Polar and LOOK Launch Together Power Pedals

Polar and LOOK, the inventor and leader in clipless pedals, have merged their expertise to introduce the first clipless pedal that measures power output and cadence. Kéo Power is a must-have novelty for the ambitious cyclists who want to reach their maximum potential.

Polar P5 power transmitters and Look Kéo Power pedals comprise together the first-ever power measurement system integrated in the pedals. Easy to attach to cranks and switch between the bikes, each pedal comes with eight embedded gauges for extreme precision in power measurement. The two power transmitters relay the data from the sensors directly to a compatible Polar cycling computer on the bike’s handlebars.

Kéo Power gives instant feedback by measuring accurate power output in watts from both the left and the right pedal separately. By revealing the cyclist’s left/right balance between the legs, the system helps perfect cycling technique. In addition, current and average cadence is essential for those willing to optimize their cycling economy.

The system is compatible with Polar CS600X and CS500 cycling computers and works with any crankset on the market. The CS500 displays power output and cadence, whereas the CS600X reveals the left/right balance and Cycling Efficiency Index as well. The Polar LOOK Kéo Power system will become available in spring 2011.

2010 Ironman Louisville: Race Report Part 1 – Before the Race

My trip to Louisville, Kentucky began at about 6 o’clock AM on August 26, 2010. Since I had so much stuff to bring, including my bike, helmet(s) and all my other race gear, some of which is quite bulky, I had decided to drive down rather than fly. From New York City, where I live, it is about a twelve hour drive. To be completely honest, the drive was rather boring and uneventful.

Upon arriving in Louisville and checking in to my hotel, I immediately headed to a nearby Wal-Mart super center to pick up some groceries. I was trying to keep my meals as on track as possible leading up to the race and, say what you want about Wal-Mart, but they had everything I needed to have the meals and snacks that Coach Jeff prescribed. After eating dinner and taking a bit to digest, I got right into bed and went to sleep.

The next morning, I didn’t have a very strict schedule of anything to do. So, after eating breakfast, showering and such I headed down to check myself in to the race and to visit the expo. Checking in was relatively painless and went by in about 15 or 20 minutes. The check-in process went like so:

• Check in with USA Triathlon (USAT)
• Get weighed in and have hydration level measured (they want to see between 50 and 65%. I was at 61%)
• Check in with the race and fill out insurance forms and waivers
• Hand in the aforementioned waivers
• Pick up race packet (This included numbers for bike, helmet, etc. bibs and swim cap)
• Pick up and scan timing chip
• Pick up schwag bag

After doing the check-in thing, it was on to the expo. A quick side-note on that; I think WTC (Ironman‘s parent company) is making a huge mistake by only having themselves as the sole vendor of general multisport “stuff” at these events. There are of course, other companies at the expo selling their products, but not really any multi-sport retailers other than Ironman. For instance, I needed two extra eight ounce Fuel Belt bottles. The Ironman store in the expo only sold Nathan products (that I could find) which do not fit in my Fuel Belt. So, I had to drive across town to what was actually a really great local multisport store, VO2 Multisport to find the bottles I needed. My point is, unless Ironman/WTC can somehow manage to have fewer exclusive deals and carry a wider range of products in their “store”, I think they’re hurting themselves and the athletes by boxing out stores that might be able to provide some of the things they cannot.

In the expo, I made my way through the companies that were there to visit Pam, Ian and the crew from Newton Running (I’m sure you’re completely shocked that I spent time there!). It was really great to hang out with them for a few and to talk about everything from shoes to the challenges of running (and hiking and biking and…) with babies, toddlers and beyond. I had put out the call for a tweet-up lunch thing meeting at the Newton booth at noon, so in the time I had before then, I ran back out to my car to take care of a couple of errands and to scope out the area. On my way out of the Galt House Hotel, where the expo and such was being held, I got recognized by a racer named Alvaro (I’m pretty sure). I’m constantly shocked when this happens, but he was such a nice guy and I truly hope his race was everything he’d set out to accomplish.

I got back to the Newton booth right at noon and waited around until 12:30 for people to show. The tweet-up ended up being just me, but that’s OK, because I like me (most of the time)! I think that a lot of the time, people are a bit shy about crossing the bridge between the virtual and real worlds and don’t want to speak up. So, if you’re reading this and you DID show up, but you just weren’t sure what to do next, SAY SOMETHING TO ME!! Chances are you know what I look like, but I probably don’t know what you look like!

After I had my lunch, I went back to my hotel to rest a bit and to shower and such as I’d be heading to the athlete’s dinner and meeting that evening. The meeting itself was the usual stuff; the directors of each portion of the course, and the race director went over rules and cautions, helping to give us the safest and best race experience.

Afterward, I headed back to my hotel. My plan was to begin to get my gear together and into it’s assigned bag. Below is the video of those details:

After all that, I headed to bed with my alarm clock set to wake me up and get down to the practice swim the next morning.

The practice swim was pretty uneventful. The race was NOT wetsuit legal as the temperature was about 86° F. I took the swim to feel out how I would react to the fact that we would begin the race by swimming upstream and against the current of the Ohio River. I also wanted to feel the downstream current as I was expecting to feel more pull than I actually did. The swim felt good and the water was MUCH better to swim in than the Hudson River!

After the swim, I took my bike to the Ironman wheel rental counter to get my race wheels put on (special thanks to @Indianabackdoc for helping facilitate this). I then had a short, easy bike ride of about 30 minutes in order to get my legs spinning. This was followed by a short, roughly 15 minute run. Both of these felt great and I was really beginning to get excited for the next day.

I went back to my hotel and got my gear together to check in. In Ironman races, you are required to check in your bike and transition bags the day before the race. Generally, you will have access to them on race day, but it pays to be ready ahead of time. I got my stuff all checked in and that pretty much ends the preparation!

After taking a short nap and lounging around my hotel room for the afternoon, I met up with Trevor and Kristine (Twitter friends and teammates on Team PRS Fit). We went to Lynn’s Paradise Cafe and had an awesome dinner with excellent conversation. It was so amazing to have met these two and to get to spend some really amazing time with them (more on this later). They really and truly made my trip without my wife and daughter that much more bearable and I cannot thank them enough for all they did for me.

I got back to my hotel at about 8:30 and set my alarm for 3 AM. I closed my eyes, and surprisingly, sleep came easily.

To be continued…

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 2 days to go!

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 6 days to go!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 107

My Top Ten Tips for Beginner Cyclists

Baker’s Review of the Catlike Whisper Plus

Topeak Multi Tools

ISM Saddles

Team Winter

Newton Running

Athletes for a Cure

Rokit Fuel

Hammer Endurolytes

Honey Stinger

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

My Top Ten Tips for Beginner Cyclists

There are so many tips for beginner cyclists floating around the internet that to cover them all could be a complete website unto itself (and probably is!). This list is the top ten things that I think every beginner cyclist should know (assuming you’ve already got a bike). Please leave your own beginner cyclist tips in the comments!

