One foot in front of the other.
From the New York Post
By LACHLAN CARTWRIGHT and BILL SANDERSON
A helmet may not be enough to protect cyclists from Google Maps’ latest feature.
The search engine rolled out a “bicycling directions” option yesterday that is filled with potentially fatal flaws, including routes that cut across Central Park’s treacherous tranverse roads and steer cyclists to truck-riddled thoroughfares.
A Post reporter rented a bike on the Hudson River Greenway at 42nd Street and plotted a course to Hunter College — and quickly discovered the hard way that Google has a lot to learn about the streets of New York.
After a traffic-snarled ride up Eighth Avenue, our intrepid cyclist was sent on a semi-circle around Columbus Circle, and soon found himself holding up a line of 15 angry motorists — many leaning on their horns — on the narrow and frightening 65th Street Transverse, which does not have a bike lane.
Google overlooked the far safer Park Drive that loops through the park.
In Brooklyn, Google steers cyclists into the path of anti-bike Hasidic Jews by designating Bedford Avenue between Division and Flushing avenues in Williamsburg as a legitimate bike route. The city sandblasted away that street’s bike lane last year after protests.
Google mappers owned up to the woes. “The team does know about some of the problems in New York,” said spokeswoman Elaine Filadelfo.
There were more problems with the parks.
Inside Central Park, Google shows The Mall and some footpaths south of 72nd Street as bike paths — although park rules make them definitely off-limits.
“The parks are one of the things we need to work on,” Filadelfo admitted. “We don’t have great data for them.”
Among the other problems: Google directs New Jersey-bound cyclists over the north path of the George Washington Bridge, even though the bridge’s official bike path is on the south side.
From Midtown to Yankee Stadium, Google Maps sends cyclists up Central Park West and then on a hazardous 30-block stretch of Frederick Douglass Boulevard to the Macombs Dam Bridge.
A safer pick would have been up St. Nicholas Avenue and eventually over the Madison Avenue Bridge.
Bike advocates like Google’s effort, and say it will help recreational cyclists find safe paths.
“The fact that Google is taking it on brings it to millions of mobile devices and computers,” said Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives. “We’re enthusiastic.”
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Nytro Complete Triathlon Package
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This morning I was greeted by a surprise package, which I love! It was a new Giro Advantage 2 aero helmet as well as a pair of Giro Havic 2 Compact sunglasses! I cannot wait to get both of these out on the road to put them and myself through the necessary paces. However, with a storm that many are calling “a storm of historical proportions” bearing down on the Northeast for the next several days, that may have to wait a bit!
I will take a second to do some first impressions though.
Advantage 2: It just looks fast! Feels lighter on my head than I would have thought. As with all aero
helmets, heat is a concern, but the extensive venting and channeled air flow seems that it might really keep that in check. Glasses fit extremely well with the helmet on with no pinching or cramming at all!
Havic 2 Compact: Light! These glasses felt like they would have been insecure on my face, but once on they felt like they were part of me. Fantastic visibility (for being in a office!) with no sight line obstruction. Again, the compatibility with this helmet is a fantastic argument for sticking to a brand where things are designed specifically to work with each other. Bravo Giro!
Yep, I'm a dork.
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From Triathlete Magazine
After challenging each other to a time trial through twitter while the two were training separately in Kona, Lance Armstrong and Chris Lieto finally met up today on Lieto’s last day on the island. The pair named it the “Twitter Time Trial” and according to Armstrong he beat Lieto by 15 seconds. Armstrong also joked that the two may be battling on the Queen K in a real race again some time in the next couple of years. See the video below for more.
Before the race:
After the race:
Life Time Fitness has set a world record for the largest static cycling class in history, recognized by the Guinness World Records. It was recognized for its “Ride of a Lifetime” stationary cycle ride that went on for two hours despite the 20-43 degree weather. Life Time’s chairman, chief executive officer and president Bahram Akradi and the company’s DJ Roberto Costa, lead the class of more than 600 participants in the largest static cycling class to secure their spot in the records. The class was held at the Houstin CityCentre. The company previously held the record for its 418 strong class on March 23, 2009 at the Life Time Fitness center in Plano, Texas. The record was broken on September 18, 2009 by a 450 cyclist strong class in Galway, Ireland.
Life Time Fitness, Inc. operates multi-use sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation and resort and spa centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS brand. It designs, develops and operates its own centers. As of February 27, 2009, the Company operated 83 centers primarily in suburban locations in 18 states and 22 major markets. Most Life Time Fitness centers offer access around-the-clock, seven days a week to a selection of premium amenities and services, including more than 400 pieces of cardiovascular and resistance equipment and free-weights. Amenities generally include multiple group fitness studios with free classes, a team of certified personal trainers and programming, educational seminars and fitness assessments, a selection of adult and youth programs and activities, athletic events, cycle theatres, rock climbing walls, multiple basketball courts, squash and/or racquetball courts, Pilates and yoga studios, and dry saunas, among others.
By Bertrand Boucey - Reuters2/15/2010
PARIS (Reuters) – A French judge has issued an international arrest warrant against American rider Floyd Landis for suspected hacking into an anti-doping laboratory computer, French anti-doping agency head Pierre Bordry told Reuters on Monday.
In an interview, Bordy said the judge Thomas Cassuto believed Landis, whose 2006 Tour de France title was stripped after he failed a dope test, wanted to prove the laboratory where his samples were tested was wrong.
“French judge Cassuto from the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Nanterre informed us that he had issued an international arrest warrant on January 28 against Floyd Landis, who tested positive for banned testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France, after our laboratory computer system was hacked,” Bordry said.
“He was summoned by the judge, he didn’t come so he’s now under an international arrest warrant.”
The French anti-doping agency launched legal action against unnamed persons after they found their laboratory computer system had been hacked into in September 2006.
Landis, the first rider to be stripped of a Tour victory, has continually denied any wrongdoing but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected his assertion that his positive test was due to procedural mistakes by the laboratory.
Landis, 34, said last year after his two-year ban ended that he was trying to decide whether to follow fellow-American Lance Armstrong’s example and ride again in the Tour de France.
“It seems that (Landis) made all he could to enter into our computer system to try to prove the laboratory was wrong. He showed many documents he got by hacking to numerous sporting instances,” Bordry said. “The judge traced a network of hackers back to the ringleader.”
Date: 2/13/09
Consecutive Days Run: 44
Runner: Brandon Wood
Shoes: Newton AW Trainers
Location: New York, NY
Type of Run: 20 minute transition run (off a trainer ride of 3.5 hours)
Time of Day: 5:24 PM EST
Distance Run: 2.80 miles
Time Run: 00:21:04
Average Pace: 7:32 per mile
Weather Conditions: Cold (33 degrees Fahrenheit), Windy
Disposition: Good
Link to Run Detail: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/24616900
About the Run: As you may know, from my post yesterday, I had a bit of a spill during my run. So, today when I went out I decided to go on the same route I always do which is also the one on which I fell last evening.
My workout today was actually one that I’ll be writing about more often as the triathlon season gets closer, a brick. A brick workout, in triathlon terms, is one that consists of a medium or long ride followed by a run of varying distance. Today my scheduled brick was three and a half hours on the bike, which meant inside on the trainer today, followed by a twenty minute run.
Admittedly, my legs were a bit tired, but not nearly as much as I expected. For the first half mile or so, I could really feel my ride, but after that point, my pace felt better and my legs began to forget the time they had just spent strapped into the bike. After that point, I decided to push it a tiny bit, even over the same snow and ice I dealt with yesterday. When I reached the turn where I fell last night, the same patch of black ice was still there and looked like nothing more than a wet spot on the sidewalk, but it was not. Overall, a very good run that was surprisingly lively once I flushed the lactic acid than had built up on my legs.
