Question:

Hello We do mini-tris and by the 4th mile my hands are basically numb.  I have gel gloves.  What else can I try! Thanks, Francie

Response:

Francie, I would suggest asking around for a good sports massage therapist in your area. As a therapist myself (here in So.Cal), it still amazes me to see people who suffer through things like carpal tunnel, tennis/golf elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, etc. All of these ailments can be drastically reduced and/or eliminated through good old massage therapy. To be specific, you may want to look for someone who specializes in myofascial release (which I’m currently studying), or ART (active release therapy). While the treatments may not be the usual foo-foo calming massages you might expect, the results can be, well, quite drastic. I would make sure you inquire about massage therapy before EVER going under someone’s knife (for surgery). As far as immediate help, you may want to look at how you are riding also. You shouldn’t have a bent wrist (whether riding up on the hoods, down on the drops, or simply across the top part of the handlebar). Always try and keep your wrist straight (like when you shake someone’s hand)…this will initially put a little more stress on perhaps that pad of the palm, but will also alleviate the stress placed directly on your wrist. ~ Craig

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello We do mini-tris and by the 4th mile my hands are basically numb.  I have gel gloves.  What else can I try! Thanks, Francie

Response:

Francie I took huge doses of vitamin B complex when I had CTS, which helped, but you need to change whatever is causing it too.

Response:

Francie, you could certainly go see a physical therapist and get some temporary relief.  In addition, you should also try tracing the cause of your problem.  There might be multiple causes due for istance to the work you do or your bike fit.  I’ll brainstorm a few possibilities here, and then it’s up to you to decide which ones best fit your scenario, or come up with alternative ones. – Does your bike fit force your upper body forward, thus putting more weight then necessary on your arms ?  If that’s the case, your numbness might be due to excessive pressure on your palms.  It should however also be accompanied by soreness in the wrists and triceps.  Have your bike/body fit checked by a pro, or looked at by a more experienced triathlete/cyclist, and search the web for advice. – Do you mantain always the same hand position on the handlebar? Alternating hand position might be beneficial in that pressure would be applied to different regions of the hand, and various arm muscles would be used in rotation.  Also, the use of aerobars, when approriate to the road incline, takes your upper body weight completely off your hands and triceps.  Check "Long distance cycling": it’s a small paperback, I don’t recall the author, but it suggests a host of hand positions on the handlebar to prevent your sort of problem.  The author is/was a multi-day, coast-to-coast ciclist. – Is the origin of your injury work-related?  If you spend long hours typing on a keyboard, and then tightly grip the handlebar, the numbness is not really a bike problem.  It’s more like a flag going up for a work-related injury.  This scenario might be supported by the fact that the pain starts early on the ride. Unless you have been stringing together long bike sessions lately, I can’t see your injury originating from bike use.   good luck Roberto

Response:

Hello! Thanks for the input.  We are looking at lots of things.  I don’t believe the bike caused the original trouble but it adds to it! I do need to do something with my handle bars…$$$  :( Will let you know how I fare! francie

Response:

Question:

Yikes! You just gave the poor guy 6/10ths extra to run! 10k=6.2miles – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 10K is about 6.8 miles. How many laps? is it a 1/4 mile track?  27.2 laps if it is 1/8 mile then  54.4 laps How many miles does a 10K equal. Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K Thanks in Advance, -Frank

Response:

Actually 10K is 6.21 miles and if the track is metric it is 25 laps.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 10K is about 6.8 miles. How many laps? is it a 1/4 mile track?  27.2 laps if it is 1/8 mile then  54.4 laps How many miles does a 10K equal. Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K Thanks in Advance, -Frank

Response:

Dear Frank, "How many miles does a 10K equal." 10k = 6.214 Miles, "Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K" I’m not sure what a standard High school track is any more, but if it’s a 1/4 mile track then 10k would be 24.856 laps, If it’s a 400 meter track 10 k would be 25 laps hope this helps, Steve "The Triathalator" Adams Looking for a triathlon? http://www.triathalator.com

Response:

I think, this is a LAP-SUS ! trInIc

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 10K is about 6.8 miles. How many laps? is it a 1/4 mile track?  27.2 laps if it is 1/8 mile then  54.4 laps How many miles does a 10K equal. Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K Thanks in Advance, -Frank

Response:

How many miles does a 10K equal. Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K Thanks in Advance, -Frank

Response:

10K is about 6.8 miles. How many laps? is it a 1/4 mile track?  27.2 laps if it is 1/8 mile then  54.4 laps

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – How many miles does a 10K equal. Also, how many times around a standard high school track equals a 10K Thanks in Advance, -Frank

Response:

Question:

| | It is indeed interesting that with the exception of the Campy disc in the back | and the Shamal in the front Pete was riding essentially a stock 700c Specialized | road bike. No super-duper areo tri-machine here. Pete’s the machine and he has | great positioning on the bike – very powerful and reasonably areodynamic. | No argument there. But the times at IMAustria were S-O-O-O-O fast… am I the only one wondering if the course (run in particular) wasn’t a hair (or several) short?                                         rich

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – | | It is indeed interesting that with the exception of the Campy disc in the back | and the Shamal in the front Pete was riding essentially a stock 700c Specialized | road bike. No super-duper areo tri-machine here. Pete’s the machine and he has | great positioning on the bike – very powerful and reasonably areodynamic. | No argument there. But the times at IMAustria were S-O-O-O-O fast… am I the only one wondering if the course (run in particular) wasn’t a hair (or several) short?                                    rich

The times were fast, but realistic. Reid was head and shoulders above and beyond anyone else and the other top people who did set PR’s did times that you would think they are capapable of ie Wendy Ingraham’s 9:02 time. Steve Fleck

Response:

Large photo in current Triathlete mag (August, pg 72-73) shows Pete using same bar setup as IMAustria photos on website. Here you can clearly see the drop bar with Profile Split Second clip-on, Campy Ergolevers. It does appear that he has his saddle as far forward as possible to get aero position. Looks fast and comfortable, as demonstrated by IMAustria times. cheers, Andrew – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Grant, It is indeed interesting that with the exception of the Campy disc in the back and the Shamal in the front Pete was riding essentially a stock 700c Specialized road bike. No super-duper areo tri-machine here. Pete’s the machine and he has great positioning on the bike – very powerful and reasonably areodynamic. Steve Fleck He used to Profile Project X at Ironman Australia, as the Carbon X’s aren’t commercially available as of yet. Grant PS    Peter certainly did give the ‘ol standard drops/clip-on/STI – Ergo levers a boost! It looks like Peter Reid used regular drop road bars with Profile ad ons(Hammers?) at the Austrian Ironman. In the past, Pete has used a more intergrated triathlon/time trial bar set up and I believe that at the other race he did this year( Ironman Austarila) he used Profile’s fully integrated carbon fiber TT bar set up. What ever he used it seem to work just fine as he cycled 4:25 bike split and then ran a 2:35 marathon. Surely the fastest bike/run combo ever done at an Ironman. Steve Fleck

