Since Florida summers are super hot and humid, and since it’s tough to get a quality workout in as the temperature goes up, I thought it might be a good idea to try out some of Emilio DeSoto’s new “SkinCooler” products. They supposedly wick moisture much faster than normal tech fabric (and still quicker than the wind whipping against you as you ride), allowing your body to keep cooler than it could if the skin was just bare.

I have tried four products: the helmet beanie, the arm coolers, the leg coolers and the l/s top:

HELMET BEANIE

I wear this most often under my cycling helmet, but also works as a running hat. It works well to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and does a decent job of keeping the head cool as well.

Even though I have short hair, I think the skin cooling component of this garment would work better if I had a shaved head. So, folks with longer hair, I’m not so sure if this product will work to its maximum effectiveness for you. Rating: 7/10.

ARM COOLERS

These would be awkward (but usable) for running, so I wear these only for cycling. They are tight-fitting and comfortable. They do a great job of blocking the sun from my arms; DeSoto claims 75% UV protection. Water poured on them feels great (even if it’s not cold).

You’re not going to make it suddenly feel like springtime when wearing the arm coolers, but I’ve found that you can usually get a little bit of temperature benefit from these, from blocking the sun and from the moisture wicking.

Below heat indexes of about 85, these don’t really work for me (I feel warmer instead of cooler) and if the temp is below 65, arm warmers are probably a better choice.

If nothing else, the UV protection you get from wearing these is an excellent reason to wear them. Plus, in the event that you crash, it’s one more layer between your skin and the pavement… 8/10.

LEG COOLERS

A lot of what I wrote about the arm coolers applies to the leg coolers. However, I don’t like these as much because they just feel awkward on my legs. Maybe it was just that my legs want to be FREE because of the warm weather, maybe it’s the seam that runs the length of the garment. But I can’t get motivated to wear these.

Maybe if I do a super hot weather long distance ride, I’d find a use for them. But for day-to-day riding, these stay in the closet. 5/10.

LONG SLEEVE RUNNING TOP

This is a tight-fitting garment designed primarily for running. It is relatively short in length but provides full coverage of the torso and back. I ordered mine with a single small pocket in the back so I could use it for cycling, or for storing gels on a long run. It ran true to size.

The garment wicks moisture very well. I noticed that the wind blowing on the sweaty garment often feels cooler on this garment than it does on other comparable garments. As with the arm coolers, pouring water on it feels great.

It’s a bit hard to put on, especially if you’re sweaty. And it’s not particularly useful as a standalone cycling garment, with its lack of spacious pockets and its see-through nature (ladies take note).

But this garment does generally serve its functional purpose, and at times it definitely feels cooler than running with no top on, due to the sun blockage and good moisture-wicking.

I will be wearing this shirt on the run portion of the Great Floridian Iron-distance tri later this year, where temps often climb into the 90s. 9/10.

OVERALL

The SkinCooler products are reasonably priced and perform as advertised.  They won’t work miracles–it’s still hot outside–but they make those long rides and runs a bit more tolerable.

The fabric is a bit fragile, and tends to pick up colors of whatever you wash it with (my helmet beanie is a bit red, and my arm coolers are a bit blue).  So treat the garment carefully for the first few weeks.

On a customer service note: I accidentally tore a hole in one of the arm coolers (my fault) and DeSoto was kind enough to send me TWO replacement coolers.  So I actually have three coolers now that I rotate on my rides.  Shop with confidence–DeSoto’s customer service is excellent.

All in all, these garments are not worth your time and money if you live in Vermont, but definitely give them a try if you live South. 8/10.

Unfortunately, bikes are expensive.  And, with the plethora of bikes to choose from, it’s easy to buy a bike that’s not quite right for you.

In general, I recommend that you do your first triathlon on the bike you already have–whether it’s a mountain bike, hybrid, whatever–just to see if you really like doing triathlons.  If it turns out you don’t enjoy triathlons, then you haven’t wasted your money!

However, if you do decide that you want to participate in triathlons long-term, it’s definitely worthwhile to purchase a triathlon bike.  They’re faster and more comfortable than a mountain or hybrid bike, and even an entry-level bike will last you a lifetime if you maintain it properly.

Here are my Top 10 recommendations for triathlon bikes in the 2010 season.

10. Specialized Transition Comp. Price: $2800.  This carbon-framed bike makes the list because of it’s adjustability (the seatpost allows for a wide range of riders to fit on it), the aerodynamics of the frame (which are generally thought to be good) and the reasonable price for an all-carbon 105 bike.  Many shops stock Specialized bikes so this should be relatively easy to order.

