This video show the best way to get kids involved in triathlons at an early age.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Know Where You Stand, PR
Monday, September 26, 2011
Lance 5th at Ogden Xterra!
20+ years later and he is still kicking pro's butts. Lance did an impressive 5th place finish. Not AG but PRO's.
40-year-old Armstrong combined a 4th-best swim, 4th best bike and a gutsy, not-his-best 23rd-best run to take 5th place just 1:55 behind 4-time XTERRA World Champion Conrad Stoltz.
Once Lance starts to really focus, watch out.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Lance Before The Tour
Wow seems to still have the same "I'm going to win attitude" guess you are just born with it!
Catch and Stroke
From Feel For The Water
"The Catch' is the movement you make to get a hold of the water and begin pressing it backwards at the very front of the stroke. For most swimmers the catch is a bit of a mystery, you probably know that it is important to your speed and efficiency but getting a feel the catch and improving it seems very elusive.
A good catch is about making the right movements and timing them correctly. In this post we're going to look at the timing of the catch - and as a consequence how it should feel. The feeling of a good catch may be quite different from what you expect and this is one reason why it's difficult to grasp (pardon the pun!).
Matching The Water Speed
Let's take a look at elite swimmer Mel Benson, swimming here at around 65 seconds per 100m pace. Like all elite swimmers, Mel's got a fantastic catch which is one of the secrets of her speed and endurance. This is the catch phase of her stroke on her left arm, see how her elbow starts to bend straight away and how she begins to press the water back behind her:
You might have read or been told by a coach that you should 'keep your elbows high' underwater and we can see that Mel's doing that nicely, keeping her elbow higher than her wrist and her wrist higher than her fingertips at all times.
This is an interesting image sequence as Mel's taken a few bubbles with her into the water. See how the bubbles don't move much at all relative to her hand and forearm, this is because Mel's merely matching the water speed as it travels past her. This means she's feeling a relatively light force on her hand and forearm.
The important point here is that you can feel powerful during the catch but it's not about brute force or high effort, it 's just about engaging with the water. The lack of force required is one reason why your 11 year old daughter can zoom past you so easily. Her arm action is far superior to yours under the water and she doesn't need much strength to complete the movements.
The Pull Phase
Moving on a little and Mel's arm starts to accelerate as it passes under her body. We can now see her arm start to leave those bubbles behind as it does so:
Pressing backward through the water, the pressure on the hand and forearm now builds. This is where most of the propulsion is created in the stroke but that couldn't happen without the catch phase immediately before, where Mel matched the water's speed so that it stabilised around her hand and forearm.
How The Catch Should Feel
Many swimmers are searching for a really strong feeling during the catch, thinking that when they get it right they will suddenly feel their muscles working hard in a kind of "eureka moment". Unfortunately searching for such a feeling may lead you to press down on the water or even try and push it forwards. Both of these stroke faults increase the load placed on the shoulder and so increase your perceived effort:
Pushing down or forwards will create a pressure on your palm but don't let this fool you into thinking you're developing a nice catch. The movement should feel smooth, rhythmic and relatively easy. We say rhythmic because a good catch take less time as you're not changing the water's direction, you're simply helping it on its way. A good catch lifts your stroke rate (cadence) and so increases your sense of stroke rhythm.
The next time you're swimmi ng try a lighter feeling to the catch and focus on engaging with the water and pressing it backwards to the wall behind you. Drills such as Sculling and Doggy Paddle from our DVDs will help you refine this movement, you should immediately see your times improve on the pace clock and notice the extra rhythm in your stroke.
"The Catch' is the movement you make to get a hold of the water and begin pressing it backwards at the very front of the stroke. For most swimmers the catch is a bit of a mystery, you probably know that it is important to your speed and efficiency but getting a feel the catch and improving it seems very elusive.
A good catch is about making the right movements and timing them correctly. In this post we're going to look at the timing of the catch - and as a consequence how it should feel. The feeling of a good catch may be quite different from what you expect and this is one reason why it's difficult to grasp (pardon the pun!).
Matching The Water Speed
Let's take a look at elite swimmer Mel Benson, swimming here at around 65 seconds per 100m pace. Like all elite swimmers, Mel's got a fantastic catch which is one of the secrets of her speed and endurance. This is the catch phase of her stroke on her left arm, see how her elbow starts to bend straight away and how she begins to press the water back behind her:
You might have read or been told by a coach that you should 'keep your elbows high' underwater and we can see that Mel's doing that nicely, keeping her elbow higher than her wrist and her wrist higher than her fingertips at all times.
This is an interesting image sequence as Mel's taken a few bubbles with her into the water. See how the bubbles don't move much at all relative to her hand and forearm, this is because Mel's merely matching the water speed as it travels past her. This means she's feeling a relatively light force on her hand and forearm.
The important point here is that you can feel powerful during the catch but it's not about brute force or high effort, it 's just about engaging with the water. The lack of force required is one reason why your 11 year old daughter can zoom past you so easily. Her arm action is far superior to yours under the water and she doesn't need much strength to complete the movements.
