"Don't Stop Believing" Journey to Ironman

Triathlon Race Secrets--More Wetsuit Chat

Necessity, she's a mother! Here are a few additional wetsuit tips I'd like to pass on.

Says Olivia on Endurance Nation:
This certainly wouldn't apply to everyone, but I struggled for 2 seasons trying all sorts of ways to get my wetsuit off over my ginormous feet. I even resorted to asking some of my fellow racers in TA to help by pulling the suit off. Aside from that, which didn't always work out, nothing was solving the problem. I went to a local outdoor gear repair person who does a lot of work on dive wetsuits because I was going to have her add a gusset or something stretchier at the seams to give me something to work with. She suggested these 8 inch zippers at the calf.

Here's what Olivia did. I have so much trouble getting my wetsuit off of my right leg, I think I'm up for finding someone who can give me this fix!

 

Teammate John simply cut ~ 6 inches off from the legs of his wetsuit. He says, "Once the suit is past my waist the suit drops and I lift my legs and feet right out with almost zero resistance. Easy to get on, too."

He said he had no problems at the seam where he made the cut. If you decide to do this, however, you could use a small piece of the wet suit and Aquaseal to put a small, reinforcing patch on the seam.

More tips next time! Post yours in the comments. I'd love to hear what others do!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Tummy and Cramping Troubles

 Knock wood and anything else I can find, but I haven't had tummy problems in a race for quite a while. But just in case, I put a couple of the Gas-X strips either in my shirt or Bento Box. They are as thin as a slip of paper, so carrying them is a non-issue. You just never know. :)

Oh yeah, unpeel them just a bit so you don't have to fuss trying to open it on the bike or on the run. If you're reaching for it, you're in enough distress as it is. :)

What has saved me from stomach and cramping troubles--and I credit this product 100%--is Succeed S!caps. Stomach and cramping issues disappeared when I began using this product. I used to have terrible problems in both areas, so I looked to the ultra-running community to see what they used to stave off the nausea and cramping beasts. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to read these articles by S!caps owner/developer Karl King, as well as the FAQ on his web site. Karl's description of their efficacy reflects my experience exactly. It's incredible how well this product works for me. Do just as he says, and you won't need the Gas-X! (Old habits and fears die hard so that's why I still carry it!)

Triathlon Race Secrets--Wetsuit Chat

Here's some helpful wetsuit chat.

• Putting plastic bags on your feet helps get the wetsuit on really easily! I see people do this all the time, but I forget to do it myself most of the time. Have to remember this for myself. Also, the bags give you something to put nasty clothes in later!

• Spraying myself with a product called TriSlide also helps a ton with getting the wettie on. It doesn't contain the kinds of oils that can hurt the neoprene. There's no scent, and it doesn't leave you feeling covered in a heavy oil like spraying with Pam. I like it.

• Don't forget to lube your neck. You can do 100 triathlons and never have a problem. Then out of the blue in a race swim, you will get the worst neck chafe you can imagine! Ouch, it hurts. It takes five seconds to lube this area, and it can save you a world of pain.

• Here's a pointer that requires a little more Zen. Take a breath after you get your wetsuit on, and make sure it's on perfectly. And I mean perfectly. If there is the teeniest feeling of a twist, fix it. Make sure the crotch is pulled up all the way, and the underarms are in the right place; the neck is comfortable. Only when you stand there and do a head-to-toe scan and everything is exactly where it should be is your wetsuit "on." That little twist or gap in the underarm will come back to haunt you. Trust me.

• Assuming you are wearing a long-sleeve wettie, here's a great tip I had not thought of before! As you exit the water and run towards T1, unzip, then remove goggles and cap. THEN--as you pull your arms out of the top, leave the goggles and cap inside the sleeve! They stay there without falling out, and it's one less thing to deal with in T1. Bonus--after the race, you'll know where your cap and goggles are as you clean up the yard sale that had formerly been your beautifully organized transition area. :)

• From my personal point of view--spend the money, get the Aquaman Bionik. :) After four different long-sleeve wetsuits, this one went beyond my expectations. I don't even need to kick in it, and it comes off like a hot knife through butter. Love it.

Happy race day swimming! It's often my favorite part of the day!

Triathlon Race Secrets--Looking at Life Through Orange-Colored Glasses

Here's another cool secret I use all the time...really good for training too...

If you don't have glasses with orange or yellow lenses--get a pair. I call them my "sunny day" glasses. When the world is dank and gray, putting on regular sunglasses just makes it even more depressing. Riding 3, 4, 5 hours in the murk is no fun. Put on the orange or yellow lenses and--voila--instant sunny day! It really tricks the mind into feeling more upbeat.