– Andrew Peabody/Karen Fisher Coconut Grove, FL

Response:

Grant, It is indeed interesting that with the exception of the Campy disc in the back and the Shamal in the front Pete was riding essentially a stock 700c Specialized road bike. No super-duper areo tri-machine here. Pete’s the machine and he has great positioning on the bike – very powerful and reasonably areodynamic. Steve Fleck – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – He used to Profile Project X at Ironman Australia, as the Carbon X’s aren’t commercially available as of yet. Grant PS Peter certainly did give the ‘ol standard drops/clip-on/STI – Ergo levers a boost! It looks like Peter Reid used regular drop road bars with Profile ad ons(Hammers?) at the Austrian Ironman. In the past, Pete has used a more intergrated triathlon/time trial bar set up and I believe that at the other race he did this year( Ironman Austarila) he used Profile’s fully integrated carbon fiber TT bar set up. What ever he used it seem to work just fine as he cycled 4:25 bike split and then ran a 2:35 marathon. Surely the fastest bike/run combo ever done at an Ironman. Steve Fleck

Response:

Can anyone help me find out what the aero bars Peter Reid used in Ironman Austria 99? You can see them in a bike photo at www.ironmanlive .com in the Austrian race report in the bike photos section. It appears to be a standard handlebar setup with brake/gear levers in normal position instead of the aero position,but if possible I’d like to know what his aero bar setup was, brand, model,size,etc. Regards, Scott Davis, Australia.

Response:

Looks like standard drops with clip-ons to me. He races for Profile so it is safe to assume they’re Split Seconds on Hammer drops. Those are Campy ergo levers. Grant – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can anyone help me find out what the aero bars Peter Reid used in Ironman Austria 99? You can see them in a bike photo at www.ironmanlive .com in the Austrian race report in the bike photos section. It appears to be a standard handlebar setup with brake/gear levers in normal position instead of the aero position,but if possible I’d like to know what his aero bar setup was, brand, model,size,etc. Regards, Scott Davis, Australia.

Response:

He used to Profile Project X at Ironman Australia, as the Carbon X’s aren’t commercially available as of yet. Grant PS      Peter certainly did give the ‘ol standard drops/clip-on/STI – Ergo levers a boost! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It looks like Peter Reid used regular drop road bars with Profile ad ons(Hammers?) at the Austrian Ironman. In the past, Pete has used a more intergrated triathlon/time trial bar set up and I believe that at the other race he did this year( Ironman Austarila) he used Profile’s fully integrated carbon fiber TT bar set up. What ever he used it seem to work just fine as he cycled 4:25 bike split and then ran a 2:35 marathon. Surely the fastest bike/run combo ever done at an Ironman. Steve Fleck Can anyone help me find out what the aero bars Peter Reid used in Ironman Austria 99? You can see them in a bike photo at www.ironmanlive .com in the Austrian race report in the bike photos section. It appears to be a standard handlebar setup with brake/gear levers in normal position instead of the aero position,but if possible I’d like to know what his aero bar setup was, brand, model,size,etc. Regards, Scott Davis, Australia.

Response:

It looks like Peter Reid used regular drop road bars with Profile ad ons(Hammers?) at the Austrian Ironman. In the past, Pete has used a more intergrated triathlon/time trial bar set up and I believe that at the other race he did this year( Ironman Austarila) he used Profile’s fully integrated carbon fiber TT bar set up. What ever he used it seem to work just fine as he cycled 4:25 bike split and then ran a 2:35 marathon. Surely the fastest bike/run combo ever done at an Ironman. Steve Fleck – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can anyone help me find out what the aero bars Peter Reid used in Ironman Austria 99? You can see them in a bike photo at www.ironmanlive .com in the Austrian race report in the bike photos section. It appears to be a standard handlebar setup with brake/gear levers in normal position instead of the aero position,but if possible I’d like to know what his aero bar setup was, brand, model,size,etc. Regards, Scott Davis, Australia.

Response:

Question:

 The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right? Absolute garbage-they use the same innards-ditch the syntace adapter and get bar-cons G

Response:

what exactly are bar cons bar end shifters-the ‘first gen’ handlebar mounted shifter-used a lot in cyclocross-now almost exclusively for tri-guys and into the end of syntace and other tribars- G

Response:

The nice thing about DT shifters is that if you go down, there is a much greater chance the DT shifters will be ok. Bar con shifters, unfortunately, do not fare as well as they are a bit more exposed.

Response:

Hi Everyone, I’m trying to upgrade from Ultegra to DA and I’m finding it a much more complicated process than what I thought it would be.  I’m trying to decide if the DA down tube shifters are any more reliable than the Bar Cons, but if 9 spd isn’t compatible with 8 spd then it’s irrelevant.  The Syntace adapter for down tube shifters is at least $60 but you can get the Bar cons for a lot less than that.  I"m not sure what to do.  The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right? Happy Holidays and thanks in advance…. CS —

Response:

I’m trying to upgrade from Ultegra to DA and I’m finding it a much more complicated process than what I thought it would be.  I’m trying to decide if the DA down tube shifters are any more reliable than the Bar Cons, but if 9 spd isn’t compatible with 8 spd then it’s irrelevant.  The Syntace adapter for down tube shifters is at least $60 but you can get the Bar cons for a lot less than that.  I"m not sure what to do.  The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right?