The Pull Phase
Moving on a little and Mel's arm starts to accelerate as it passes under her body. We can now see her arm start to leave those bubbles behind as it does so:
Pressing backward through the water, the pressure on the hand and forearm now builds. This is where most of the propulsion is created in the stroke but that couldn't happen without the catch phase immediately before, where Mel matched the water's speed so that it stabilised around her hand and forearm.
How The Catch Should Feel
Many swimmers are searching for a really strong feeling during the catch, thinking that when they get it right they will suddenly feel their muscles working hard in a kind of "eureka moment". Unfortunately searching for such a feeling may lead you to press down on the water or even try and push it forwards. Both of these stroke faults increase the load placed on the shoulder and so increase your perceived effort:
Pushing down or forwards will create a pressure on your palm but don't let this fool you into thinking you're developing a nice catch. The movement should feel smooth, rhythmic and relatively easy. We say rhythmic because a good catch take less time as you're not changing the water's direction, you're simply helping it on its way. A good catch lifts your stroke rate (cadence) and so increases your sense of stroke rhythm.
The next time you're swimmi ng try a lighter feeling to the catch and focus on engaging with the water and pressing it backwards to the wall behind you. Drills such as Sculling and Doggy Paddle from our DVDs will help you refine this movement, you should immediately see your times improve on the pace clock and notice the extra rhythm in your stroke.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Kuat Vegabond, Roof Rack
Seeing a new company (Kuat - Pronounced Koo-At) come out with a roof rack at a great price is good, one that builds a bike rack into the Rack itself is genius.
The Vegabond is just that a prefect rack for cars/SUV.
Kuat Racks was founded in 2007 by Luke KUschmeader and Brian ATkinson, riding partners from way back. The guys had a passion for all things bike and wanted to become a larger part of the bike community. In 2008 KUAT launched their first line of aluminum hanging style hitch racks, the ALPHA and the BETA, creating a tsunami of positive vibes throughout the industry. Due to the consumer response Luke pressed on as the company visionary but with a new partner, Guy Mace; engineering genius, manufacturing guru, and an avid outdoor enthusiast who owns more cars than the average car lot. With the new partnership Kuat released more goodness to the public for 2009-10 (see NV and SHERPA). In short from day one it has been our mission to make a better rack for our fellow riders and scratch out a living while doing it. See you on the trails.
Truly Amazing 12 Year Old!
From the Running Front
A cold front turned the triathlon championships into a duathlon. The traditional 300 yard swim portion of the triathlon was substituted with a 1200 meter run in the senior division. Winter Vinecki, age 12, (racing age 13 y/o female division based on USAT age-up rules) was able to strategically adjust her race strategy to help her achieve her second consecutive IronKids National Championship Title.
Winter used the opening 1200 yard run to quickly open up an early lead coming into the first transition. Though the rain held off during the race, an early morning rain shower just minutes before the start was enough to create hazardous conditions on the bike course. Turns proved to be extremely slippery, as many riders lost control and fell off their bikes. Despite a slick road surface, Winter was able to maintain an 18.7 mph average on the bike, which turned out to be the fastest bike split in her age division and the second fastest female bike split of the day.
Heading out onto the two mile run course, Winter followed tightly behind her main rival, Gina Johnson, matching her stride-for-stride. A time-trial start gave Winter a 12-second advantage despite being a few steps behind her friend and fellow competitor. Fighting side cramps half-way through the race, Winter summoned her inner strength, reflecting on the fact that no pain she was encountering could match that of which her dad endured during his losing battle with prostate cancer. The cramps subsided and it was a sprint to the finish. Gina tried to open the gap with 100 yards to go but Winter quickly responded with the speed and determination she has shown all season. Winter narrowed the gap enough to take an 8-second victory over Johnson and secure a repeat performance as the 2011 Ironkids National Champion.
Friday, September 16, 2011
VITAband has a leg up on RoadID
You see this time and time again, RIM with Blackberries, missing the boat, iPhone taking over, Palm lost it grip in the handheld devices. Not to say that these products are bad, they were the best, plain and simple, they just failed to adapt.
RoadID, a great product has kept many safe and informed, they just failed to adapt. That being said the one thing the VITAband is missing is printed information that EMT can quickly read (RoadID) without having to make multiple calls. Still they will capture a market the weekend social biking group, that jumps on their bike all fancy gear just to ride from one Cafe to another. Nothing wrong, but if one does not have to carry anything but a phone, well they just might pull ahead. Great product.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Lance Doing Xterra, First Tri After 20+ Years
Lance back on the triathlon circuit, ok one Xterra race, after 20+ years.
"It seemed like a fun time and the training has been going very well," Armstrong told The Associated Press Thursday. "I'll go out there and have a good time and see how it goes."
He said it has been 23 years since he's done any type of triathlon, and he has no expectations of winning, though he has been training hard the past eight months.
"I have no doubt (Stoltz is a great athlete). I go in with no grand expectations," Armstrong said.