9. Felt B2. Price: $3799.  This is the second most expensive bike on this list, but it’s worth it if you have money to spend.  The “bayonet” fork system is supposedly more aerodynamic than just a head tube, the aerobars are the best on the market and the wheels are aerodynamic enough for racing while being strong enough for training.  The geometry is suitable to most riders, and the smallest two sizes (48 and 50cm) come with 650 wheels, which makes it much easier for women to fit on this bike.

8. Giant Trinity Advanced SL 2. Price: $5050.  This is the most expensive bike on the list.  I wanted to include one of the new “Superbikes” on the list, and I chose this one because one of them (Specialized’s Shiv) has recently been the subject of some bad publicity and the other (the Cervelo P4) has already had a lot written about it.  The attention to detail on this bike is amazing.  Ultegra shifting, aero wheels, carbon fiber everything–the only thing not to like is the fact that you’re spending $5000 on this bike.  (They have a $12,000 option that includes Zipp 1080 wheels and electronic shifting, but that’s just ridiculous.)

7. Leader 735TT. Price (frame only): $399.  If you’re mechanically inclined, you can build a perfectly good triathlon bike, using the Leader frame as a starting point, for a fraction of the cost of an entry level bike.  This aluminum frame comes with a 78 degree seat tube angle, for power and comfort in the aero position.  You’ll need to spend a few hundred additional dollars on the remaining components (fork, drivetrain, wheels, etc), but if this kind of project puts the fire in your step, then seriously consider the Leader frame.

6. Trek Equinox 7.  Price: $1869.  Trek’s entry level bike is not entry level at all.  The aluminum frame is very similar in performance characteristics to their higher-end carbon frame.  Trek is as ubiquitous here in the U.S. as any other brand, so you should have no trouble finding a Trek shop and determining if this bike fits you.

5. Cervelo P2. Price: $2800.  One of the most aero bikes out there, in spite of it’s relatively entry level price.  Cervelos are the most ridden bike at the Ironman world championships for a reason.  The simple design hasn’t changed in several years, because it simply works.  This bike should definitely be on your list regardless of the amount of money you’re willing to spend–it’s that good.

4. Quintana Roo Chiquilo Women’s. Price: $1599.  This women specific bike is very similar to the Tequilo (QR’s other entry level bike), but has some modifications that female riders will prefer.  Tthe smallest size comes with 650 wheels, which is great for lady riders.  The handlebars and saddle are all lady specific, and I guess the paint job is pink so that makes it lady specific as well.  Women can be a challenge to fit on tri bikes, but the Chiquilo makes it a bit easier.

3. Giant Trinity 0. Price: $1750.  I’m showing my bias for Giant bikes here–I ride a Giant triathlon bike and I love it.  However, the Trinity stands on its own.  It’s a full aero, aluminum framed bike with 105 components AND race-ready wheels for a measly $1750.  What’s not to like?  Unfortunately, few Giant shops have caught on to the fact that their tri bikes are awesome, so you’ll probably have to special order this bike sight unseen.  Take a chance–you will probably be pleasantly surprised at the value you get from this bike!

2. Felt B16.  Price: $1999.  Speaking of value, I can say with confidence that this bike, unquestionably, gives you the most value for your money of any bike on the market today.  This is the same full-carbon frame, minus the Bayonet fork system, that’s used on Felt’s higher end bikes (such as the DA and the B2 which I mentioned earlier).

You get the Felt aerobar system, which is the best on the market in terms of adjustability, comfort and price.  You get solid training wheels, which can be swapped for race-ready wheels once you’re ready to make that additional investment.  You get 105 shifting.  You get more bike for $2,000 than most other bikes that cost $2500 give you.  Don’t ignore this bike when shopping around–chances are you’ll seriously consider it.

1.  Entry level road bike, with forward seat post and clip-on aerobars. Price: $1000-$1500.  If you ever ride with other people, do a road race or crit, commute, or basically do anything other than triathlons with your triathlon bike, you’ll find that a triathlon-specific bike is very awkward (and possibly not safe) for these tasks.  A road bike can perform any of these tasks safely and comfortably.

To use a road bike optimally in triathlons, you’ll need a forward (or zero offset) seat post and clip-on aerobars.  The aerobars help you get into the prized “aero position” around which tri bikes are designed.  The forward seatpost helps put you into a more comfortable and powerful aero position by pushing your hips forward and reducing your hip angle at the top of your pedal stroke.

