Triathlon

To run with or without socks is a question that haunts beginner and experienced triathletes. It may even cause nightmares and painful blisters for those brave enough to experiment. There are numerous articles and forum threads dedicated to the idea that eliminating socks in transition will lead to great savings in time trying to put socks on wet feet. Many offer their two cents on what to do to eliminate painful sores and blisters that might result from going sockless. If you’re crazy or dedicated enough to go without socks to save a few seconds, more power to you. The majority of age groupers shouldn’t have to go through the pain, anguish and anxiety of messing with going sockless since it probably won’t get them a podium spot or overall win. Blisters and days of agony versus saving some seconds in transition, which is better? Then the question arises about what socks work the best. Some socks are better than others when it comes to reducing blisters and foot sores from rubbing shoes. Some are meant more for fashion and others are meant more for function. There are a litany of sock companies out there jockeying to get a hold of your disfigured toenails and smelly feet. Crew, no show, ankle socks, compression socks, padded socks, minimalist socks or toe socks, so many choices. Balega (www.Balega.com) socks hopes to make your decision a little easier. Maybe they won’t answer which is the best sock for you, but they hope to provide any sock you may need. From their site, “Our story is as rich and vivid as the country from which we come: South Africa. Balega is a Zulu word which has no literal translation but means ‘to move with speed.’” They have US and South Africa bases where they are looking to get a toehold in the sock market (pun intended). In doing so, they reached out to us and graciously provided 3 different styles of socks to review. If you don’t get the right size, you’ll pay the price. Whether they bunch up from being too large, or don’t cover enough from being too small, runners need socks that fit correctly. Socks, like a lot of other apperal, may vary in size from manufacturer to manufacturer. For this review, we went off the shoes size of men’s 12 / 11 and errored on the side of caution and went with a large size per the sizing chart. Historically medium sizes have been the correct sizing as a multitude of socks lines are larger than they should be for the shoe size they recommend. Thankfully Balega held true to their sizing chart. The large size fit our feet perfectly. There was ample length above the ankle to reduce shoe friction and avoid toe scrunching to make the sock fit. Some people are black and white. And some people want neon orange and pink. Balega offers a variety of styles and colors. They use their trademark logo on the socks, but finding a style and color that fits your personality or race kit shouldn’t be an issue. They don’t offer witty phrases or cute logo’s like some more novelty sock lines, but that’s not what Balega is after. What do you need? If you need compression, blister protection, more cushion, lightweight, minimalist, performance, hidden, soft thread for men or women, Balega wants to offer you a solution. There’s no shortage of choices. There’s also no shortage of brick-and-mortar stores that you can shop Balega at. They might not carry all of the lines, but you can find them at most running and multisport stores. Do they deliver? We took their cushioned blister resistant, merino enduro and ultra light weight socks for a few runs. From 2 and a half hour long runs to sprint intervals, and including some bike rides, Balega was on our feet. It also needs to be noted, we used the same lubricants from previous workouts for anti-chafing and blister protection. From historical experience and trial and error, along with socks we use a liberal supply of anti-chafing cream. These runs were no different. After it was all said and done, after sweat had

Organisers of the Guildford Aquathlon Series have cancelled some events. Organisers of the Guildford Aquathlon Series have announced that due to unprecedented rainfall over the spring, the River Wey is no longer suitable for swimming. As a result of this, the aquathlons scheduled to take place from Shalford Park, Guildford on the 16th June and 28th July have been cancelled. Sincere apologies to all athletes affected by the cancellations. A substitute aquathlon will take place at the Surrey Sports Park on 28th July. This event will consist of an 800m swim and a 5km cross country run. For more details, and to enter, go to www.guildfordaquathlonseries.co.uk. Free open water swim training sessions are still available thanks to Triathlon England. These sessions offer swimmers the opportunity to get used to the water and pick up some hints and tips! Novice training days – 4th June 7:30-9pm; 21st July 8:30-10am. Rob Mitchell, Events Manager at the Surrey Sports Park said: We are excited to be part of this aquathlon series, which works towards a shared ambition to encourage local residents to become more active. I hope people will enjoy swimming in our state-of-the- art pool, and running through the University grounds.” Have you taken part in an aquathlon before, or is the swim/run combination new to you? Either way, join the conversation on the Guildford Aquathlon Series facebook page – It’s a great place to pick up a few last minute insider tips and to get to know some of your fellow athletes before race day! www.facebook.com/allabouttriathlons.co.uk.   To enter the races, or register for the training sessions, please see www.guildfordaquathlonseries.co.uk Any queries, please contact allabouttriathlons at becky@allabouttriathlons.co.uk or 01483 720459. Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news. Log your training for free at the TriRadar.com Training Zone. Have every issue delivered to your digital device by getting Triathlon Plus through Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Zinio. Subscribe to the print edition with massive savings at MyFavouriteMagazines. Join the conversation on the Triathlon Plus Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @TriathlonPlus.

