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How do I recover?

by: Meredith Trowbridge

I get this question every once in a while, people kind of shake their heads and wave their fingers at me and say “triathlon, ridiculous….you’re crazy.” Well, I agree, I think I am crazy….but not really for doing triathlon, but for a host of other reasons :).

I will say that yes, I do think doing the Ironman distance races require a dose of insanity, mostly because really, your life becomes about Ironman. No doubt. I suppose I could be someone who wakes up at 4:00 a.m. and rides the trainer, or goes to the gym and runs on the treadmill and during Soren’s nap, i’d ride the trainer and after Soren goes to bed, head to the pool. I *could* do this and I know people that do, but right now, that all sounds just very…very….tiring. So, what I decided to do when my kids are “little” is race the shorter stuff, meaning, maybe two workouts a day during “peak” training, but definitely not three. And yes, i’ve done three workouts a day……and yeah, I feel a little insane for writing that, but then again, someone once asked, “how do you do an Ironman”. That’s how. 2-3 workouts a day….about 15-20 hours, maybe more a week.

So, how does one do all this. Not just “eating well” and, not even really sleeping because when you’re training that much, you’re jittery at night. Yeah, you’d think you’d sleep well, but…

Categories: Nutrition, Product Reviews

3/14/2011

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

39.4616432,-87.4072266

Avi-Bolt II Review

by: Ryan Oilar

I am really impressed with this shoe! I guess I should start by saying that like most people I’m a little nervous when it comes to change, especially when it comes to equipment or gear, but Avia made a great shoe with the Avia-Bolt II (and it’s on sale!!). It fits like a glove and offers the right amount of cushion, breathe-ability, and performance that athletes expect from their shoes. The shoes are exceptionally light at 8.5oz and for a guy just under 6 foot weighing 175lbs, a traditional “race flat” doesn’t always offer the padding I need for long course racing and my joints can really feel it. The air mesh upper allows for your feet to stay cool when pounding the pavement hard. This feature also allows for some of the weight that would normally be on the top of the shoe to be in the sole and cushioning.

Avia uses a guidance scale which takes into account arch type and pronation. Click here to learn more about this scale. These shoes are a “1″ on the Avia Degree of Guidance.

The black material has some shine to it which looks super awesome while you run, and is reflective in low-light conditions.

The shoe offers Avi-Grip heel and tongue, which at first I thought might rub, but because of the fantastic liner, there are no issues. This grip will allow for…

Categories: Athletes, Product Reviews, Running, Triathlons
Tags: avi-bolt II, avi-bolt III, avia, rev3, ryan oilar, trakkers

3/11/2011

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

San Diego, CA

Kestrel Talon SL

by: Dean Sprague

In the Lab (http://www.PedPowerPerformLab.com) we only recommend the best bikes that uniquely fit each customers desire.

That’w why, we were able to recommend Kestrel’s 2011 Talon SL.

She has ordered from Bicyle Doctors USA in Indiana. The best Kestrel dealer in America.

Too bad we are not a dealer and able to make the $$s of of the sale… but we will be doing the the bike fit for her.

The ultimate dual purpose bike; perfect road bike and put on some clip on and adjust the saddle and ready race any tri. (yes, other adjustment need to be made)

(sorry about the logo distortion – not my fault.)

When in San Diego, visit us for the ultimate bike fit! We offer Team Trakkers athletes a special discount rate.

We will update the bike fit process in a week or two.

Categories: Product Reviews

1/29/2011

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Chicago, IL

Swim-A-Poolooza

by: MJ Slikas

100×100x100

Yep. I said it. 100 yards 100 times every 100 seconds. In other words hundred hundreds on the 1:40. It happens every year. It’s happening tomorrow. And I’m in. I’m always in. What better way to spend a Sunday morning? We have food, drinks, music, but most of all…FUN.

Yes, you get pruny. Yes, it seems monotonous. Yes, it gets a little tiring. Yes, you find yourself wondering WHY the heck you signed up to do this in the first place. Yes, you want to quit. More than once. But when it’s all over, it feels good. It’s a CHALLENGE. Not many people can say they’ve done this. And maybe they don’t want to. But it’s similar to Ironman in that you have to be a special kind of person to even attempt to do something that seems so crazy. You want to see what you’re capable of. You want to push your limits. You want to find out just how tough you are. And when you finish – it makes it all worth it. And that’s what makes us do this year after year after year.

On deck will be plenty of samples of Tri Swim shampoo, conditioner, Foggle, body lotion and body wash. I mean, after that much time (3:45 hours) in the pool, the chlorine is embedded in your skin. And hair. With Tri Swim – you don’t have to go around…

Categories: Product Reviews, Swimming

1/13/2011

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Bethlehem, PA

What I learned about nutrition in 2010

by: Chris Garges

Being relatively new to the sport of triathlon (3 years), I always brushed over nutrition as “something I don’t have to worry about”. Heck, I was never taught anything about nutrition by a coach (never had one) and I wasn’t a big sweat loss guy, so it was one less thing to worry about. Sure, as I moved from Sprints to OLY’s and on to the half iron distance I would think about it and have a plan, but my plan was simple….take what’s on the course and carry an energy gel or something for the run. It seemed to get me through ok.

