a specific diet to the individual. That may mean modifying the 40-30-30 ratio to 50-25-25, or 33-33-33, or whatever best suits the individual. And some people function better with 60% carbs. So let me make it clear that I don’t think the 40-30-30- diet is the end all diet for all people to follow. The bottom-line, end result effectiveness is not disputable. So the next question is, does the scientific/medical literature contain information which backs up what I’ve been doing. The is, yes. There are dozens of articles which talk about insulin resistance and other topics. Philip Maffetone

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| [text deleted] | concepts for almost 20 years. The bottom line: they are effective when you | match a specific diet to the individual. That may mean modifying the | 40-30-30 ratio to 50-25-25, or 33-33-33, or whatever best suits the | individual. And some people function better with 60% carbs. So let me make | it clear that I don’t think the 40-30-30- diet is the end all diet for all | people to follow. This questions has been on my mind for months. How do you know you are at the right ratio ? Although I do not like to dispute, 30% Calories From Protein (CFP) sounds as an enormous amount. I’ve read that rest products of protein metabolism are harmful (kidney or liver I can’t remember). I haven’t read Michael Colgan but I think somebody once quoted him recommending 12-14% CFP (sorry If I’m incorrect here). Perhaps they are both right ( i.e. Maffetone & Colgan) but I don’t understand how. | The bottom-line, end result effectiveness is not disputable. So the next | question is, does the scientific/medical literature contain information | which backs up what I’ve been doing. The is, yes. There are dozens of | articles which talk about insulin resistance and other topics. | Philip Maffetone How about some references ? jarek

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And how does one find out what are the right ratios for him/her?

I hate to say this Kostya, but I think trial-and-error is "the way".  It is slower, but each one of us is different.  Plus, I wouldn’t get too caught up in deciding between 40-30-30 and 45-25-30 and 35-35-30 and … I think the concept is by introducing more fat in the diet, to a point, whereby the body becomes accustomed to seeing and utilizing it more efficiently.   -Rolf — Rolf "Ironman" Arands, Ph.D.|"The world is made for those who are                             |    - Sue Sarandon in MAJOR LEAGUE

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What about all the obvious health problems caused by high fat intake?

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Luberek) writes:

| concepts for almost 20 years. The bottom line: they are effective when you | match a specific diet to the individual. That may mean modifying the | 40-30-30 ratio to 50-25-25, or 33-33-33, or whatever best suits the | individual. And some people function better with 60% carbs. So let me make | it clear that I don’t think the 40-30-30- diet is the end all diet for all | people to follow. <<<This questions has been on my mind for months. How do you know you are at the right ratio ? Either get help from a professional, or use some guage, such as a set of symptoms or a track test (i.e. clocking mile times while running at a contant heart rate). For example, if you’re eating too many carbos, you may have symtoms that include intestinal bloating after meals, sleepiness after meals, periods of excessive low blood sugar. When you lower your carbos enough, these symptoms will disappear, and/or your pace will quicken (at the same heart rate). <<<Although I do not like to dispute, 30% Calories From Protein (CFP) sounds as an enormous amount. Everyone’s protein needs are a bit different. Many are now saying that the USRDA for protein (0.8 grams per kg of body weight) is much too low especially for athletes. Some recommend 3 times that amount. <<<I’ve read that rest products of protein metabolism are harmful (kidney or liver I can’t remember). Yes. Too much protein can have a devestating effect on the kidneys. But remember, you need to find your  own body’s requirement. And most importantly, as your protein intake increases, your need for more water also increases. Many athletes don’t drink enough water to begin with. <<<Perhaps they are both right ( i.e. Maffetone & Colgan) but I don’t understand how. We can both be right because different people require different amounts. <<<How about some references ? If you e-mail me, I’ll get you whatever references you want. Be sure to specify. My book contains many references too. My feeling about references is that most people just want to know if they exist. (Of course some people use the "show me the references" as a challenge.) And some really want to read new material. Philip Maffetone