I would like to take one second to mention the incredibly unfortunate passing of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian luger who lost his life during a practice run for the Vancouver Olympic Games. I will say that, while it may be no consolation to his family, teammates and countrymen, at least he died doing what he loved to do. My prayers go out to his family and all those affected by his passing.
Felt has partnered with Garmin on an exclusive new promotion. A limited edition Felt AR5 model—unavailable until now and available only through this promo—will be offered as a special package that includes the new Garmin Edge 500 GPS-based cycling computer at no additional price. Felt and Garmin are both key sponsors of the Garmin-Transitions ProTour road racing team. “We came up with this idea of a limited edition bike to help Garmin launch the Edge 500,” said Felt National Sales Director John Georger. “We wanted to showcase our Aero Road frame design and match it up with the hottest new technology from Garmin.”
Featuring an aerodynamic High Modulus carbon fiber frameset, a Shimano 105 drivetrain and a deluxe package of Felt parts including the Aero R4 wheelset, the AR5 has an MSRP of $2999.
The Edge 500 is Garmin’s newest lightweight GPS-based cycling computer. In addition to all the standard cycling computer features, it allows riders to track elevation changes and provides access to the online service Garmin Connect, where riders can review and share GPS data. The base version retails for $249, but the special upgrade version included in this promo also features cadence and a heart-rate monitor, and retails for $349.
As part of the promo, Felt is offering reduced-rate consumer financing for 6 or 12 months.
For more information, or to inquire about availability, please visit your local Felt retailer.
Now that the “sport” is catching on they have decided to throw open a challenge to divers for the fastest person who can cycle a mile underwater. It sounds completely daft but there is a serious side to the challenge, participants who enter pay a fee 100 British pounds which goes to the charity Sports relief.
Participants must meet minimum standards for scuba diving and complete a medical questionnaire prior to entering the challenge.
During the London School of diving mile challenge competitors will be timed and supervised by an experienced safety diver who will be closely monitoring all aspects of the challenge. The challenge is not as straightforward as one might imagine, as the winner must not only complete the distance in over 10 minutes but is also judged on how much air is consumed during the challenge or rather how much air is left in the tank. So it could be a hare and tortoise scenario of the slightly slower cyclist actually winning on a combined time and steady use of oxygen.
The cycle Mile challenge runs until 21st March.
The British have invented football, cricket and extreme ironing, now there’s a new sport : underwater cycling.
2/11/2010 1:27:38 PM
The first stage of the fifth annual Amgen Tour of California pro cycling race on May 16 will wind through Nevada City, Grass Valley, Auburn, Cool and El Dorado Hills before finishing in Sacramento.
A map released on the tour’s web site — www.amgentourofcalifornia.com — Tuesday details the 104.2-mile route, set to begin in Nevada City at 11:45 a.m. and finish in downtown Sacramento around 3:30-4 p.m.
The course starts at Broad and Pine Streets in Nevada City, enters Grass Valley and then follows Rattlesnake Road, Dog Bar Road and Placer Hills Road before passing through Meadow Vista and Auburn.
After crossing the Foresthill Bridge, the course goes through Cool, follows Highway 49 to Salmon Falls Road, turns onto Green Valley Road and passes through El Dorado Hills.
The route follows Silva Valley Parkway to Grant Line Road, then follows Highway 16 (Jackson Road) to Folsom Boulevard, Capitol Avenue, 26th Street and L Street before a three-lap circuit through midtown and downtown to the finish at 11th and L Streets.
Top riders who have committed to the race include seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and three-time Amgen winner Levi Leipheimer.
SEMINOLE, Fla. (MMD Newswire) February 10, 2010 — From Broken Neck to Broken Records: A Masters Cyclist’s Guide to Winning by authors Rose Marie Ray and Sandy Scott follows a masters cyclist’s journey after breaking his C1 vertebra which is a rare and nearly always fatal break. The book focuses on determination and a “can do” attitude towards athletics, illustrating the authors’ belief that anyone can be a winner if they want it badly enough and work hard enough to achieve their goals.
From Broken Neck to Broken Records provides an in-depth look at Scott, an outstanding cyclist, and the mental and physical strength it took to go from a near death experience to winning 11 gold medals, and breaking records in time trials and road race competitions. These accomplishments were achieved 13 months after being told by a spinal surgeon that he would never ride a bike again.
In From Broken Neck to Broken Records, the authors tell the story of how Scott overcame his life-threatening injury through hard work and perseverance. Ray and Scott also explain how Sandy went from spending five months in a hard neck brace to moving on with his life, by getting back on his bike.
From Broken Neck to Broken Records also includes a “How to Win” section, meant to inspire and instruct athletes. This is a guide for masters cyclists over 35 years of age and other athletes of all ages. It includes motivational coaching and helpful information on how to win races and break records. Written to be both practical and easy-to-read, this guide explores everything from buying your bike, setting and achieving goals, training, bike maintenance, racing, and ultimately winning gold medals.
From Broken Neck to Broken Records: A Masters Cyclist’s Guide to Winning is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
Feb 09, 2010 – IMG today, in partnership with Sky, Fáilte Ireland, Shannon Development, the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Clare County Council, announced details of the country’s first closed road cycle event.
The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia will take place over an 80-mile (approx) course in scenic County Clare on Sunday, August 22nd 2010.
The event organisers expect to attract 2000 entrants from throughout Ireland and abroad this year, bringing significant economic benefit into the local economy, with numbers increasing considerably over the next five years. The mass participation event, which is being marketed internationally and nationally, is open to all standards of cyclists, aged 18-80. The cycle will start and finish in Ennis and travel through County Clare, taking in part of West Clare’s spectacular coastline.
Sky, the UK and Ireland’s leading entertainment company behind the Sky Ride series of events, is the title sponsor of The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia. The sponsorship supports Sky’s aim to encourage one million more people of all ages and abilities to get cycling by 2013. Sky Ride consists of a range of initiatives to get people back on their bikes, with activities like mass city cycling events on traffic-free streets through to local group rides.
As well as Sky Ride Etape Hibernia, IMG have extensive experience organising mass participation events including the internationally renowned events the Macmillan Cancer Support Etape Caledonia, Tour de Suisse, Melbourne Marathon, The London Triathlon, Triathlon de Alpe d’Huez and UK Challenge
Speaking at today’s event launch in Spanish Point, County Clare, Jo Dytch of IMG said: “The popularity and growth in road cycling is very exciting. Along with our partners we are looking to lead the way in providing a prestige event for cycling in Ireland and to establish a major fixture on the Irish sporting calendar delivering a significant boost to the local economy. This event will bring a welcome boost to the tourism in Clare annually and will see the most scenic parts of the County and its coastline exposed to the world’s cycling enthusiasts and media.”
Ms. Dytch continued: “Sky Ride Etape Hibernia is Ireland’s first closed road cycle event and is open to the general public. It affords cyclists with the unique opportunity to cycle safely on closed roads, whilst rising to the physical challenge at the same time. We expect to draw enthusiasts, the health conscious, challenge-seekers, charity fund-raisers and lapsed cyclists. For the inaugural Etape Hibernia, we hope to attract as many as 2000 entrants and plan to grow this number considerably by 2014. IMG are grateful for the support of the title sponsor Sky, and regional sponsors Fáilte Ireland, Shannon Development, Clare County Council, and the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, without whom staging this event in Ireland would not be possible and we look forward to making it a legacy event for the region”.
Mark Deering, Director, Sky Ireland said, “We are proud to be the main sponsor for the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia. Our Sky Ride initiatives last year encouraged thousands of people to get on their bikes. We hope, through events and sponsorships such as this, that 2010 will provide more opportunities and inspiration for people to get cycling.”