1. Wear a helmet! No matter how much your parents may have said, “You’ve got a hard head.”, you don’t. The ground is harder and will win every time.
2. Learn to signal! Even if your signals are just pointing in the direction you’re going rather than the formal hand/arm signals that we’re taught in driver’s education, USE THEM. This will make you and everyone around you that much safer.
3. Hold your line! This is part of a larger discussion on bike handling, but for now I’ll leave it at hold your line. What this means is to not make erratic turns which could put yourself and those around you in danger. Biggest mistake; turning the bike when you turn your head.
4. Use your voice! Do not be afraid to say, “On your left/right!”. Even if it sounds too loud and forceful, you can always say, “thanks” as you pass to take the sting off. There’s nothing quite like coming up fast on someone and scaring them half to death because you’ve said nothing and then having them turn right into you.
5. Carry a toolkit! There are varying degrees of preparedness, but in my opinion the bare minimum is: spare tube, 2 tire levers, pump or CO2, multitool. Many people will also carry a patch kit, but usually the spare tube is enough.
6. Learn to change a tire! This is a biggie. A few weeks ago, I came across a guy who was about 60 miles into a ride. He was on a beautiful $4000 bike that was quite obviously brand new. He had his bike upside down and was looking at it as though he was trying to make it move with his mind. He stopped me and asked if I knew how to change a tire, which I do. I changed his tire for him while trying to walk him through the steps as I went. This is annoying. If you have a bike, please know how to change a tire. It’s really not that hard.
7. Clean! This means clean the entire bike. This will prolong the life of your sweet new ride and all of it’s more consumable components. Probably the most important thing is the chain. After each ride, take some chain lube (in addition to being a lubricant, most good lubes have detergents in them also) give your chain a light coating and let it soak in for a bit. After about 30 minutes or so, wipe down your chain and the excess lube with a clean rag. This process will get out most of the small grit and garbage that gets into a chain and can mess up your entire drive chain.
8. Spin, don’t mash! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come up behind someone who is laboring furiously in a huge gear to get up a hill. Do yourself a favor and GEAR DOWN! The smaller the gear the easier it is to climb. Basically, learn to use your gears more efficiently. All those gears and cogs are there for a reason and it’s not just to look cool. Practice makes perfect.
9. Pump up your tires! Cycling tires are NOT car tires. I pump my tires to 120 psi. This will decrease rolling resistance and result in more speed and in turn, less work for said speed. The psi limit on your tires will be on the sidewall and a good floor pump will have a pressure gauge to tell you right where you are. (Side note: have the right tires on your bike! If you’re riding mainly on the road, trade in those knobby mountain bike tires for some slick, commuter tires. Trust me, they’re  a LOT easier to push.)
10. When it comes to clothing, you get what you pay for! I’m not going to go into this too much but, suffice it to say, do NOT skimp when buying shorts and tights. A good pair of shorts will prevent chaffing and will keep your crotchal region in working order (and yes, I just made up the word “crotchal”).

Again, this list is by no means comprehensive. Please leave your tips in the comments!

My Ironman Special Needs Bags

In full Ironman events (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run) you are given five plastic bags at check in. One bag for transition one (swim to bike), one for transition two (bike to run), one morning clothes bag (for clothes and whatever else you may want to keep around before entering the water) and one bag each for about the halfway point on the bike and the run. Each of the special needs bags will be waiting for you with whatever you want to have in it. Here’s what I’ll have in mine…

Bike Special Needs Bag

• Vittoria Pit Stop Road Racing Kit (Rather than changing the whole tubular tire on the course, this has been recommended to me by many as the standard for changing tubulars mid-race. I will have a can of this on the bike as well as an extra tire, but this will be my first line of defense.)
• One, forty (40) ounce bottle with three hours worth of my Infinit Nutrition blend. This will replace the three hours worth that I will put on board in the morning.
• One dry pair of socks. Ideally I won’t have to change my socks, but you never know!
• One small stick of body glide. Chaffing happens.

Run Special Needs Bag

• Two, eight (8) ounce Fuel Belt bottles. These will each have one hour of my Infinit blend and will be replacing the two bottles that will have been on my Fuel Belt from the beginning.
• One dry pair of socks. Again, hopefully I won’t have to use these.
• One small stick of Bodyglide. Again, chaffing happens.

That’s all I can think of for now, and I’m sure I’ll add a few things along the way, but I’m trying to be a bit minimalist about it. You are told that you likely won’t get your special needs bags back, so it’s best not to put anything in them that will be sorely missed.

Check back soon for more race prep!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 106

Xterra Wetsuits

De Soto Sports

Swedish Goggles

Specialized Propero

Giro Advantage 2

Sole Dual Layer Performance Socks

Pivlock V90 Max Sunglasses

Speedfil

Trek Equinox TTX 9.0

Suunto T6C

Garmin 405

Infinit Nutrition

Honey Stinger

Easton EC90 90mm Wheels

Newton Gravitas

Newton Terra Momentus

Headsweats

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 14 days to go!

Gear Review: Smith Optics Pivlock V90 Max

Leading up to Ironman Louisville this year, I have been quite desperate to find something that could keep up with my rate of perspiration. That’s right, I sweat…a TON. I need a pair of glasses that are lightweight, has a great field of vision, minimal or no frames that would allow sweat to pool, lenses that would allow my copious amounts of sweat to run off easily and allows for a boatload of airflow to keep my eyes and brow line cool(ish). The Pivlock V90 Max fits the bill on all accounts.

First, weight; the Pivlock’s are amazingly lightweight. Aside from their weight in hand, the action and fit make them that much more invisible. While the weight of some glasses belies cheap and half-baked manufacturing, the Pivlocks are actually designed with that in mind using what they call the Grilamid TR90 frames, built for flexible, light yet hard core construction.

Next, the lens. Well, as far as traditional frames go, the Pivlocks have none. This means absolutely zero interfering with any part of your periphery. The field of vision goes seamlessly from the through the lens, to over or under the lens (if you can get around the great coverage). The V90 Max’s come with three lenses, bronze mirror, ignitor (rose tinted) and clear. Each of the lenses offers a clear, easy to clean, larger surface and they have a sweat seal hydrocoating that allows sweat to roll off easily. The changing of the lens takes about 10 seconds flat and is super simple yet sturdy.

The shape of the glasses makes them very comfortable an firmly, yet lightly, fitting on your face. They offer a huge amount of coverage that once again, has no frames to distort your field of vision. Even with that much coverage, the airflow is unparalleled in my experience. There is no frame lip to interrupt or stop the airflow over the brow and air flows throughout the entire perimeter of the lens, keeping your face and eye area cooler than any glasses I’ve tried. After a six hour ride I came home and HAD to show my wife the lack of sweat on the lenses!

The one possible detractor for some people may be the size of the V90′s. They probably work best on a medium to large face because of their size. This isn’t to say that they wouldn’t “work” on everyone, that’s a matter of taste and preference.

I highly recommend the Smith Pivlock V90 Max glasses. As long as I can keep these bad boys on my face they’ll be there. On top of that, Smith’s lifetime warranty certainly helps!

OH! I almost forgot!! Take a look at the amazing, removable prescription system that the V90′s offer!

http://cmp.ly/2/w9cl44

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 18 days to go!

Catlike Whisper Plus Review from Competitive Cyclist

The Newton Trail Shoe is Now Available for Pre-order!!

After what has seemed like an eternity for many of us die-hard Newton Running fans, the much heralded trail shoe has finally landed in the Newton store for pre-order! I spoke with Sir Isaac a tiny bit today and got some of the skinny on the shoes:

“Closed mesh, PU frame above the EVA for additional support and
protection, gusseted tongue, more supportive strapping, reinforced toe
cap.”