The only disadvantages of this setup is that it’s a bit awkward looking, doesn’t handle quite as well as a dedicated tri bike, and requires time to switch between a regular road setup and a tri setup.  However, the advantages of this setup–price, convenience of only having one bike, and flexibility to purchase a tri bike down the road while still having a perfectly good road bike–far outweigh the disadvantages for many triathletes.

If you’re new to triathlons, you should definitely seriously consider this option for your new bike purchase.  Especially if you’re on a budget and anticipate doing other kinds of riding outside of triathlon.

We’re kicking off the 2010 season here at the Pointy Helmet Coaching blog with a series of “Top 10″ posts. First up is a topic that comes up often in triathlon, whether you’re a beginner or veteran. Our sport attracts all kinds of people who say all kinds of silly things. Here is my Top 10 list of the silliest things that triathletes say!

10.  ”I need as light a bike as possible, because having lightweight equipment is very important.” Unless you’re climbing very steep grades, the weight of your equipment doesn’t really matter in triathlon.  Especially here in pancake-flat Florida, you’re much better served getting equipment that is as *aerodynamic* as possible, such as an aero helmet, deep section wheels and a skintight race suit.  Losing weight off your body always helps, but going from a 21 pound bike to a 19 pound bike will actually not gain you very much time in a steady-state cycling effort.

9.  ”I need to carry all of my nutrition with me during my race.” This depends on the distance you’re racing, but usually this is not necessary.

For triathlons with total duration under 90 minutes, you don’t need any nutrition (except for some water, probably in the form of a single bike bottle) unless it’s very hot or humid.

For races that are 90 minutes-3 hours, you can consider taking in some nutrition if you want, but you can usually get this from the on-course aid stations.

For Half Ironman races and longer, the course will almost certainly have well-stocked aid stations on the bike and run, so all you need to do is carry what you need to get from one aid station to the next.

That means rarely do you need more than 2 bike bottles, huge quantities of gels in your Bento Box, or that cumbersome Fuel Belt on the run.  Carrying less stuff = a more streamlined bike/run = a faster race.

8.  ”My bike is broken; I’ll just have my Local Bike Shop (LBS) fix it.” While sometimes it’s necessary to take your bike into the shop, the majority of bicycle maintenance and repairs can be completed by you, with some knowledge and practice.  I’ll be doing a separate article on this topic in the near future, but you should certainly be able to change your flat tires, clean your bike, adjust the shifting and replace certain parts without having to drop your bike off at your LBS.

7.  ”Doing these squats will help my bike strength.” Cycling is an endurance event.  Even if you’re pushing hard, you’re still doing 90+ “reps” per minute (i.e. each pedal stroke) at a relatively low “weight.”  Any strength training you do should be as specific as possible to your athletic needs, which for most triathletes means a focus on functional strength and injury prevention  High-weight, low-rep squats just don’t fit into that plan for triathletes.  Go ride instead!

6.  ”I can do that flying mount/dismount on race day, even though I’ve never tried it before!” The flying mount is when, exiting T1, you jump on your bike in one swift motion.  The flying dismount is when, approaching T2, you jump off your bike and hit the ground running, literally.  For both maneuvers, your shoes remain clipped to the pedals the whole time.  Both are difficult to do (the mount is harder than the dismount), and unless you practiced before the race, you shouldn’t do the flying mount or dismount.  Too many triathletes have injured themselves (or others) by attempting the flying maneuvers without having mastered them in practice.  You only save a few seconds with each, and if you screw them up you risk injury.  Don’t do these unless you’ve practiced them.

5.  ”Aero helmets look silly.  I won’t be wearing one.” Rubbish!  Pointy Helmets, in terms of “dollars spent per second of time saved” are one of the most efficient ways to spend your equipment budget.  Only aerobars and a skintight suit are more cost-effective.  Once you’ve decided you’re serious about triathlon, go get your aero helmet.  Get one of the ones with the long tail that covers your ears–there are several models on the market that cost between $100 and $200.

4.  ”I’m going to pump my tires to 160psi, that will make me faster!” The notion that higher tire pressure is always better is one of the most common (but easily correctable) misconceptions among cyclists and triathletes.

The reason we use pneumatic tires (i.e. tires with a layer of pressurized air between the tire and the wheel proper) is because the road surface we ride on isn’t perfectly smooth.  The layer of pressurized air absorbs the minor imperfections in the road surface, allowing the wheel to glide along efficiently.  Obviously, if there’s not enough air in the tire, the tire will deform too much, causing increased rolling resistance.  However, if there’s too much air in the tires, the wheel will “bounce” over the imperfections in the road surface, wasting energy with each bounce!