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<<<And how does one find out what are the right ratios for him/her? This was answered in a previous section. Let me know if you don’t find it. Philip Maffetone

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(Keolani Taitano) writes:

<<<What about all the obvious health problems caused by high fat intake? Which ones are those? And what is "high" fat intake. And what about all those health problems caused by eating too much carbohydrate? Philip Maffetone

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| | So, some company now proposes a "bullet bar looking thing" that contains a | bladder for a drinking system and a place for a tire etc. | | They say:  "It’s not a fairing it’s just an aero cover over |       the drinking system." | | Current (but not decided) thinking of Safety & Rules is: | |   As long as: | |      1) almost all the "internal" part of the structure has a |   purpose other than aero | |                   AND | |      2) The "aero" shell is within the tubes of the aerobar | |                  THEN |          It’s legal. The whole concept of making areo equipment legal only if it has some other purpose is rather silly.  And it is not always adhered to, either.  For instance:  Disk wheels provide an aero advantage, but also replace the spokes, thus they have another purpose.  But what about disk wheel covers?  They do NOTHING except improve aerodynamics.  Same goes true for J-Disks, since they are just an aero cover over spokes.  Someone please tell me what the difference is between putting an aero cover over my wheels and putting one over my handle- bars.  Am I not trying to accomplish the same thing, which is gain an advantage? What we have done is imposed a set of rules which create engineering obstacles which are designed around to come to the same end.  Thus all the rules have really accomplished is making the cost of a competitive bike skyrocket.  Sure, the original purpose was to give Joe Newby a fair chance with his Schwinn Varsity.  But believe me, Joe Newby is going to get his butt kicked by an equal athlete if the other guy is riding a LiteSpeed Blade with double trispokes and aerobars. If people want to spend their money on C-Record and titanium, I say this is fine, they aren’t gaining any HUGE advantage with it.  But I for one would like to see the cost of a truly competive bike brought down to Earth.  This means no disk wheels, no beam bikes, and no stinking aero handlebar fairings.  The people that want to spend money will, I am sure, still be able to find someone to take it.  The rest of us will be able to justify our sport to our families a lot easier, since it isn’t costing us an arm an a leg in addition to most of our free time. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could ride a bike that is reliable (ie., frame somewhat stronger than an aluminum can, wheels that can actually take a pothole without costing $600 to replace) and fairly cheap (say $600)?  I would favor rules which say you have to have 36 spokes, and anything else which seriously improves efficiency over the Schwinn Varsity be illegal.  After all, we are trying to see how good we can make the engine, not how light, expensive, and fragile we can make a bicycle.  Let’s leave that to the HPV folks.  I think the triathlon bike is quickly getting out of hand. I favor going by the Merckx (how do you spell it?) standard for the hour record too!  This is an athletic competition, not engineering! Fire away! dan (who does his engineering competion at work) (and who spent $1300 on a bike this year and still doesn’t have as nice a bike as the average serious triathlete)

