Timex Global Trainer GPS

Once a leader with links to Ironman, you would have thought they would have been the first. Sunnto, Polar and Garmin took over the endurance watch market, price was always an issue but consumers seem to pay for certain technology built in. Well Timex has risen to the challenge with their Global Trainer GPS.

Get pace, speed, distance and more—all on your wrist. Easy to use for those who want a simple speed & distance product, thanks to the thoughtful and intuitive interface that Timex is known for. But also fully customizable for multisport athletes that require a high-performance training tool.

Hey it is new and I am sure there are some complications but knowing Timex quality this watch "Will take a liken and keep on ticken".

Trek's I mean Trash Dream Bike Giveaway

WHAT A SHAM!

So watching the tour there is this bike promo by Trek driving users online for a chance to win 10 bike in 10 days. Now I am hooked who does not want a free bike, enter email and click spin for a chance. Off it goes and each time, every time that same spin happens you get the image below. I am not sore about losing I am sore that even in Vegas they show you a different number/cherry/card, whatever, not Trek, they don't even try to hide their cheating.

Using technology today the least you could do is show a different losing image, make us feel as though we are not being cheated. Was this not tested? Really? As thought the Tour does not suffer enough back lash Trek goes and taints it with a sham of a promotion to get leads.
This is crap, Trek has had a lot of success with the Tour and Lance, expect more from a company that hinges a lot of bike sales to one person and seven Tour wins.

Trek make it right, some way, some how, to the users you are driving to your Promotion. 

“MY LEGS DON’T FEEL BEATEN UP”, Badwater and Newtons

Last week Newton had three athletes competing in the Badwater Ultramarathon, the 135-mile run sufferfest that rises 13,000 feet from Death Valley to the portal of Mt. Whitney. Claiming to enjoy “hills, heat, and headwinds” Ian Adamson won the masters category (45+) in his first Badwater race ever with a total time of 34:32:38.
More...

Cardio or Strength Training, Interesting!

Women's health has it as Strength training, not your swim bike or run, interesting. 

Cardio's edge Calorie for calorie, cardio has a slight advantage. You'll burn 8 to 10 calories a minute hoisting weights, compared with 10 to 12 calories a minute running or cycling, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of research at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Strength's edge Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike for an hour after aworkout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. That means you'll fry an additional 25 percent of the calories you just scorched during your strength session, Westcott says. "So if you burned 200 calories lifting weights, it's really closer to 250 overall." And if you lift heavier weights or rest no more than 30 seconds between sets, you can annihilate even more.

And there's more good news when it comes to iron's fat-socking power. "For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, you'll burn an extra 120 calories a day -- just vegging -- because muscle takes more energy to sustain," Westcott says. Over the course of a year, that's about 10 pounds of fat -- without even changing your diet. Yes, please.

Winner: Strength

More..

Bikes in the Wall Street Journal

Bikes are getting mainstream when great companies put out great product for the masses. The WSJ.com published this:

There are no gears, as most of the city's streets are flat. The big tires absorb the shock of the many bumps. And the bikes—and their parts—are not easy to steal.

Now, business partners Patrick Bernard, Sean Naughton and Michael Salvatore are hoping their rendition of a no-frills city bicycle will catch on worldwide.

The Bowery is one of the oldest thoroughfares in New York City and in turn the country. Before the Dutch it was a Native American footpath. It later became a connection between the city and the farmland to the north. Its first residents were freed slaves. In its long and diverse history it has gone from the most elegant shopping and dining area to a dangerous neighborhood full of brothels and beer gardens; home to some of the toughest gangs of New York. These days the Bowery is going through a revival of sorts but continues to retain, for now, some of the grittiness that makes it a symbolic New York artery with deep roots to its past. 

Founded in Manhattan in 2008, Bowery Lane Bicycles is committed to making affordable bikes in America that meet the actual day to day needs of urban cyclists. We actively support urban cycling advocacy and the goal of reclaiming city streets for safe and sustainable transportation.

ITU, Sets Up Points for Best Swimmer, Biker and Runner

Frodeno, Riveros Diaz Lead New ITU Best Runner Rankings

Swim, Bike and Run all have new meaning, you can tear it up in the swim and bonk on the next two events or swim leisurely and crush on the bike or last take it easy and rip it up on the run. Hey the ITU is giving point to the fastest in each discipline.

Vancouver, 6 July 2010 - New for 2010, ITU has introduced segment rankings, which will reward the best swimmer, biker and runner throughout the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series. Athletes will be able to score points at each of the seven Series events, with the crown of best swimmer, biker or runner being awarded after the Grand Final in Budapest. In total, $60,000 in segment rankings bonuses will be awarded at the end of the season ($10,000 per gender, per each discipline).

