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Backdates

Jan 21   Whose tires do you ride on?  If the answer is Michelin, then don't miss out on an opportunity to earn while you burn, the road that is.  The Michelin Grassroots Bicycle Racing program applies to pro and amateur, cyclist and triathlete.  Anyone in the U.S. who races a bike with Michelin® bicycle tires is eligible. In order to confirm eligibility, the cyclist must first purchase at least two Michelin bicycle tires from a bicycle retailer in the U.S.  Proof of tire purchase (receipt or photo) will be required upon enrollment.  The 2004 program begins February 1st.... 

The proliferation of half-iron distance triathlons continues in 2004 unabated.  Race directors and athletes alike have taken to this long-course format with remarkable fervor.  From an production standpoint, the half offers race directors a challenging yet more manageable set of logistics than its 141.6 mile, older sibling.  The racers themselves love the inherent flexibility of half-iron distance racing.  It can be a season's focus event, serve as a long training race, or be a stepping stone to iron-distance.  Additionally, the athletes can respect the distance without committing an all-consuming training program.  As trends go, increasingly value-conscious triathletes are becoming less inclined to incur the time and travel expenses associated with out-of-town Olympic-distance racing.  Lest you think Iron-distance racing is on the wane, full-iron interest hasn't diminished in the least.  Kona hopefuls continue to register for qualifying events and lotteries with unprecedented urgency.  These days, the Midwest is no less a hotbed of half-iron events than many other regions of the country.  The latest addition to the race scene is the Midwest Meltdown, a multi-event day of racing on August 1st near Kansas City.  The Hotter Than Hell Half-Iron Tri, the Devil's Du, and the Speedway Sprint Tri will all take place at Kansas Speedway.  Pit Row transition, a very fast bike course in and out of the Speedway, plus a finish under the checkered flag are just a few attributes of this unique venue.  We've managed to list most of the half's situated in what is generally accepted as the Midwest.  These arbitrary boundaries exclude some events that lie within very do-able driving distances of St Louis but are most often considered northern or eastern zones.

Jan 17-18 Opinions are divided over which is the most demanding race in the world.  We say it probably depends on which world you're talking about.  toughest race.... 

From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine comes a study on Ulnar and Median Nerve Palsy in Long-distance Cyclists Background Although case reports have identified the presence of distal ulnar nerve sensory and motor dysfunction in long-distance cyclists, the actual incidence of this condition, referred to as "cyclist’s palsy," is unknown. Purpose To  determine the incidence of distal ulnar nerve compression in cyclists. Method Twenty-five road or mountain bike riders responded to a questionnaire and were then physically examined and interviewed before and after a 600-km bicycle ride. Results Twenty-three of the 25 cyclists experienced either motor or sensory symptoms, or both. Conclusions Cyclist’s palsy occurs at high rates in both experienced and inexperienced cyclists. Steps may be taken to decrease the incidence of cyclist’s palsy; these include wearing cycling gloves, ensuring proper bicycle fit, and frequently changing hand position. (We could of told them that if they had just asked).... 

Training   What's the most useful training tool in your arsenal?  Most triathletes consider the array of gadgets at their disposal and respond, "heart rate monitor."  That's a sound choice but a good case can be made for the training log.  Whether you use some sophisticated software, an Excel spreadsheet, or a simple sheet of loose-leaf paper, having somewhere to chart your progress and make personal observations about your training and racing is an invaluable resource.  It's where the calculus of miles, hours, heartbeats, and psychology is performed.  It's the locus of conclusion and projection.  It's a window to the soul.  In my own experience, the best journals were old-school composition books.  As they say, whatever works, but invest a few moments each day notating your training and don't miss out on a key element of success.

Jan 14  St Louis Metro area resident, Ed Wolfgram, has penned a new book entitled "It's Never Too Late."  This work provides both a personal account of his journey to fitness and a compendium of sound advice for achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  The book takes us from a point where the couch constituted important roles in both his professional life as a  psychiatrist and his sedentary mid-life at 48 years of age.  It culminates in Dr.  Wofgram's 2003 Age Group (70-74) Ironman World Championship.  Key chapters also include useful tips on nutrition, diets, exercise, training and racing.  $17.90  West Pine Publishing. The Wolfgrams have generously agreed to contribute $5 to HI-USA Gateway Council for each book purchased by telephone (314-367-1945 or 1-877-Never2Late).  Be sure to mention the Gateway Newsletter when you order.... 

Useful tips If your training and racing involves using your water bottles to hold sports drinks, over time a foul-tasting black bacteria can accumulate inside them.  Using a bottle brush and the dishwasher are the best means of sanitation.  However, there is commonly overlooked procedure.   Open the valve and insert a cotton swab up through the bottom of the drinking channel to remove hidden residue. The result may stun you.  A little due-diligence will reward you with cleaner, better tasting, and healthier hydration....

The USAT announced the resignation of Steve Locke as Executive Director.  Under his twelve-year guidance, the organization and the sport have taken huge leaps forward.  Chief among his reasons for stepping down was disagreement with the Board of Directors over what he termed ethics.  Just as there are many who have supported Locke, a vociferous contingent applauds his move, citing the need for a change.  There have been issues and an internal power struggle within the USAT that offer nothing positive for the athletes themselves.  If anyone can clean this mess up, it is SBRStL-friend and good guy, deputy director Tim Yount who will assume control until a permanent replacement is found.