The top XTERRA athletes in the world will compete next week at Snowbasin, including South Africa's Stoltz, five-time national champion Josiah Middaugh and two-time Ironman world champion Tim DeBoom.
Stoltz said the course is a good fit for Armstrong as it involves a lot of climbing but is not very technical on the descents.
Asked whether the run or swim will be harder, Armstrong wasn't sure.
"That's one of the questions I have for myself," he said, noting he has had some issues with plantar fasciitis in his left heel. "We'll have to see how my swim comes back. When I was a kid, it was one of my strengths, but again that was a long time ago."
Adventures in Ogden & Snowbasin Resort | September 24-25
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross 2011
The Mid-Atlantic season is underway, MAC for short.
Check it out, I am sure you can find at least one race to jump into:
| The 2011/2012 MAC Series will not include UCI Elite Men/U23/Juniors or UCI Elite Women. The MAC Series will include the following USAC Categories (please note that all races will be counted in the overall MAC series points):U19 Junior Men - Amateur U19 Junior Women - Amateur Elite U19 Men Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Men 35+ Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Men 45+ Cat 2/3/4 Men Cat 4 Men Cat 3/4 Women Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Women 45+ Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Men 55+ Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Men 60+ Elite Men Elite Women Elite Master Women 35+ The MAC series is comprised of individual races including those races that have UCI categories as part of their event. | ||||
| 2011 | Date | Race | Location | Results |
| Round 1 | September 10th | Nittany Cross Day 1 | Trexlertown, PA | Results |
| Round 2 | September 11 | Nittany Cross Day 2 | Trexlertown, PA | Results |
| Round 3 | September 17th | Charm City Day 1 | Baltimore, MD | Results |
| Round 4 | September 18th | Charm City Day 2 | Baltimore, MD | Results |
| Round 5 | September 25th | Whirlybird Cyclocross | Bryn Athyn, PA | Results |
| Round 6 | October 15th | Granogue Cross Day 1 | Granogue, DE | Results |
| Round 7 | October 16th | Granogue Cross Day 2 | Granogue, DE | Results |
| Round 8 | October 29th | Beacon Cyclocross | Bridgeton, NJ | Results |
| Round 9 | October 30st | HPCX | Jamesburg, NJ | Results |
| Round 10 | November 12th | FSVS XCross at Fair Hill | Elkton, MD | Results |
| Round 11 | November 19th | Super Cross Cup Day 1 | East Meadow, NY | Results |
| Round 12 | November 20st | Super Cross Cup Day 2 | East Meadow, NY | Results |
| Round 13 | December 10th | Geler Votre Cul Cyclocross | DE / MD /TBD | Results |
| Round 14 | December 11th | Limestone Cross at the Kiln | PA | Results |
Monday, September 12, 2011
Craig Alexander crushes the competition for a 70.3 title.
It seems as though Craig is right on track for another Kona trophy. A 1:11 half marathon, flat tire (losing more than 3 min. to the leaders) and finishing aver 3 min. ahead. FAST, can he keep moving at this speed for Kona.
Top Men
1 3:54:48 85 Craig Alexander Boulder CO USA
2 3:58:03 3:15 48 Chris Lieto Danville CA USA
3 3:58:42 3:54 53 Jeff Symonds Penticton BC CAN
4 3:59:11 4:23 70 Michael Weiss Colorado Spring CO USA
5 4:00:00 5:12 41 Joe Gambles Boulder CO USA
6 4:00:26 5:38 43 Paul Matthews Casuarina NS AUS
7 4:00:53 6:05 58 Raynard Tissink Port Elizabeth ZAF
8 4:02:01 7:13 55 Tim Berkel Port Macqaurie NS AUS
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Everyone would bike with a GoPro HD Video Camers
According to Dave, without coming to a stop or signally, the vehicle turns right into a gas station parking lot, crossing the only path available to the cyclist. Dave was going about 25 miles per hour at the time. Dave sustained a bloody elbow, lower leg plus your typical road rash but amazingly was otherwise alright. His $3,500 carbon fiber triathlon specific bike was not safe to ride afterwards and was pushed the next 6 miles into transition.
Leopard-Trek and Radioshack will merge to form a new team next season
It seems as though a super power is trying to emerge, bring back the yellow jersey, employee top cyclist and well win. So Leopard-Trek and RadioShack will try to win the Tour by combining teams. Evens, will be a bit harder to beat than combining teams, the Australian won the tour by being the toughest single racer for those three weeks, staying clean, one minor bike mishap, which he rode himself back into the thick of it, staying in the main pack and finishing up with a true all out TT. Yes with the merger of the two teams, this will make it harder for Evens to repeat but nerveless, he will be right back in the thick of it.
The new outfit, to be named Radioshack-Nissan-Trek, will use Leopard-Trek’s existing WorldTour licence and will be based in Luxembourg, where the Schleck brothers’ team currently operates.
“Leopard announces that RadioShack and Nissan are joining the Leopard-Trek World Tour Team as sponsors for the 2012 and 2013 seasons,” read a Leopard-Trek statement.
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