Natural Running Form Drills

By Danny Abshire, co-founder, Newton Running

No one has perfect running form, but everyone can improve their running mechanics. Doing so can make you a more efficient runner, which means you’ll use less energy in every stride and boost your running economy (the ability to process oxygen efficiently while running). Ultimately, improved form can make you faster and less prone to overuse injuries.

One of the primary ways to improve your running technique is through form drills. Form drills are easy to do and don’t take a lot of time, but they’re often overlooked, forgotten or ignored when a workout is completed. Taking an extra 5 to 15 minutes to do form drills a several times per week can make you more fluid, more efficient and even faster for both short and long distances.

Most drills take the aspects of good form — a compact arm swing, soft footstrikes with the midfoot under your center of mass, quick leg turnover, an upright posture with a slight forward lean at the ankles — and accentuate it in a repetitive motion that trains the body to be comfortable with that movement during your regular running mechanics. Some drills are aimed at building smaller muscles (such as the intrinsic group and lumbrical group in the foot), while others help your neuromuscular system fire quicker.

Do one set of each drill three to five times per week. You can do the drills before or after your regular workout, but doing them after a workout can be especially helpful in loosening muscular tightness brought on during your run.

1) Run in Place

This sounds simple, and it is, but it requires an adherence to good form in a semi-stationary setting while varying your cadence from high to very high. If you’re following the aspects of good form, you should be moving forward slightly because your momentum and a slight lean from the ankles will carry you forward. While you’re doing this drill, think about each element individually — a compact and consistent arm swing, light, mostly flat, midfoot/forefoot footstrikes, a steady but relaxed head, jaw, neck, shoulders and torso — and how each plays into the bigger picture of your running form. This drill is especially effective in teaching your body to increase leg cadence (optimally to 180 steps per minute) and learning how to lift your leg to start a stride instead of pushing off. Do three 15-second sessions per set.

2) Jump Rope

Jumping rope is simple, but as a drill it’s not going to help your running unless you’re doing it right. Jumping rope can instill the soft, midfoot/forefoot landings we aim for while running. Your body will naturally not let you land on your heel — especially if you’re jumping rope barefoot — because landing on your heels would inflict too much force on the bones, muscles and other tissue in your heels, ankles and legs. It can also emphasize elastic recoil, as your heel settles on the ground before a new stride begins. Jumping rope also reinforces the notion that a new stride should begin by lifting your leg instead of pushing off. As you jump off the ground, focus on lightly lifting your feet off the ground instead of forcefully pushing off the ground. Alter your tempo between slow, medium and fast speeds, all while concentrating on the tenets of good running form. Each set should be 15-20 seconds in duration.

3) High Knees

Running in place with high knees is another drill that accentuates lifting your foot off the ground instead forcefully pushing off to begin a new stride. This is essentially jogging in place, alternately lifting your knees to a 90-degree angle with your thighs parallel to the ground. As with the jog in place drill, your slight forward lean and the momentum gained in this drill will gradually move you forward. Be sure to focus on soft, run midfoot and forefoot footstrikes, using your core to lower your leg down slowly instead of letting it crash to the ground. This drill requires and also helps instill a compact and consistent arm swing, even though your arms might cycle slightly slower to coincide with the longer hang time of your legs. The motion of your arms will actually help you lift a foot off the ground to start a new stride and keep you balanced. (Briefly try this drill with your arms stationary at your sides and you’ll find yourself forcefully pushing your feet off the ground and you’ll have a more difficult time keeping balanced.) Keep your torso, head and shoulders relaxed and fairly still during this drill and avoid too much vertical oscillation with your center of mass. Each set should consist of 20 high-knee thrusts or 10 elevations of each knee.

4) Butt Kicks

Butt Kicks accentuate the recovery portion of the running gait phase. Instead of using your hamstring to lift your leg off the ground, think about alternately flicking your lower leg backward with the use of your quadriceps and hamstring muscles then dropping it back down to the ground under the center of your mass. The movement should be quick and pronounced but relaxed so that you’re able to return your foot to the ground softly at the midfoot. As with High Knees, a compact and consistent arm swing is crucial to keeping your balance and maintaining a high cadence. Each set should consist of 20 butt kick strides or 10 elevations of each leg.