Television  The Outdoor Life Network will begin broadcasting in high-definition on April 29th.  That would be great news in and of itself but OLN will kick-off this transition with its first installment of a 13-part behind-the-scenes documentary on five-time TDF champ Lance Armstrong and the US Posal Team.  It will chronicle them from early season through Le Tour.  The show will provide viewers with unprecedented access to Lance and the team.  It will not only focus on the competition, but will take viewers behind the scenes showing them what transpires when the team members are off their bikes. Once the Tour begins, cameras will take viewers on the team bus for daily team meetings, to team meals at the hotels, on team cars, and on top of the bikes.  We thoroughly enjoyed last year's TDF coverage, but this will be unparalleled.  How much does that wide screen cost again?

Perspective   Another week passes and happily the 20 hour/week base-build program has successfully stayed on track.  However, it wasn't without a bit of scrambling.  A scheduling squeeze prompted a five-day training week and the resultant longer sessions were capped by a six-hour aerobic day on Sunday.  Despite the much heavier than usual Friday-Sunday workload (13 hours), no perceptible feeling of fatigue or malaise has cropped up.  This I attribute to the low intensity nature of the program and of course adequate recovery.  Several readers have emailed me about any noticeable changes that I may have experienced thus far.  Perhaps the most stunning positive impact I've noticed (besides body re-shaping) was the increase in aerobic capacity I experienced during a recent four-hour, hilly bike ride.  I felt I was in pretty good cardio-shape through most of last year, but the same steep pitches that spiked my heart rate and respiration back then, seemed so effortless now.  That kind of tangible, positive feedback is strongly reinforcing.  Any real, adverse effects have yet to materialize, although at times I feel like I'm waking a fine line between maximum volume and overtraining.  But after six weeks of this, my body has probably adapted sufficiently to the dramatically increased hours plus I have a better sense now, then when I started, about when and how much to rest.  The only thought that has me baffled is why I never did this before.

Sports Science  Meaningful heart rate training is the most obvious and efficient means of improving endurance sports performance.  Convention has taught us to establish our personal training zones as a percentage of maximum heart beat.  An arguably better alternative may be to first determine one's lactate threshold and use that number as the basis.  This can be performed with reasonable accuracy even without access to a testing lab.  The protocol is simple.  To determine cycling zones, for example, set aside an hour on a trainer.  After a thirty-minute warm-up, begin a thirty-minute time trial.  Keep the pace even and as high as you can maintain for the entire half-hour.  Once ten minutes into the time trial, clear your HR monitor then begin recording.  The average HR for that final twenty should be a good approximation of one's lactate threshold.  If hypothetically that figure was 160 bpm, for example, apply some simple addition or subtraction to calculate the appropriate training zones which would be as follows.

This method is less stressful and potentially less damaging than a max HR test.  It can be performed regularly to chart fitness gains throughout the training cycle.

Perspective  As most of our regular readers are aware of by now, Mr. SBRStL is engaged in a massive base-build for the upcoming season that is equal parts curiosity, science project, and weight-loss clinic.  All that aside, it was with a certain swagger, shall we say, that I met the group for my first spinning class, ever.  Between the sheer training volume of my past six weeks and the self-assurance instilled by many thousands of actual miles of riding over the years, I was certain that a little high-intensity spinning would be tolerable if not down right enjoyable.  I should probably plead temporary insanity.  While I have hammered myself dizzy during summer races, anaerobic threshold work this time of year was not supposed to be a part of my game plan.  To my credit I suppose, I hung in there for the entire hour, but thumping my heart like that is definitely something that can and should wait for spring.  What lesson did I take from this?  Well, that discipline is one of the toughest components of our regimens.  Telling oneself "no" to the temptations we face daily that conspire to subvert our training can be very challenging at times.  Unwise food choices, inadequate rest, deviating from the training cycle, and other untold sirens sing to us from the rocky shores of fitness shipwreck.  I am definitely not the most disciplined endurance athlete, but making another baby step in that direction is progress I'll take in a "heartbeat."

Trixter has taken indoor biking to the next level with an articulated trainer called the X-Bike.  This apparatus allows you get out of the saddle and sway the bike just as you would when climbing on the real deal.  Check their site for a Macromedia Flash video of this very cool product.

Inbox Clutter   SBRStL subscribes to the Active.com e-newsletter and the latest one made us a pitch that was nothing short of hilarious.  Life Fitness equipment such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes were being promoted for in-home sale with zero down, zero payments and zero interest until 2005.  Of course, the requisite asterisk led us to the fine print where it was revealed that, in these days of ultra-low interest rates, a benevolent Life Fitness Corp will charge a retroactive 22.99% if not paid in full by Jan 2005.  By the way, for Canadians the rate is a mere 28.75%.... 

Escapism  I recently picked up a copy of Travis Culley's,  "The Immortal Class - Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power" and didn't put it back down until I was finished.  The book is a fascinating and well-written inside look at his life and the sub-culture of messengering.   Set in the mean streets of Chicago, the author paints a vivid picture of the dichotomy of being free from corporate America yet inexorably linked to it.  SBRStL gives it 4 1/2 gears out of five.  The following links are to a couple of online reviews of the book.   newsreview.com     johnkeyes

Perspective  Anytime I take on a challenge of what I'd term epic proportions, it always fascinates me to see how long I can stick with it.  I'd be lying if I said I hadn't mastered the art of starting weight-training regimens that invariably peter out in a month or two.  So it is with a small measure of pride that I've managed to stay on pace with my current project and amass 100 hours of aerobic base-build in five weeks.  It seems the longer that this goes on, the more determined I've become to maintain it, despite terms like "exercise addiction", "over-training", or "compromised immune system" occasionally streaming through my consciousness.  Somehow I just don't feel like those things are relevant to me yet, but twelve weeks is a long ways down the road.