Well, in 2010 I was lucky enough to become a member of Team Trakkers. Team Trakkers had this wonderful nutrition sponsor, First Endurance and this wonderful website that had a wealth of information about nutrition. As I trained harder and longer, and raced harder and longer nutrition was turning into a bigger component than it had prior and now I was paying attention.

Two of the defining characteristics of First Endurance are their commitment to quality products and their persistent research and development to create the best products that work in real life race situations. They use nothing but the best, highest quality products. Their products are Gluten Free and contain no high fructose corn syrup. The three main components I was immediately drawn to were Ultragen (for recovery) and EFS

…

Categories: Athletes, Nutrition, Product Reviews, Running, Swimming, Team, Triathlons

12/8/2010

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Houghton, MI

Endurance Meg’s Holiday Wish List

by: Megan Killian

The holidays are coming! Eek! My list hasn’t even been tackled yet. Double eek!

If you are like me, you already know what to get your significant other who 1) likes to ride his bike, 2) is in grad school and 3) lives in a snowy, cold place. Ok, so I have this one a little easy. But other than buying him a case or two of Pamela’s lemon shortbread cookies and a 5lb bag of Snowshoe Brew, I might be at a little bit of a loss. Endurance athletes aren’t really all that hard to shop for, if you have a billion dollars to spend on them. I thought I’d make it a little easy for those quirky endurance athletes on Santa’s list this year, no matter what your budget.

$5-35

Energy-o-rama: A nice variety of energy treats will bring a smile to their face. It will also give them an opportunity to restock their supply for the upcoming season or give them something new to try. I bought Baberaham a grab-bag of energy foods a few years back that had all sorts of awesome stuff, and it gave him an opportunity to try new things that he otherwise may never have tried before.

Gift cards! Good places include:
- All3Sports so they can put it towards some new tri gear
- iTunes so they can jazz up their music collection
- or

…

Categories: Product Reviews, Technology, Tips

12/3/2010

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Terre Haute, IN

Holiday Gift Ideas For Your Athlete

by: Ryan Oilar

It’s that time of year, and if you are still looking for some great ideas that are relatively inexpensive AND that will be used and appreciated by the athlete in your life, “here are a few of my favorite things….”

The Cateye Double Wireless is great! It’s sleek, easy to use, and if I can set it up, anyone can. Doing low cadence-strength training sessions or fast spinning drills? Now you can ensure that you are pedaling at that cadence with this device. The computer easily attaches to your stem, but if you have aerobars, you may want to pick up the Profile Design Universal Computer Mount. Another added benefit to this model is the magnet is connected to your rear wheel, so you are able to still monitor your distance and speed while riding on indoor trainers!

It’s winter in the northern hemisphere!!! That means dry skin, especially if you happen to go outdoors. I have super sensitive skin, and HATE lotions that are heavy and greasy. Zia makes an oil-free lotion that will keep your face moisturized throughout the season, without causing breakouts for sensitive dudes like me.

Winter time means swimming inside! This means lots of chlorine, which is hard on your hair and skin. That’s where TRISWIM comes in! Their products of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotions work to remove the harsh chlorine and eliminate that crazy odor. For

…

Categories: Product Reviews, Tips
Tags: all3sports, rev3, tri-slide, Tri-Swim

11/25/2010

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Royersford, PA

Even the kids love First Endurance

by: Andy Rosebrook

Going through my son’s 8th grade cross country team pictures and I noticed a couple of shots of Adrain enjoying some EFS in a First Endurance Water bottle after his race. How’s that for an unsolicited endorsement?

Categories: Athletes, Family & Friends, Nutrition, Product Reviews

10/22/2010

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

39.4616432,-87.4072266

Saucony AMP Pro Recovery Tight

by: Ryan Oilar

If you’ve looked around in our sport, you’ve noticed this trend of compression. Compression shorts and especially compression socks. There are all sorts of companies claiming the benefits and importance of compression socks, and to be quite honest, I’ve been a bit of a skeptic and not very fond of the new fashion statement. They kind of remind me of the tube socks of the ’80s pulled up, or the leg warmers of the Jazzercise era…but science says it works. While I still may not be a fan of sporting the socks with shorts, I have become a fan of compression.

Saucony has released a new line of compression and it is amazing!! As of now, you won’t be seeing me in the compression materials walking around or racing, but I’ll wear them under clothes for recovery. I’ve been hitting some pretty big training blocks the last few weeks in my preparation for Ironman Florida, and have been sleeping in the Saucony AMP Pro Recovery Tights.

Since, I’ve gone to sleep with tired legs only to wake refreshed and ready for another big training day. When trying to decide on a size, if you are at the lower end of one size, you may want to go ahead and size down. When I first tried these on, I though my legs were going to get really hot, but they actually breath pretty well.

The video below from Saucony will…

Categories: Product Reviews, Tips, Training, Triathlons, Videos
Tags: compression, recovery, saucony, trakkers

10/22/2010

triathlete

GPS Coordinates

Medford, MA