Speaking about today’s announcement Keith McCormack, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Business and Sports Tourism, emphasised: “As a national tourism authority, we are glad to be ‘in the saddle’ for the Sky Ride Etape Hibernia. This event is a perfect fit for Fáilte Ireland’s sports strategy and our commitment to promoting all of Ireland’s regions as tourism destinations. This event allows us to harness the growing popularity of cycling to the natural charms and allure of County Clare and the Mid West. As well as bringing visitors and revenue to the area, the event will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the Shannon Region as both a cycling destination, in particular, and a tourism ‘must see’ in general.”
Welcoming the event John King, Assistant Chief Executive of Shannon Development said, “Shannon Development, along with its partners, is delighted to have helped secure this very prestigious event for the Shannon Region for the next five years. Winning this event helps us build on our campaign to promote the Region’s growing reputation as a leading sports and events destination. Etape Hibernia is one of a number of international events we are working on this year to bring additional visitors to the Shannon Region which have the potential to generate 10 million euro in new revenue for the Region. This new cycling event complements our strategy to secure more mass participation events, in particular sports events, which can be firmly rooted in the Shannon Region for many years to come.”
Mr. King noted that the Lonely Planet ‘Best in Travel 2010’ guide’s inclusion of Clare in its top 10 list of ‘Super Cycling Routes in the World’ was a great endorsement of the County’s cycling product. “This endorsement is a testament to the amount of work that has gone into the development of the tourism cycling product in Clare in recent times. We look forward to working with IMG and our partners to ensure the success of this event in terms of delivering additional visitors and revenue”, concluded Mr. King.
Karen Brosnahan of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau noted: “Sports Tourism generates approximately 60 million euro for the Shannon Region annually. We, along with Shannon Development and Failte Ireland, have recently launched a Sports Ambassador Programme to capitalise on this lucrative market even further by getting local people involved in sport to help bid for events like Etape Hibernia that can become legacy events for the entire Shannon Region.”
Mayor of Clare Councillor Tony Mulcahy said the economic and tourist benefits associated with the event for County Clare and the wider region were significant. “I have no doubt that the people of Clare will support the event by joining Clare County Council in welcoming thousands of cyclists to the County, which will allow us to showcase all we have to offer. I especially welcome IMG’s commitment to working with local people to maximise the economic return of the event for all local people”, stated Mayor Mulcahy.
The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia was launched today at an event in The Armada Hotel, Spanish Point, Co Clare, which was attended by media outlets from throughout Ireland the United Kingdom. A number of attending journalists also took part in an arranged cycle of a 10-mile stretch of the proposed event route.
Details of The Sky Ride Etape Hibernia are available from www.etapehibernia.com or info@etapehibernia.com.
February 8, 2010 (FPRC) — Stradalli Cycle, the high performance carbon bicycle manufacturer, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with HED Cycling to use HED’s wheel designs and technology on their 2010 Milano Strada-PRO carbon road bikes.
The fruit of this partnership is the HED 4 Stradalli 60mm or 90mm front and 90mm rear full carbon clincher wheel set. The front wheel has 18 spokes and weighs an incredible 774g, while the rear wheel uses 24 spokes and weighs just 1025g. The wheels, which are made for 23mm tires, are natural carbon fiber black with white and red lettering.
HED Cycling, which has over twenty years of manufacturing experience in making aerodynamically efficient wheels, designs and manufactures sixteen different models of composite wheels, exported worldwide and used in events from the Tour de France to the Hawaii Ironman to the prestigious North Oaks triathlon championship. Every single wheel HED wheel, including the new HED 4 Stradalli wheel, is handmade.
“We are very proud to have an exclusive model of wheels designed specifically for our bike by such a reputable wheel maker as HED” said Thomas Steinbacher, CEO Stradalli Cycle. “The quality of the Milano Strada-PRO road bike demands we make compromises.”
The HED 4 Stradalli wheel set is the perfect solution for the Stradalli’s Milano Strada-PRO carbon road bike. Using ultra-light carbon fiber components its frame weight is just 997g while the fork weight comes in at under 400g. The Milano Strada-PRO is the bike of champions.
About The Stradalli Cycle Company
Based in Florida, Stradalli is an official SRAM OEM and fits SRAM Red or SRAM Force to all of its 2010 bicycles. The Stradalli Cycle Company sells worldwide to the keen athlete who demands the best equipment. With years of experience in both high tech manufacturing and design as well as a passion for cycling, Stradalli brings dedication and innovation to the road racing bicycle market.
Contact
http://www.stradalli.com
sales@stradalli.com
Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong
For two years now, three time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and Trek Bicycles have been locked in what has been a public and, at times, a rather bitter battle.
Trek began a licensing partnership in 1995 with LeMond that was terminated on January 30, 2010 thus giving LeMond the rights to the bicycle brand bearing his name. The original dispute began when Trek sued to end their partnership with LeMond after he made comments pointing directly at the brand in relation to doping in the sport of cycling. For his part, LeMond was displeased with Trek due to his belief that Trek was not promoting the LeMond brand.
The settlement comes in the form of two payments of $100,000 by Trek to a charity Lemond is involved with, 1in6.org.
Racers Against Childhood Cancer
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United Stated Streak Running Association
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Angelo Zomegnan, the race director of Italy’s famed Giro d’Italia is going out on a limb. He and his well know marketing prowess want to bring the first two stages of the famed 2,000 mile race to Washington, D.C. in 2012.
Even Zomegnan himself is quoted as saying, “Is it crazy? Oh sure, yes, I’ve heard that…But I think it is good to take chances. I don’t say, why. I say, why not?”. The main reason for the speculation is the riders’ ability to deal with the physical aspects of jet lag and the toll it takes on our bodies. Not to mention the logistics of taking 198 riders, their crews, their bikes (multiple for each rider), their gear and all the requisite accoutrement across the Atlantic…TWICE.
Not everyone is against the plan, which would cost an estimated $5 million. Some think it is not only feasible, but Garmin-Transitions team leader Christian Vande Velde went so far as to say, “I think if you are intelligent about the whole matter and are civil to the riders, it would be beautiful and really cool, and it would bring a lot of recognition for our sport.”
What do you think? Its one thing for everyday athletes like most of us to travel and then race, but what about athletes who’s every breath is monitored?
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Personal Best Fitness (PRS Fit)
Black Diamond Sprinter Headlamp
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A while ago, I wrote a post following the saga of “Finman” aka, professional douche-bag, Frank Cardia. Frank is a cheater because he used fins to complete the swim leg of an Ironman. The article I wrote got quite a few comments discussing what difference cheating makes, as well as what exactly defines cheating.
One of the things that came up several times was the practice of drafting during the bike leg of a triathlon. Drafting is the practice where a cyclist rides close behind a fellow cyclist in an effort to save energy by allowing the leading cyclist to create a “hole” in air resistance. This gives the cyclist in the drafting zone an energy savings of approximately 33%, and thus, a huge advantage. USAT defines the drafting zone as follows:
Definition of Drafting Zone. The term “drafting zone” shall refer to a rectangular area ten (10) meters long and two (2) meters wide surrounding each bicycle. The longer sides of the zone begin at the leading edge of the front wheel and run backward parallel to the bicycle; the front wheel divides the short side of the zone into two equal parts.. With respect to a moving motor vehicle, the “drafting zone” is a rectangular area extending one meter to each side of the vehicle and fifteen (15) meters behind the vehicle.
There are such things as “draft legal” races where professional athletes are allowed to draft in a peloton style of racing, much as you may see in a race like the Tour de France. However, an Ironman does not allow drafting in any form.
All that being said, the following video was taken during this past weekend’s, Ironman Florida. To be fair, I do believe that the person doing the filming would probably have been penalized under the rules as well, but this is about the drafting.
I commented on this video asking what could be done to prevent drafting and got the following response.