Some inquiring minds have asked me what in the world I do?  Well, for one I sweat, a lot.  I learned early on to save those old running shoes and rotate them.  One direct result of a three-hour indoor spin or a two-hour elliptical session is a pair of sloshing wet shoes.  I have several pair lined up in the laundry room in various stages of drying.   Two, I drink, a lot.  The ID checkers at the gym often joke about the six-pack cooler I tote daily containing six iced, twenty-ounce bottles of Ultima.  While downing 42 bottles of this mixture per week, I occasionally feel like an FDA lab rat who is administered massive quantities of some  substance to determine if any ill effects will result.  And three, I burn calories, by the kilo.  I think that I can reasonably assume that the calorie counters on these machines are fairly accurate, erring perhaps to the high side.  With conservative counting, I torch 2000 calories per workout and often approach the three kilo-calorie level.  I picture my muscle cells as ravenous Pacmen gobbling all the fuel they are offered.

Of course there's so much more to all of this and I've plenty of time to tell.  Ideally, every journey of self-discovery unearths some buried inner truths. To date, I've gleaned a few nuggets, but I'm certain the mother lode still lies hidden.  Another week begins.

And you thought my quizzes were tough.  Check out the Daily Peloton's cerebral challenge, or should I say research exercise?  Phil Liggett may be the only man on earth able to correctly answer all of those questions without relying on reference books.  The kicker is that there are no prizes..

The December, 2003 issue of Outside Magazine has an interesting article about the greatest threat to endurance athlete performance, overtraining.  Of course, no one reading this would be guilty of said offense, but we thought it may make good reading fodder.

Perspective  After four weeks, my grand training experiment still lives.  With 80 hours of aerobic training under my belt during that span, it still remains an evolving work-in-progress as I try to settle-in on just the right balance of stress and rest.  Oddly, the seven-day regimen leaves me fresher than a six days on/one day off schedule.  One thing I won't be doing anytime again soon is a five-day week.  Even with two days rest it was a tough nut.

While most triathletes perish at the thought of so much indoor training, let me offer that having a clear purpose helps the cause.  A defined goal can carry your effort beyond what you may have thought endurable.  Perspective is the other x-factor.  We all find inspiration in personal places.  I tend fall back on the three successive seasons when I had to look up at my orthopedic surgeon's masked face before I slipped into unconsciousness.  Being physically healthy is such a prime motivator.  Jeez, I'd gladly train exclusively indoors if I had no alternative.

There have been a couple of moments along the way that stand apart from the rest.  For example, a Christmas Day fifty-mile bike ride in virtually traffic-free urban roads was wondrous, though it did have a Stephen King-like overtone.  Another zenith was hearing the unsolicited comments at a family function regarding my newly slimmed self.  Vanity isn't my strong suit, but it was reassuring to hear such things in light of my hard work bringing me six pounds shy of my high school weight.

Before anyone reads the least bit of braggadocio into these passages, let me clear the air by saying that it is not my style to boast.  I would have remained perfectly content with the self-knowledge alone.  If in some way this serves to inspire someone to take upon him or herself a great new multisport challenge, then mission accomplished.  It's kinda like a t-shirt I saw in the gym that succinctly stated, "If you shoot for the moon and miss, you just might land on a star."

USA Triathlon certified Level-2 coach Sara Rosenkranz is creating a national development triathlon team for athletes ages 18-30 designed to elevate up-and-coming triathletes to the next level of national and international competition.  The team will be based in Clermont, Florida and the deadline to apply is Jan. 9, 2004.  application pdf.

While many of us have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads this holi-daze, an Ironman triathlete in Australia is going long.  40-year-old Andrew Stanfield will attempt to complete five Ironman triathlons in five consecutive days to raise funds for charity.  He begins his quest on March 28, 2004 and finishes at Ironman Australia.  His weekly training schedule of 25-36km swimming, 450-700km biking and 80-120km running has him geared up for a trial-run beginning this week when he will complete the half-iron distance on each of six consecutive days.  For an peek into Stanfield's psyche, read about his 10th place finish at the 2002 Ultraman.....  Amazing people part-two.....  Competitor Magazine published a story about two remarkable multisport athletes who overcame great personal hurdles.  If you require a little inspiration to kick that training program into gear, read their stories

In the Know  The Missouri statutes as they pertain to the rights and obligations of cyclists are state-wide laws of which every rider should be keenly aware.  Being in the right doesn't necessarily ensure your safety, but know your legal ground.

The National Bike Summit will take place March 3-5 in Washington, D.C.  This is an opportunity for the cycling community to meet with legislators and network with like-minded individuals form around the country..... 

The ladies speak up.  Here are some quotes from a host of female pro riders which offer a variety of interesting insights into big-time bike racing

Feel good stories of giving usually surface around this time of the year.  Here's a heart-warming letter from a kid with diabetes to George Hincapie after he had made the twelve-year old's day.

Perspective   Ever on the lookout for new adventure, what better time than the exciting month of December to launch a training  experiment?  Typically, I spend the final month of the year in rest-mode, topping off my fat cell stores.  A late November peek at the scale made me painfully aware of the ill-advised nature of that agenda.  Obviously my sisters and their evil Holiday cooking were at least partially responsible for the ten excessive lbs, but glumly facing the digital truth, I realized a change of plans was in order.

I've always been intrigued with the mystical nature of numbers, as they apply to life, and the scientific application they bring to training, representing miles, meters, hours, minutes, grams, or alas, pounds.  Take hours, for example.  Through the years my weekly training volume has usually peaked at around twelve-hours.  While standing atop that truth-baring scale, a lightning bolt of inspiration struck.  What if I pushed my weekly volume to twenty-hours and maintained it?  It would require an average 3:20 per day when factoring in an off day.  Was it possible without wearing or burning out?  What better time than the low-intensity/ high-volume base-building phase to take a run at it?

