Gel-Bot - My Latest Trail Running Product Obsession

Have you guys seen the Gel-Bot? It's a water bottle that also holds a couple of gels in an internal mini-chamber. Open the valve and squeeze to get water, close the valve and squeeze to get gel. Frickin' genius if you ask me.


Apparently the Gel-Bot has been on the market for a few years now. created by the folks at Hydrapak. I'm seriously late to the game here, but have really been enjoying the simplicity of this invention over the last few weeks. It's fascinating to me how easy access to gels and water gives you a variety of ways to gulp it down - you can sip the gel and chase it with water for a continuous stream of energy, go for a big slug every 10 minutes (my usual), or match the gel packet equivalent of a super-big pull every 20-30 minutes. Best of all, you don't have to commit to any one of these delivery methods - just try them all out!


Extra bonus points for (a) not having to carry gels in your pocket, (b) no sticky gel packets to deal with, and (c) simple dissassembly for easy cleaning. I do miss out on having lots of gel flavors, but I think it's worth the trade off.

I have my Gel Bot rigged in an Ultimate Direction FastDraw bottle holder with a Salt Stick capsule dispenser to hold my S-Caps, so it's got everything I need (learned that trick from Will Gotthardt). Since the pocket of the FastDraw doesn't have to be jammed with gels, I can easily carry another snack, some toilet paper, ginger (or other semi-emergency items), and a little bit o' sunscreen. This makes the exchange with your crew easy too, since you can hand one bottle off and have them give you a second that is fully loaded. You get the NASCAR pit stop, and the crew can look at your old bottle to see how well you are doing (ginger and TP are gone...uh, oh!).


Ah, the ever-evolving trail running toys. Got other suggestions? Let me know! And thanks to Hydrapak for getting a great product to market.

- SD

Source: http://runtrails.blogspot.com/2011/06/gel-bot-my-latest-trail-running-product.html

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Trail Runner Robert Brown Kills Wife with Hammer

Avid U.K. trail runner Robert Brown stands trial this week for murdering his wife with a claw hammer last October and burying her in his backyard. Sorry, I should correct that - although he admits to killing her with a hammer, he is pleading "not guilty" to murder. Not sure how that works, but there you go. I've always thought trail runners are do-it-yourself kind of people that make the most of nature, but YOWZA.

(Robert Brown, photo courtesy of Daily Telegraph)
If you've raced trail runs in the last decade, you've probably met Robert. He was a British Airways pilot, and was known to show up regularly at US races in his flight schedule in LA and San Francisco. I raced with Robert in 2004 at the Castle Rock 10-miler (soon to be a distant memory since this park is slated to close in September due to California budget cuts) and in Malibu as well, impressed with his speed and charming 007 vibe. In fact, he was the one that introduced me to Inov-8 shoes! I was surprised when the press contacted me about his case, but I guess it just shows you can only learn so much about a person on the trails.

Charlie Engle, Robert Brown...Ack! I'm turning into the gossip rag of trail running.

SD

Source: http://runtrails.blogspot.com/2011/05/trail-runner-robert-brown-kills-wife.html

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About Tommie Copper Compression

A few weeks back I received a note from the folks at Tommie Copper asking if I was interested in trying out and reviewing their products. Compression technology has been the latest rave in our sport, and I, like many others have been intrigued by it.  Of course I said I would.

I'm going to spare you the compression technology technical chit-chat for I believe most everyone is familiar with it, and most everyone interested has already some basic idea of what this is all about.  But, what makes this product different from the rest is that they use Therapeutic Copper technology in their product, and we all know that copper has been used for ages and in all continents to alleviate a variety of health related issues.

Tommie Copper "is designed to relieve pain 24 hours a day using Therapeutic Copper Compression (TCC).  By targeting the problem area with Tommie Copper's TCC, circulation is enhanced, inflammation is reduced and pain is relieved.  Unlike ordinary, bulky compression wear, Tommie Copper is made from a revolutionary, proprietary fabric.  All of their products are designed to be comfortable and lightweight, and can be worn under any apparel, keeping you comfortable and pain free all day."