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With the recent discussions of Philip Maffetone and his training ideas, I thought I would throw out some more information about it. Obviously, the second edition of Maffetone’s book has had the phrase "In Fitness and in Health" added to the original title, which was simply, "Everyone is an Athlete."  I have the first edition of the book and given the focus of the book can say that the additional phrase fits the focus of the book very well.  Rather than try to explain focus of his ideas, I’ll quote a couple paragraphs from the introduction to the first edition which does better than I could:     This is a book for everyone interested in a healthy approach     to activity and exercise.  For competitive athletes, it is the     alternative to the all-too-common cycle of injury and plateau,     or worse, declining performance.  The focus is on balance – the     symmetry of human structure, physically, chemically and     psychologically – and one approach to obtaining and maintaining     that base.     …     Some of us have chosen paths that include more athletic     involvement, and some have not.  It’s merely a question of     utilizing what we naturally possess.     Everyone is an athlete. I have been following much of Maffetone’s training ideas for three years now.  I was introduced to the ideas by a SF Bay Area chiropractor who worked on me after I failed to finish World’s Toughest Triathlon in 1991 due to back spasms (email me if you want his name).  So how has it affected my training and racing?  I would like to say that I much faster than I was then, but I’m not.  But due to other influences, I’m also only doing about 1/3 the quantity of training I was then, so I really wouldn’t expect to be any faster.  The biggest differences I have seen is in my quick recovery from races, increased level of energy, and relative lack of injuries.   Initially, this chiropractor said that aerobically I was very weak.  He endorsed Maffetone’s approach to training, so what little training I found time for in early ‘92 was all low intensity.  I was pretty undertrained for my first couple races and was mentally just struggling to keep going and finish (and anyone who has done Wildflower will know that is not a good mental state at the beginning of the half-marathon).   I was very ready to abandon these training ideas except for two things. First, as I already mentioned, I hadn’t been training nearly as much as in previous years, which could easily explain the lack of performance.   Second, despite how badly I felt at the end of these races, I felt much better the next day than I did in the previous years I did these races.   As the summer progressed, my training volume didn’t increase, but I started finishing races much more comfortably, including 2 ultradistance races 6 weeks apart (World’s Toughest and Hawaii).  I wasn’t terribly fast, but by keeping my HR in the low 150’s like in training, I finished them feeling relatively strong. I think both my increased energy level and lack of injuries is mainly due to placing more emphasis on rest and balance in my training.   Having a definite plan gives me an excuse to resist sprinting for town limit signs or to beat the person in the next lane on every 50.   One effect of training to improve your speed at a fixed intensity is that a lot of effort goes into becoming as efficient as possible.  I certainly look at this as a plus in endurance events. With that said, I won’t continue by saying that Maffetone’s ideas are the answer to all our training questions.  I do, however, think they offer a lot of good ideas and insights, whether or not he offers scientific proof for them in his book.  I do not personally know Maffetone, nor do I know anyone that he has personally trained, but I’ve been willing to use myself as an experiment with a sample size of one and have been generally pleased with the results.  If anyone has any more questions, I’ll try to answer them. In the meantime, back to our regularly scheduled discussions about Ironman (Go Mark! — oops, wrong year , rules, Olympics, etc.                                         — John PS – Philip Maffetone also co-wrote "The High Performance Heart" with Matthew E. Mantell.  Unlike "Everyone is an Athlete," I have actually seen this book in a regular bookstore (although I don’t think it is as complete). — John Walker                      Jackson & Tull Chartered Engineers

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<snip :If people want to spend their money on C-Record and titanium, I say this is fine, they aren’t gaining any HUGE advantage with it.  But I for one would like :to see the cost of a truly competive bike brought down to Earth.  This means :no disk wheels, no beam bikes, and no stinking aero handlebar fairings…. I believe the suggested retail for the Softride Al. frame is somewhere around $1K (kiloBUCK frame).  While this is still astronimical compared to my road racing bike I bought 8 years ago, it is priced _relatively_ reasonably. : :Wouldn’t it be nice if you could ride a bike that is reliable (ie., frame somewhat stronger than an aluminum can, wheels that can actually take a pothole :without costing $600 to replace) and fairly cheap (say $600)? Sounds like a mtn. bike to me.  I just bought one as an off-season diversion and was amazed at the value (compared with tri stuff) of the mtn biking world. : :I favor going by the Merckx (how do you spell it?) standard for the hour record too!  This is an athletic competition, not engineering! I’m not an historical expert, but I believe Merckx had an ultralight bike (sub-13 lbs ?) for the record.  Lots of parts were drilled out and I even heard of He-4 in the tires.  If this is true, it sounds pretty trick to me. : :Fire away! : click. Pat    W.Patrick Brug, Ph.D.  _-           -_    Los Alamos National Lab -__       __-                                       /    cis:      72410,3372        /  

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This is a little dangerous, because you could make a really big water bottle (which most people would decide to leave empty for weight reasons) and build a sizable fairing to "aero-protect" it.  I think you could design something with a significant aerodynamic advantage that fits the letter of the law. What if we said something like "No more that 12 inches wide"?