You can set it up so it’s certainly more difficult t draft: (a) Time trial start (they do it at IM Lou, so possible) on flat courses or (b) Wave starts; (c) more marshalls; (d) as noted by someone on ST, forget the time penalty. Have a “penalty loop” out of T2 where drafters run 1 extra mile out-and-back to T2 for 1st offense and 3 miles for 2nd offense. That alone would make most folks think hard about drafting.
While I don’t want to discount this persons opinion, I think that the idea of a “penalty loop” is patently absurd. Any added distance, in any type of triathlon, would negate the prescribed distance of the event and therefore render it pointless. As for wave starts, as I noted in my race report from this year’s NYC Triathlon, drafting was rampant! This also created the additional problem or ridiculous traffic issues due to the fact that after the professionals went, the waves then went with the older (and no offense at all, but mostly slower) racers working backward to the younger racers.
I think the best solution would be a few more and more strategically placed officials. However, it will still happen. This is not to say that, with the right traffic jam we don’t ALL get stuck in some accidental drafting from time to time, but this is just blatant!
What do you think?
I came across an article today that brought up the subject of bicycle insurance and I found my interest piqued. Before I began reading the article, I did what most of us do in such a case, and attempted to divine what “bicycle insurance” is, just based on the headline.
My first thought was that it works like car insurance; your bike is damaged in an accident or some other ill befalls your carbon fiber darling and the insurance company takes care of the repair (with the obligatory deductible coming from your pocket, of course). Then I read the article.
Firstly, while the headline says “bicycle insurance”, it become clear in the first paragraph that this “insurace” is in fact, “bicycle assistance insurance”. So, my hopes and dreams of a cover-all policy for my bike went out the window. So, now knowing that this was just roadside assistance, I visited the site linked in the article and was taken to Better World Club.
After about two seconds of reading the information page, it seems that this is little more than a glorified cab ride. The details are (from Better World Club site):
Bicycle Roadside Assistance Services
Bicycle assistance is available up to 30 miles in total (per covered member) for annual membership programs.
Bicycle membership covers only one individual, however you can upgrade to cover your entire family (up to 4 cyclists total) for only $17. As with our auto assistance, associates may be: spouse or domestic partner, dependent children living at home or at school between the ages of 16 and 24.
Bicycle Plus memberships are eligible for four service calls, and single Bicycle memberships are eligible for two service calls, per year. If you have a combined Auto/Bicycle membership, you are entitled to a total of 4 services calls per year that can be split between your car and/or bicycle.
If you’re in need of emergency assistance on your bicycle, simply call the emergency roadside assistance number provided with your membership materials. A service provider from our network will be dispatched to transport you and your bicycle to your desired destination.
Due to the variations between car and bicycle ownership, we cannot guarantee ownership of the bike before a lock out would be performed. Therefore, if you’re bicycle is rendered immobile by lock, we will not dispatch service to free it. However, if you have organized service to free a locked bike, you may submit a claim for reimbursement up to a limit of $50.
If your vehicle is rendered immobile due to a flat, we will not deliver new equipment. We will, however, dispatch a service provider with commonly available tools upon request.
Now, let’s say I am on a typical ride of 50 miles (+/-) and I need roadside assistance. First, the majority of the cycling community is gracious and well-equipped enough to help get me rolling again. Second, this policy on covers thirty miles a year, so do I get dropped off somewhere in Englewood, NJ on Route 9W? On the FAQ page for Better World, there is no mention of bicycles, specifically, at all. So, I have to assume that the miles beyond your allotted thirty per year are at the same rate as towing miles for a car, which are (according to BW, typically $2-$3/mile up to as much as $8-$12/mile).
I encourage you to click on the links I’ve provided and see if you can figure out something that I can’t (which, believe me, is more than possible!). I must say, that it seems as though I would be paying $39.95 a year for a taxi.
I did put in a call to both Geico and to Progressive to see whether their renter’s insurance (I am a renter in NYC) covered a mishap with my bicycle outside the home (cracked frame or broken component). With Geico, they do not cover any incidents that take place outside the home without a special rider (didn’t get the price on that). As for Progressive, the gentleman I spoke to didn’t quite know how to answer. What I did get out of it was that, should my bike be stolen, it was covered (with deductible, of course), but he was not sure about damage to the bicycle itself.
What are your thoughts on bicycle insurance?
Protest Over the Lakefront Marathon
2009 Ironman World Championship Results (YAY CROWIE!!)
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NYRR Half-Marathon Grand Prix Presented by Continental Airlines: Queens
Missing Swimmer’s Body Found In Lake Monona
Free Shipping On Sir and Lady Isaac Guidance Trainers!
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It is my opinion that events such as Ironman Wisconsin serves to teach us more in what we did NOT accomplish rather than what we accomplish. This is true, I think, for most things in life. If we truly strive to better ourselves in any discipline it is important to focus on correcting the missteps we have taken in the past.
I should note that I am not disappointed in myself or my accomplishment of becoming an Ironman. With these things in mind, I thought it important to go through and make some objective notes on what I will do differently in the future, and some things that I thought I got right this time.
Swim
First Transition
Bike
Second Transition
Run
I have referenced the volunteers from Ironman Wisconsin several times and said “more on that later”. Well, now is later. I cannot possibly say enough about the amazing job done by the people staffing the course and the rest of the event. Not only were they incredibly efficient and knowledgeable, but they were so amazingly kind. When I was breaking down and getting into my own head emotionally, I met a woman on the course named Karen. Karen was a volunteer at one of the turns whose job it was to point the way. Karen is in a wheelchair. At a moment when my body was telling me know and my mind was issuing the same proclamation, Karen was there smiling ear to ear. She was telling me that I looked great and that I looked strong. She read my bib and said to me, “Brandon, you better come here and give me a high-five!”. I was overjoyed to oblige. Later when I passed her again with only about four miles left, I did the same.
The next morning, I went by the lost and found to check for my pump which I lost on the bike course (no dice). Karen was there, having been on the course until the last racer passed and probably well after. Her smile was just as bright, and her demeanor just as kind as ever. I told her thank you for being there the night before when I really needed it the most. To Karen, and to all the volunteers of the 2009 Ironman Wisconsin, thank you. You are all amazing.
Once again, I am not disappointed in myself, I am merely a student. I will be back to Wisconsin to defeat that course one day, and I will smile the whole time. Ironman Wisconsin will always be where I became an Ironman.
The water in Lake Monona was the same temperature that it had been the day before during the practice swim, pleasantly cool/warm. This made getting in the water not terribly unpleasant. This is a good thing because, if you were trying to get close to the first buoy as I was, thus giving yourself the best line, that meant that you would be treading water for about the next twenty to twenty-five minutes. There was quite a bit of bumping and errant legs and arms while we waited, to be sure, but it was soon ten minutes to start, which was the time for the professional start.
The pro’s were wearing pink caps for the women and silver caps for the men. This was a good thing to notice for me because it gave me bait. At exactly 6:50 AM, the pro’s started. It was all I could do not to go with them since my heart was about to beat out of my chest with excitement.
Then, promptly at 7:00 AM the cannon sounded and we were off!
Now, as I explained earlier, the position where I lined up is THE place to be if you’re a fast swimmer. That being said, the intensity in the scrum that follows a starting gun in that position is incredible. There are arms, hands, legs and feet all moving in different directions and all moving very fast and powerfully. One of the tricks to being successful in that environment is to not take anything personally. If you get a black eye, it’s just part of the game, and to be honest, not that uncommon.
So, when the cannon fired, all hell broke loose around me and I was a willing participant, throwing
more than my fair share of arms and legs. My strategy was to take it easy and let the pack work itself out around me while staying up with the faster swimmers. This worked well, and I was soon in more or less open water. I was told by an Ironman Wisconsin veteran that the buoys were spaced 100 meters apart (in case I wanted to watch my splits). This was a huge help when it came to sighting, which is the practice of quickly lifting your head up to see that you are on the right course to the next buoy. Swimmers that had fast starts began to fall off of the leading group, and eventually I was able to stop worrying so much about being run into.