I’ve never used Dura Ace down tubes (I had RX100 down-tubes) but I have Dura Ace 9 bar-cons mounted on the end of my Syntaces and the shifting is flawless. -Ekr —           eTrain – free triathlon training software               http://www.rtfm.com/tri/etrain.html

Response:

cs: I’ve been using Dura-Ace 9-speed bar cons with an eight speed rear derailleur (Dura-Ace) with no problems.  I don’t know about the downtube shifters being any more reliable than the bar cons; I’m pretty skeptical about that since bar cons are basically the same thing mounted on a bracket for your aerobars.  Hope that helps. Kendall – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Everyone, I’m trying to upgrade from Ultegra to DA and I’m finding it a much more complicated process than what I thought it would be.  I’m trying to decide if the DA down tube shifters are any more reliable than the Bar Cons, but if 9 spd isn’t compatible with 8 spd then it’s irrelevant.  The Syntace adapter for down tube shifters is at least $60 but you can get the Bar cons for a lot less than that.  I"m not sure what to do.  The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right? Happy Holidays and thanks in advance…. CS —

Response:

Bar-cons are a term used to describe bar end shifters — at least that was the term I always used.  Basically, the shift levers fit into the hole on the ends of aerobars allowing you to shift while in the aero position.  The Syntace aero shifter is nice because it allows you to use standard downtube shifters without the expense of buying bar end shifters, etc. Kendall – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – what exactly are bar cons ?  i previously had profile w/swift shift but got some syntaces and am getting ready to build the bike. i had assumed i would have to buy syntace’s aero shift thing. thanks I’m trying to upgrade from Ultegra to DA and I’m finding it a much more complicated process than what I thought it would be.  I’m trying to decide if the DA down tube shifters are any more reliable than the Bar Cons, but if 9 spd isn’t compatible with 8 spd then it’s irrelevant.  The Syntace adapter for down tube shifters is at least $60 but you can get the Bar cons for a lot less than that.  I"m not sure what to do.  The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right? I’ve never used Dura Ace down tubes (I had RX100 down-tubes) but I have Dura Ace 9 bar-cons mounted on the end of my Syntaces and the shifting is flawless. -Ekr —           eTrain – free triathlon training software               http://www.rtfm.com/tri/etrain.html

Response:

what exactly are bar cons ?  i previously had profile w/swift shift but got some syntaces and am getting ready to build the bike. i had assumed i would have to buy syntace’s aero shift thing. thanks – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m trying to upgrade from Ultegra to DA and I’m finding it a much more complicated process than what I thought it would be.  I’m trying to decide if the DA down tube shifters are any more reliable than the Bar Cons, but if 9 spd isn’t compatible with 8 spd then it’s irrelevant.  The Syntace adapter for down tube shifters is at least $60 but you can get the Bar cons for a lot less than that.  I"m not sure what to do.  The guy who sold me the down tuber’s that I bought said these are much more reliable than bar cons…is he right? I’ve never used Dura Ace down tubes (I had RX100 down-tubes) but I have Dura Ace 9 bar-cons mounted on the end of my Syntaces and the shifting is flawless. -Ekr —           eTrain – free triathlon training software               http://www.rtfm.com/tri/etrain.html

Response:

Question:

Steve Fleck writes For a 1/2 Ironman, the reality is that only the hardcore triathlete is going to show up.

Damn right!!!  I’ll see you there!!!

Response:

   …<snip… It is becoming apparent that the skills and fitness needed to be competitive at the Olympic distance and record the times you mentioned, are related to but very different than the ones needed to do well at the Ironman distance… While challenging, getting to the finishline of an Olympic distance race is not quite in the same league as an Ironman…

But of course, just finishing the race doesn’t get you an IQ spot anywhere (with a couple special exceptions). Being a damn fast triathlete gets you an IQ spot. There are two different issues being debated here. One is whether or not an olympic distance race should be an IQ or not. That’s certainly a valid topic for debate (although it’s WTC’s race and they can pass out their spots any way they choose, it’s more than that too and I hope that they do listen to the community input when making such decisions). The other topic that Ken introduced is what was inflammatory and, IMHO, absurd. That is that these IQ’s "diminish" IMH and that someone who qualified at an olympic distance race should be "somewhat embarrassed" to be be there. The men and women who qualified for IMH at an olympic distance race did what everyone else who qualified at a race did. They went to an official, advertised IQ race, performed extraordinarily well over the advertised distance, and _earned_ their slot. Debate the distance issue all you want. Frankly, not having expectations of ever qualifying at any distance nor enough relevant longer distance race experience, I don’t have a basis for really strong feelings on that one way or the other. But I know that those folks out in Kona who got there via St A’s, Memphis, Mrs T’s, etc. earned their spots just as surely as anyone else. Debate whether slots should exist for those races if you will but don’t diminish the accomplishments of those who went there and won them.   — Chuck    Department of Biology,  University of Alabama at Birmingham             http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/amsler.htm

Response:

IMHO, from what I can tell its a bit more difficult to qualify for IMH at St.A’s than at Ironman Canada, given the competition and rolldowns.  If you are that fast to qualify at an Olypic distance than you should be at IMH.  I prefer longer races and training at longer distances, becuase that is my strength, I get faster as I go along on both the bike and run, but we are all made up differently.

Response:

The Ironman itself is dimished when it allows a short version race to be an IQ. <snip Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race. See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly.

Gee, Ken, all that sure sounds like flame bait to me, did you intend it to be so? There are some other things you might consider. The expense of traveling is just one of them. The wear and tear of doing multiple qualifiers in one season, all half IM distance, when you might save your body a little bit by qualifying at an olympic distance, is another one. For those of us who are not gifted enough to be in the top 5 percent of our age groups, we have to go to numerous qualifiers to improve our chances to qualify. We are going to whatever race, whatever distance. We don’t have the mentality of "oh, a wimpy little olympic distance, just a little training race, I’ll go there because it’s just SOOO easy." I think you’re way off base by stating that olympic distance is not a challenge. Have you been to age group nationals lately? Have you seen how intense and how close in times the competition is in each age group? It takes a tremendous fitness level to excel at the olympic distance. This is the same outstanding fitness level that is required to train and race any IM distance. Maybe you have not had to work hard to qualify for Hawaii? So you don’t understand what most of us go through when we are not the top 5 pecent of our age group and still want to qualify? Cathy Corning

Response:

Cathy: I couldn’t have said it better, so all I will say is that I agree 100%. I consistently finish in the top 10%-15%, yet I have very little chance of qualifying!! Andy Weissel – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Ironman itself is dimished when it allows a short version race to be an IQ. <snip Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race. See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly. Gee, Ken, all that sure sounds like flame bait to me, did you intend it to be so? There are some other things you might consider. The expense of traveling is just one of them. The wear and tear of doing multiple qualifiers in one season, all half IM distance, when you might save your body a little bit by qualifying at an olympic distance, is another one. For those of us who are not gifted enough to be in the top 5 percent of our age groups, we have to go to numerous qualifiers to improve our chances to qualify. We are going to whatever race, whatever distance. We don’t have the mentality of "oh, a wimpy little olympic distance, just a little training race, I’ll go there because it’s just SOOO easy." I think you’re way off base by stating that olympic distance is not a challenge. Have you been to age group nationals lately? Have you seen how intense and how close in times the competition is in each age group? It takes a tremendous fitness level to excel at the olympic distance. This is the same outstanding fitness level that is required to train and race any IM distance. Maybe you have not had to work hard to qualify for Hawaii? So you don’t understand what most of us go through when we are not the top 5 pecent of our age group and still want to qualify? Cathy Corning