Rich takes part in the Bradford on Avon Standard Triathlon and has a smashing day at the office. Rich is part of our in-house dream team aiming to take on the Virgin Active London Triathlon this July with the support of Team Carbon – official bike supplier, Tenn Outdoors – official kit supplier, Saucony, Polar, Zone 3 and Limar. To find out more about Team Triathlon Plus click here Rich racing to the finish line (Photo Credit: www.sportysnaps.com) It was an early start for the Bradford on Avon Triathlon on Sunday, but luckily the sun was out in full force – a rarity in the UK. This was my first standard distance triathlon so I wasn’t sure how to pace myself. I was pretty confident, however, as my training has been going really well and I’m felling strong in all three disciplines. Following my training plan set by team coach Phil Mosley has been a massive help. My wave set off at 8.30am; the thought of getting in a river at that time was a bit strange, particularly since it was pretty cold. Luckily, I was on holiday in Cornwall two weeks ago and going in the sea toughened me up a bit. The swim was shortened to 1,000m because the temperature was only 12°C.  We set off with the current and I found myself in the lead at the turnaround. It was the first time I’d worn my Zone3 wetsuit in anger and it fitted like a glove, with plenty of buoyancy. Someone went by me as we turned into the current which was perfect as I could then just draft behind them. I regained the lead on the second lap and surprised myself by exiting the swim first. My first transition went well and I was first out on the bike, so I took on a gel and knuckled down. I wore my Limar Speed Demon aero helmet and felt that it really gave me some extra streamlining. The course gets hillier as you go and I eventually got caught by someone on the steepest hill only a few kilometres out. I managed to regain the lead though and never looked back. The second transition also went well. The run started OK but I found it hard to keep my form as I’d worked pretty hard on the bike. This is something I need to work on with some longer brick sessions.  I had no one go by me and overtook a few from the previous wave. I came 21st overall and 17th in my age category, with a time of 2:10. I was really chuffed with my performance, but more importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed the event and met some great people. It was fanatically organized and a brilliant day out. Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news. Log your training for free at the TriRadar.com Training Zone. Have every issue delivered to your digital device by getting Triathlon Plus through Apple Newsstand, Google Play or Zinio. Subscribe to the print edition with massive savings at MyFavouriteMagazines. Join the conversation on the Triathlon Plus Facebook page, follow us on Twitter @TriathlonPlus.

Australia often has quite a bit of young talent in the sport of triathlon and among them these days is 21-year old James Hodge. He recently finished third at 70.3 Busselton but now he is back to studying and preparing for tests.

About a year ago we built up a Giant TCX Advanced SL cross bike with Rotor 3D+ cranks with 50/34 Rotor Q-Rings and it is now time to talk about the experience.

An in-depth test of the Felt AR4 aero road bike. Felt are a bike brand well rooted in the triathlon community and their AR range has pioneered the aero road platform. Borrowing heavily from Felt’s DA time trial bikes, the AR4 is a sleek, fast machine that blends aerodynamic advantage with friendlier road bike geometry and versatility, resulting in a great ride for training and racing. The Felt AR4 is packed with triathlon-friendly technology THE FRAME With its wheel-hugging profiles and stunning matte finish, the AR4 looks mean and fast. The bike shares the same design and aero benefits as the rest of the AR range and like the AR5 below it and AR2 above, the frame is made from Felt’s own UHC-Advanced custom carbon that’s developed for superb ride quality. The company’s unique InsideOut process uses internal and external moulds to better compact carbon during construction to create more complex and consistent tubes. The result is the most aggressively aerodynamic-looking aero road bike on the market. Only the pro-level AR1 uses a different lay-up for added stiffness and reduced weight. The frame won a Red Dot design award in 2010, which is telling of its superbly-crafted lines, expertly-designed geometry and the fact that it’s starting to get a little old in the tooth in some respects. There’s no tapered steerer on the fork for instance – though the long head tube provides excellent rigidity at the front – and the classic 68mm bottom bracket doesn’t quite match up with the wider, stiffer BB30 designs now being slotted into Felt’s newest TT bikes. Nevertheless, it’s still a beautiful piece of aerodynamic design. The narrow, tall headtube is unimpeded by cabling, which instead slot neatly into the top tube behind the stem. The top tube itself is horizontal to hide from the wind and flared, becoming thinner as it runs from the headtube to meet the seat tube. The narrow aero fork has a notched profile on the back of the fork crown that lines up with the thin teardrop downtube, which hugs the front wheel for better aerodynamics then sweeps down to meet the bottom bracket. The seat tube is also profiled to accommodate the back wheel and features a scooped interior curve for a close fit to the wheel but with clearance enough for any standard tyre sizes. The thin seatstays aid aerodynamics and a supple ride while the chainstays are strong, chunky numbers and feature a replaceable aluminium gear hanger. In contrast to some other aero road bikes on the market, the front derailleur cable leaves the frame to travel under the bottom bracket inside an external housing, popping up to meet the mech, while the rear derailleur’s cable runs naked along the outside of the chainstay. THE KIT The AR4 comes specced to the nines in Shimano Ultegra – the mechanical levers shifting flawlessly across the front and rear mechs to keep you in control of cog selection at all times. Pushing hard on the big ring or climbing out the saddle, the gearing won’t let you down. Clearly designed to go fast on the flat, the AR4 features a silky-smooth Ultegra chainset with standard 53x39T chainrings paired with an 11-25T rear cassette for close enough ratios to always find that sweet spot. There’s no compact option available on the chainset though, so if you need friendlier gears, talk to you local Felt dealer or factor the additional cost into the equation. The Ultegra brakes also have decent, reliable stopping power though took a while to bed in. An in-line gear adjuster – crucial for triathlon, where indexing can be knocked out of alignment in transition – is included for front shifting, but not the rear, which would have been nice for mid-ride tweaks. The wheel selection is telling of the AR4’s against-the-clock potential. Shimano’s RS30 wheelset offers 30mm aero-profiled rims and solid performance on the flat, but at a shade under 2kg without tyres and tubes, they drag the bike down when the gradients tip up, being neither light nor stiff. Though the RS30s me