Fast forward to the present.  In the third week of this grand experiment now, I can report on some quick early findings.  Gravity's effect on me has lessened to the tune of 10 pounds, my sleep has deepened significantly, and I've managed to make several new friends at the gym as a result of my perpetual presence there.  Twenty-hours per week of pure aerobic-zone training is simultaneously easy and hard.  While not as immediately demanding as strength and power workouts, the energy drain is steady and subtle.  To this point, motivation hasn't been a problem and the sessions haven't become tedious.  Can this regimen survive the flu season?  Is 8-12 weeks of this a stretch? Will I simply make it through week-three?  The answers to these and other burning questions to follow.

The Ironman slot auction will return to eBay in April.  The 2004 version will offer a few new wrinkles, the essence of which is that there will be no age-groups specified.  The bidding war for each of the ten slots will be open to everyone..... 

Perspective  For those of you not familiar with web logs, or as they're more popularly known, blogs, they are sort of an online personal journal.  Their popularity and number has exploded across the internet.  These sites are typically updated daily and in many cases several times a day.  Having visited scores of these sites, I have experienced the full gamut from pretenders to the articulate.  Blogs are very often thematic and catalogued with others, much like discussion groups.  The blog author's personal interests or hobbies are most often its focal point.  I discovered a group of triathlon blogs and hoped they would offer more than "today I ran  5 miles, tomorrow I will swim."  I wanted well-phrased, sometimes witty, and insightful writing.  I wanted perspective and emotion.  Here is what I found.

A posting originally found on the Yahoo discussion group, Okinawa-multisport, reveals a female's frustration of trying to hang with the peloton.  It's a fun read, thank you Dana for passing it along.....  T2 Multisport Bags can now be purchased through Magonate's website and are priced at $110.....  The USAT has won their lawsuit against Proto Web for trademark infringement.  It now has ownership of the domain name usatriathlon.com as well as its long-held usatriathlon.org.

New Products  Carbon fiber is making its way to virtually every  part of the bicycle.  The German craftsmen at AX Lightness have fabricated a bike techie's dream set of brake caliphers.  These carbon beauties are but one product in a rapidly expanding array of carbonized-components the company creates and markets.  Their carbon and Kevlar saddle weighs in at a miniscule 74 grams.  AX Lightness offers carbon fiber MTB bar ends as well as seat posts for both road and off-road setups.  The company put together a complete Storck carbon road bike that hit the scales under eleven lbs.

Perspective  Being the multisport-minded individual that I am, my annual anticipation for the Ironman broadcast runs high.  But my expectations for the 2003 broadcast were probably a little elevated.  I think the same could be said for most of us. True, we already knew who won and by how much, but we didn't tune in for the suspense.  NBC's video production unfailingly manages to evoke emotions from somewhere deep down between my glycogen stores and soul.  And after all, this was the 25th anniversary edition.  Four hours later, my overall impression was mixed.  When the show was good, it soared, and when it was flawed, it left a hollow feeling.

For reasons this writer can only begin to imagine, NBC took the curious approach of offering a two-hour show in one-hour segments, separated by a two-hour intermission.  Presumably it was a dinner-window for all of those Ironman viewing parties.  I can think of no other sensible reason.  Heck, I would have been like a kid glued to Saturday cartoons if it had been one four-hour show.  This disjointed approach didn't encourage continuity.  The production itself is typically top notch, but I do take exception with a few issues this year.  The film editors must have had too much caffeine while splicing footage for the first hour-segment.  If they intended to create a special effect, it had a special effect on me.  It was so choppy I had late-sixties flashbacks.  There were several film-sequence redundancies between the first and second hour.  Surely they realized that virtually everyone who viewed the first show would also watched the second.  The battle between Lori and Nina was underplayed.  The reality was that Lori made several attempts to pass her and encountered persistent Kraft surges. The viewers got no sense of that.  Lastly, the normally creative soundtrack oddly repeated a song from last years show.  While the song is a killer cut, it seemed stale.

So, what was good about the show?  Lots.  Witnessing a racer who at one point was unconscious on the roadside and then ultimately finish the race was amazing.  How could one follow the Mark Herremans saga with dry eyes?  Seeing Tim DeBoom writhing in pain in the ambulance was a real eye-opener.  Amusingly, Natascha had pointed out at the post- race press conference that she hoped NBC wouldn't show her getting ill on the run, but boy did they ever.  The interviews with the Hoyts, Julie Moss, Dave Scott and Mark Allen, the Collins', and Tim DeBoom were great.  And as always, seeing the age-groupers make the white line was inspirational.  And further, the script and voice-over were as solid.  While overall it was not the A+ telecast that I had hoped for, I think it earned a solid B.

Perspective  I found the new Snickers Marathon Bars at Walgreens and made it a point to sample one.  Priced at $1.49, it exceeded my very personal and highly subjective cost-threshold of one-dollar per bar, but in the name of chocolate-journalism I bucked up, as it were.  While the taste was great, like all creamy chocolate energy bars it definitely doesn't lend itself to a cycling jersey pocket on hot summer days.  We've all been down that messy road once.  Alright, I've pedaled that road more than once, but that's not the point here. However, I found that the same could be said for the opposite temperature extreme as well.  I inadvertently created a long-forgotten childhood treat, frozen candy bars, by leaving it in the car overnight.  On the drive to the gym, I found new meaning in the term "did a brick" and managed to consume the 273 calories without chipping any molars or fenders.  In summary, the experiment was clearly flawed and will be re-performed under rigidly controlled scientific conditions. This time I'm opening it at the check-out line.