Response:

Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race… Boy, me too. Imagine being there on Dig Me Beach this weekend and having to admit that I’d gone 2:01 at St A’s or Memphis this year and taken one of those wimpy IQ slots in my age group. Gosh, anybody can do that. Oh, the shame, the shame…

No, not anyne can go 2:01, but anyone who wins their age group can go, it doesn’t have to be 2:01. If you can go 2:01, fine, but you still did it over a 1/4 Im distance. It is not a factor of speed, it is a factor of challenge that at least pushes the athlete beyond speed into a zone that at least mimics in some fashion the challenge you may face at IM. Boulder Peak does not do that. Desert Sun does. There is no question there. The fact of BP taking the IM IQ spots from Desert Sun is one of profile and politics. Boulder Peak is highly successful, even without having added the duathlon option. Ken

Response:

I shouldn’t respond because it prolongs this (probably) useless discussion. Every distance is challenging for different reasons. IMO the shorter races hurt more & are more unforgiving when it comes to mistakes. The longer ones are more discomforting, not the same kind of pain as in short/fast races. I like them all, for different reasons. All the athletes deserve respect in finishing high in their age group or overall. IMO the shorter races should not be qualifiers for Ironman. Just makes sense. I don’t mean to take anything away from the great races that are put on yearly. I wish they all could exist & make RD’s enough money to keep them in the business. I’m not saying that the entry fees should continue their current course, though(different thread).      My real reason for this long post is that nobody should be blaming the Boulder Peak for "stealing" the IQ spots from Desert Sun. It is in the best interest for race directors to pursue these spots. I never thought that BP spots would "come" from another race, as naive as that sounds, so when I heard it might happen I thought "great, 2 IQ’s in Colorado". It is unfortunate that everyone who wants to go to Kona can’t. It is also unfortunate that all good races cannot be qualifiers. Hopefully next year, as in the past, I(we) can enjoy both races(DS & BP) for many reasons besides qualifer status. Good luck to all in your racing, for whatever reason. andy

Response:

Do you even realize the kind of physical power it takes to go fast at an olympic distance race?  If you go slow, of course it’s easy.

Oh, I realize. I am not wiithout experience. I always go fast as I can, but that distance is no where near as taxing as a 1/2 IM, no matter how fast you go. Frankly, I’m disgusted that anyone would dare to suggest that qualifying for IMH at an olympic distance race is embarassing.  Get there any way you can

I’d rather see it earned in a 1/2 IM than an Olympic distance race. There are only so many IM IQ spots to go around in a season, they are finite. That is my only reason for the post on this subject. Seeing as how both these races are in Colorado, and I live in Colorado, I would rather see the spots go to the Desert Sun. I race both races, so it shouldn’t even matter to me, but – it does. Ken

Response:

There are some other things you might consider. The expense of traveling is just one of them. The wear and tear of doing multiple qualifiers in one season, all half IM distance, when you might save your body a little bit by qualifying at an olympic distance, is another one. For those of us who are not gifted enough to be in the top 5 percent of our age groups, we have to go to numerous qualifiers to improve our chances to qualify. We are going to whatever race, whatever distance. We don’t have the mentality of "oh, a wimpy little olympic distance, just a little training race, I’ll go there because it’s just SOOO easy."

Hey cathy, I go through all the above myself. And top 5% doesn’t cut it to qualify for IM. Believe me. And with this situation; BP vs Deasert Sun, they are both in Colorado, so the traveling is not a point if you are only going to do one of them. I think you’re way off base by stating that olympic distance is not a challenge. Have you been to age group nationals lately? Have you seen how intense and how close in times the competition is in each age group? It takes a tremendous fitness level to excel at the olympic distance. This is the same outstanding fitness level that is required to train and race any IM distance.

I am not saying that Olympic distance is not competitive. I am not saying times are not close. I am saying that the distance is NOT a challenge to complete, even at a reasonable speed. A 1/2 IM is.. Maybe you have not had to work hard to qualify for Hawaii? So you don’t understand what most of us go through when we are not the top 5 pecent of our age group and still want to qualify?

Oh, I understand. I have NOT qualified. Wildflower, Buffalo Springs Lake, Desert Sun. The previous year Buff Springs and Vineman. I do have to work hard. Last two years 4th my age group in BP, so I would not make it there either. Trying to keep Desert Sun as an IQ over BP does not stack the deck in any way for me. It is a philospohical thing to believe that IQ should be in 1/2 IM distances when available over the shorter distances. Ken

Response:

   …<snip… Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race…

Boy, me too. Imagine being there on Dig Me Beach this weekend and having to admit that I’d gone 2:01 at St A’s or Memphis this year and taken one of those wimpy IQ slots in my age group. Gosh, anybody can do that. Oh, the shame, the shame…   — Chuck [ 8^), but only a little...]    Department of Biology,  University of Alabama at Birmingham             http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/amsler.htm

Response:

It is strange that even if someone qualifies at BP or Memphis in May that they must then have a verifiable completion of a 1/2 ironman distance that season to actually get into IM.