My last six hour ride before my 2006 Ironman was done on a very gloomy day. My husband, who rode with me, was so unmotivated by hour 3--sinking deeper into the morass of blah. He was wearing regular sunglasses, which made the world even darker. I was fine, and kept telling him because I thought it was a sunny day. He tried on my orange lenses, and got a pair the next week.

Cheap, rimless ones from Nashbar work fine. You don't use that that often, but when you need them, they're a great item to have.

Triathlon Race Secrets--Let's Talk Heat

Following up on the race secret thread from yesterday, here are a few hints for hot-weather racing. I can't believe how many triathletes say, "I hate the heat"..."running in the heat is death for me". And I know one such racer very well. Moi. :) New England often doesn't get warm consistently until June, and I run at dawn when it's cool. I'm always looking for ways to mitigate the effects of the high sun on my triathlon run. Here are what a few Endurance Nation friends had to share:

Ice Cuffs
EN Coach Patrick McCrann is shown here running in Kona. Those funky sweatbands on his arms are simply the tube part of tube socks. He just folded some ice in there, and it was hands-free running while staying cool.

Ice Sleeves
Another teammate uses uses Desoto arm coolers as "ice sleeves." He says,  "AMAZING. I just grabbed two Gatorade cups per ice at each station, shoved the ice in the top of each of the arm coolers, and this would keep me very cool for 2+ aid stations." The funny guy that he is continues, "These won my 2008 Best Race Innovation award. This season, I'm trying the Craft stuff that Tjorbjorn uses as a further attempt in my 'better racing through clothing innovation' series."

Ice Hat and Shorts
Fill  your hat with ice at aid stations, and throw a handful down your shorts. Top and bottom cooling. I've done this, and while I don't like the rivulets that melt down my face and legs, it does help keep you going.

Ice Bra
Sorry guys, can't help you here. But ladies, wearing that annoying article of clothing can help cool you down. Shove a handful of ice down the jog bra. Ahhhhhhhh! Trick is, moving it closer to the armpits makes it instant air conditioning! I've seen pro triathlete Barb Lindquist do this in race coverage on TV.

Sunglasses
Sure, it's obvious, but shading your eyes and not staring at hot, reflected sunlight off the pavement can trick your brain into thinking it's actually cooler than it is.

Let's see what new tips come my way over the next few days!

A bring-your-own bike lane, created by lasers - The Boston Globe

Riding bikes in the Boston area, even in the surrounding suburbs, can be hair-raising, and down right dangerous. The drivers are crazy here. If this prototype makes it to market, I'll likely get it for my early morning rides!

A bring-your-own bike lane, created by lasers - The Boston Globe

Posted using ShareThis

Wearing Three Speedo LZR Suits, and Other Interesting Facts of the 2008 Swimsuit War

I really enjoy reading the Science of Sport Blog. Their #3 sports science story for 2008 involves the controversial Speedo LZR Racer--the space age swimsuit many feel is partly responsible for the 25 world records broken at the Olympic Games in Beijing. The blog does an an interesting review of the ruckus raised by the suit this past year, including the fact that a number of swimmers were wearing up to three suits at a time to enhance buoyancy. Here's the post.

So let's see...if I were to layer three LZR suits, it would cost me about $1,600 to maybe swim fast enough to be beat the 10 year olds on my kids' team!

I Want to Marry My Tights

Last week I got a pair of compression tights from Kmeleon.

I am so in love with these tights I want to marry them! :)

As I posted in my Ironman race report, painful quads kind of derailed my marathon. When I changed into the compression shorts at the half way mark, the difference was amazing. I saw right then and there that they really do work. Now that it's cold here in New England, I took the plunge on a pair of full length tights.    

I am sold on the way the tights hold the entire hip/quad/glute area stable without a lot of muscle oscillation. They feel incredibly supportive right on the areas where I tend to get hurt. Plus, there is definitely more of a "pop" in the legs when you run in these tights. I am sitting in them right now, using them as a compression recovery garment--I did a hard threshold bike workout today. I can feel the pulse in my legs testifying to the increased blood flow as claimed. The effect is subtle, but I know it's another tool I can use to help keep me going. There's actually sound science behind compression garments, and you can read in more detail on the Kmeleon web site.