5) Skipping 1 – Quick Skip

The goal of this drill is to quicken the timing of your neuromuscular system so you can increase your running cadence to 180 steps per minute or slightly faster. As you quickly pick up one leg off the ground with the start of a stride, the other foot skips off the ground with two small and quick hops before the legs alternate. There is a staccato sensation to this drill when it’s done correctly, but the more you practice it the easier you’ll fall into a consistent rhythm. A compact and very quick arm swing is crucial to keeping your balance and maintaining a high cadence. Each set should consist of about 15 to 20 seconds of skipping.

6) Skipping 2 – Slow Skip

Unlike the previous drill, this is a slow-action skipping drill that accentuates the high knee action of the lifted leg during a running stride. With this drill, you’ll practice lifting your leg off the ground to being a new stride instead of pushing off the ground. To extend the duration of the lifted leg in the air, you’ll skip with the opposite foot. The rhythm of this drill will also have a staccato effect, but it will be much slower in nature. A compact, slow arm swing will keep your balance and allow you to maintain a high cadence. Each set should consist of about 15 to 20 seconds of skipping.

7) Donkey Kicks

It seems like a silly name, but it looks just like it sounds like. Begin with a straight, slightly forward-leaning posture, a compact arm swing, level hips and flexed ankles and knees of the athletic “ready” position. Pull one leg backwards as if you’re kicking something behind you. While balancing on the midfoot area of the stationary leg, repeatedly pull the kicking leg backward, then allowing it to recoil forward. This drill accentuates good hip extension and teaches your body to make footstrikes under your center of mass. Do 10 kicks with each leg per set.

8 ) Arm Pull Backs

This drill accentuates the proper motion of the arms during the gait cycle by highlighting the posterior portion of the compact arm swing. Begin with a level head and shoulders, keeping a straight spine with a slightly forward-leaning posture between the chin and hips. Alternate pushing your arms backwards as they are held at 90 degrees (or less). The key is keeping your arms swinging in a plane parallel to your torso and not rotating your body to assist the movement. Do a total of 20 alternating pull backs per set, 10 with each side.

Danny Abshire is the co-founder of Newton Running, a Boulder, Colo.-based company that makes shoes that promote an efficient midfoot/forefoot running gait. He has been making advanced footwear solutions for runners and triathletes for more than 20 years.

Weiss is being investigated doping!

Triathlons have been about overcoming the odds, a chess match that is played differently every time for each athlete and having the perfect race is tough. You have read about it in every sport, but when you are competing in that sport you feel cheated, all the work and then someone who you might look up to get busted it hurts. 

Well NADA, Austria’s National Doping Agency, has announced that it is investigating Austrian triathlete Michael Weiss for doping. Weiss won the the inaugural Ironman race in St. George, Utah, hey at least second place can feel better about how they could be beat. 

I guess every sport has it cheaters. 

Staying Cool While Running In The Heat

From Training Peaks..

Don’t be surprised if you feel a little extra sluggish when temperatures soar. When it’s hot outside, the brain tells the muscles to relax in order to keep the body’s core temperature low, and the process of sweating to stay cool diverts blood away from the muscles. Add allergies, dehydration, and longer daylight hours to the equation, and it’s tempting to take a vacation from training until cooler temperatures prevail. But your performance doesn’t have to suffer just because the mercury’s on the rise. Here are Runner’s World’s best tips for beating the heat.

Run before the sun. Head out before sunrise; it’s the coolest time of day. Your body’s core temperature is at its lowest right after you wake up, which means it takes longer for your body to overheat. If you can’t run in the morning, work out as late in the day as possible. Although the sun is highest in the sky at noon, the earth’s surface heat peaks between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For a cool long-run adventure, get some friends together and do your long run after dark.

Check the heat index before you go out. It’s not just the heat; the humidity will take a toll, too. Moist air slows down your body’s ability to cool itself through sweat. The heat index combines temperature with relative humidity to determine the apparent temperature—how hot it actually feels—and the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory when that hits 105° F. Be sure to check the temps and the heat index before you go.

Wear the right gear. Go for light-colored, loose-fitting technical clothing and a visor. Unlike cotton, technical fabrics wick away sweat and dry quickly, meaning you won’t feel weighed down by your sweat-soaked T-shirt. Light-colored clothing reflects heat, and a loose fit lets air circulate. Hats trap heat; visors will keep your head cooler while still shading your face from the sun. Wear apparel with a UPF-rating (ultraviolet protection fabric), which means it shields skin from UVB and UVA rays. For tips on what to wear in any weather, check out our “What Should I Wear?” tool here.