That is not quite true.  If you qualify at a race, you are in.  If you win a lottery slot, THEN you have to complete a 1/2 IM to actually get in. John Welch

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Steve Fleck writes For a 1/2 Ironman, the reality is that only the hardcore triathlete is going to show up. Exactly, Steve, and those are the people who are vying for IM spots at those events. The Ironman itself is dimished when it allows a short version race to be an IQ. It is strange that even if someone qualifies at BP or Memphis in May that they must then have a verifiable completion of a 1/2 ironman distance that season to actually get into IM. Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race. See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly. Ken Lotze

This has got to be the silliest thing I have ever heard.  Do you even realize the kind of physical power it takes to go fast at an olympic distance race?  If you go slow, of course it’s easy.  I won’t make the (obviously ridiculous) counterargument that an IM distance race is "not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly" since it is really too slow to be called a race, and it is not really a race anyway, just a war of attrition. I’ll bet that Chris McCormack (among scores of others) would be particularly amused by your remarks.  Imagine, if you will, coming out of the water at an olympic distance race in eighteen minutes, going through the bike leg in fifty, and still having the legs to run 31 minutes for ten kilometers, maybe faster. Naw, too easy. Do you think that any distance runner in their right mind would consider skipping a track meet because the mile is "not a significant challenge"?  Naw, that 4:00 mile is too easy.  That 13:30 5k just isn’t challenging.  Let me at a three hour marathon any day. Frankly, I’m disgusted that anyone would dare to suggest that qualifying for IMH at an olympic distance race is embarassing.  Get there any way you can, and then show them what you’ve got.  Better for you if you qualified at a short race. You’ve got the speed to kick some serious ass. Whew.  Sorry for that rant.  Have a good time at Ironman, everyone. Will

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Will, I think what ken was alluding to was the fact that while an Olympic distance race and an Ironman are similar they are not exactly the same event.Would/could someone qualify for the National Championships or Olympic Trials in the 10,000m by running a 1500m race? A few years ago, the best short course triathletes in the world were also the best ironman distance triathletes in the world. Molina, Scott, Allan and Tinley would win races at any distance. However over the last five years athletes have been specializing and focussing on one event or the other. It is a rare athlete that can currently claim to be at the top of their game at both distances within the same year(Greg Welch?) Even Allan addmitted as much a few years ago when just prior to winning his final time at IMH ie. he was in great shape, he was trounced in a world class Olympic distance race, claiming that he could not keep up with these guys. It is becoming apparent that the skills and fitness needed to be competitive at the Olympic distance and record the times you mentioned, are related to but very different than the ones needed to do well at the Ironman distance. While the Ironman races are getting more and more competitive, with some close finishes recently( Reid & Legh 5 sec apart at IMA in April), most Ironman races, with all due respect, and despite the glory that many heap upon them, are races of attrition. As you point out, to "race" an ironman is a bit of a misnomer. Even many of the big guns will admit that just getting to the finish line is an accomplishment and the only real stimulus that keeps them going.While challenging, getting to the finishline of an Olympic distance race is not quite in the same league as an Ironman. Perhaps that is why then that many are not that happy about Olympic distance races being qualifiers for IMH. Just a thought. Steve Fleck – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Steve Fleck writes For a 1/2 Ironman, the reality is that only the hardcore triathlete is going to show up. Exactly, Steve, and those are the people who are vying for IM spots at those events. The Ironman itself is dimished when it allows a short version race to be an IQ. It is strange that even if someone qualifies at BP or Memphis in May that they must then have a verifiable completion of a 1/2 ironman distance that season to actually get into IM. Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race. See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly. Ken Lotze This has got to be the silliest thing I have ever heard.  Do you even realize the kind of physical power it takes to go fast at an olympic distance race?  If you go slow, of course it’s easy.  I won’t make the (obviously ridiculous) counterargument that an IM distance race is "not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly" since it is really too slow to be called a race, and it is not really a race anyway, just a war of attrition. I’ll bet that Chris McCormack (among scores of others) would be particularly amused by your remarks.  Imagine, if you will, coming out of the water at an olympic distance race in eighteen minutes, going through the bike leg in fifty, and still having the legs to run 31 minutes for ten kilometers, maybe faster. Naw, too easy. Do you think that any distance runner in their right mind would consider skipping a track meet because the mile is "not a significant challenge"?  Naw, that 4:00 mile is too easy.  That 13:30 5k just isn’t challenging.  Let me at a three hour marathon any day. Frankly, I’m disgusted that anyone would dare to suggest that qualifying for IMH at an olympic distance race is embarassing.  Get there any way you can, and then show them what you’ve got.  Better for you if you qualified at a short race. You’ve got the speed to kick some serious ass. Whew.  Sorry for that rant.  Have a good time at Ironman, everyone. Will

Response:

See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly. Ken Lotze

I just wonder what the logic is behind taking spots from a hot, humid, demanding course and giving them to a race like Boulder Peak. I like BP, very nice race and all. This whole thing just seems awfully political to me. — Clay T

Response:

Steve Fleck writes For a 1/2 Ironman, the reality is that only the hardcore

triathlete is going to show up. Exactly, Steve, and those are the people who are vying for IM spots at those events. The Ironman itself is dimished when it allows a short version race to be an IQ. It is strange that even if someone qualifies at BP or Memphis in May that they must then have a verifiable completion of a 1/2 ironman distance that season to actually get into IM. Personally, I would be somewhat embarassed to go to IM and then tell people that I had qualified at a short distnace race. See you all at the 1/2 ironman distances. These are the ones that test us as triathletes. BP, etc.  is a training distance, still fun, but not a significant challenge for anyone training and racing tris regularly. Ken Lotze

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Question:

Just got some info on the ‘98 Goodwill Games to be held here in NYC. It lists Triathlon as the only free event (but lists no date… what’ya want fer nuttin’). It does give the location as Central Park. Where’s the swim? I shudder to think. — to reply, remove the no.ads in the address

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Just got some info on the ‘98 Goodwill Games to be held here in NYC. It lists Triathlon as the only free event (but lists no date… what’ya want fer nuttin’). It does give the location as Central Park. Where’s the swim? I shudder to think.

Possibilities: 1)Hudson River – I know, it sounds disgusting, but it has been the cleanest in recent history. Plus, a 20 minute swim will not insure any diseases in the future. 2) East River – Well, I’ll shudder here…plus the chances of coming across a dead body is slightly increased… 3) Jacquilene Kennedy Resevoir – a possibility since it is in the park itself; they keep on bringing drowned swimmers from there though. 4) Central park pool – I know, not a chance, but an annual triathlon uses the pool for the swim, so I will mention it here. Those are the only 4 possibilities for the swim. Aside from that, your guess is as good as mine. "Iron" Pete Priolo IMC’96 – 10:36:37    IMC’97 – 10:42:53 1998 Schedule so far… Gulf Coast Tri – May 9 – unconfirmed IMC’98 – August 30 – unconfirmed

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Mebbe they’ll set up 200 Endless Pools side-by-side! Just got some info on the ‘98 Goodwill Games to be held here in NYC. It lists Triathlon as the only free event (but lists no date… what’ya want fer nuttin’). It does give the location as Central Park. Where’s the swim? I shudder to think.

Rick Denney Remember–free advice is worth what you pay for it!