Perspective  I love sorting through the e-mail, once I'm past the Nigerian bank scams, male enhancement products, and re-financing solicitations.  All sorts of interesting items can pop up, ranging from personal narratives to site suggestions and training questions.  It is often the simplest questions that are the most difficult to answer.  This short, straight forward inquiry made me pause and take stock. 

Question of the week:  Why are triathletes so concerned about where they place in their age group?  Who cares if you were 1st in your age group if you're 3, 4, 5, or 10 minutes behind the winner?  What's the point?  Thanks.  new2tri

Upon reflection, the answer seems fraught with complexity.  Taking the obvious tack, my knee-jerk response would be that it is a race after all, and the athletes in one's age-group are the principal players.  This, however, is only true to a limited extent.  How many athletes in any typical age-group bracket are actually capable of winning it?  Perhaps two-percent?  What then of the rest, why should they care?  Okay, so maybe they won't validate their training with a trophy, but seeing their relative placing within the AG allows for a measure of improvement.  Last year, I had such and such a time or finished this race in 10th, but this year I shaved 2 minutes or moved up three notches, so now I need to tweak my training with more speed work, bike miles, or pool time, etc.  They are competing with themselves and the clock, no one else.  There is also a large proportion of triathletes who are in the sport for the love of it and not for the competition at all.  In fact, this segment probably constitutes the vast majority of its participants.  Why should they care about who finishes where?  The answer is that they don't have to and shouldn't.  When you hearken back to the spirit of the first Ironman, the goal was simply to finish.  It was a journey of personal exploration, seeking new physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bounds.  For most of us, that's enough.

Perspective  I find myself these days spending hours in the club wearing out their stationary bikes.  My low-intensity, high-volume spinning provides me with albeit sweaty, but valuable reading time.  I usually bring my own, but one particular day I didn't.  Having devoured every magazine on their rack that even remotely promised an article of interest, I was facing a two hour ride without reading fodder, until I spied some fresh meat, Sports Illustrated.  But this was not just any SI.  It was their 50th anniversary edition, the "Covers Issue", all 2,548 of them.  After a brief stroll down memory lane gazing at covers I recalled from my childhood, I snapped back to reality and several realizations struck me.  I'm cool with fact that Michael Jordon has graced the cover 49 times because MJ sells.  Further, I understand completely why football, baseball, basketball, golf, boxing, hockey, and tennis comprise nearly half, or a total of 2,053 covers.  Ok, I thought, time to find the triathletes.  It was after all, a Sports Illustrated article that was instrumental in propelling triathlon's popularity back in the seminal days.  I started with 1978 and worked my way forward.  While I studied cover after blurry cover, I discovered many wonderful and exciting sports, illustrated.  They included bird watching, autumn walks, island hopping, gambling, night driving, chess, gold diving, vacations, dog shows, horse shows, and bridge.  Where were the Man, ST, the Grip, PNF, and the Terminator?  How about the modern day iron-champions?  Where was a cover shot of the stark beauty of the lava fields? Where was the visual spectacle of the mass swim start? What, no photo of an emotionally spent amateur athlete reaching the white line?  I suppose it's some consolation that Lance has five covers but he had to nearly die and then perform the unimaginably difficult task of winning five consecutive TDF's to get them.  After I digested most of what I had seen, I disconcertedly closed the magazine and tossed it to the floor.  Well, truth be told, I guess I really wasn't that surprised after all.

Bicycle Retailer Magazine, reporting on Wal-Mart's $1.52 billion in sales on the Friday following Thanksgiving, notes that bike sales were not mentioned by the largest bicycle retailer in the United States.  Wal-Mart priced its loss-leader Huffy bikes for post-Turkey Day sales comparable with last year, around $24.  In SBRStL's opinion, nothing says love more than sending your precious progeny out peddling a two-wheeler that costs less than the entry fee to your last 5k race.  The questions that beg to be answered revolve around assembly  issues.  Are all of the required parts included in this sub-bargain basement bike, and what are all of these extra nuts and bolts for?  SBRStL may need to send its intrepid investigative reporter back into the field on this case.  Stay tuned.

Much is made of training at altitude, especially when race day alights anywhere near sea level.  Without delving into the cellular reasons why this is so,  a simple aerobic analogy may be along the lines of altitude-training making a wedge of oak feel more like a piece of balsa.  There is a segment of the endurance sport world that trains and races above 2000m.  The Federation for Sport at Altitude website is cyber-central for this incarnation of extreme sport.  Disciplines in the decidedly euro sport include our familiar friends running, biking, triathlon, duathlon, and adventure (raid), but at elevations of 6,560 feet or higher.  To fully explore their website however, you'll need to set-up a free password via email, but it's worth the effort.

Nov 28  Just when you thought there were too many energy bars on the market, another appears, but not from a source you'd expect.  Snickers has re-introduced the Marathon Bar.  Perhaps ahead of its time several years ago, it was once unsuccessfully rolled out to a dis-interested public.  Sensing a more receptive market, Snickers has reformulated and repackaged the product.  The 55 gm bars come in two flavors and pack 220 calories, 32 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm protein, and 8 gm of fat.  They are vitamin and mineral fortified, and taste great.....  What was the last, satisfying, bicycling film anyone remembers seeing?  If your answer includes the words "Kevin Kostner", you lose.  Breaking Away would probably be the most common response.  A new animated feature has been released by Sony Pictures that will surprise you.  The following is USA Today's review :