I can’t WAIT to try out these new shoes and get them nice and dirty on any trail I can find! When I do get some on my feet, you can be certain that I will give those of you on the fence about buying some for yourself a detailed rundown. For those of you that can’t wait, click the picture below!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 105

Team Winter

Ironman Louisville 2010

Mission Skincare

Sole (AMAZING SOCKS, and sandals….)

Smith Pivlock V90 Max Sunglasses

Smith Pivlock V90 Max with Prescription lenses

Retul

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 24 days to go!

Ironman Louisville 2010 – 25 days to go!

Catlike Helmets Now in Stock in the US!

After many months of waiting, those awesomely vented, Swiss-cheese looking helmets you’ve seen by Catlike are finally available in the U.S.! According to the Serotta Bikes Facebook page (Serotta is the official U.S. distributor of Catlike), the first helmets just arrived and are making their way to your local Serotta dealer, competitivecyclist.com or the official Serotta website! I haven’t had the opportunity to slap one on my noggin just yet, but you can be sure that when/if I do, I’ll give you the detailed rundown!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 103

Leave a comment on this post and win a pair of Stuffitts for free! (it takes 2 seconds!!)

Ironman Louisville

Speedfil Hydration System

Newton Running

Infinit Nutrition (Use code “ironbrandon” for FREE shipping!!)

What should I call my new supplemental race report show?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 102

New York City Triathlon

New York City Triathlon Results (I’m bib number 4788)

Elite Time Info

Me on the Official Newton Blog!

Chain Condom

Infinit Nutrition (Free shipping with code: ironbrandon)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Lance Armstrong Starts 2010 Tour de France In Specially Designed Giro TT Helmet

For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Riedy
mark@trueoverdrive.com
415.302.2923

Lance Armstrong Starts 2010 Tour de France In Specially Designed Giro TT Helmet

New ‘LAX’ helmet designed around Armstrong’s unique body, riding position and 2010 Tour courses by Giro’s Advanced Concepts Group

(Scotts Valley, Calif., July 3rd, 2010)–Giro, the worldwide leader in high-performance protective gear and
equipment for action sports and trusted sponsor to Lance Armstrong for all seven of his record Tour de France
victories, has announced that Armstrong rode today’s Tour de France prologue in a new time trial helmet that was
custom designed around Armstrong’s specific morphology, riding position and the 8.9-kilometer course in
Rotterdam. Code named ‘LAX’, the new helmet will not be sold at retail, but elements of the design will certainly
trickle down to future production time trial helmets.

“Lance always puts 100-percent into the Tour and for this, his last go at it, he asked us to create something ultra special,” said Giro’s Senior Sports Marketing Manager, Chuck Platt. “The LAX was the first major project for our new Advanced Concepts Group and the challenge pushed our team to use new technology and methods in the hope that we could help Lance win his 8th Tour de France.”

The LAX helmet was the subject of a story by Wired Magazine writer Mark McCluskey on the magazine’s website
(http://www.wired.com/playbook/2010/07/armstrong-helmet-exclusive/) today.

Giro went to extreme measures to prepare project LAX for this year’s Tour. Considering the six month development time and Lance’s busy schedule, the Advanced Concepts Group made a laser scan of Armstrong’s torso while tucked in his time trial position, and separately, scanned his head. The data acquired was used to make precision headform and torso models that Giro’s Advanced Concepts Group used to aid development in Armstrong’s absence. The torso model was used in a number of sessions to test as many as 100 prototypes in a variety of wind tunnels.

Giro’s Advanced Concepts Group is based not far from Silicon Valley in the company’s Scotts Valley, California headquarters and includes industrial designers, helmet engineers, product development specialists and test lab staff. The Advanced Concept Group is housed in a new, state of the art facility that encourages innovative design practices and allows for rapid prototyping and on-site testing. The LAX is the first product to come out of the group.

Riding in what he has called his final Tour de France, Armstrong is pursuing a record setting 8th victory and rides for a team sponsored by American electronics retailer RadioShack. The 2,234-mile 2010 Tour de France begins on Saturday, July 3rd in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and ends on Sunday, July 25th in Paris, France. In addition to the race’s Prologue in Rotterdam, the custom LAX helmet will benefit Armstrong in the 52-kilometer individual time trial on the race’s penultimate stage in Bordeaux that many Tour watchers feel could decide the winner of the 93rd running of the lap of France.

Contact Mark Riedy at TRUE Communications for additional information and images of the LAX helmets at
415.302.2923; mark@trueoverdrive.com

About Giro Sport Design

Giro®, based in Scotts Valley, CA, is a worldwide leader in the design, development and marketing of premium,
high-performance protective gear and accessories for action sports and active lifestyles. We are an innovative and
consumer-focused brand, with a mission to create products on the leading edge of inspired design that help you to
look and feel your best.

Win a Pair of Stuffitts!

You may have heard on this week’s podcast that I am starting a new contest! Here’s the info:

Who: This contest is open to anyone and everyone in the U.S. and Canada (also APO)! Tell your friends!

What: Stuffitts! I have spoken about these simple yet awesome shoe savers in the past. Click here to read more about them. I cannot say enough how great they are!

When: Starting NOW! This is an ongoing contest that will be every month, or until every person on the planet has nice, fresh smelling shoes!

Why: Because Stuffitts are awesome! The folks at Stuffitts are being SUPER generous and I also want to give you guys something that I think is a great addition to any athletes arsenal!

How: On the last podcast episode post of each month (example: Episode 99 on June 28 HERE) entrants should leave a comment (however long you’d like). On the following week’s show (the first show of each month) I will draw, by random number generator, one winner! That’s it!

Good luck and spread the word with the links below!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 99

Win a free entry to the Salinas Valley Half Marathon!

Stuffitts (Comment on this post and win a free pair!)

Know your body’s quick-cooling spots

Jordan Rapp

Jordan’s Accident

The Education of Jordan Rapp

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 99 (player temporarily being stupid. Click here to play)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Timex Global Trainer GPS Now Available only at REI

The much anticipated (though not covered here) Timex Global Trainer GPS is now available for order, exclusively from REI. The people who brought us the Ironman watch have quite a bit of catching up to do in the GPS arena to make any headway in a market dominated by the likes of Garmin, Suunto and Polar.

Click here to see the official site!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 98

Help Support IronBrandon!

Win a free entry to the Salinas Valley Half Marathon!

Merrell Barefoot Collection

Newton Running

Map My Fitness

Garmin Connect

Movescount

Rev 3 Triathlon Series

Jordan Rapp

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

UCI Confirms Scanning for “Illegal Devices” Beginning at 2010 TDF

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has confirmed today that beginning with the 2010 Tour de France, inspections and scanners will be used to be sure that no “illegal devices” are concealed anywhere on or in the bicycle. This comes on the heels of some rather suspicious video evidence was leveled at Fabian Cancellara. Click here to see the post I did about the topic.

Here is the official press release from the UCI:

The Next Big Thing in Natural Running

Try ‘Em On!

Gear Review: Giro Advantage 2

Ok, so let’s face it, almost everybody who sees an aero cycling helmet thinks they look a little silly, but secretly harbors a desire to strap one on and see what it can do. I know I did!