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Question:

Any good fitness/triathlon type stores in Boulder? Any recommendations appreciated.

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Check out Pro Peloton.  It’s on N. 13th Street, which runs parallel to Broadway.  If you’re visiting in the morning (around 10 or 11), you have a pretty good chance of meeting Chuckie V.  Also, check out their rides on Wednesday AM.  They’re pretty nice, and I say this as a flat lander who visits every year only to get stomped by the big lunged ones.   Excel sports Bouder is really nice too, especially if you’re a gearhead into Ibis and Alan Cross bikes, etc.  There’s a mechanic there named Steven (or is it Stephen) you’ll recognize him from the catalog.  He’s great, and they’re all a nice bunch of folks. Enjoy boulder! Kendra – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Any good fitness/triathlon type stores in Boulder? Any recommendations appreciated.

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Any good fitness/triathlon type stores in Boulder? Any recommendations appreciated.

To add to Kendra’s mention of Pro Peloton (I highly agree) and Excel Sports, I would also talk about the Boulder Running Company (2775 Pearl St.). Owners are Johnny Halberstadt (a character if I ever met one – really ranks among the world’s genuine,  good-hearted people); Jay Johnson and Mark Plaatjes. At least one of them – usually two, if not all three – is there at all hours. I lived in Boulder for nine years, and only wish that both Pro Peloton and Boulder Running  Co. had been open when I was there. Katherine Williams, now in Madison, WI

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Check out Pro Peloton.  It’s on N. 13th Street, which runs parallel to Broadway.  If you’re visiting in the morning (around 10 or 11), you have a pretty good chance of meeting Chuckie V.  Also, check out their rides on Wednesday AM.  They’re pretty nice, and I say this as a flat lander who visits every year only to get stomped by the big lunged ones. Excel sports Bouder is really nice too, especially if you’re a gearhead into Ibis and Alan Cross bikes, etc.  There’s a mechanic there named Steven (or is it Stephen) you’ll recognize him from the catalog.  He’s great, and they’re all a nice bunch of folks. Enjoy boulder! Kendra Any good fitness/triathlon type stores in Boulder? Any recommendations appreciated.

I just got back from Boulder today and whole heartedly agree about Pro Peloton. They are very well respected and in the words of one of their local competitors "the best road bike people on the planet!" Oh, the rides are on Wed eve at 6 P.M. and again on Sun morning, but beware, those guys are fast! They did a real nice job about keeping the group together. Marcus Schantz

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Question:

Folks, Dave Scott has a birthday on Saturday.  I know some of you may think what follows is a little heavy on the accolades, but please excuse the lengthy post.  Like Indurain, the great ones are gone before we know it.   Thanks!                                       Happy Birthday to The Man Dave Scott turns 43 on January 4th, with a past forever forged by the heat of the Queen K Highway.  As he has done nine times previous, Scott showed the multisport world the strength of both his experience and will when he drove himself through a 2 hour 45 minute marathon leg to place fifth at the Ironman triathlon in Kona, Hawaii this past October.  This performance (in which he outsplit everyone but the eventual winner Luc Van Lierde, who was a spritely 11 year-old when Dave won his first Ironman crown in 1980), along with his tremendous 1994 race when he placed second as a 40 year-old to eventual winner Greg Welch, mark Scott as perhaps the greatest, and outside of the narrow world of triathlon, most unsung masters athlete of his time. I am a fan.  A 40 year-old, school-teaching, triathlon-racing, lucky-to-have-a-great-woman-and-great-friends, fan.  My car’s license plates read RFKFAN 1, as Bobby Kennedy (at least the Bobby Kennedy of 1964-68) remains my great historical hero, but Dave Scott has proven to be an athletic inspiration since the moment I put a picture of him winning the 1984 Ironman race up on my refrigerator long ago, his legs corded with muscle and looking like the absolute picture of a type of fitness that I was totally unfamilar with, but wanted badly to try and attain.  While I have never come close to the fitness I saw in that photo, TRYING to get even a sliver of that greatness has gotten me to the finish of 4 Boston Marathons, 99 triathlons and helped me earn a slew of little age-group trophies that sit in a bookshelf 3 feet from where I am writing this. Oh..and one other small thing.  It got me to one other finish line, in Kona, back in 1991.  It is not too big of a jump to say that Dave’s story, his races, provided me with the incentive to hatch a little recreational-triathlete career in which I ‘ve seen wonderful places I never otherwise would have been, met great people I never would have known, and developed a sense of my own capabilities, both personally and professionally, that only comes with the knowledge that you CAN do things.  Even now, seeing what Scott has done post-40, keeps me thinking that I can get a little faster, be a little smarter, and get back to Kona just once more. I have met Dave three times, none of which he is likely to remember, but all of which were nice moments for me.  In Chicago in the summer of 1990 (atop a very windy Holiday Inn roof where he was giving a talk before what was then the Chicago Sun-Times triathlon), he autographed a picture that was taken of me at the 1990 Boston Marathon, wearing the same Hawaiian print InSport gear he had worn in the classic 1989 race with Mark Allen. I was so taken with that performance that I called everywhere looking for that outfit, a 34 year-old in futile hope that whatever secret Dave had could be found in wearing his singlet!  He asked me how the race had gone and then said "Whew, Boston. That’s a tough course!"  I laughed, guessing that Dave knew from tough courses. I met him again in an autograph line outside of B&L Bikes in Kona a few days before the 1991 race.  His wife Anna was there and she was nice enough to take a few pictures that I still have around.  I was struck by the genuine friendliness of the two of them, Anna even laughingly chiding Dave into another picture because he had had his mouth hanging wide open on the first one.  While I am sure the years and the kids have changed things for both of them, my guess is that Anna remains a great part of Dave’s success. I saw Dave last at the expo during the 1995 Chicago race.  The place was a madhouse, the race about to become the largest (and, unfortunately, the most unwieldy) ever held in triathlon history.  He was fresh off his 1994 Kona performance and the line in front of his table extended forever.  He was gracious and patient as the line wore on, making small talk with everyone and taking time to have yet another picture taken, including one with my much-better-half, Erika (Had to be ah, a little careful introducing them…Dave still looks better than I do:)). Sitting there with his sponsor’s names all over his shirt, some might say that he’s paid to be nice.  Erika, knowing men, says he just is. His race this past year confirms what more peple should know: that Dave Scot has pushed back the preconceptions of age and human performance like no one else before him.  Why this is not more universally celebrated is beyond me.  Though traithlon is a relatively small subculture to be sure, the wider worlds of fitness and athletic performance (and even parenthood!), certainly are not and who can deny that Scott compares favorably to most ANY other professional athlete, of ANY age, in terms of sheer aerobic power, fitness and endurance?  If I was Dave Costill, or any other renowned researcher of exercise physiology, I’d want to get him in the lab fast to see how that performance is attained-and-sustained-past 40.   So Dave, Happy Birthday.  It looks like you mean it this time when you say that 1996 will be your last Ironman (though I bet you’ve thought "If I can put the bike ride that I KNOW I’m capable of along with the run I DID have…"). Whether it is or isn’t, I hope you know that this is one 40 year-old who has appreciated them all. If I do make it back to Kona this year, I hope to see you at the finish line because it’ll have been your inspiration that would have helped me get there.  Happy 43rd!   You are, truly, The Man.   Draft 1 Silent Sports Mag