Bike Air Case

For those about to bike, we salute you. When you have to pack up your two wheels for a trip before you hit the road, however, Biknd's helium case will keep your prized cycle in mint condition. Its use of ultra-lightweight materials and clever engineering—it opens up completely flat for easy loading and the sides inflate for extra protection—makes it a trustworthy piece of luggage that will put your mind at ease when you're on the go.

Read more: Biknd's

USA Triathlon Adopts New Wetsuit Regulation

Beginning in 2013, wetsuits may not exceed five millimeters in thickness

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following extensive research and consideration, USA Triathlon announced today that beginning in 2013 use of wetsuits exceeding five millimeters in thickness will not be permitted at USAT-sanctioned events.

The new regulation, which falls under Article 4.4 Wetsuits of the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules, states: "Effective January 1, 2013, any swimmer wearing a wetsuit with a thickness measured in any part greater than five millimeters shall be disqualified."

"Our board has been considering this issue and the impact it might have with our athletes for some time," said USA Triathlon CEO Skip Gilbert. "The overall feeling is that it makes perfect sense to align with the guidelines set by our international federation and multisport enthusiasts around the world. This is a standard that is good for the athlete community and our sport overall."

By implementing this rule change, USA Triathlon falls in line with the international standard of five millimeters recognized by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and other National Governing Bodies.

The adoption of this rule is designed to eliminate any competitive advantage gained by enhancements in wetsuit technology in recent years. Studies have shown there is a marked and measurable performance benefit to the use of certain wetsuits, specifically added buoyancy effectively reducing passive drag. These performance benefits have led to an increased, and artificially induced, reduction in physical demand required during the swim leg of a triathlon and an increase in speed.

USAT recognizes that there may be wetsuits currently available on the market that are greater than five millimeters in thickness. Consequently, the organization has implemented a phase-in period of the rule to allow the use of wetsuits that currently do not meet the thickness requirement. This announcement of the new regulation serves as notice that the rule change will come into effect in 2013.

USAT recently solicited feedback on the wetsuit thickness issue from its certified race directors via a comprehensive survey. The majority of those surveyed supported USA Triathlon's adoption of this rule.


Xterra Wetsuits Vector Pro X2 , is 1.5 mm thick. NICE

KIEHL CROSS-TERRAIN UV FACE PROTECTOR SPF 50

Three things a guy likes:

1. UVA / UVB protection with SPF 50
2. Water-, sweat- and wind-resistant
3. Unscented, water-free formula

Kiehl's

Bike Love

Great, keep the kid spirit going no matter what age you are.

Kona Band Wagon

I LOVE THIS BIKE!!

New for 2010, the Band Wagon is a Paddy Wagon all hopped up. It's the same frame, with geometry somewhere between true track and road for the best of both worlds, but the powder blue and bright orange deep dish rim sporting Band Wagon features higher end spec than the Paddy-for hipsters with a bit more cake. A bike so sweet you could ride it naked and few would notice. But please don't do that. Except on World Naked Bike Ride Day: www.worldnakedbikeride.org.

Frame sizes	C49cm, C52cm, C54cm, C56cm, C58cm, C60cm
Frame tubing	Kona Custom Butted Cromoly
Rear Shock	N/A
Fork	Kona Retro Road
Headset	FSA Orbit DL
Crankarms	FSA Vero (49-56=170, 58-60=175mm)
Chainrings	42T
B/B	TH 7420 ST
Pedals	None
Chain	Shimano CN-NX01
Freewheel	Dicta 16T Freewheel & Fixed
F/D	N/A
R/D	N/A
Shifters	N/A
Handlebar	Kona Pista (31.8mm, 420mm Wide)
Stem	Kona Road (6°± , 49-52=90, 54-56=100, 58-60=115mm)
Grips	Kona Cork Tape
Brakes	Shimano R650
Brake Levers	Shimano R400
Front hub	Formula
Rear hub	Formula
Spokes	Sandvik Stainless 14g
Tires	Continental UltraSport 700x28C
Rims	Alex R600
Saddle	Selle Italia Q-bik
Seatpost	Kona Road Deluxe
Seat clamp	Kona Clamp
Color	Metallic Blue

Ironman Series Donates $100,000 To Oil Spill Relief Effort

World Triathlon Corporation, owner of the global Ironman Triathlon Series, announces its contribution to the oil spill relief effort in the Gulf of Mexico. The Ironman Foundation, the company's charitable arm, has earmarked a total of $100,000 to support the efforts and its first donation of $25,000 will be made to Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, an organization that has been instrumental in assisting those affected by the oil spill in the state of Louisiana. Ironman, headquartered off Florida's West coast, plans to offer additional assistance to related organizations in the coming weeks.
more..