So now my wish list includes the complete list of Kmeleon tights--including bike shorts, short shorts, and capris. After all that, I can move onto all their other garments. With any luck, they'll also come out with heavier compression recovery tights. I'm in for those big time! This compression stuff is where it's at! 

How to Make A Customer for Life--Infinit Nutrition and Foot Solutions

As consumers, we often we struggle to get good service, and hope the products we choose to buy are even remotely as good as the claims that precede them. Skepticism has become a way of life. Recently, however, I had two experiences that have turned me from a customer to a customer for life.

Michael Folan, owner of Infinit Nutrition is one of my two new my poster boys for customer service. Many triathletes I know swear by the Infinit products, and I thought I would give the sports drink a try. If you are not familiar with Infinit, they offer pre-mixed formulas OR the option to customize a brew just for you--more electrolytes or less, caffeine or not, higher or lower calories, lots of flavor or a little--it can all be made to order.

I had visited the Infinit site a number of times in th past, and was never quite sure what I wanted. I finally dropped Michael an email asking for some additional direction. Know what?  He actually called me! On the phone. Talking person to person. Not only did Michael call me once to review my needs, he followed-up (unheard of!) and called again to review his suggestions! He also helped me figure out what my swimmer boys might need. That's it. I'm sold. I'll tweak the Infinit product till the end of my days to get it right, and stick with a guy who puts himself out there to that degree to stand behind his product and make customers happy.

My second poster boy for customer service is Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions. I have terrible feet--flat, bunioned, pronating disasters. I have had orthotics for years, and couldn't do all that I do without them. You name the foot doctor/podiatrist of note in the Boston area, and I've seen them. Probably got orthotics from all of them too through the years.

About a year ago, I stopped into Foot Solutions on a whim to look for shoes. My orthotics were beyond worn out, and Abe showed me his system for making custom orthotics. I was skeptical--so conditioned was I to thinking only podiatrists could help me and provide the proper orthotic. But I took a chance (I mean, I was already in the store and time is precious), and I got my orthotics from Abe. Truly, I have NEVER had a better pair.

Now here's the customer service part. I went back to see Abe last week to get a new pair of orthotics since I'm training for Ironman. Abe took a look at the ones I got from him about a year ago, and said, "These are perfectly fine. They'll hold up to your training without a problem." I was stunned. Think about it. I was standing there willing to plunk down my credit card for a new pair on the spot. Instead of taking my money, he sent me home with the reassurance that my orthotics were fine. That saved me $300. $300!!!! I could not be more grateful.

So thank you Michael and Abe. The least I can do is give you both a blog nod, and hope others make their way to you.

You can find Michael Folan and Infinit nutrition here, and Abe Hirsch at Foot Solutions here.

Bike Fit Series--Post 3--Using Retul In Time Trial Bike Fitting

Welcome back to the Bike Fit Blog Series!

In this post, we'll see two videos documenting the final stages of the time trial bike fit using the Retul Fit System. We’ll watch our volunteer Nolan Watts get wired up to be analyzed. The Retul sensors on the rider's body allow master fitter Husam Sahin to make the corrections that take Nolan from his before to after position on the bike. We’ll also learn a bit more about how the Retul system works overall.

Husam also has some valuable words setting up a racer’s power position as perfectly as possible. He also talks about the relationship of power and aerodynamics.

USING RETUL IN TIME TRIAL BIKE FITTING

FINAL TIME TRIAL BIKE FIT ADJUSTMENTS

Previous Posts
Series Introduction; The Laser Jig, and the Argon Fit Bike.
Introduction to the Retul Fit System

Coming Up
Dartfish Video and How to Pick A Frame
Husam Sahin, Owner of ATA Cycle Riffs on Bike Fitting in the US
Customer Nolan Watts Reacts to the Fit of His New Look 496

ATA Cycle
Husam Sahin, Owner and Master Fitter
93 Thoreau St., Concord, MA  978-369-5960
1173 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA  617-354-0907

Husam Sahin is known across the country as the go-to fitter for cyclists serious about getting the proper bike, whether they be recreational riders or Olympic athletes. In fact, Husam recently fit USA Olympic triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker who will compete in Beijing this summer, as well as his wife, Canadian champion Alicia Kaye. Customers fly to the ATA Fit Lab from all over country to work with Husam. He uses the cutting-edge technologies including the Retul Fit System and Dartfish videos.

Thank You
A huge thank you to Nolan Watts, who was kind enough to allow us to film his bike fitting. Nolan is tearing it up in the Boston area on a gorgeous Look 496. We wish him many happy, safe, and happy miles!