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Excellent post!  Thanks for posting it! -Rolf — Some call me Rolf…                             I tri…                                                  Looking to 1997…  IMC ‘94 – 14:06:47    IMC ‘95 – 11:58:35        IMC ‘97 – 10:45:00

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Folks,      Dave Scott turns 43 on Saturday.  While some of you may find this a little too heavy on the accolades, I hope you’ll allow me this lengthy post.  Like Indurain, the greats are gone too quick. Better we appreciate them while we can. Thanks, Mark                                         Happy Birthday to The Man Dave Scott turns 43 on January 4th, with a past forever forged by the heat of the Queen K highway.  As he had done nine times previous, Scott showed the multisport world the strength of both his experience and will when he drove himself through a 2 hour 45 minute marathon leg to place fifth at the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii this past October. This performance (in which he outsplit everyone but the eventual winner, Luc Van Lierde, who was a spritely 11 year-old when Dave won his first Ironman crown in 1980), along with his tremendous 1994 race when he placed second as a 40-year-old to eventual winner Greg Welch, mark Scott as perhaps the greatest, and, outside of the narrow world of triathlon, most unsung Masters athlete of all time. I am a fan.  A 40 year-old, school-teaching, triathlon-racing, lucky to-have-a-great-woman-and-great-friends, well-balanced life fan. My car license plates read RFKFAN 1, as Bobby Kennedy (at least the Bobby Kennedy of 1964-68) remains my great historical hero, but Dave Scott has proven to be an athletic inspiration since the moment I put a picture of him winning the 1984 Ironman race up on my refrigerator, his legs corded with muscle and looking like the absolute picture of a type of fitness of which I was totally unfamiliar with, but wanted badly to try and attain.  While I’ve never come close to the fitness I saw in that photo, TRYING to get even a sliver of that greatness has gotten me to the finish of 4 Boston Marathon’s, 99 triathlons, and helped me earn a slew of little age-group trophies that sit in a bookshelf three feet from where I am writing this. Oh…and one other little thing: it helped me get to the finish line in Kona myself back in  1991. It is not too big of a jump to say that Dave’s story, his races, provided me with the incentive to hatch a little recreational-triathlete career in which I’ve seen places I never would have otherwise been, meet great people I never would have known, and developed a sense of my own capabilities, both personally and professionally, that comes only with the knowledge that you CAN do things.  Even now, seeing what Scott has done post-40, keeps me thinking that I can get a little faster, be a little smarter, get back to Kona, just once more. I have met Dave three times, none of which he is likely to remember, but all of which were nice moments for me.  In Chicago in the summer of 1990 (atop a very windy Holiday Inn roof where he was giving a talk before what was then called the Chicago Sun-Times triathlon), he autographed a picture that was taken of me at the 1990 Boston Marathon, wearing the same Hawaiian print InSport gear he wore in the classic 1989 race with Mark Allen.  I was so taken with that performance that I called everywhere looking for that outfit, a 34 year-old in futile hope that whatever secret Dave had could be found in his singlet!  He asked me how the race had gone and then said "Whew, Boston. That’s a tough course!"  I laughed, guessing that Dave knew from tough courses.  I met him again in an autograph line outside B&L bikes in Kona a few days prior to the 1991 race.  His wife Anna was there and she was nice enough to take a few pictures that I still have around. I was struck by the genuine friendliness of the two of them, Anna even laughingly chiding Dave to let her take another shot, because Dave had had his mouth hanging wide open in the first one!  While I’m sure the years and the kids have changed things for both of them, my guess is that Anna remains a great part of Dave’s success. I saw Dave last at the expo during the 1995 Chicago race. The place was a madhouse, the race about to become the largest (and, unfortunately, the most unwieldy) ever held in triathlon history.  He was fresh off his 1994 Kona performance and the line in front of his table extended forever.  He was gracious and patient as the line wore on, making small talk with everyone and taking time to have yet a few more pictures taken, including one with my much-better-half, Erika (had to be ah, a little careful introducing them…Dave still looks better than I do!:)). Some might say he’s paid to be nice.  Erika, knowing men, says he just is. His race this past year confirms what more people should know—that Dave Scott has pushed aside the preconceptions of age and human performance like no else before him. Why this is not more universally celebrated is beyond me.  Though triathlon is a relatively small subculture to be sure, the wider worlds of fitness and athletic performance (and even parenthood!) certainly are not, and who can deny that Scott compares favorably to most ANY other professional athlete, of ANY age, in terms of sheer aerobic power, fitness and endurance.  If I was Dave Costill, or any other renowned researcher of exercise physiology, I’d want to get him in my lab fast to see how that performance is attained–and sustained–post 40. So Dave, Happy Birthday.  It looks like you mean it this time when you say that ‘96 was your last Ironman (though I bet you’ve already thought,  "If I could do the bike ride I’m REALLY capable of, put it together with that run I DID do….").  If it is or isn’t though, I sure hope you know that this is one 40 year-old who has appreciated them all. If I do make it back this year, I hope you’ll meet me at the finish because it’ll be your inspiration that help gets me there.  Happy 43rd.  You are, truly, The Man.  