Earlier this year, I got my hands on the Advantage 2 from the Giro company. If you’re a cyclist at all, you know Giro as one of the leading helmet manufacturers around. In fact, if you’ve seen any ad with Lance Armstrong in it riding a bike, then you’ve seen him in a Giro (Ionos). The Advantage 2 was my first opportunity to try out a cycling icon and to get under and aero helmet.

First, you should know the purpose of an aero helmet. As the name suggests, it helps to make you more aerodynamic and thus, more efficient. On top of that, an aero helmet is, dollar-for-dollar, a MASSIVE savings over other aero components such as wheels. Click here for an article that has a very good breakdown of cost per watt saved.

Now, on to my thoughts on the Giro Advantage 2. Like I said, this was the first aero helmet I’ve gotten the chance to try out. At first, like many athletes, I was a bit concerned about the heat factor. The Advantage 2 doesn’t have the huge amount of vents that an every day cycling helmet has, rather, it has only five vents. These vents are right on the peak of the front of the head and do indeed get all the air. So, what I noticed was that, not only was I cooled enough, but the vent channels running along the inside of the top of the helmet allowed for a small vortex Giro Cycling Helmats, Advantage 2, Aero Helmets, Benefits of and Aerodynamic Cycling Helmetof air (like a mini tornado) at the back of my head that felt like a constant air conditioner. I was completely shocked. This is what the Giro website has to say about venting in the Advantage 2:

Internal Air Channels

By definition, a channel is; a route through which anything passes or progresses. In the case of Giro helmets, we utilize channels on the inner portion of the helmet to move air. These internal channels are carefully crafted and are one of the keys to a well ventilated helmet. When combined with our external vents, they help move hot, stale air across the riders head and force it out the back of the helmet. This is a proprietary Giro technology that we call WindTunnel Ventilation.

On top of the amazing heat dispersion, the Giro did indeed seem to allow me to feel more like I was splitting the air, rather than pushing it out of my way.

Another really great feature of the Advantage 2 is the foresight to put channels in the ear flaps to allow sunglasses to be worn. Not once did any of the glasses that I tried with the helmet feel pushed either down on my face or squeezed in from the stems.

About those ear flaps; I was concerned about comfort due to the fact that my ears stick out a bit more than most. This causes them to feel pinched and generally sore after wearing, say, a swim cap for too long. However, the ear flaps on the Advantage 2 gave my ears plenty of room without being uncomfortable. The one slight detractor I found was hearing. Because of the positioning of the ear flaps, it does make hearing everything you’re use to with nothing but straps on either side of your ear tricky. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like you “can’t hear” it’s just a bit muffled relative to unobstructed hearing. That said, I had zero troubles with that both in workouts (on NYC streets where hearing is VERY important) or in the Ironman Mooseman 70.3.

So, if you’re in the market for things to make you more aerodynamic, rather than dropping $2000 on a new pair of wheels, why not just take $160 and get a helmet that will give you more aerodynamic advantage anyway?! I really like the Advantage 2 and I look forward to trying it out when it get’s truly hot this summer, so be on the lookout for updates.

P.S. Look out for some new helmets from Giro very soon!

http://cmp.ly/2/wbi2vv

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 97

Help Support IronBrandon (Thank you!)

Garmin Forerunner 305

Salinas Valley Half Marathon (Win a free entry!)

Jordan Rapp

Craig Alexander

Newton Running

Orbea Bikes

Rev3 Triathlon Series

Gu Energy

Infinit Nutrition (Use discount code “ironbrandon” for free shipping!)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Carry a Water Bottle, Save a BUNCH of Green

For about the past six months or so, I have been using an aluminum water bottle from Klean Kanteen. I started using it because it holds more water than typical plastic bottle, thus fewer trips to the water cooler. It’s also much more sanitary than a plastic bottle (if you’re reusing it). Now for the best part; ounce for ounce, bottled water is more than DOUBLE the cost of gasoline! Lifehacker has a great write up on the cost savings of carrying a water bottle.

Click here to read the full article

Attention NYC Area!: Natural Running Form Clinic in Central Park!

Hey there guys! I am so excited to share some news with you all. Much has been made over the past year of what exactly defines ‘good’ running for and/or technique. Many, like myself, believe in allowing your body to do what it is meant to do naturally rather than allowing an overbuilt, over-cushioned shoe get in the way. With all that said, there is an awesome clinic on natural running form coming to New York City on June 15! See you there! Here are the details:

What: Natural Running Form Clinic with Newton Running

When: Tues., June 15 at 6:30 pm

Where: Meet at The Boat House, Central Park NYC (See map below)

Why: Join Newton Running for a free, open to the public event featuring
Newton’s co-founder and running form expert Danny Abshire, as well as
Newton’s R&D/Education Director and adventure racing world champ Ian
Adamson. Danny and Ian will lead a clinic to demonstrate how proper running
form can improve speed and efficiency, and decrease the risk of injury.

*NOTE* Do not feel any pressure to be a Newton wearer in coming to this clinic! This is for ALL runners who want to improve their form and efficiency.

Some more upcoming form clinics:

June 12th: Newton Running Form Clinic &  Symposium, Newton Running Lab, Boulder, CO 9-10am Running Form Clinic, 5:30-7:30pm Natural Running Symposium

June 16th: Newton Running Symposium, The Track and Field Store (997 Madison Avenue, NYC) 6:30-8:30pm Symposium, Q and A

June 17th: Runner’s Edge, Farmington, NY 6:30-7:30pm Symposium, Q and A 7:30-8:30pm Form Clinic

Sole Custom Footbeds

Since I began this site I have tried out quite a few products. These things range from a cold weather headband with headphones built in to tech clothing and everything in between. You’ve probably actually heard me on my show or in posts on the site mentioning these things and what I think of them. However, every now and then, something has a huge impact on me and then I feel it is incumbent upon me to let you know the circumstances of that impact and how greatly I was affected.

This past Sunday during the Ironman Mooseman 70.3 triathlon in New Hampshire, it rained. In fact, it started raining just before the start of the race and did not stop until I was driving on my way home about 30 miles away from the race. With the skies falling out the way they were, there was no way to avoid being completely soaked through on every inch of your body (at least not without taking the time to put on rain gear). This meant that my feet, the things which would be receiving the most punishment throughout the event, would be completely soaked for about SIX AND A HALF HOURS (including warm-up swim and standing around after the race).

Now, excuse the details, my feet have come to be able to handle a lot of punishment, but almost all of that comes when they’re dry. Once I hit the bike in this race, I was worried about any callouses becoming soft and the skin on my feet breaking down, which would the destroy my ability to run. This, however, never happened.

In my cycling shoes, which are admittedly not the best you can buy, I have Sole Thin Sport Custom Footbeds. These are custom in that you put them in your oven for a couple of minutes and upon taking them out, place them in the shoes you are using them with. they then conform to YOUR foot. During my race, where any wiggle (by way of looseness or stretching from being wet) of my cycling shoes likely would have resulted in skin being worn off my foot and/or blisters, my feet remained cradled and right where they needed to be.

I don’t wear any footbeds, other than what is already in my shoes, when I run. However, I’ll have these footbed in my cycling shoes for a long time to come.