Hmm… I think I need 3 or 4 water bottles on the front of my bike, but I’ll place them in such a way that they won’t interfere with each other.   I’m afraid that this could turn into something akin to Pandora’s Box. Once opened, we won’t be able to control everything in it.  In other words, once the rules have been allowed to be stretched in one direction, it will be hard to restrict them from being stretched in other directions. Larry, I understand that you are trying to keep fairings under control (Thanks!).  Last year, you asked for rule change suggestions that would handle this exact case.  I don’t remember seeing any really workable ones then and haven’t thought of any in the meantime.  I just have to wonder if it might not be easier to say "No" now than it will be later.                                         — John — John Walker                      Jackson & Tull Chartered Engineers

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| Aerodynamic improvements per se are not illegal. what is clearly illegal | (according to Tri-fed & ITU) are fairings meant to shield the rider or the | bike or any part of the bike. | Sounds just like a UNI disk wheel cover to me.  Shields the spokes and that is about all it does (besides making the wheels heavier). | and now for the flame…. when Merckx set the hour record he used the most | advanced bike available at the time, as did Moser, Boardman, Obree and | Indurain. And whats the big deal if alot of people have large sums of | disposable income to burn on the latest titanium doodads.  As long as you | can enjoy yourself and stay healthy and fit doing triathlons what else do | you need. | | | Bruce Platt You have a good point that Merckx used the best bike he could get.  But it is my opinion that Indurain`s hour record would be more interesting to me if I could compare it with Merckx`s record on a purely athletic level.  This is similar to what we are able to do with running and swimming times.  Indurain`s bike is not the most advanced available.  I am sure he could have ridden faster using a full fairing recumbant, such as the Gold Rush.  But there are rules which draw the line and say fairings are illegal.  I am questioning why the line is drawn at this point. I think that a lot of people have made a ton of money off triathletes because we think we have to have the latest and greatest in order to be competitive.  In the process, a lot of people have gotten stung by products to don’t live up to expectations, and a lot of people have been turned away from the sport because they couldn’t afford a competive bike and didn’t want to look like a geek riding the old ten speed. Now I am sure that there are people out there who are going to hate me for this, but I think we could have a competition where Jurgen Zack could prove he is the best biker and I would wind up middle of the pack even if nobody had handle bar fairings and instead had a parachute on their back and rode Huffy’s.  And I think the results would be the same if we all rode $40,000 bikes.  But instead of finishing in the middle of a pack of 1000, I would be finishing in the middle of 4 or 5 damn rich people.  So wh y don’t we all just ride standard bicycles and put our money into travel and entry fees.  As a bonus, when that fast biker goes whipping by me I will know that the guy is just a hell of a lot stronger than me, and not because his bike has 78 degree angles and titanium brake bolts. I make a decent living and I feel triathlon is a pretty expensive sport.  I feel bad for those who can’t afford the things I can and fall in the standings because of it.  Perhaps I am the only one who feels this way.  Either way, I will drop the subject and get off the soap box now.  Thanks for thinking about it. dan (am I a retro-grouch???)

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Aerodynamic improvements per se are not illegal. what is clearly illegal (according to Tri-fed & ITU) are fairings meant to shield the rider or the bike or any part of the bike. and now for the flame…. when Merckx set the hour record he used the most advanced bike available at the time, as did Moser, Boardman, Obree and Indurain. And whats the big deal if alot of people have large sums of disposable income to burn on the latest titanium doodads.  As long as you can enjoy yourself and stay healthy and fit doing triathlons what else do you need. Bruce Platt

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I’m afraid that this could turn into something akin to Pandora’s Box.