During training, I calculated my warm-up distance to be about 1,800 meters. This was the point at which my shoulders had flushed all the built up lactate and would let go. It was at that point where I could really go on autopilot. This point came right about where it should have, at about 1,500 meters. I should also note the added challenge of the sun. The sun rose in such a way that when we got to the first turn buoy, it was in our eyes. It continued to be in our eyes through the second turn and did not subside until we made the third turn, which was either the home turn or the prelude to the second loop, depending on which lap you were on.
About half way through the second loop, I began to pass slower swimmers. They really didn’t present much of an issue and I got through them easily. A really awesome point came when, just after the second turn in the second loop, I saw a couple of pink caps and a couple of silver caps. These were the professionals that had started ten minutes ahead of the rest of us. It was a small victory, but a morale boosting victory nonetheless.
The swim was fairly uneventful and felt good, though I was being a bit conservative. I came out of the water in a time of 54:46. This breaks down to 1:27/100 m (7 seconds slower than my workout pace, annoying) and put me at fourth place in my division and thirtieth overall.
Swim Exit Helix
Upon exiting the lake, racers were directed to run up one of the helices (plural for helix, I had to look it up too) to get to the transition area. It was pretty amazing running up the helix through the throngs of people that lined the entire thing. This included Danielle and Kevin, whom I almost missed because my brain was a little scrambled and there were so many cheering people! I also had one of the professional women running in front of me, so that gave me a focal point. I was a little dizzy from running up the helix too, so I needed to focus on something.
When I got to the wetsuit strippers, I must admit, it was kind of fun to flop and get de-frocked! I ran into the transition bag room and my bag was already in the hand of a volunteer waiting for me. I grabbed it and headed into the men’s transition room (separate rooms because there tends to be nudity) where I was greeted by another volunteer who dumped out my bag and handed me everything I needed as I asked for it. Simply amazing. I got a little scattered during transition and I believe that next time, I will take more time and sacrifice the few seconds so that I can think things through a bit more.
Bike Transition Area
As racers ran out of transition, there was a row of volunteers, about twenty-five strong, bedecked with latex gloves covered with sunscreen. I ran over to them and suddenly, there were about eight hands coating every exposed part of my body. Kind of surreal, but helpful! I then began the run to my bike along the top of the parking attached to Monona Terrace. Another mistake I made was to put on my cycling shoes in the transition room rather than waiting until I got to my bike. This left me running to my bike on my toes, which is fine, but I would have preferred to be in socks. Again, the volunteers had my bike in my hand when I got to my row, ready and waiting for me!
Then I was on my bike and on my way! Riding down the helix at the opposite end from the swim
Bike Course
exit was cool, but it was a non-aggressive area and any aggressive riding would get you a two minute penalty. The bike course, was basically out of town for (roughly) sixteen miles, followed by two loops of a forty mile course and then the same sixteen miles back into town.
About 2.5 miles into the ride, I was cruising along nicely and feeling good. All of a sudden, my rear wheel hit something in the road and I almost lost control. I immediately knew that I had a flat, and pulled over to change it. Now, as I said earlier, I was riding with Zipp “deep-dish” wheels (clinchers). These wheels require a valve extender, which I had never used before. Fortunately, knowing I would be using these wheels, I watched a detailed video on Zipp’s website showing how to install the valve extenders.
It so happened that I stopped right by some volunteers who immediately made sure I was ok and then told me that they had a floor pump, which would make things far easier than my small hand pump. They also checked the road to clear whatever debris I had hit. I must say that, even though I was very angry and I am sure, cursing up a storm, the volunteers were nothing but helpful. It took me about three minutes to get the tire changed and ready to pump. By that point, the bike tech volunteer was on the scene in case I needed any technical help. She offered to put my wheel back on for me so I could avoid getting my hands greasy on the chain. This is where things began to go not-so-well.
As I got back on the bike and headed off, I wasn’t doing much shifting because I was on a flat portion of the course. However, as soon as I had to shift, my rear derailleur went crazy! Before I go on, I want to be clear that I in no way blame the bike tech who helped me. I think something just simply got bumped out of whack when the tire got changed. So, as I rode the derailleur was skipping gears and jumping back and forth on gears, and I didn’t have my best climbing gear at all. I was forced to stop probably five times to try to fix it by fine tuning. Eventually, after about fifty miles, it was reasonably fine.
The bike course at Ironman Wisconsin is hard. I say that not necessarily because it’s of any steep climbs or anything, but because it simply does not let up. From the time you hit the loop, and a bit before for that matter, the hills begin. there are a few hills that are substantial, and even a couple of great downhills (especially one at Garfoot Road where they have to place hay bales for crashes). There are ninety degree turns at the bottom of downhills that immediately go uphill, and hard turns at the top of climbs that keep climbing. The road conditions are not so fantastic. There is one stretch in particular that does it’s best to beat you to death for about three miles.
I am usually a very salty sweater and as such, when I ride, my sweat often drips onto the lenses of my sunglasses. This is annoying because it blurs my vision and is generally gross. The day was also turning out to be much hotter than I had thought. I heard someone say that it was about 85 F in the sun. As I hit the loop, the sweat began to hit my lenses, and I recall being annoyed. However, after about an hour of that I could all of a sudden see more clearly. I believed that this was because I was settling into a rhythm. In fact, it was my body slowing my sweating to a crawl. This is not good. I think I began to notice this about three or so hours into the bike, right about the time we picked up “Special Foods” bags. The bag pickup is when I noticed that I had not packed ANY ELECTROLYTES OR SALT. There were none in myT1 bag, and none in my bike “Special Needs” bag. So, I went into maintenance mode. I tried getting down as much Gatorade Endurance as possible, to no avail. I could only take in about one bottle every twenty minutes. I was also trying to get down water, but again, my stomach simply didn’t have the room.
At about mile 80 the leg cramps began. It started in such a way that I could simply ride out of the saddle for a bit and they would stop, but after a point, no matter which way I situated myself, my legs simply would not stop cramping. So, rather than get angry, I did my best to remain calm, pulled to the side of the road and sat on the ground with my legs in a neutral position until the cramps subsided. You may be asking why I didn’t stretch, and believe me, I tried that. The problem was, when I tried to stretch my hamstrings, my quadriceps would cramp and when I tried to stretch my quadriceps, my hamstrings would go into knots. So, neutral was the only way to go.
A bit more about the course; as you ride into the town of Verona, and it’s outskirts, there is an amazing, festival-like atmosphere. It is something akin to Alpe d’Huez in the Le Tour de France. There are people lining the climb, cheering you on, patting you on the back and messages of encouragement written in chalk on the road. Upon arriving in Verona, the cheers are deafening as you ride through the barricaded crowds. Again, simply amazing.
The ironic part of my bike leg is that after I bonked (and yes, I did in fact bonk. HARD), I was riding quite well. I think this was due to the act that to avoid complete shutdown of my muscles, I had to be efficient. This paid big dividends in terms of pace. There were more stops scattered throughout the rest of my ride, but again, I stayed calm and did what I had to do.
When we finally made the turn back toward Madison, I was feeling so elated, that I seemed to be ok for the majority of the ride in. Again, riding up the helix this time, was just as amazing. So much cheering from overhead and upon arriving to the dismount line, your bike was taken from you and the crowds went nuts! My bike time was 6:29:47 with an average speed of 17.2 mph. I must say that I added at LEAST 30 minutes to my bike split with all the stopping I did. That said, I am pretty proud of my actual riding. Nutrition, not so much.
As I got into T2, I knew that I needed to take sometime. I had put a Pedialyte in my transition bag specifically to replace electrolytes. I also asked the transition room volunteers if they had any salt. They had electrolyte tablets, which I welcomed. I took my time and kind of just sat there for a few collecting myself. Then I began the marathon.