Next week is Hawaii 70.3. Excitement has filled my entire heart, for many reason. Beyond the thrill of a start line, the push & will to go hard for 70.3 miles, there is of course opportunity. Some hope of a pay day and precious KPR points for Ironman Hawaii. Not many points, at all, but every little bit helps. My fingers are crossed that the next 3 races will seal the deal into Kona. Coach and I made a back up plan, but honestly I am not chasing that, I never go for plan B in life. While sometimes back ups are good and turn out pretty cool, it's hard to rest easy on a plan B... A few wonderful things have happened leading up to this race. I'm racer #19 next weekend so I figure a good way to keep my brain reminded on some of the good heading into next weekend, I should write down (in some random order) 19 of them...1. My favorite tree went into Summer bloom, hotter training weather...2. The winds did not knock me off my bike when the "hurricane" trades blew3. I can keep up with Chandler (almost, okay if he is tired) at swim practice4. 2.4 miles solo (a few times) and no sharks, plenty of dolphins5. Zucchini bread does not make you poop during track practice6. ZOOT sent me really bright clothes and new shoes: MOTIVATION7. I ran 20 miles without an IPOD and survived mentally8. No injuries & Rob is getting better everyday after being hit by a car 9. Breakthrough Nutrition has helped me avoid bonking on any long rides 10. My body has minimized damage thanks to Odin Willmont: Chiro/ART 11. Coach Steve & the High School swimmers don't kick me out of the pool12. Kainoa reminds me to wear sunscreen & chill out13 Mike continues to keep Pancake Sunday in full force after big days14. My new Swift Carbon is such a dream bike (you'll see it race day)15. I rode to Hilo! Still stoked on that big adventure, must repeat...16. Splish makes me want to swim, 80's suits are my favorite at the moment17. Kainoa asks to go to church (maybe for the food), he keeps me believing18. I got to paddle yesterday, it was a needed rest from SWIMBIKERUN19. I'm happy. Sometimes I race better happy... Cheers :)Bree

Last year, we'd had Norah take swim lessons via the city, and they were okay, but not great. Norah didn't like going, and often cried beforehand about having to go, and at the end of the 10 week session, we didn't feel her swim skill had advanced much. So, we didn't continue the lessons, and since it was then late fall, there wouldn't be much swimming over the course of the winter anyway. This summer, then, I was on the fence about having both kids do lessons again: Were they really worth the money? Could I teach them what they needed to know? So, we began our summer of swimming with arm floaters and that was fine, but I knew they needed more in order to be competent swimmers -- sooner rather than later. I knew the city lessons weren't great, so I searched for private swim schools and found the US Swim Academy, a place we'd briefly checked out before since it was close to a movie theater Jerry and I often go to for our date nights. I toured it, and I knew right away it would be WORLDS better than the lessons we'd done last summer, so I signed them up. Their first lessons were yesterday, and I can't say enough good things about the place and their methods. It's indoors, heated pool, and they have a plethora of inventive toys and equipment, and the teaching philosophy is all about making every skill a game or task. Plus, the classes are super small: 3 kids to 1 teacher. Pic's not great, but here's Norah going down one of these floaty slides into the water in her class: Unlike the lessons Norah did last year, she was beaming through her entire lesson yesterday, and when she got done, she was excited about returning for next week's class.That is worth every penny of the extra cost.Not only does the place make the lessons not feel like lessons, but immediately, there's a noticeable improvement in both kids' swimming. Today, at home in our community pool, Norah abandoned the arm floaters and was swimming back and forth from the stairs to me, and she kept wanting me to go farther and farther away (I'm terrible at judging distance, but I'd say she was going about 10-12 feet at a stretch).Caleb too wanted to follow Norah's example and swim out to me without his floaters, but he could only go about 2 feet or so, and he was still flailing like I was stabbing him with hot pokers when I tried to get him to practice his back floating; still, he too had improved and he had also liked his class (the only problem, by his estimation, with his class was that Norah wasn't in it with him).Caleb's teacher said he needed one more week in the class he started in, and then he could probably advance; Norah immediately advanced, and for her advancement, she earned a medal.She was SO proud of her medal, and when she got home, she knew, right away, where to put it:

Ironman Texas 2013Swim start I think that's me right in the middle...looking up in the pink capI find it remarkable how the brain works.... It's only Tuesday. It's a mere three days since my Ironman and yet some of the 'feelings' of my pain and suffering that day are already melting into the background of my mind. Proof of that is that despite the fact that I still feel nauseous, my quads and calves are aching with pain, I feel like I have someone else's skin on because my feet and legs are so swollen, and to make it all even more fun, I have been in tears on and off for 24 hours because of crippling back pain, I have been searching for some other race to get myself into this summer.Swimming through the canal on the final leg of the swim portion. That's me , closest to bottomI have moments of thinking, "what happened? It wasn't that bad. Why didn't I keep my pace up??" But then, I look at some of the photos. And, that mechanism in my brain that has allowed me to 'forget' releases, shuts off, and I can literally FEEL those brutal hours again. I can truly feel it in my veins. And,it was, that bad. Cameron, Nick & Tommy-cheering me through the canalDone! 1st age-- off to the bikeI'm not too sure I can put it into words. Sometimes you just have to have been there and in the same body and mind but, I will try.Finally, the garmin read 112 and I slid easily off the bike at the dismount line. Honestly, that line is almost as delicious as the Finish line. I withheld the incredible urge I had to Throw the bike off to the side into a fence and instead, graciously smiled at the volunteer who took my bars and so kindly put it back into the bike rack for me. For better or worse, I was OFF that bike. I had seen Mark and the boys as I came to the line so I knew he was also happy I had made it. Those first few minutes after riding 112 miles are... awkward. Your body feels contorted and unable to right itself. I even laughed out loud because a handful of us were hobbling our way to the bags. I made a pit stop in a portapotty... finally. It is a bit too much info, but when you know Ironman, you know that Needing a bathroom during the ride is KEY! IF you don't, you have a problem. I did need one..... I just had "stagefright" out there so I had to stop in T2. I figured I had been hydrating well for the past 5+ hrs because I had needed that bathroom for about 85 miles!Into the tent and again, I was blessed with 4 or 5 Great women to help me. Seriously, THANK YOU volunteers!!!! I did say it to them at the time.... There we are: tired, cranky, sweaty, & stinky while we snap "commands" at them. I TRY so hard not to do that but... it's what we're doing! "Can I have my visor, my glasses, the socks, no wait, the gels! " One thing after another ..... They all helped me get myself put together, one lady told me I was top 12 amateur.... ... ok... game on. I stood there for 5 seconds and just thought, "woah... what's about to happen." Then, I headed out. Here's where it gets blurry and well, just long. I felt ok as I started..... I had a goal for this run and I know it was reasonable. That is, before the mercury rose and the humidity rose and the farmers in Mexico started burning crops and blowing smoke into Texas.Plan adjusted--- My goal changed and I decided to "run 8s all day long." Very doable... I thought.This is a 3 loop course. And, it's Not hilly. At All. The 3 loops seemed like they'd be a good way to 'break it up." Instead, it was pure torture. For me anyway. The signs read things like this: Mile2 and next to it Mile 11 or 18. But when you're on loop 1 and mile 18 is SO far away, well, it was torture. I tried not to look.The first few miles felt Easy. My effort was totally easy. My pace... low low 7s and it even dipped into upper 6s... so I backed off. No matter how easy that felt, it was too fast to start a HOT Ironman run. That would be foolish.I hit the aid stations... and stopped. Half on Purpose, half involuntarily. My body just

Xterra South East Championships, Pelham, AL 18 May 2013 2nd 2h18’44? – 1’44 behind winner Josiah Middaugh Alabama and it’s narrative has been an interesting space for me. Crashed here in Oak Mountain State park in 2007 breaking my wrist … Continue reading →