I claim that the box is already open and that’s part of the problem.  If we stick to the exact letter of the law then an aero, front-mounted water bottle is illegal.  An aero helmet should also be illegal.  Clearly wheel covers are fairings.  What about aero shaped rear bottle carriers that could be called spoilers?  We’ve had people complain that CamelBacks are spoilers and should be illegal! In a selfish sense TriFed is trying to stop having to review product after product for "fairing’ness".  If we create a set size for this new wave of "aerobar fairings" at least those rulings will become simpler. It’s kind of like Indy car racing – new technology comes out and rules are made to stop it. I’m afraid Just Saying No is impossible unless you can create a concrete definition of what you’re saying no to. —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

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I think Bicycle Guide has a picture of the new Scott aero water bottle in their most recent issue. Todd Jensen                                   o AT&T Bell Labs                  ___^o_    __o    <| Naperville, IL                      _ <_    _

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| | | This is a little dangerous, because you could make a really big water | bottle (which most people would decide to leave empty for weight reasons) | and build a sizable fairing to "aero-protect" it.  I think you could design | something with a significant aerodynamic advantage that fits the letter of | the law. | | What if we said something like "No more that 12 inches wide"? | You should also restrict the height, since I could manufacture a fairing only 12 inches wide, but reaching from the wheel to a foot above the bars. That might have a significant effect on overall aerodynamics. Of course, this is if you decide to allow it, which I still don’t support.                                 Rich

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Hey, no matter what Profile (I assume that’s who’s submitted this device)

Nope. —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

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Hey, no matter what Profile (I assume that’s who’s submitted this device) does, the thing is still clearly a fairing.  Even if it meets the letter of the rules, it clearly violates the spirit of them.

So do wheel covers and aero helmets with visors. I guess this was unavoidable, but I’m definitely pissed at the company which pushes this issue.  I don’t really want to spend another $300 on an aero bar!

Then don’t! —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

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I was told that when the ruling came down that the bullet bar was illegal, it was so because the sole purpose was to reduce air resistance.

Right. Profile was told that if it was a drinking system or some other useful biking gadget that just happened to redirect airflow it would be legal.

To the best of my knowledge we never told them that. —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

Response:

This is a little dangerous, because you could make a really big water bottle (which most people would decide to leave empty for weight reasons) and build a sizable fairing to "aero-protect" it.  I think you could design something with a significant aerodynamic advantage that fits the letter of the law.

What if we said something like "No more that 12 inches wide"? Personally, I don’t think there’s much reason to aero-protect anything that sits between the aero bars.

Boone agrees. —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117

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Hey, no matter what Profile (I assume that’s who’s submitted this device) does, the thing is still clearly a fairing.  Even if it meets the letter of the rules, it clearly violates the spirit of them.  I guess this was unavoidable, but I’m definitely pissed at the company which pushes this issue.  I don’t really want to spend another $300 on an aero bar! Timothy — Timothy Gotsick

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I was told that when the ruling came down that the bullet bar was illegal, it was so because the sole purpose was to reduce air resistance. Profile was told that if it was a drinking system or some other useful biking gadget that just happened to redirect airflow it would be legal. So look for the new line of aero bottles that fit in to your aero bars at a store near you. Profile must have lost a firtune on these bullet bar things. they were expensive and the word on the legality of them got out fast, so much so that I never saw one  show up at any of the races i  officiated or raced this year.

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So, some company now proposes a "bullet bar looking thing" that contains a bladder for a drinking system and a place for a tire etc. They say:  "It’s not a fairing it’s just an aero cover over             the drinking system." Current (but not decided) thinking of Safety & Rules is:   As long as:      1) almost all the "internal" part of the structure has a         purpose other than aero                         AND      2) The "aero" shell is within the tubes of the aerobar                        THEN          It’s legal. —    LSC (aka Larry Chapman)    (303) 229-3117 P.S. I’ve been told that Boone Lennon (sp?)  did substancial testing of      "bullet bar type" fairings and found that they were too small to have      any real effect.