Not only have I tried and approved of the Sole Thin Sport Custom Footbeds, I heartily recommend them.

Run Better

Delta Airlines Screws an Athlete

2010 Ironman Mooseman 70.3: Race Report Part 3 – The Race

Continued from: 2010 Ironman Mooseman 70.3: Race Report Part 2 – Race Morning…

The Swim

Beach starts in triathlon tend to be a full contact affair. This is especially true just behind the front of the pack. If you’ve placed yourself in that spot, there’s a decent chance that you’ll get kicked in the face by the guy in front of you and/or punched in various parts of your body by the guys on either side of you and/or dunked and swum over by the guy behind you who may be faster than you. All accidents, of course.

Since I expect to be one of the faster swimmer in any race I enter, I always place myself at the front of the pack in both water and beach starts. In triathlons I’ve done that have pool swims it is incredibly frustrating to be relegated to swimming behind people who’ve WAY overestimated their speed, and having to pass them. So, for this race I was at the front of the pack when the horn sounded.

The run into the water was fairly smooth with the bottom dropping off to swimming depth in probably about ten feet. The pack broke up quickly and myself and a few others pulled away off the front. The swim course itself was a rectangle (see picture) and was protected from and waves kicked up by wind by the shoreline to the East. As we reached the first turn, quite a few waves appeared, I have to assume because we had come around from the lee side of a point of land, and the wind was now kicking up a bit.

At about the halfway point, I noticed that another swimmer from my wave (I could tell from his powder blue cap like mine) and I seemed to be staying right with each other. Shortly after I noticed this, my opponent disappeared and I assumed that I had dropped him. By this time, I had been swimming through swimmers from waves that had gone off ahead of me from about the 1/4 mark on. Every now and then, either I would accidentally run into one of these swimmers or they would run into me. This is when I noticed that someone kept hitting my heels. I snuck a peek back and saw that the swimmer with whom I had been dueling had taken a comfortable spot in my wake and was now drafting along and taking it easy. While drafting is illegal in the bike leg of a triathlon, there is nothing wrong with drafting in the swim. I guess I didn’t mind so much and I wouldn’t have even known the difference if it weren’t for the fact that my heels were getting tapped every thirty seconds or so. Annoying.

The concern I had coming into this race with regards to my neck never really came to fruition. To be honest, I was being a bit conservative (which is evident by my less than stellar time) and definitely felt fatigued in my shoulders more than I usually would, but true pain never affected me.

Swim time: 27:17

Swim pace: 1:25 per 100 meters (boo)

Age Group Place: 5th

Overall Place: 28th

Transition 1

Most of us are aware of the potential dizziness that comes with standing up too fast. I have even fallen over several times because of this. In a triathlon, the same thing takes place. You’ve been swimming for however long, thus you’ve been essentially laying down. All of a sudden, you ask your body to stand up! This problem can be compounded by the fact that your upper body is doing most of the work on the swim and so most of your blood is hanging out there to supply your muscles. Further, if you’re wearing a wetsuit, there is a bit of compression being applied to your lower extremities which keeps your blood even more focused in your upper body. So, when you then stand up to run out of the water, all that blood suddenly drops, and sometimes you do along with it!

As I stood, I was ready for the dizziness and I was not disappointed. Upon exiting the water, there was about a 20 yard (if I remember correctly) run to the wetsuit strippers. This is not some weird, wetsuit fetish exotic dancing area but rather, a group of race volunteers whose job it is to get you out of your wetsuit as fast as possible. All you have to do as a racer is flop on your back on the ground and they will grab your wetsuit and peel it off of you in a flash. The problem with this is the dizziness thing. You’ve just come out of the water, gotten dizzy and then after a few seconds, you throw your body back to being flat again for a few seconds (legs in the air, mind you) and then pop up AGAIN. This makes for a rather world-spinning few minutes.

I made my way into the transition area and found my belongings in fairly short order. By this time, it had been raining for about thirty minutes and everything was wet. I removed my socks from their dry sanctuary inside my cycling shoe, inside that grocery bag I spoke about. Now let me paint you a picture of what I was doing. I was trying not balance on one foot at a time, while my head was spinning, putting dry socks onto wet feet (try putting on sock directly out of the shower some time), while desperately trying not to step into the mud and puddles that now surrounded me. All this time, my head refused to stop spinning. Good times. I eventually got my crap together, even having to literally DUMP water out of my helmet, and was on my way out of transition. Slow.

Transition 1 time: 4:14 (Dear LORD, that’s awful)

The Bike

To be completely honest, a lot of the bike portion of the race is a blur. It rained the entire time, often very hard. For the beginning six or so miles on the bike, I let my legs warm up well, pushing, but not pushing to the point of exhaustion. At about mile seven or so, the climbing began.

Leading up to this race, I had checked elevation charts and was not prepared for what I encountered. The first, largest and longest of the hills that we encountered was awful. First, we were climbing this hill in the rain, which gave you the appearance in spots of riding upstream in a river with an asphalt bottom. Second, this hill went to gradients of 16% for large sections at a time. To give you an idea of what a 16% grade is, the famous Mont Ventoux in the Tour de France has an average gradient of “only” 8.9%. Many people were forced to walk this hill and I must admit that I glanced at them with envy, but I stayed on my steed.

Several of the descents on the course were long and sweeping and gave you time to rest your legs. Other descents were so dangerous even without the rain that the officials had told us the day before that they would be strictly enforcing a 35 mph speed limit.

Apart from the 16% S.O.B. hill, there were a couple other climbs in excess of 10% as well as some deceptively “flat” sections that seemed to sap energy from the legs. The road conditions were only OK. You were forced to stay constantly aware of the pavement in front of you due to the fact that for 99% of the course there was a large crack (hastily patched but still pitted) meandering across both sides of the road.

Somewhere around halfway through the bike, my Garmin 305 went haywire. I went to take a peek at my heart rate and the screen was flashing from display to display, and not making any sense. I tried to turn it off and couldn’t. So I took it off and put it in my jersey. Now, for the rest of the race, I would have no idea where my pace of my heart rate were. I would be running purely on feel and perceived effort.

The toughest part of this bike course was grinding through it the first time and knowing you had to come back and hit it again. 16%’er and all. My nutrition, which if you know me, you know I have struggled in the past with this, was perfect. I had three hours worth of my “blend” from Infinit Nutrition in my Speedfil and rotated water bottles from aid stations in my one bottle cage. I finished my Infinit blend with about six miles to go on the bike, so, just to be safe, I grabbed a bottle of Gatorade Endurance Formula and dropped a bottle of water into my Speedfil. I also grabbed a banana at some point during the bike (can’t remember when) just because I knew it wouldn’t affect me adversely and it just looked good.

I didn’t do exactly what I wanted to do on the bike, in terms of speed, but I was consistent and I think that is just as important. I also learned a lot of what I need to do moving forward.

Bike time: 2:57:16

Bike pace: 19 mph

Age Group Place: 44th

Overall Place: 217th

Transition 2

By the time I hit T2, my feet had been soaked for over three and a half hours, but were holding up fine (I actually have a lot to say about my Sole insoles on the bike that I’ll write about later). However, I though it would behoove me to put on dry socks. This was frickin’ stupid. It was still raining and I was still surrounded by mud and puddles. I have no idea why I thought that changing my socks would make a single bit of difference, bu I did anyway, and again, I had a terribly slow transition.