I promptly received my package which included two each; Knee Compression Sleeve, Calf Compression Sleeve, Ankle Compression Sleeve and Elbow Compression Sleeve.  Immediately I was very excited to give Tommie Copper a try.  The sleeves, much to my (pleasant) surprise are very lightweight; no bulkiness of any kind.

The first real test for the product came the day of the Country Music Marathon, in which I ran the Half Marathon.  Immediately after finishing, I proceeded to wear the Calf and the Ankle sleeves.  Two areas which have, in the past, given me headaches after long training or racing.

The very first thing I noticed was some sort of immediate relief around the areas compressed.  This was a welcome sight.  The second thing I noticed was that the calf area of my legs felt a bit "warm", if you will.  I believe that the immediate improved blood circulation was responsible for this sensation.  I was beginning to like this.  Couldn't wait to see further results.

I kept the sleeves on until the next day (minus the time it took to shower).  I was extremely excited as to how recovery time had improved.

Next came time to give the Knee sleeve a try.  Because of the way it fits, I thought it would help with the soreness on my quads after a long bike ride.  I was not disappointed. Again, recovery time, in my estimate was tremendously enhanced.

I've tried a couple of times running with the calf sleeve on... and left it on after finished for a while.  The jury still out on whether this improved my performance or not.

I have yet to try the Elbow sleeve.  I'm thinking that as I increase my yardage in the pool, as I will have to soon, I may give these a shot and see what happens.  Will report on the result.

Bottom line:  I give Tommie Copper a big two thumbs up.  Sleek design and great use of technology.  I will be wearing my Tommie's after each and every training session on my way to Ironman Louisville 2011.

For additional information on this product, go to www.tommiecopper.com

Source: http://www.triathlonat55.com/2011/05/about-tommie-copper-compression.html

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Ironman Races Ranked By Finish Times

How tough an Ironman race is subjective.  A lot of  factors come into play when making that call.  Albeit all boast the same distance, 140.6 miles (2.4m swim, 112m bike, 26.2m run), conditions and courses vary, making each course unique in its challenges and degree of difficulty.  Even within the same race, at different times, the course may seem more or less difficult than in years past.

So how do you rank the races by degree of difficulty?

Raymond Britt, a veteran Ironman triathlete and Boston Marathoner, has researched and ranked the top 25 toughest Ironman Races based on average "finishers time".  His results, and detail explanations of the research, can be viewed in detail here.

In the mean time, here are a few snapshots of his findings.

 This image shows the average finish time of the 25 ranked Ironman Races.

This image shows the average finish time for the 2.4 mile swim course.

This image shows the average finish time for the 112 mile bike course.

This image shows the average finish time for the 26.2 run course.

I have always contended that:  If you start choosing a race because of degree of difficulty, swim course, bike course or run course, because of historical weather conditions or because of any other factor you may think proper and important, you're never going to find the "perfect" race.

Just pick the one you want to do, for whatever reasons you may have.  Make sure these reasons are yours and yours alone, then train for the worst and hope for the best.

I have my reasons for choosing Ironman Louisville as my Ironman of choice.  And to be brutally honest with you... I hate swimming in the ocean!  I have heard everything from "you're nuts, crazy, out of your mind" to "I love that course" and everything in between.  Again, everyone has their own opinions.

Choosing a "tough" race doesn't make it any harder.  140.6 miles are 140.6 miles in any language, any venue, any country...any way you look at it.

Happy Training!

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Source: http://www.triathlonat55.com/2011/02/ironman-races-ranked-by-finish-times.html

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Crosslites review and little TLC

One of the most important parts of the wardrobe of a trail and mountain runner is the shoes…and as a member of the Wasatch Speedgoat Mountain Racing Team I was introduced to the La Sportiva brand of trail running shoes. If we didn’t have them as one of our sponsors, I may never have tried [...]