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| | …. | |   As long as: | |      1) almost all the "internal" part of the structure has a |   purpose other than aero | |                   AND | |      2) The "aero" shell is within the tubes of the aerobar | |                  THEN |          It’s legal. | This is a little dangerous, because you could make a really big water bottle (which most people would decide to leave empty for weight reasons) and build a sizable fairing to "aero-protect" it.  I think you could design something with a significant aerodynamic advantage that fits the letter of the law. Personally, I don’t think there’s much reason to aero-protect anything that sits between the aero bars.  You said that bullet bar fairings don’t have much effect, but does a water bladder have much negative effect?  Your body is dirtying the airstream around there enough that I bet it’s negligible. And why do you want a tire sitting in front of you?  So you can change tires without taking your hands off the bar?  That seems like just an excuse to make the fairing. My opinion is that you can make the water bladder as aero as you want, but you can’t add extra fairings for any reason.                                         Rich

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Question:

Organizers of major Chicago tris have also been highly protective of their swimmers in the past.  My second tri ever was the 1991 Bud Light Chicago, held on a morning with cold, gusty winds and threatening stormclouds.  I was halfway through the out-and-back swim when the organizers pulled everyone out of the water for fear of lightning. I didn’t own a wetsuit, so I got to walk back a half mile along the cement shorewall, then another quarter mile to the transition area, wearing nothing but my speedo and cap in windy, 50 degree weather. When I got to the transition area, officials wouldn’t let us get our bikes off the 4-foot tall aluminum racks because they thought we might get hit by lightning.  Instead, they directed us to stand beneath a 12-foot tall cast iron scaffold on Navy Pier for an hour until the storm blew over.  The race was shortened to a duathlon for the amateurs, but my knotted muscles thought otherwise, so I DNF’d. In that case as well, the pros and some of the fastest amateurs had exited the water before the other swimmers were pulled out, so the pro race went on as normal. Vernon Schabert

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: According to Chicago Tribune, women’s finishers 7-10 were affected by : a "protested disqualification".  I wonder what that’s about. According to the Chicago Sun Times, Sue Latshaw, who finished seventh, was DQ’d because a race official thought her helmet didn’t meet Tri-Fed specs!  She appealed.  SunTimes lists 7-10 as: 7.  Lauren Jensen        2:07:42.2 8.  Wendy Ingraham       2:08:00.8 9.  Juliana Nievergelt   2:09:12.4 10. Carol Gephart        2:09:22.5   So Lauren, of our own Chicago Triathlon Club, is guaranteed place number 8, at least.   Todd Jensen, competing in the age-group ranks, came in 97th overall, at 1:49:45.1    If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll post us a race report from his perspective. David Torrez, who shops at the same bike shop I do, came in 92nd in the amateur ranks, at 1:49:31.7 Paula Newby Fraser came in 12th among the woman pros at 2:11:44. "My race was a disaster from beginning to end… The handlebars were loose on my bike and every time I went over a bump on Lake Shore Drive, they would slip down and I would have to pull them back up.  Then three of us went off course on the bikes.  We went down a wrong ramp near the finish…   It was all kind of our fault.  It didn’t really matter how far behind I was, the atmosphere was wonderful." Well, I gave her some cheers on the run.  I hope it made her day better. Nate Llerandi took the men’s swim prime, Mike Pigg took the men’s bike prime. Bradshaw took the women’s swim prime, apparently by beating Jones in the run out of the water.  Jones took the bike prime.  So Jones won the most money, I guess.  First prize of $5000, plus $500 for bike prime.  John Enright                                        _