I grabbed all my gear, which wasn’t that much after I got my shoes and dry (dumb, dumb, dumb) socks on. This included my new Fuel Belt H2O, which was holding two bottles of my Infinit blend, each with an hours worth of nutrition. As I ran out of transition, my shoes were wet and muddy within thirty seconds.

Transition 2 time: 3:26 (Oy to the vey)

The Run

I was really looking forward to this run. I have been running really well off the bike and I planned to make no exceptions on this run. The course itself was quite beautiful, albeit seen under cloudy skies that were still ridding themselves of any moisture they held, much to our detriment. It was fairly flat to rolling. The biggest obstacle(s) came in the form of a nasty little hill that was about 1/3 of a mile long at about mile 2 or so and again at about mile 8.5.

Because my nutrition and hydration had been so good on the bike, I had to pee almost as soon as I began to run. I waited until the first aid station at mile one and stopped to answer nature’s call. I actually ended up having to pee twice, and it bears mentioning that it went well (it bears mentioning due to my previous experiences during races when I’ve stopped to pee).

The course was two loops of an out and back that had as it’s outside turn around point, about a half mile of dirt (read: mud) road that ended in a cul-de-sac. On this stretch of “road” there were some incredibly nice and supportive volunteers and even a barbershop quartet in one of the driveways serenading the runners as we went by.

I felt great on this run. I did struggle a bit with not being able to tell my pace of heart rate. Because of this, I laid off a little on the third quarter of the run, before picking it back up a bit on the home stretch. I didn’t want to wind up completely gassed for the run in. I passed a lot of people wh had passed me on the bike and that was quite good for my morale. The rain never really let up, but I felt solid nonetheless. I truly think I would have been able to do more on the run had I known where I was in terms of pace.

Run time: 1:35:08 (1/2 marathon PR by 12 seconds)

Run pace: 7:15 per mile

Age Group Place: 22nd

Overall Place: 104th

Final results

(more detailed splits to come once they are available)

Overall Time: 5:07:21

Age Group Place: 34th

Overall Place: 132nd

2010 Ironman Mooseman 70.3: Race Report Part 2 – Race Morning

Continued from: 2010 Ironman Mooseman 70.3: Race Report Part 1 – The Day Before…

Four AM on race morning arrived to find me well rested (relatively speaking) and ready to go. I have tried hard to make myself sleep when I need to by telling myself that all the preparation is done, there’s nothing left now but to race. That seems to work, most of the time.

I got myself up and went through my usual morning routine. I took a shower, got dressed and watched the news while I ate three pieces of whole grain toast (OK, so I lacked a toaster and it was just bread) topped with peanut butter and grape jelly. I did a few, last minute checks of everything and then began to pack my car.

I was on the road to the race site at about 5:30 AM, which put me at the race at about 5:55 (give or take). Along with the other racers, I made my way through the now muddier parking lot, for the 3/4 of a mile trek to the race site, bike and gear in tow.

Upon arriving at the race site, everyone was being funneled through a narrow-ish corridor where body marking was taking place. I know that body marking has to get done, and I know that this seems like and efficient way to make sure everyone gets it done, BUT, when you have hundreds of people, packed to the gills with gear and often bikes as well, this is a tricky prospect. Bikes and gear and the clothes that we had to wear in the cool morning air were falling to the ground and tripping their wearers and everyone else.

By the time I got to my transition area, it was about 6:30. The first thing I noticed was that racer number 702 (the numbers went in order but on alternating sides of the transition racks, therefore, on my side of the rack were the odd race numbers and on the other, the evens) had set up hi entire transition in my area on the wrong side of the rack, leaving me absolutely no place to go. I pointed this out to a volunteer in the area, as racer 702 was nowhere to be found, and she moved his belongings to the proper side. I began setting up, putting everything in its designated place to make for a smooth transition.

At 6:45 the transition area was closed as the start of the race was scheduled for 7:00 AM. As I was leaving transition, the rain began. Rather than my usual shoe setup of cycling and running shoes set up in their respective row on my mat, I had placed my cycling shoes inside a plastic grocery bag (along with my other cycling needs) and placed that bag on top of my running shoes. This insured both pairs of shoes stayed mostly dry.

I headed down to the water’s edge, putting on my wetsuit along the way. As I walked toward the start, Maria found me and we both got in for a short warm-up swim. The water temperature, which I had expected to be frigid, was actually really nice and was a great compliment to the wetsuit legal swim. Just before the pros started the announcer informed us that they may be trying to send the waves off with a smaller time gap than the four minutes that were scheduled. (Side note: the National Anthem was actually quite good. I’m not sure who it was, but it was a good baritone.)

I made my way to the start and waited for my wave (powder blue swim caps and all) to be called to the line. This race was a beach start, which meant a great opportunity for some full contact racing. In this environment, kicks to the face and being swum over (by me) is not out of the ordinary by any stretch of the imagination. The starters gave us sectioned countdown. First we got the ninety second call…then sixty seconds…I didn’t hear the thirty second call, and there was no countdown from ten or even five seconds for that matter. I was clearing the fog from my goggles when the horn went off.

It was on.

Upcoming Gear: Mach Bikes

There is some new, carbon fiber hotness about to drop from a new kid on the block. Scottsdale, Arizona based Mach Bikes is just about to launch their new line of TT bikes. Not only is the design and research a thing of beauty, but these rides can be custom painted by Mach rather than having to go one-off. Here are some “mach-ups” (I couldn’t help myself!)

Pre-Race Thoughts: Ironman Mooseman 70.3

This Sunday, June 6, 2010, I will be racing in Ironman Mooseman 70.3 in New Hampshire. While I have done a full Ironman, this marks the first ever half-iron distance race that I will do. I had hoped to have a weeks worth of daily update videos, but with work, training and life getting in the way sometimes, you have to let it go. So, I’m writing this as a prelude to Sunday’s race. I’m sure I’ll have more to say as I get closer but, four days out, this is what I’m thinking:

Swim: For about the past three weeks, I’ve been having trouble with my neck. It began as a nagging thing on the right side near the rear, base of my skull. I made sure to not stress that part of my neck and then, as soon as it began to feel a bit better, I slept oddly and woke up with significant pain on the left side of my neck, this time radiating down into my trapezius. The real problem with both of these pains is that they have hampered my swimming. That being said (and without any amount of arrogance) what is slow for me, is really fast for most triathletes. That knowledge, however, does not assuage my personal expectations. Also, the water temperature for this weekend’s race is a whopping 69° Fahrenheit, but I’m thinking that may actually hold off some of the neck issues long enough to get it done.