"Both a nostalgic throwback to the silent-picture era and an ultra-modern animated tale, the slyly humorous Triplets of Belleville is artful, engrossing and oddly touching. It manages this cinematic range with not a word of dialogue, only an evocative musical score, occasional dog barks and bursts of sound.  A boy whose only companions are his dog and his kindly grandmother grows up to be a bicycling champ. The skinny lad with the massive calves could be Lance Armstrong's French cousin: It's all about the bike for him. While competing in the Tour de France, he's kidnapped. His grandmother and pooch search doggedly for him deep into the striking metropolis of Belleville, where they meet eccentric singing triplets, the Gallic version of the Andrews Sisters.  Director Sylvain Chomet drew inspiration from eclectic sources: Tintin comic books, the work of British animator Nick Park and actor-director Jacques Tati. He cleverly pokes fun at French and American stereotypes, and his fusion of traditional and 3-D animation inventively illustrates this simple but captivating story. (Opens today in Los Angeles and New York; PG-13 for sensuality, violence and crude humor) "

Perspective  Dear OLN:  Many thanks for all of the fantastic cycling, adventure racing, and multisport races you continue to air.  Until the Cycling Channel, Triathlon TV, or some other such devoted network springs up, you da man.   It is with our kindest interest that we ask, "Why did you create Beach Ambush?"  We inquire while suspecting the answer probably lies in the ratings potential of the contestant's scant swimwear (not that there's anything wrong with that) because it certainly isn't for the inane physical challenge segment of the show.  When last we checked, there already exists an MTV and they already produce an "Emmy-quality" spring-break beach blast.  Please, spare us the suffer-fest. 

The Coors Light commercial that wasn't.

I love swimming with my friends....lapping end to end....kicking with my fins,

and I love going for a spin....rides that never end....finding biker Zen,

and I love running to mile ten....hammering again....reeling rabbits in,

........and....and twins.

Nov 21  We fell upon the online anagram generator and had a little fun with it.  Here's a few of the better ones:  Triathlon (ran to hilt), Peter Reid (deeper tri), Lori Bowden (bolder, I won), Dave Scott ( vast Oct ed.), Heather Fuhr (Ha! Further eh?), Thomas Hellriegel (tri games hellhole), Spencer Smith (sprint scheme), Cameron Widoff (famed coif worn), Steve Larsen (Steve learns) or (events laser).

If you've got a couple of idle minutes on your web surfing hands, STLBIKING has posted a cool little online cycling jigsaw puzzle with which you can amuse yourself.

Cyclists throughout the Metro area should give thanks to Patrick Van Der Tuin.  He was recently featured on both local television and in newsprint for his unique method of increasing bicycle awareness in automobile drivers.  He painted fifteen mangled bicycles a ghostly white and placed them with "Cyclist Struck Here" placards at various appropriate intersections.  SBRStL, like Patrick, has been victimized by a careless motorist and was moved by his level of activism.  In an email to him, I applauded his efforts and suggested that this technique seems to be considerably more effective than all of the "share the road" signs put together.  SBRStL strongly encourages everyone to email Patrick a note of support as he strives to make the local cycling environment a much safer one for all of us.

If the 2004 Tour De France is in your travel plans, there is a web  you should check out that is devoted to Americans heading over the pond.  This resource site includes spectator names, towns, messages, tips, and links..... 

Product News  De Soto Sports designed a low-cut tri short for ladies.  These hip-huggers are nearly 2 inches lower than conventional padded shorts and have both an elastic waist band and draw string to keep them fashionably in place.  Show off that navel jewelry in style.

Perspective  One Friday afternoon each October in Kailua-Kona, triathletes gather at the pre-race bike check-in with various high-end rides adorned with cutting-edge componentry.  While the race is most commonly understood to be towards the finish line, there is a more subtle competition to the starting line.  This is not an officially sanctioned contest, in fact, few if any would acknowledge that it even exists.  The winner of this event very casually makes his way through the crowd at check-in, walking the costliest, techiest, wildest bike to the racks.  Competitors, volunteers, and spectators alike take notice, some more coolly than others with Oakleys and Rudys effectively masking their ogling and male bike envy. Their internal calculators whirring away, the onlookers mentally undress the bikes and quickly appraise them.  Nonchalance, whether actual or feigned, is the biker's key ingredient of success.  It's not good enough to simply have the meanest machine.  It's not good enough to own the trickest bike and not realize it.  You have to escort the absolute baddest-ass bike, and you know it, they know it, and you know they know it, but you don't show it.  Sadly, four-thousand dollar Kestrels, Cervelos, and QR's deliver stifled yawns while exotic monocoques  like Corima or a Cat Cheetah with X-bars evoke smiles and approving nods.  Such is evolution.  Before anyone misreads my tone, don't get me wrong.  I have nothing against this form of blatant, excessive consumerism.  The fact of the matter is, I love it.  If only I could keep up. 

Equipment  A topic of interest at the post-race press conference in Kona was indeed the Cat Cheetah frame upon which Lori won this year and with which Natascha has previously dominated the event.  Manufactured in Switzerland by Rudi Kurth, they are among the most innovative bikes in production.  Every Cheetah is made-to-measure according to a personal measurement sheet and is therefore suitable for riders of most every size (45-64cm).  Composed of carbon fiber and Kevlar, the frame and fork exhibit high torsional strength and aerodynamics.  The frame houses internally routed hydraulic brake lines and the "Oasis" drinking system.   An entirely new kind of front fork/handlebar unit called X-Fork was developed whereby the fork blades pass the fork bridge up to handlebar height and make a conventional stem and handlebar unnecessary.  Other interesting "twists" are the 9-speed Grip Shift shifters and optional Twist Grip braking system used by Badmann that further cleans up the aerodynamics by eliminating brake levers.  In a thoughtful design touch, the front brake pads are located behind the headset rather than out front.  A complete  set-up with 650cm Cat three-spoke carbon wheels weighs less than 18.5 lbs and fetches 8500 Swiss francs, or $6200 US. 