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Some follow-up on the death that occurred at Mrs. T’s. Mike Lanham, 42, was in the relay division.  He was doing the swim and the run, his brother-in-law, Larry Brackin, was doing the bike.   Mike completed the swim, completed the rather long jog back to the transition and relay area, and appeared okay to his teammate. "After finishing the swim, he came running up to me and tagged off.  I said ‘How was it?’  He said ‘Not bad.  Get going.’" Then, while talking to some relatives, he collapsed.  Medical workers at the scene tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him.  He was pronounced dead at 9:15 at Northwestern Hospital. For the past 3 years, Mike Lanham had been a running enthusiast.  Had lost 65 pounds and had run more than fifty 10k’s.  The Chicago Tribune states that he was motivated partly because of his mother’s history of heart problems. The Trib said he had taken a stress test earlier this year.

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: But the pros, who went last, did get to swim the scheduled length of 1.5k. Why did the pros go last?  Seems like that would make the bike leg rather dangerous, with the pros flying past mobs of slow amateurs. Dave LaPorte U. of Minn.

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says: : Why did the pros go last?  Seems like that would make the bike leg rather : dangerous, with the pros flying past mobs of slow amateurs. I mean, I am NOT fast, and I was in a reasonably late wave (16), and the pros were just starting on the bike when I was finishing on the bike.  I got to watch all three of the Pigg / Lessing run laps.  That was great. feel free to offer yours.  :-)

Yeah, I was in the last wave (27).  I got to see the pros three times: On my bike going south on Lake Shore (could be seen across the median riding north), on my way to the bike finish (again across the median as they were going south) and at the finish line, just minutes before our team runner finished. ‘Twas fun!

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: that the waves were a bit rough.  So the swim was shortened to 350 yards, : when we’d been expecting nine tenths of a mile. But the pros, who went last, did get to swim the scheduled length of 1.5k. There was a death from cardiac arrest.  Michael Lanham, of Chicago, died after completing the swim.  He was 43. Some pro results: 1  Simon Lessing   1:48:01 2  Mike Pigg       1:48:08 3  Greg Welch      1:50:07 4  Mark Bates      1:50:38 5  Alec Rukoseuev  1:50:49 6  Jeff Devlin     1:50:53 7  Ken Glah        1:51:14 8  Andrew Carlson  1:51:22 9  Nick Radewich   1:51:45 10 Leandro Macedo  1:51:53 1  Michellie Jones 2:00:58 2  Karen Smyers    2:01:53 3  Rina Bradshaw   2:02:55 4  Donna Peters    2:05:16 5  Martha Sorensen 2:05:39 6  Fiona Cribb     2:05:48 According to Chicago Tribune, women’s finishers 7-10 were affected by a "protested disqualification".  I wonder what that’s about. Also according the Trib, as Lessing approached the finished line, a race marshal called out to him that he had one more lap to go…. causing him to slow down and pause in uncertainty.  (With Pigg just seconds behind him.)

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Somebody in charge today at the Mrs. T’s triathlon in Chicago, thought that the waves were a bit rough.  So the swim was shortened to 350 yards, when we’d been expecting nine tenths of a mile. There was much grousing about this in my age group (40-44).  Participants from the previous year said conditions were much worse last year, but that the race had gone ahead with the full swim course anyway.

I was at the race on Sunday and several people in my wave (#8) were quite upset.  I, on the other hand, was dissappointed, but not upset.  I would have liked to swim the full course, but I realize that the race director’s number one priority is the safety of the athletes.  Yes, I paid a lot of money to be in this race, but I value my life more than money. I even overheard some women who wanted to report this decision to cut the swim course to a higher tri authority.  How selfish of them! After what started as a very windy morning, turned out to be a great day. The bike and the race protions of the race were held under beautiful weather. Except for that darn headwind the last four miles of the bike…..aaargh. Mike Pigg, sporting his new all-bald shaved-head look, was leading the men’s run at the first two loop-turnarounds, but he ended up coming in second. (I think it was Simon Lessing who passed him.)