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Question:

Race Report: Crab Trap Triathlon, 7 Sep 96, Destin Florida

Another awesome race report!!!    You may have to quit your day job if your foray into journalism keeps going so strongly  :) Chris

Response:

Race Report: Crab Trap Triathlon, 7 Sep 96, Destin Florida    The Crab Trap was a fun race in a beautiful spot.  Maggie (my wife) and I combined the race into an end-of-summer beach weekend.  We got to meet and have dinner with fellow RSTers Cathy and Chris Armstrong, which added a lot to the weekend enjoyment.  We checked into our hotel on Friday and, after a beach walk and ocean swim, went to look for the Crab Trap Restaurant which was the site for the evening packet pick-up.  To make a long story (and drive around Destin) short, the restaurant burned down several months ago and so the race was coordinated out of a beach picnic area close by.  It would have been nice if the race literature and web site mentioned that the place we were told to go wasn’t there anymore…  Oh well, everyone seemed to find it eventually. SWIM: 400 yards    The swim started on a snow-white sandy beach.  The water was warm and beautifully clear with lots of small fish and with a few crabs and rays moving about on the bottom.  In addition to the aesthetic benefits of the clear water, it also meant that you could see the lines on the bottom. 8^) Seriously, by maintaining a constant angle relative to the wave-induced ridges in the sand between each sighting I felt fairly certain that I was swimming straight from one sighting to the next.  The course was three sides of a rectangle (2 short, 1 long) and I suspect was closer to 500 yds than 400.  That suited me just fine — the longer the swim, the better by me.  The long side of the rectangle was orientated so that the swim was with the weak long-shore current.  The surface was flat calm.  The first wave to go off was a small "elite" wave and I was in the 2nd (and largest) wave which was 0-39 yr old men.  It was a big group, but I got in the front row and guessed right about how much the current would move me laterally on the first leg out (not very much) and so had a straight shot at the first buoy with mostly strong swimmers around me.  There was a bit of a pile-up at the buoy but shortly after breaking through that I was by myself and clear for the rest of the swim.  The second leg was due east and right into the morning sun.  There were no buoys other than at the turns so I just tried to stay parallel to shore, in from the lifeguard kayaks, and hoped that the guy about 20 feet in front of me could see something.  The great thing about being in the first wave after the elites was that there were no breaststroke- or elementary backstroke-swimming bio-buoys from previous waves to fight through.  After rounding the second buoy I felt strong going into the beach and almost caught the guy in front of me at the end.  I don’t know how many people from our wave were in front of him, but no more than a handful. TRANSITIONS:    T1 was a short run across the sand and then up about 12 feet of steps to a boardwalk.  From there it was 50-100 feet or so to the parking lot transition area.  The bike racks were pretty close together but there was no one around me for either transition so that was no problem.  The bikes were not racked by wave, which probably helped when groups did come through.  At T1 I fumbled with my bike shorts (gotta get a padded swim suit…) but got into everything else smoothly.  T2 was smooth as well. BIKE: 11 miles   This was advertised in various places as either 10 or 11 miles and my computer had it at 10.5.  It was a loop course with just three right turns other than going in and out of the transition area.  As you’d expect on the Gulf coast, it was very flat.  The turns were well staffed.  The roads were not closed and there were no cones or anything delimiting the course.  The longest leg was on the 4 lane "main drag" but I neither had nor heard of anyone else having any trouble with traffic there.  The cars gave plenty of room. I did have a problem at the first turn, which was on a residential street, when a driver didn’t understand what the volunteer directing traffic was doing and pulled over to the corner and stopped just as I was coming to the turn.  I ended up having to go off the road and into the sand at the corner.  Fortunately, it was only for a few feet and the sand was well packed.  I was still not a happy tri-camper… There were no draft-marshals that I saw on the course.  I heard about some drafting but didn’t see any even though I saw a lot of fast bikers go by.  This is my weak event.  The not-so-great thing about starting in the wave after the elites was that there was no one in front for me to catch on the bike while there were lots of people whizzing by from behind as if I were a bio-pothole that one has to go around but quickly forgets.  On the other hand, I get close — albeit brief — views of a lot of nice bikes in action.  Well, I did catch one guy about a mile from the end but he looked like he was having a very bad day. RUN: 5 Km    The run was out and back on a shadeless street.  It was hot.  It was humid.  It was hard…  There were enthusiastic cub scouts (I think) manning water stations about 2/3 of a mile from the start/finish and at the turn-around.  Those scouts and their adult leaders were welcome sights.  I felt pretty good for the first half but being sick for the preceding week caught-up to me on the way back.  I was only surprised that it hadn’t happened sooner and just throttled- back and ran relatively easily back in. FINISH/POST-RACE:    There was a really nice post-race feed which included a seafood pasta salad and black beans and rice in addition to lots of fruit, yogurt, etc.  The only thing they were short on was water, which ran-out several times.  There was a keg of beer, but that wasn’t quite what I wanted at 10 AM and right after a race (both enjoyable liquids, just not quite interchangeable under those circumstances).  It is good that there was so much food because the results were a long time coming do to what the organizers described as "some glitches".  The last awards weren’t given out until about noon for this short, 8 AM start race.  The award plaques themselves were, however, beautiful.  Cathy Armstrong walked away with one thanks to a strong second place in F30-34. ME:    I finished in 1:02:45, which was better than I’d expected after being sick [4 days of viral-crud followed by 4 days of a very sore throat (diagnosed this morning as strep -- for some strange reason it got worse the day after the race 8^) ].  This was my sixth tri and mostly I wanted the experience, which I certainly got.  Number 7 at Jekyll Is. this weekend if the penicillin works quick enough…   — Chuck Amsler      Dept. of Biology    University of Alabama at Birmingham  

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Question:

Please help, I went out for a long bike and short run on sunday and since monday the pain in my left calf has continued to get worse. It seems to be fine after I walk around and while I haven’t been running on it, I did swim and biked some yesterday. This morning it’s painful to walk on and so the questions are: can I continue to swim and how about the bike? why don’t I feel any localized spot of pain? (the whole calf seems to be stiff and sore) what’s the recovery time? I guess I’ll just use the ol RICE method of treatment? I wanted so much to do the New England Endurance Triathlon which is in 17 days. Can I get it healed by then? Is there anything like a perpetual cramp or did I just blow out the whole muscle? Thanks for whatever advise you can give. chris Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die. —            EVERYONE DIES, BUT NOT EVERYONE LIVES

Response:

Good luck with the sore calf. I have had problems with both legs during the past two years. Best advise I can give is to take it very easy on the run. Use your swimming and biking to stay in shape. You may be able to race. Two potential problems that I have experienced. Strained calf muscle took a six week layoff to heal. Periostitis in left calf has not responded to similar treatment. When rest fails, go see a good sport Dr. Good luck – Hope you feel better. Calves can be a pain!

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