As I headed out on the run, I was well aware that for me, this was rapidly becoming a race of
attrition. A volunteer was kind enough to point out the insane amount of salt that was coating my jersey and told me to make sure I got some salt in me. About 3 miles into the run, I saw Tory from Newton Running, and it was a much needed boost, not so much in pace or anything, just in morale. Tory ran with me for about a quarter of a mile, asking if I was doing ok and telling me I looked like I was doing well. This meant so much to me.
I decided early on in the run, that I would not run any of the uphills and I stuck to that. This was especially helpful because at about mile 5, I began to overheat. So, when I got to aid stations, which were located every mile, I stopped if I needed to. I just told to volunteers manning the stations that would be sitting down for a few minutes and not to worry, I was fine. After I began taking small breaks, I did a bit of run walk alternating. This seemed to work out ok. however, at about mile ten, I began having a hard time urinating (pardon the gross details). I knew that all I could do was to keep taking in chips and gatorade at the aid stations.
Annie and Bubba
The way the run course is set up, the half way point is right beside the finish line. As I got into the downtown area, near the finish/halfway point, I saw Kevin and Danielle for the first time since that morning. It was awesome! I felt so elated and happy to see them, and one of my dogs, Bubba. A bit further and closer to the finish, I again saw Tory with Tim this time. Tory, once again, made my day by walking with me for a bit and offering words of encouragement. I distinctly remember telling her that I was sorry for having to walk in a shoe that is the epitome of a running shoe!
I continued on to the turn around. On the way back I waved to Tory and Tim and saw Danielle and Kevin again. They informed me that J was about a mile behind me. I figured he’d catch me pretty soon since I was walking a lot. Sure enough, he caught me at about mile 14 or so. He was also having a rough go of it on the run. I would like to take a second to thank J for walking with me and stopping with me and waiting for me. It meant so much to have a friend there to talk to and with whom to commiserate. I can tell him a thousand times and he’ll never know how much that meant.
J and I walked together from about mile 14 until about mile 20. He wanted to see what his legs could do, and I was happy to let him at it. I continued to walk, eventually passing by a woman who asked me how much further we had to go. I told her about 4 miles and kept going. However, I noticed a distinct note of exhaustion in her voice and I told her to come and walk with me. She did, her name was Julie and we walked and talked for about the next two miles. Her husband had finished about the time J had. This too was her first Ironman and she was, like me having a hard time. It was again, so nice to have company to talk to. With about 2 miles to go, we began running. With about a 3/4 of a mile to go, I asked Julie if she wouldn’t mind if I went ahead. She was happy to oblige.
That last bit of the race went by in a flash. I know if was adrenaline and endorphins, but I felt like new. I approached the finish and felt overcome with so many feelings that to begin to describe them here would add another page to this report. Then I heard the words I had been waiting to hear. “Brandon Wood, you are an Ironman!”
On the day before our race, Saturday, September 12, 2009, J and I had decided to take advantage of the Gatorade Practice Swim. The practice swim was essentially a free swim of the course in Lake Monona and began at 7:00 AM.
For J, this marked a big step. Up to this point, he had done a couple of open water swims sans wetsuit, a couple of pool swims with wetsuit, and of course the requisite pool training. This would be the first time he was in the murky water of a lake, the same lake in which he would be covering 2.4 miles the next day.
Ironman Wisconsin Swim Course
So that he could get the hang of things, I stayed with him and we took our time going once around the loop. J quickly got the hang of the nature of swimming in the lake, which was something considering you could barely see your hand outstretched in front of you. Being that this was J’s first organized triathlon, I did my best to put him through his paces to try and demonstrate what may occur on race day. With him swimming straight ahead, I swam all around him, hitting his arms and torso, pulling on his legs and pushing him off course. If you’ve never been in a triathlon with a mass start or even several people starting at once, this is incredibly useful so that when race day comes, you’re not shocked at what goes on. Suffice it to say that J did an amazing job of keeping his cool.
After going around the loop once with J, I wanted to finish the distance (2.4 miles) and do the loop again myself, this time at my own “easy” pace. This loop also went well. I took it nice and even, making sure to work on sighting because we were in the water at roughly the same time we would be there the next day and the sun was presenting some major challenges. My time for that loop was about 29 minutes. This was a reasonably acceptable time for a practice swim, especially considering the water temperature was about five to ten degrees warmer than I could have like, though still wetsuit legal.
At 10:30 AM, I, along with some twitter buddies and people from this site, had planned to meet at the Newton booth in the expo. So, I swung back by our hotel to pick up Danielle and drop off J. We then headed back to the expo where a few of us met. Among those there were @triboomer, @nickjantz, @kevsbrtny and @chrisdandeneau. It was a lot of fun hanging out and taking a few minutes to get some pointers on the course from those more experienced than I. Danielle and I
Even in a picture she looks fast!
also got to spend some more time talking to the Newton folks where we both met Newton Co-Founder and CEO Jerry Lee. We also got to hang out more with Tory and pick her brain about all things running and triathlon. One thing you must know about Tory is that even standing still beside you, she looks like she could kick your ass in any race, any day.
After the meetup we headed back to our hotel to get some food and to get our bikes and transition bags ready for drop off which took place that afternoon from 10 AM to 3 PM. A little explanation of the “bag” situation; when you check in, in your race materials you are given five plastic, drawstring bags. They are designated as follows:
Bike Gear Bag (T1)
Bike Special Foods Bag
Run Gear Bag (T2)
Run Special Foods Bag
Morning Clothes Bag
The gear bags are pretty self-explanatory, holding whatever you need for your transitions. As for the “Special Foods” bags; these were not necessarily for food, but rather for whatever you think you may need halfway through the bike and again, halfway through the run. For instance, in my bike bag, I had an extra tube, in case I got a flat and was down to one tube with me on the bike (better safe than sorry!). The other thing in my “Special Foods” bags included: (Both) Chia, Probar, Beta-Alanine, Pepto chewables (run) Shot Blocks, Pedialyte. If you look closely, you can see an enormous problem I ran into during the race. As for my bike, I did a close inspection and a short ride to double check everything. I also removed my Speedfil since I’d be taking it with me in the morning.
The “Special Foods” bags did not have to be dropped off until race morning, so the transition bag drop off was rather easy. Just go the proper room and put your bag in the area for your number. The bike drop off was just as easy, although I did forget a bag to cover my handlebars to keep them dry overnight. Thankfully, Tory (bless you Tory!) came through with a plastic bag!!
I then headed back to the hotel to relax and do nothing. This sort of worked. J and our two other friends who were racing, JR and Cass, were going to drop off their gear and then go drive the bike course, which was a VERY necessary activity for this particular course. I decided to go with them and asked them to give me a call when they got back. They returned at about 4:45 PM and we headed out to drive the course.
Ironman Wisconsin Bike Course
I won’t go into too much detail of the course here because I will talk more about it in the next segment of my report. Suffice it to say that this course is much more difficult than you’d think. It’s not that the hills are so steep or huge, it’s just that they don’t stop. The course is beautiful, to be sure. Lot’s of rolling cornfields and plenty of cattle that I’m sure turned more than one stomach on race day! The drive took about two hours, to do one loop or the two loop course.
Once we got back to the hotel, it was time for food and rest. Danielle and I headed out for some dinner where I got a big grilled chicken salad. The whole day I had been hydrating with a 2:1 water to Gatorade mix, and I was worried that I’d have to up twenty times during the night to use the bathroom. Luckily, I only had to go once, and with my alarm set, it was time for bed.
Part III coming soon!
Sir Isaac and Lady Isaac Guidance Trainers
10 Ways to Succeed at Ironman Wisconsin
Seven Weeks to One-Hundred Push-Ups
Simply Stu’s Ironman Wisconsin Course Videos
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Garmin Forerunner 305 versus 405
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Newton Sir & Lady Isaac Review
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Forgot to put this on the show, but a HUGE shout out to Kate and all the luck and ass kicking in the world this weekend in the America’s Finest City Half-Marathon this weekend in San Diego!!