It’s true, Simon did pass Pigg for 1st. Michellie Jones beat out Karen Smyers for first & second women’s.   Michellie was ahead at both turnarounds, and at the finish too.

Did the pros swim the full 1.5K swim course?  The water was much calmer by the time they started. Sincerely, Scott — =         __o        Scott J. Erdman              Allen-Bradley Company      = =~~~~~~    /        "Just Tri It!"                                          =

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Somebody in charge today at the Mrs. T’s triathlon in Chicago, thought that the waves were a bit rough.  So the swim was shortened to 350 yards, when we’d been expecting nine tenths of a mile. There was much grousing about this in my age group (40-44).  Participants from the previous year said conditions were much worse last year, but that the race had gone ahead with the full swim course anyway. Mike Pigg, sporting his new all-bald shaved-head look, was leading the men’s run at the first two loop-turnarounds, but he ended up coming in second. (I think it was Simon Lessing who passed him.) Michellie Jones beat out Karen Smyers for first & second women’s.   Michellie was ahead at both turnarounds, and at the finish too.  John Enright                                        _

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Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have just completed my first (mini-)Triathalon, 4 km run, 22 km bike, and 200 m swim, in that order. I stretched before and after the event. I trained a bit for it but found that I started to cramp a little towards the end of the bike, when I hopped off the bike "bang" my calfs locked up, I undid my shoes etc and started to run towards the pool (~400m), this felt OK so I proceeded to hop in the pool but again "bang" I locked up again!!. I had to stand in the pool for about 1/2 min holding my leg above the water to stretch it, then I proceeded carefully to the end, got out and ran the 300m to the finish. My calfs stayed sore for the rest of the day but by the morning the pain was gone. I have done many runs/bikes before but have never cramped !!. I had a chocolate bar on the ride (as usual) and had a isotonic drink in my bottle (Carboblast). What could be the reason for this cramping and how can I avoid it in the future?? Any comments? Thanx in advance….. Rob.

Cramping is often caused by dehydration, so that may have been the cause. With an event that short, all you should need is water (the chocolate bar and energy drink won’t help all that much and much of your blood will be headed towards your stomach instead of your muscles).  Perhaps you didn’t drink enough before the race. When I race, if the race is going to be less than an hour and 15 minutes, all I’ll take is water.  If it’s between 1:15 and 2:00 or so, I’ll just take some energy drink.  Only if it’s gonna be over 2 hours will I take something to eat. I had a biathlon this summer when I didn’t take enough to drink (it started out with an 8k run and 40k bike).  In the last 2-3k of the bike leg, my calves started to cramp.  I didn’t have any more fluids on my bike, so when I got into the transition station, I slammed about 5 cups of water.  I stretched my calves a little bit when I was drinking, and I still managed to make up the time on the guy who passed me when I was stopped and win the race. He started to cramp during the last 5k and was reduced to running a 20:00 leg. All this aside, good luck! Bill

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I have just completed my first (mini-)Triathalon, 4 km run, 22 km bike, and 200 m swim, in that order. I stretched before and after the event. I trained a bit for it but found that I started to cramp a little towards the end of the bike, when I hopped off the bike "bang" my calfs locked up, I undid my shoes etc and started to run towards the pool (~400m), this felt OK so I proceeded to hop in the pool but again "bang" I locked up again!!. I had to stand in the pool for about 1/2 min holding my leg above the water to stretch it, then I proceeded carefully to the end, got out and ran the 300m to the finish. My calfs stayed sore for the rest of the day but by the morning the pain was gone. I have done many runs/bikes before but have never cramped !!. I had a chocolate bar on the ride (as usual) and had a isotonic drink in my bottle (Carboblast). What could be the reason for this cramping and how can I avoid it in the future?? Any comments? Thanx in advance….. Rob.

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