Products   Clydesdale racers need strong racing wheels.  The new Zipp Pave' Cross rim supports over 500 pounds in the vertical plane, even without spokes.   The wheels also exhibit lateral stiffness more than double that of a traditional rim.  The company claims these beauties contain new material and undergo laminate sequencing that improves impact resistance.   The wheels are designed to track well over rough surfaces, thus the name Pave'.  Pave'-Cross rims are available in tubulars  only.  All feature an advanced version of ZIPP's exclusive Silica Ceramic braking surface.  These wheels are so new, they're not even on Zipp's website yet. 

With the anniversary of Lewis and Clark's journey upon us, modern day explorers of sorts, are using it as a springboard for their own epic journeys.  While these three intrepid travelers retraced the route in different fashions, the commonality that threads them together is the adventurous spirit they share with those two original explorers.  In September, Dave Tullier from Baton Rouge, Louisiana pedaled 870 miles from St Charles to South Dakota retracing Lewis and Clark's exploration trail.  Neil Rosenbland of Montpelier, Vermont took a different approach by using his arms instead of his legs.  He broke out his his kayak and paddled the route.  Marcus Eriksen got inspired and then imaginatively combined the two modes of transportation by configuring a paddle-wheel raft using old bike parts and 232 plastic soda jugs, then pedaled his way along the river.

In the pre-spinning-class and workout-video days, Euro pro cyclists trained in the winter using fixed gear bikes then switched to derailleur-geared mounts in the spring. The fixed gear bike is not unlike those used for track racing.  This minimalist machine is composed of a single-speed with no freewheel and a single (front) brake.  The lack of a freewheel creates the need to constantly pedal, thus flat or gently rolling terrains are better suited for fixed gear workouts.  Getting accustomed to fixed gear riding is reminiscent of becoming comfortable with clipless pedals.  It's a new skill.  Starting up can be easy and relatively cheap by converting an old beater bike to a fixed gear ride, or a complete bike can be purchased.  Selecting a comfortable gear is important and may require a ride or two to get dialed in, but try starting with something like a 42/19 combo.  If you choose to do the conversion rather than letting the bike shop handle it, there may be a few technical issues with which to wrestle.  Here is a useful link with some detailed mechanical information.  The benefits of fixed gear riding are many.  Bike handling skills and road feel can be enhanced.  Approaching intersections and turning require due diligence.  Additionally, each hour of fixed riding can equate to nearly ninety minutes of conventional riding.

The November issue of Self Magazine ranked  200 US cities seeking the most healthful city for women.  Burlington, VT earned the top distinction.  In 200th position was, you guessed it, St Louis.  The study focused directly on health related issues by examining rates of death and disease, health care, environment and community, lifestyle, and women's living situations.  In the opinion of SBRStL, one glaring oversight in their study was consideration of local websites devoted to health and fitness.....  Any triathletes looking for a substantive resource on the sport need look no further than "Going Long - Training For Iron Distance Triathlons."  Written by Gordon Byrn and Joe Friel, the book delivers 300 pages of thorough and understandable planning for completing or competing in the 140.6 miles.  Retail is $18.95..... 

Triathletes wanting a spring iron-event should consider the recently announced inaugural CaliforniaMan Triathlon.  Set for May 22, this non-qualifier event will be staged from Lake Folsom situated in Folsom, CA, the 2nd most bike-friendly city in the country.   In a dream-move, race producers will have the roads completely closed to automobile traffic. The course offers a calm swim, a ride through moderate rolling hills on very smooth pavement, and a flat run.  Athletes can opt for 1/2CaliMan.

A quick check on the IMAX website still shows "Brain Power" in production.  This much anticipated film studies Tyler Hamilton's amazing effort through the 2003 TDF..

The U.S. House of Representatives cast a critical vote for bicycling September 4.  By a vote of 327 to 90, the House passed a bipartisan amendment to restore funding for the transportation enhancements program for fiscal year 2004. The amendment, sponsored by Congressmen Tom Petri (R-WI) and John Olver (D-MA), enjoyed strong bipartisan support thanks to the diligent efforts of bicyclists across the nation.  In the future, Missouri cyclists in the 2nd, 7th, and 8th wards can go to the ballot box armed with the knowledge that the bill was given nay votes by Todd Akin, Roy Blunt, and Jo Ann Emerson.  Pro-cyclist legislators with aye votes included William Clay, Kenny Hulshof, and Karen McCarthy.  The two Missouri non-voters were Ike Skelton and Richard Gephardt.....

The 27 Hour Day- The summer solstice has historically been tagged the "longest day of the year" but for me it remains the last Sunday in October. Yesterday, I arose, looked at the alarm clock, and turned it back.  That's starting the day on a positive note.  Next, I strapped on the Timex and geared up for a two-hour ride.  Upon completion, a glance at the wrist and another reset.  This was getting habit forming.  I made a trip to the market a bit later and that hour rematerialized with a quick adjustment to the digital dashboard display on the drive home.  You get the idea by now.  This mind game is only constrained by the number of time pieces one owns.  Next year though, I'm shooting for 28...