Source: http://mountainrun.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/crosslites-review-and-little-tlc/

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About Ironman 70.3 New Orleans

The anticipation and build up for this event had grown to levels never seen before.  Training started, as most of you who follow me know, months ago.  This race was planned on my schedule at this time as a benchmark to see where my training is going, en route to Ironman Louisville 2011.

REGISTRATION

We arrived at registration on Friday.  Two days before the race.  The crowds were not to big, this was nice.  Waited in line behind two or three others but they moved right through.  Filled out the obligatory paperwork, you know the one where you promise not to hold the Ironman Corporation responsible for anything.... blah, blah, blah.  Next, we picked up the "athlete" package which included the bib and other "stuff".  Moved on to the I.D. bracelet where we were told not to remove it... or else.  blah, blah.  Picked up the tee shirt. which by the way, is really nice.  Registration done without any problems.  All set, registered, ready to go.

EXPO

Quiet possibly the best Ironman Expo I've seen yet.  Granted this is only my third, but it was nice.  Not because they had plenty of exhibitors, because they didn't, but because they had a very large assortment of IM, IM70.3 and NOLA merchandise.  Just about anything you would want, they had.

I purchased a NOLA bike shirt and a NOLA visor.  That's all I really wanted.

PRE RACE SWIM, BIKE, RUN


On Saturday, we found our way to a spot we had been told we could get in the water and get a short swim.  Upon arrival, first thing we noticed was the condition of the water.  The wind, the waves, the white caps.  The water was rough.  It was choppy and it looked tough.  There were, however, several other groups of triathletes venturing into their wetsuits and into the mad water.  We opted to bike for about 30 minutes, run for about 15 minutes and then get in the water.

When we got ready to get in the water, some of the swimmers coming out told us how rough, but "doable", the water was.  We took a deep breath, counted to three (well, Skip counted to three, I counted to like a hundred).

Right before I jumped into the angry waters, I noticed that my swim goggles had broken.  Was this a sign to stay out?  Nothing doing.  I fixed the goggle as best as I could and in I went.

Yeah, it was as rough as it first appeared.  Swam with the current for about ten minutes, not to bad, and then turned around.  Then the fun began.  Having NEVER been in waters like this I was not prepared for what was ahead.  The first wave to hit me, hit me hard.  Knocked water into my repaired goggles and swallowed what appeared to be half the lake.  Not so much fun.

That happened twice again.  Then it occurred to me:  What if I just breath to the side opposite the waves?  Duh!  That made the rest of the trip in more manageable.  What took ten minutes in, took about fifteen back.  I was happy to be on solid ground again.

When done, we proceeded to go to transition to check our bikes in.  When that was done.  We were set.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

One of the main reasons why I opted to jump in the water on Saturday was to get a feel for what it was going to be like on race day.  Had I not done this, having seen the condition of the water, I would not have rested; would have stayed up all night thinking about this and the day would have been shot.

Because I did venture into the water, I knew what to expect and therefore I had the best night's rest before an event...ever.  Slept like a baby.  As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out.  Woke up with the alarm clock at 4AM.

RACE DAY

Arrived at the venue around 5:30am.  Promptly parked the car and walked to transition along with a massive number of athletes that were arriving at the same time.

The weather was cool, the winds were still strong.  We noticed the tree tops.  It was not pretty.  Our hope at this time was that within the next 45 minutes or so, the winds would give us a break.

Then we heard the announcement over the p.a. system:  "Due to high winds, measured at 20-23 knots per hour, we have canceled the swim.  We cannot get our safety personnel out, we cannot provide adequate support on the water, so we must cancel the swim".  WHAT?  First reaction to this announcement was total disappointment.  I AM ready!  Let's do this!  But once I got a chance to take a first hand look at the water, I was glad they did what they did.

Now we were just doing a bike-run.

BIKE

The bike started with the pros at 7:30am.  Some thirty minutes after the original start.  The wind was still blowing and the temperature was cold.  After two hours of waiting I was cold, but ready to get this going.

Sometime during the wait, it occurred to me:  "Oh my... the winds are going to make this a very tough bike ride."