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2010 New York City Tritahlon Registration
2009 New York City Triathlon Results (I’m bib #4517)
Central Park Underwear Run Video
The Resurrected Runner Running Book Library
Brandon’s Marathon Podcast Live!!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Yesterday, Sunday July 26, 2009 was the New York City Triathlon.
Race morning began with me waking up at the ungodly hour of 3:45am. I had been very careful to make sure everything was already packed and ready to go for the morning, so that all I had to do, was eat breakfast, get dressed and go. This included having different bottles labeled and ready to go in the refrigerator. They were as follows:
So, I gathered my bottles and myself, I headed out the door and down to 72nd St. on the 1 Train. As soon as I got out of the subway it began to rain. Fortunately, I brought an umbrella for just such an event! Myself and a ton of other people were making our way to the transition area on the West Side Greenway at about 76th & 78th Streets, depending on which transition are you were assigned (I was in the Red transition area).
The day before when I dropped off my bike at transition, I had secured a garbage bag over my handlebars. I did this because whether rain or just dew, I did not want to have my grip any more slippery than I knew it would be with water from myself and the copious amounts of sweat that I knew were coming. The rain that had welcomed us to transition that morning quickly stopped, and I got about the business of setting up my transition.
About the transition rack situation: In this transition are, as with most triathlons, this is the type of rack used. In this event, each racer was designated a space which was indicated by a sticker with your race number on it (my race number was 4517). The idea is to hang your bike on the rack by the nose of your saddle (seat), so that each bike was facing in the opposite direction than that of it’s neighbor. It appeared that each bike was being given about 9 inches (+ or -) which does not sound like a lot, but it’s pretty standard and works just fine if the bikes are alternating sides properly. In my transition space however, because I was close to the end of the rack where the supports are located, whomever had placed the stickers had gotten lazy and had not planned ahead. This resulted in my transition area and that of the bikes on either side of me, being crammed into an area about 18 inches TOTAL!! Now, my handlebars are about 18 inches wide, just to give you some perspective! It was ridiculous, and should have been checked over by race organizers and/or transition managers, and I know for a fact that my area was not the only place this happened.
I digress.
The transition area closed at 5:45am and the first wave of professional men were scheduled to start at 5:50am. Due to weather, this time was pushed back about 25 minutes. I still left the transition are at 5:45 and headed in the general direction of the swim start with my wetsuit slung over my shoulder and my bag for the finish line (change of clothes and Ipod and such) in hand. Keep in mind that because the swim for the NYC Triathlon is a straight shot down the Hudson River, the walk from transition to swim start is right at a mile.
I got to the swim start with a TON of time to spare, so I just sat down and stretched a bit and mentally ran through my race. After a while I decided to drop my finish line bag at the trucks that would be transporting them for us. Then I went to do a quick crowd scan for my wife before getting in line in my wave. Danielle did end up finding me with our friend Allie which was awesome to get a last minute good luck!
I started the swim in the water as far to the outside (closer to the middle of the river) as I could, knowing that was where the current was strongest. The start came and we were off! I can’t really say too much about strategy for the swim, because I tend to just rely on raw speed and technique to get it done. I can say that I aimed to stay toward the outside portion of the course to take full advantage of the current. For the record, I don’t think ANYONE should count on current being a help. If you can’t do the distance in a pool, you should not be doing it in open water, it’s not safe, period!
I was first out of the water in my wave and by the time I exited, had passed a lot of swimmers from the five waves in front of me as well. My total time was 14 minutes 53 seconds. This is when the fun started. After coming out of the water, each runner had to then run/walk about 300~400m to the transition area. This had the effect of making the T1 times look very slow, mine was 4:48.
I got all geared up and ready for the bike and then went! I saw Danielle and Allie at the beginning of the bike and it was so great to hear my name being yelled! The bike course ran North on the West Side Highway out of Manhattan and onto the Mosholu Parkway where it made a u-turn at Gunhill Road, then came back the same way it went out, passed the transition area, made another u-turn at W. 57th St. and came back North and into transition. It was awesome having the West Side Highway completely open and not having to worry about vehicular traffic! The course itself, did not present and crazily steep hills, but it was most definitely a hilly course, that did have me coming out of athe saddle a few times.
My biggest problem on the bike were people not watching their surroundings. In the MANDATORY briefing that we all had at packet pick-up, the race organizers were VERY clear about riding to your right at all times, unless you were passing someone. Many, many, many people did not heed this advice. Drafting was illegal in this race (the practice of riding right behind someone to take advantage of them breaking the air for you), but because of the amount of people riding on the left full time, it was impossible not to draft without pulling across the cones separating outbound and inbound racers. I was constantly yelling, and I do mean yelling, “On your left!” just so I could be safe and to keep people riding on the left would not get wrapped up in less observant racers than myself.
The bike as a whole, felt really great, and I felt strong throughout. My total time on the bike was 1:10:24 with an average speed of 21.2 mph.
I got into transition and was out pretty quickly, not feeling rushed in a time of 1:44. Not super fast or anything, but I got everything I needed done, so it’s all good. On the bike course, there were no water or aid stations, and so I relied on my hydration on my bike and my chia. Once the run began, however, there was water and Cytomax right away. It was nice to be able to dump some cold H2O down my back and get something with some flavor in it in my mouth. As I came up W. 72nd St. and headed toward Central Park, I was amazed by the crowds that formed a solid wall of humanity for the entirety of that part of the course, which once again, included Danielle and Allie!!
After entering the park, there were about five miles left in the run/race. I was feeling very comfortable in my stride, not too fast and only a bit slower than I wanted to be. At about 3 miles into the run, my stomach started to rebel against the liquid that I was all of a sudden cramming into it. I felt a tiny bit uncomfortably nauseous off and on for the remainder of the race. Not enough to really effect me, but just enough to make me notice.
I finished the run in a time of 51:34 which make for a 8:19 per mile pace. This is about a minute per mile slower than my general 10k time, but it is faster than I felt like I was going.
My total time for the race was 2:23:20 which put me in 42nd place out of the 443 people in my division (Men 30-34). For my first Olympic distance triathlon, I felt great! I feel like I really like this distance and can’t wait to do another!! Please listen to Brandon’s Marathon Podcast, Episdoe 51 for even more info and impression of the race!!
My Results:
New York City Triathlon Result Page
In my excitement and hast to get up Episode 50 of Brandon’s Marathon Podcast, I forgot that I have my first triathlon of 2009 coming up!! It is the 9th annual New York City Triathlon!!
I honestly can’t believe I forgot it!
In any event, it takes place this Sunday, July 26, 2009. My wave will start between 7:36 and 7:42 AM, EST. It’s funny, as I just wrote that I actually felt a giant bump of adrenaline go through me! This will be my first NYC Triathlon and also my first Olympic distance event. The distances are:
Swim: 1500 meters
Bike: 40 kilometers
Run: 10 kilometers
I feel mostly prepared for this event. About two weeks ago, I took about a week and a half off from swimming. This was not on purpose and when I got back in the pool, I had to face up to the fact that time is not always on my side, and I paid the price. Fortunately, swimming is my “thing”. I was soon back to a very good pace and feeling good in the pool.
As far as the bike; I feel ok about it. What gives me pause just now, is the fact that when I went out for a medium thirty miles this morning, while my speed was decent and acceptable, I felt dead-legged. I made sure to get home and cram down two health scoops of Endurox R4. Over the next couple of days, I will be continuing to down the R4, run, ride or no, as well as stretching quite a bit more than normal before bed.