T1: Believe it or not, I’m still undecided on what helmet to wear. The weather on Sunday is calling for 72° Fahrenheit and a chance of a shower. The heat, which would usually be the cause for concern in my helmet choice, isn’t a factor (I’ll explain in a second). It’s the fact that my neck could (it hasn’t in my training) begin to bother me, and if I’m wearing my aero helmet, it could actually impede my position. The helmets I have to choose from are:

Specialized Propero

or:

Giro Advantage 2

Bike: One thing I kind of regret is that I haven’t done much training with other people in a group setting. It isn’t so much that I don’t enjoy training alone, but I just have a hard time gauging my speed. I would go to my Garmin info, but since I have to deal with New York City traffic, this is often not a good measure. Rather, I must rely on my consistency. For instance, I know that my right quadriceps tend to flare a bit if I’m not careful. this is an easy fix, just one that I must keep in mind. As for nutrition, I have once again affixed my Speedfil to my bike and will fill it’s forty ounces with my personal formula from Infinit Nutrition which will be all may calories, electrolytes, etc. on the bike and on the run. I do have an additional bottle cage that will be for water which I will rotate out at aid stations. I’ll be running new Continental 4000s tires as well as racing for the first time on my Adamo Racing² from ISM. I need to remain in control of my ego and emotions and race my race on the bike, being sure to NOT get sucked into a drag race.

T2: Not much to say here except that I am going to pick up a new Fuel Belt H2O. Each 8 oz. bottle on my belt will be holding a concentrate of my Infinit blend, which accounts for one hour of activity. As on the bike, I will get my water from the aid stations.

Run: Over the past several months, since I began coaching with Jeff, my running has come light-years beyond where I thought it could. In my last long-ish brick workout, I came off of 1.5 hours on the bike and ran for an hour averaging 7:03 per mile on the run. I grant you, the bike on Sunday will be longer, as will the run, and I will NOT make any pace predictions. However, I really feel good about the run, which is something I never thought I’d say. I will be racing in my Newton Gravitas‘ which are the same shoes that got me through Ironman Wisconsin. Hopefully, they will get to run a lot more this time around.

So that’s it! I’m excited and quite antsy. I feel ready to go, and I can’t wait for race day to come!

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 95

Subscribe to IronBrandon in Itunes (It’s FREE!)

Subscribe to IronBrandon With Your Favorite News Reader (Also FREE!)

Get Automatic Email Updates From IronBrandon (Yep, STILL FREE!!)

Help Support IronBrandon!

Help Kevin and RACC!

Infinit Nutrition (FREE SHIPPING WITH CODE: ironbrandon)

Newton Running

Ironman Mooseman 70.3

Salinas Valley Half Marathon

PRS Fit

PRS Fit Live!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Catlike Ready to Pounce on the US Market

05.28.2010 – Catlike, the Spanish manufacturer of cutting edge cycling helmets, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Serotta Sport. Starting this July, two Catlike helmet models, which fully comply with US helmet safety standards, will be available at specialty cycling retailers across the country.

“Catlike helmets are widely recognized as the most technologically advanced in the world and they’re worn by some of the biggest names in cycling,” states Serotta Sport president Stan Mavis. “We created Serotta Sport to be a collection of premium cycling brands, which are run by their original founders with a focus on quality and service—Catlike fits the bill perfectly.”

Catlike helmets will be distributed through the existing Serotta dealer network, and online at CompetitiveCyclist.com. The initial Catlike offering in the US will include the Whisper Plus and the Chrono Aero Plus, which are approved by European safety standards and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Serotta Sport plans to expand its Catlike product distribution to include the brand’s premium eyewear and footwear in the near future.

“Here at Catlike we are aware of the demand of our products in the US. We are now stronger than ever to land in such a demanding market,” states Catlike President, Pepe del Ramo. “The Catlike technology and design will be distributed by Serotta Sport, a company that shares our philosophy and dedication to quality.”

Whisper Plus
The Whisper Plus is Catlike’s top-of-the line helmet featuring the latest innovations in lightweight materials, ventilation and safety. Ventilation is efficiently delivered by 39 strategically positioned holes and Dual Flow technology, which links the frontal air intakes to large rear exit vents to create a constant airflow above the rider’s head. Safety is provided via Catlike’s Crash Energy Splitter technology, which effectively distributes crash energy across the entire helmet and allows for a compact, lightweight design. The distinctive look of the Whisper Plus helmet is easily recognizable atop pro riders on the Cervélo Test Team and Euskaltel-Euskadi. MSRP $275

Chrono Aero
The Chrono Aero features an aerodynamic shape and design perfected in wind tunnel testing and proven on the racecourse. The Chrono offers a minimal weight without sacrificing safety, and a shape that dramatically decreases turbulence behind the head of the rider. The Chrono Aero helped deliver Ignatas Konovalovas (Cervélo Test Team) to victory in the final time trial of the Giro d’Italia in 2009. MSPR $300

About Catlike
Catlike was founded 1998 by Spanish pro cyclist Pepe “El Gato” del Ramo, with a focus on quality, innovation and safety. The development team utilizes the latest design technologies to create visually aggressive and functionally designed, world-class performance helmets. Catlike is the official helmet of Team Euskatel Euskadi and the Cervelo Test Team. For more information, visit www.catlike.es.

RoadID Saves the Day

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 94

Subscribe to IronBrandon in Itunes (It’s FREE!)

Subscribe to IronBrandon With Your Favorite News Reader (Also FREE!)

Get Automatic Email Updates From IronBrandon (Yep, STILL FREE!!)

Donate and Help Support IronBrandon.com!

Ironman Mooseman 70.3

Mooseman Bike Course

Mooseman Run Course

Suunto T6C

Help Kevin and RACC!

Salinas Valley Half Marathon

Infinit Nutrition (FREE SHIPPING WITH DISCOUNT CODE: IRONBRANDON)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 93

Giro d’Italia 2010

Carl Lewis to Run the Houston Marathon

Triathlete Attacked by Alligator

Piermont Bicycle Connection

Honey Stinger

Hammer Nutrition

Mission Skincare

Sugoi

ReCORK

Sole

Serotta Bikes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

First Impressions: Sugoi Spearhead Running Short

I’ve been in need of new running shorts for a while now. Especially since warm weather is officially here and rotating two pairs of shorts, one of which feels far too long, is becoming a bit tedious. It literally took me a day to decide which shorts to get from the Sugoi lineup.

Ultimately, I decided on the Sugoi Spearhead Short. When they came and I took them out of the packaging, it was like I was holding tissue paper! They are so incredibly light, but just be sure that I wouldn’t bust through them at first stride, I gave them a firm tug. Sure enough, the Hexlite fabric the shorts are made out of felt as strong, yet supple, as anything I’ve gotten my hands on before, if not far more so.

On my first run in the shorts, the only thing that told my that I wasn’t running down the road naked was the also super light mesh liner. The length of the shorts is perfect for my taste; not too short and not long at all. They gave a perfect range of motion and offered now resistance to my legs at any point during my run.

One thing I will point out that may be an issue for heavy sweaters like myself is that, with fabric so light, if it gets wet with sweat, it tends to stick a bit. I noticed this on my first run, which was a rather hard tempo of ten miles. On my second run, which was much longer, coming in at 20.5 miles, I was wearing my usual compression liners which had been absent on my first run. This time, there was no sticking at all and the shorts continued to wear like a dream.

I’m sure that I’ll have more to say about these shorts as I get many more runs in them under my belt, but for now, if you’re looking for a super light, comfortable and strong running short, this is a great place to begin and end your search. [LINK]

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 91

Salinas Valley Half Marathon ($5 off with discount code: “IronBrandon”!!)