It's always interesting to see triathlon articles pop up in unlikely publications.  Scrounging for reading material, I reluctantly dredged the Hawaiian Airlines in-flight magazine from the upright seat-back before me and opened it to an article promoting the "triathalon" taking place for the 25th year in their islands.  Sheesh....  Making the rounds of nearly a dozen official IM merchandise shops along Alii Drive in Kona, it's difficult not to be swept up by the M-dot tidal wave, with so many cool items bearing that revered logo.  However, a nagging thought rolled through this jet-lagged brain.  Is it bad form to wear IM Worlds apparel if one didn't do the 140.6 miles?  Of course parading around in branded clothing will evoke the inevitable question, so to avoid any etiquette faux pas, a ready response is recommended.  "No, (fill in the blank)."  a) but I  awoke at 4am, dehydrated from 12 hours in the sun for a few fleeting glimpses of my spouse, managed an emotional welcome at the finish chute, then carried him/her back to the hotel.  b)  but in a span of four days I spent 17 cramped hours in a flying steel cylinder reading, consuming imitation food, and pretending I'm asleep to avoid polite conversation with the overweight slog intruding in my personal seat space.  c)  but I saw this t-shirt thought it was just too cool.

Oct 11-12  St Louis metro area mountain bikers have been shredding Castlewood and Chubb for years, many unaware of the amazing Ozark Trail construction project being carried out in Missouri.   The Ozark Trail is a part of 25-year project to develop a trail way through the Ozark wilderness, from a point southwest of St. Louis to the Arkansas border.  The master plan calls for an eventual connection to the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas which would eventually create a 700-mile through-way.  Almost  550 miles of trail have been completed, with 350 miles in Missouri alone.  There exists a wealth of information on a comprehensive and very well done website.

Oct 6  CBS pulled an about-face from last year's airing of the Escape From Alcatraz by getting it right yesterday.  Despite the solid telecast, the highlight for this viewer had to be the Cliff Bar commercial that had a wetsuit-clad triathlete standing on a beach at the waters edge stating that he trains like he races.  A whistle sounds whereupon he makes a mad dash to the water only to be beaten by a gauntlet wielding American Gladiator type jousting poles.  He swims out flanked by boats with individuals who continue to pound him.  Anyone who has done a mass swim start can certainly identify.  Hilarious stuff

Fred and Rob Droney have launched an organization called Route66Rides that both creates and promotes bike rides for the benefit of the cycling community.  Thanks guys..... 

Talk about a race production company that offers a multisport event for everyone, Odyssey Adventure Racing in Virginia Beach, Virginia has no peer.  Their eleven Adventure races, training camps, and Navy Seal events would be enough to keep most staffs busy, but they also offer triathlons galore.  Their menu includes: half-iron, double-iron, triple-iron, a sprint off-road tri, sprint off-road du, and most interestingly, an early November weekend with both off-road half-iron and off-road iron-distance triathlons..... 

Results  The 2nd annual UltraMax Triathlon had it all on Saturday.  Brilliant blue skies, billowing clouds, clanging cowbells, incessant wind, brief showers, a full rainbow, cooling night air, fireworks, and enough food to feed an army, were punctuated by countless displays of grit and determination.  In an event that many first-timers used to test the iron-waters, the emotional finishes were no less compelling than in Kona itself.  The hot, humid, and windy 140.6 Big Island miles may actually be less challenging to its participants, 95% of whom represent the best long-course triathletes in the world.  To an iron-virgin, the distance is daunting enough, anywhere.  If the rookies were a big part of the show, then the veteran triathletes temporarily stole it.  Belgian native, Wim De Doncker, parlayed his 1:01 swim, 5:27 bike and 3:39 marathon into a 10:13 finish and a 17 minute win.  The women's division had Amy Livesay combine the female 2nd best swim along with the top bike and run splits to cruise in with a 15 minute margin.  The drama in the women's race deflated with the air in Lizzie Sloan's tire when she flatted, killing her chances to run with Livesay.  She pressed on, none the less.  Race Director, Mark Livesay, promised 40% less climbing, but what he delivered was 40% more wind.  A steady 10-20 mph breeze gusting at times to near 30, tested the will of cyclists.  The ride out of T1 took them north on a divided, four-lane Hwy 54 towards Eldon, Mo with over 1500 orange cones segregating the bikes and cars in both directions for over ten miles.  The terrain may not have offered as many total feet of climbing as last year's course, but once beyond Eldon, the two-lane rural road undulated like a random sine wave.  Once the cyclists were in, informed spectators rushed to the apex, an intersection runners passed through six times.  The double-loop marathon course teased runners with the finish area before sending them back out for another go.  Through it all, metro area athletes fared well with 2 firsts (Curtis Brooks and Bill Rudden), 3 seconds (Bill Fittro, Lizzie Sloan, and Bet Gorman) , a third (Thom Bick), and a fifth (Dave Nelson).  In magnanimous gestures, both OA winners won wetsuits but passed them down within their age-groups.  In an event that may have been a little under-attended this year, there was no shortage of heart.

If any adventure racers are reading this and are interested in purchasing Navy Seal survival gear, videos, and equipment, let me know.  I received an email from some folks who want to swap links

Event Review  Yesterday's Tour of the Ozarks, or Toto if you followed the road markings, gave no indication to the riders that they were in Kansas anymore.  Several challenging climbs of the long, grinding ilk served as reminders that this was indeed Missouri.  This charity-driven event offered a menu of 12, 25, 50, and 100 milers.  The organizers presented a very well-supported and efficiently managed event (can you say radio-controlled checkpoints?), but if only they had control of the government coffers for road paving.  I've been on few rides where the road quality was such a dichotomy of sublime rolling or pitted pounding.  The course may of had a split personality but these affairs are more about the human ones anyway.  From my two-wheeled cohorts and volunteers to the Small-town USA denizens with whom we chatted, all were warm and friendly.  However, I've got to give particular props to Route 66 Bicycles  who opened the shop just for me to get a skid lid, mine left behind during the sleepy-eyed car-loading phase.  After a post-ride inventory of both my teeth's fillings and bike's Allen bolts, the jury is out on a 2004 return engagement, but at least for now I can say I finally rode this one.

Copyright SwimBikeRunsStLouis 2002-03