Apart from the other two, my running has felt really good. I’m not the fastest person in the world, by any means, however, since my interview with Christopher McDougall, I have been re-inspired to look for the joy in my running, and I have found it. That said, I am curious to see what happens if I push my pace…hmm…
The swim start is in the Hudson River (yes, it’s not the cleanest, but it’s what we’ve got!), at West 98th Street. From there it is a straight shot downstream to about West 79th Street. The Hudson is a river which, around Manhattan, does have tides. I have checked the tidal clocks for that day and if I’m correct, my wave SHOULD start on either a very slightly outgoing tide, or a dead calm tide, both of which are fine by me!
The bike (from the NYC Tri website) exits Riverside Park at 79th Street. Athletes enter the northbound entrance of the Henry Hudson Highway, staying in the right lane. Athletes will continue on a moderately hilly course north out of Manhattan, over the Hudson River Bridge, and exit onto the Mosholu Parkway. The course proceeds south on the Mosholu and U-turns at Gunhill Road in the Bronx. Participants will proceed back to the Henry Hudson Parkway and ride south in the Northbound Lane to 57th street where another u-turn will be completed and cyclists will head north and exit the Henry Hudson Parkway at 79th street and proceed back to the transition area. All bicycle traffic will utilize the normally northbound roadway which will be totally closed to vehicular traffic.
The run (also from the NYC Tri website) will exit Riverside Park at 72nd Street and run into Central Park. Runners turn left when entering Central Park and run in a clockwise direction around the northern loop of Central Park. The Finish line is on Dead Road, just west of the band shell on the 72nd Street Transverse in Central Park.
I will, of course, have as much pre and post (and during thatnks to my wife) video and such that I can. I’ll also try to get my video up in a somewhat timely manner (sorry Ari and the Achilles 5 miler, it’s coming!). If you’re in the Big Apple and need something to do, why not come by! Email me and we can figure out a place to meet!
Just in case you didn’t notice, Lance Armstrong is back and kicking some SERIOUS ass in Le Tour de France. After a four year absence from the sport of professional cycling, Lance is currently (as of July 16, 2009; 2:25 pm EST) sitting in third place in the GC (General Classification). a mere eight seconds behind the leader and two seconds behind teammate Alberto Contador. The current leader, Rinaldo Nocentini, is unlikely to maintain the lead once the Tour reaches the Alps (tomorrow).
I just found this great picture of Lance, and wanted to give him a big shout, letting him know that his perserverance and dedication to his sport and to fighting cancer is an inspiration with every pedal rotation!
To watch the tour live, click HERE
Brain Surgery Frees Runner, but Raises Barriers
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So, I went for a ride from home (Manhattan) to Nyack this morning and it was wonderfully cool! I loved it! As I got to the Western side of the George Washington Bridge, I almost ran into a BIG, wild turkey, almost immediately after that I saw a rabbit, so I decided that today would be nature day. Not that I would go looking for things, but they just seemed to find me today!!
As my ride continued, I saw (and when I say, “saw” I don’t mean saw through the trees, I mean up close and personal!!) another turkey, two more rabbits, a chipmunk and a groundhog!
This evening when I got home from work, I went for a run in The Cloisters, Fort Tryon and Inwood Hill Parks. On the last leg of my run in the hills, I was coming down off of a rise and all of a sudden, from my left about ten feet in front of me, came a baby skunk!! IN MANHATTAN!!! It was one of the cutest things ever! However, not being an idiot, I immediately froze (as did the skunk), and slowly turned around and HAULED ASS in the opposite direction!
Weird day, huh?
NYRR Achilles Hope & Possibility 5 Miler
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Over the past couple of weeks, and to be honest, before that, people have been writing in to ask and comment about finding the time to train. I have to assume that the recent number of these questions and comments is directly related to the fact that it is now “event season”. It’s probably also related to daylight hours being more plentiful (in the Northern hemisphere, sorry Oz!!), and yet we still cannot find the hours in the day to do what we need to.
This week, I find myself in a particularly interesting situation. As you may know, I am an opera singer (tenor) and this week, I was fortunate enough to pick up a gig at the last second. The gig itself is not until November, but the rehearsals are/were Wednesday through Sunday of this week. On top of that, I do have to work during the day to pay the bills in between away jobs. So, my days this week begin at 6 AM and I can usually be in bed by 11PM. To further complicate matters, I have come down with what seems to be a cold. I think I am now over the actual “sickness” part of it (headache, chills, runny nose, etc.) but I am dealing with the after effects, which I find can quite often be far worse than the illness itself. I will get back to my schedule in a minute.
I have come to realize that it is very important to differentiate between a “workout” and “training”. I believe that the difference is largely mental in nature. For me, the term “workout” conjures up an image of doing something as maintenance, while training is done with a very specific end-goal or event in mind. Also, for many people, “training” involves a very specific program that is leading them in the direction of said event. While “workouts” may be very specific and laid out, I look at them as something that is less taxing, simply by virtue of the fact that you can allow yourself to be more flexible with what you are trying to accomplish (in my opinion).
I am “training” for Ironman Wisconsin, which takes place on September 13, 2009. Along the way, I will also be competing in the New York City Triathlon, and maybe a couple of other events. On a recent episode of the Running with the Pack podcast (Episode 49), one of the hosts, Allan Gyorke asked me if I was following a training program on my way to IM Wisconsin. Although I answered his question in sort of a rambling “yes and no” kind of answer, the real answer is no. For me, I find that programs make me feel very “locked in”, and if I can’t get in the workout that is scheduled, I get upset or angry with myself and the situation, which leads to me just being more annoyed and then onto bad “training”. That being said, I do read many training programs to get a feel for where I am relative to where they say I should be. Which brings us back to time.
Here in New York City, this June, we have had rain 23 days out of the 25 days so far in the month. This is CRAZY. Of course, that doesn’t really mean that it’s either a soaking rain or an all day event, but it still affects my plans. For instance, I like to ride in the mornings. I wake at about 4:45 AM, have some breakfast, allow myself to wake up for a few, and try to be out the door by 5:30 AM. This has not been happening. Because of the way my day works I rarely get to sleep before 11 PM and when I can manage to wake up and get ready to go, it is always raining. Some of you may be wondering why I am scared of a little rain. I am not. What I am scared of is the usual training route that I ride from Manhattan to Nyack and back is a very heavily trafficked route from the suburbs into the city. When it is raining, not only are my tiny little road tires difficult to handle, but so are the tires on the, much heavier than I, automobiles. That combined with New York’s recent #1 ranking in for most aggressive drivers, and bleary-eyed mornings does not make me want to risk it.
Now, back to this week. I will most likely only be able to ride one day this week, on Saturday morning. Due to my cold, I MUST rest my body or I will be pushing myself through an insurmountable obstacle. As someone reminded me before the Brooklyn Half-Marathon a few weeks back, I need to trust that my cumulative training will do the trick. From now, I have almost exactly one month until the NYC Triathlon, and a little under three months until IM Wisconsin. Once this weekend is over, I will make a real point to get home and get to bed earlier. I will also make a much more significant point of running in the rain if I need to. As for swimming, that is the one thing not affected by weather, and I have not had too much of a problem getting in the water. In fact, that’s where I’ll be this afternoon, in between work and rehearsal.
So, I think the answer to all this is balance. I think it’s taking stock of the time that you have, and realizing that time is finite, and the only REAL necessity in your training (or workout) regimen is REST and RECOVERY. So, maybe you have to make a couple of sacrifices on things that you want to consider as necessary parts of your day, but when you look, you realize that they’re actually indulgences (I mean, do you HAVE to take an hour to watch “America’s got Talent”, or could you be in bed an hour earlier?). Keep training, keep working out, keep sane. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Thanks so much for visiting my site! My name is Brandon Wood and I am an opera singer living and trying to make it in New York City. This site and podcast follow my adventures on the way to competing in and training for all kinds of endurance events, especially triathlon and running. Click the "About Me" tab for more info!