Newton Running

Pittsburgh Marathon Bomb Scare

Ironman Mooseman 70.3

Mission Skincare

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Enlyten Strips

Sole Insoles and Sandals

ReCork

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Speedfil and Infinit Nutrition Partnership

April 21, 2010 Cincinnati, Ohio/San Diego, California

INFINIT Nutrition and Speedfil Hydration System, two innovative and industry leading products have joined forces to enhance athletic performance with a simplified and creative solution for athlete nutrition and hydration.

INFINIT is customized nutrition.

Speedfil is aerodynamic hands free hydration.

The combination of the two creates a custom sports performance drink in an aerodynamic hydration system that allows athletes to dominate the competition.

“The ability to simplify and maximize performance is critical to triathlon racing. Using the Speedfil to deliver INFINIT’s customized nutrition to the athlete represents a critical performance breakthrough for the athlete”, says David Dietterle, co-founder of the Inviscid Design, Inc – creator of the Speedfil Hydration System.

“We are thrilled to offer a complete and efficient solution which has a monumental direct impact on training and racing performance”, says Jeff Smith co-founder Inviscid Design, Inc.

Michael Folan, creator of INFINIT Nutrition or Chief Powder Maker as he prefers to be called added, “It is a relationship that makes sense. INFINIT will give you all the calories and nutrition you need to go all day long and Speedfil gives you the best possible means to carry that nutrition. It is a natural partnership.”

For more, check out http://www.infinitnutrition.us/ and http://www.invisciddesign.com/.

Gear Envy: Bontrager, HED, Tanita

Bontrager R4 Aero Tires

Labeled, “The World’s Fastest Tire” on the Bontrager website, the R4 Aero brings ultra-low rolling resistance and their “aero wing” technology to a clincher. The price is pretty much on par with most higher end tires, and they’re far cheaper than any tubulars out there. With a claimed 37 second advantage over their closest rival in a 40K time trial, I cannot help but drool a little and really want to get my hands on some of these beauties.

HED Black Dog Drop Aerobar

A lot of aerobars offer adjustment only in the way of moving the actual extensions in and out if they offer any adjustment at all. With the Black Dog, HED brings a ton of adjustment to the table with 3 different base bars, 3 extension bars and 3 way axis adjustment just to name a few . I find this important because of the changes we may go through as athletes in terms of finding the most accurate fit. On top of that, these carbon beauties have fully integrated brake levers and internal cable routing. While they are a bit pricey, if you’re going for weight and customizable fit(and have an extra roll of cash laying around), these are where it’s at.

Tanita BC-1000

I’ve been eying Tanita’s scales for longer than I’d like to admit. These aesthetically fantastic scales not only do the usual weight thing, they give you an insight into your body’s intricate details that often go overlooked. The BC-1000 monitors weight, body fat percentage, and hydration levels but it goes a step further and provides measurements on muscle mass, overall physique rating, daily caloric intake, metabolic age rating, bone mass, and visceral fat!  The BC-1000 can also wirelessly link up with your Garmin 310XT and your computer for tangible data. I REALLY want one of these…just saying.

IronBrandon’s Podcast: Episode 89

PRS Fit

Boston Marathon

Road ID

VITAband

Stuffitts

Newton Running

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Pearl Izumi and Uranus

Ok, I couldn’t pass up this hilarious bit of juvenile humor! Pearl Izumi and the founders of DZ-Nuts bring you the new 4d chamois. Now, excuse me while I giggle…

Polar Introduces CS500 Cycling Computer

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., April 13 /PRNewswire

Polar (www.polarusa.com), the leader in heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment technology, today announced the launch of the CS500 – a new cycling computer that is the first in the market to offer rocker switch operation and a sleek, extra-large display screen. The CS500 is also compatible with the wireless Polar Power Output Sensor W.I.N.D., which provides the rider with cycling power, enabling the highest level of professional training.

Event riders have long desired cycling computers with simpler button-pushing and a display screen with large, easy-to read digits – especially at high speeds. The CS500 meets these demands with two exclusive design features. First, with an extra-large and aerodynamic display – the CS500 offers outstanding visibility, and allows more information to be viewed on the screen, creating a data-rich, cycling computer. Second, the diamond-shaped handlebar unit sits on a pivoting, two-way rocker switch. When cyclists want to change the screen to view different data, they no longer have to take their hands off the bars – they simply use their thumb to lightly tap the left or right side of the CS500, and the screen instantly flips to reveal a different set of performance data. With this unique design, cyclists can better concentrate on their ride.

“With the CS500, Polar is revolutionizing the way cyclists view, track and monitor their data,” said Jeff Padovan, President of Polar USA. “From design to functionality, cyclists can train at a higher level with features including the industry’s first two-way rocker switch that allows users to easily view data and rich feedback such as speed, cadence and power. Additionally, the option to add accessories separately gives the cyclist the flexibility to customize their training based on their changing needs.”

Designed with competitive riders in mind, the CS500 combines the precise and leading Polar heart rate technology with advanced cycling features. The CS500 tracks speed, distance, cadence, heart rate, calories burned, incline, altitude, ascent and descent and temperature. Up to four different data points can be displayed on the extra-large screen and using the auto-lap splits feature, miles automatically roll-over and cyclists can see a snapshot of their data per lap. To simplify training at the right level and help cyclists get a better workout, the exclusive Polar OwnZone® feature provides a personalized, target heart rate recommendation on how hard to ride.

When paired with the Polar Power Output Sensor W.I.N.D., a separate accessory, the CS500 can track high-level cycling data such as power output. With power meter compatibility – available at an affordable price – the CS500 can evolve with a cyclist, as they become more advanced and their training needs expand.

The CS500 syncs with polarpersonaltrainer.com, which is a free, online training journal, where cyclists can easily set goals, track progress, analyze results and challenge friends to a common goal. After a workout, data is uploaded to the site via the DataLink, a new wireless communication device from Polar, which includes Mac compatibility. The DataLink plugs into the USB port on a computer, and automatically detects the CS500 in the room, instantly uploading new workout files to a user’s personal profile. In conjunction with the CS500, polarpersonaltrainer.com has been redesigned with new, cycling-specific features, such as “Training Load,” which helps cyclists make smarter decisions by interpreting how hard a specific workout was, and advising when you have recovered from the previous workouts.

Utilizing Polar W.I.N.D. technology, the CS500 eliminates the issue of data drop-outs or cross-talk between cycling computers, as the powerful, 2.4 GHz transmission signal ensures disturbance-free training. The new Dual Lock Bike Mount, made of reinforced composite metal, guarantees sturdy, rock-solid attachment to the bike, making it ideal for both road and mountain biking. The CS500 can easily be customized and used on up to three different bikes, and also features a “Drink Reminder,” prompting cyclists when hydration is needed during a ride.

To see a video of the CS500 in action and its unique functionalities, visit the Polar USA YouTube Channel.

The CS500 is available as a base set, or bundled with a cadence sensor. The base set includes the handlebar unit, WearLink W.I.N.D. fabric chest strap, CS speed sensor W.I.N.D., and Dual Lock Bike Mount, and is available for a suggested price of $319.95. The CS500 cadence set is available for a suggested price of $359.95. The Power Output Sensor W.I.N.D. is available as a separate accessory for a suggested price of $359.95. The DataLink is also available as an accessory, for a suggested price of $54.95. All products are available online or at specialty stores.