The bike start was done on a time trial format.  Two at a time every three seconds.  Again, I had never done this before.  Did not know what to expect.  Obviously I was not the only one doing this for the first time for there was tie ups at the start as everyone tried to jump in their bikes.  But we managed and got moving.

Right out of bike start we headed east, or west, not sure.  We turned right anyway, and the bike picked up speed.  Lots of speed.  Obviously we had the wind on our backs.  Oh, I was relieved.  This was going to be a nice ride.  Or so I thought.  For about 2 miles.  Then we turned around and headed back.  With a head wind.  For the next 28 miles...!

It was very tough to be spinning as hard and fast as you possibly could and see the speed go up to only 15-16mph... on dead flat roads.

After the turn around point the wind did come from behind.  Again the speeds picked up.  Garmin showing my speed to be around 28mph.  That must have been some wind.  "This is where I make up time" I remember thinking.  But that lasted for about 5 miles, maybe less.  Then after a right turn, it was back against the wind.  This back and forth game was to be repeated at least two more times.

We estimated that the head winds were upon us for about 60-65% of the race.

To add insult to injury, the condition of the roads were rough.  Pot holes, patches, bumps, debris, gravel, etc.  I saw no less than ten bikes with flats.  All due, I'm assuming to the poor condition of the road.    Not taking the wind into consideration I would have to give the condition of the road a "4.5" on a scale of 1-10.

"What if" scenario:  What if the wind had been calm?  What if the roads were in better shape?  What could I have done?  The course was relatively flat.  It would have been a very fast bike split.  What if?  It was what it was, however.

Garmin time:  3:22:10
Official time:  3:22:15
Rank in Group:  34/53

BIKE RUN TRANSITION

Bike IN was at the opposite side of transition from where I had my spot.  Other than still slow, not much happening here.

RUN

As usual and not unexpected, the run started fast, had to force myself into a manageable pace, once that was done, it was smooth sailing.

Somewhere around mile 6 I started doing some quick math.  I thought at that point that if I could keep this pace for the rest of the run, I could break 2 hours.  Well, I thought that for about two seconds.  I realized that if I tried to push it, I could possibly crash down the road; that was not the plan.  The plan was to have a smooth run, at a manageable pace.

By any account, it was be best run I've ever had at any triathlon relative to the distance.  I felt great and pain free.  I did not walk once except for walking through some of the water stops.  This in itself was a big accomplishment.  I found myself with enough "umph" left during the last mile to finish strong.  Except for the lady I almost crashed into close to the finish line, the run was great.  The course was wonderful, flat and  full of support.  Possibly the best aid (water, powerade, cola, fruit, snacks, ice, sponges) stations I have ever seen.  I would have to give the run course a "10" on a scale of 1-10.

Garmin time: 2:08:15
Official time: 2:19:30
Rank in Group: 31/53
Not sure why the big difference in Garmin time and Official time.  But I'm still very happy with this result for I improved the run by 24 minutes and 27 seconds!

LESSONS LEARNED

Every event teaches me something.  From this one I'm taking with me the fact that racing with a "plan" is worth it's weight in gold.

During the bike, I could have been discouraged as it seemed everyone was passing me.  Every one in every age group.  I was not doing much of the passing.  I was spinning at my pace and was riding my plan as I was fighting the wind.  But I was not discouraged.

During the bike I learned that the Ironman "drafting" rule is NOT followed by the grand majority of the athletes.  Pelotons are formed and they ride together for great distances.  At least five passed me like I was standing still.  I thought at one point that the "rule" had been changed due to the wind and I had just missed the announcement.  So when one peloton passed me, I thought for a second that I would join them... then quickly I realized... "Not going to happen".  They were gone!

Biggest lesson learned (or reinforced at this point) is that if you have a good run, you have a great race.  A whole lot of the folks that stormed by me on the bike were walking early on on the run.

Overall Garmin time:  5:30:25
Overall Offical time: 5:48:30
Rank in Group:  38/53... transition must have been really, really slow.

Source: http://www.triathlonat55.com/2011/04/about-ironman-703-new-orleans.html

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