The goal is to put enough air in the tires to minimize tire deformation, but not so much that the wheel bounces around.  For most riders, assuming 20-23mm tire width, this pressure is between 100-125 psi.  Less for smaller riders and rider tires, more for larger riders and narrower tires.

3.  ”You don’t need to buy all that aero equipment.  Just go train more!” This is a false dichotomy.  The amount of training you do is completely independent of the amount of money you spend on equipment.  Spend as much on equipment as your budget can afford, while also training as much as your schedule can allow.  It’s really that simple!

2.  ”I don’t deserve to buy all of that go-fast equipment.” This is the second cousin once removed of #3.  It implies that you’re not fast enough for the aero equipment to make a difference.  The reality is that aero equipment works at all speeds, and in fact will save you *more* raw time at slower speeds!  If it makes you happy to buy that set of aero wheels, then by all means go for it, even if you ride the bike leg of a sprint triathlon at 14mph!

1.  ”People will make fun of me if I show up at my first triathlon with a mountain bike.” False.  We were all new to triathlon at some point.  Doing your first triathlon on whatever bike you already have isn’t embarrassing, it’s a smart financial decision.  If you buy a fancy bike, and then decide after your first race that triathlon isn’t for you, then you’ve just lost a bunch of money.

Besides, most triathletes at your first race will be too absorbed in themselves to even notice you.  Of the 10% that do notice you:

• 30% will smile, and/or offer words of encouragement to you.  Most triathletes recognize that it’s in everyone’s best interest to maintain a positive environment at these races, to encourage triathletes to keep racing.
• 65% will notice you, feel positive toward you, but not say anything.  I fall into this category.  I privately say to myself, “oh cool, a new triathlete–I hope she has a good time today!” but I decide to say nothing because I’m awkward and would probably end up accidentally saying something stupid.
• 5% will make a face at you or say something stupid.  However, these are the sort of people that you’d ignore under normal circumstances–they’re just douchebags.  Take pride in the fact that you’re a better person than them (and you’re probably faster than them)!

So, about 0.5% of triathletes will treat you negatively for bringing a MTB to your first race.  These people are assholes anyway.  The remaining 99.5% will either do nothing or give you positive encouragement.  Ride your mountain bike with pride!

To start, this suit is TIGHT. I’m right in between their size small and medium (I’m 5′8″, male, 145lbs), and they suggested I go with the small as they tend to stretch a bit with use. When I put it on for the first time, it took me a while to get it positioned on my body correctly. Not as long as putting on a wetsuit, but longer than a normal one piece tri-suit. My “massive” pecs and lats spill out of the top of the suit, and there is no “jiggle” whatsoever in the spare tire region of my midsection. NICE.

The crotch area on this suit is designed differently than most other tri-suits. There is no chamois padding. Instead of taking the traditional “let’s lock everything in place” approach to genital engineering, the Amphibian offers freedom to move through careful positioning of the seams. It’s a slightly weird feeling going for your first run in the suit and experiencing the freedom the Amphibian has to offer.

The suit has a small zipper placed in the back to conform to ITU regulations. I cannot zip it up myself, I have to have someone else zip me in. I can, however, easily unzip it with the attached pull-cord-thingy. Unzipped, the suit holds its shape decently and allows for a bit more ventilation.

Inseam length is perfect for me. It’s shorter than most cycling shorts, but not so short to look funny. Of course, inseam length is mostly a personal preference, but if you’re a short dude like me you’ll probably be pleased. The silicone leg grippers are nice.

The suit is very, very, VERY light. It almost feels like paper when you’re holding it. Kiwami advertises the dry weight at 100g, and I’d believe it. My underwear weighs more than this suit. Now, usually suit weight is not super important to one’s performance, but if you’re a speed demon like me (HA!) every last gram is important.

Okay, now for a sport-specific review of the suit.

SWIMMING

This suit is FAST in the water. The fabric actively repels water and sometimes little bubbles form, which may provide some buoyancy. I’m not sure how much faster I am in this suit compared to a speedo, but I felt slippery in the water. For non-wetsuit swims, I’d certainly have a small edge over those wearing just a tri-suit, and I’d probably be on relatively even footing with those wearing a swim skin. The cut in the shoulders does not hinder my range of motion in the slightest.

The suit simply does not retain water. I did a swim and then immediately went out for a run, and after 2 minutes of running, the suit was completely dry. This thing is just ridiculous. Not having 400g of water on your body when you start the bike can probably make at least a small difference in both your speed and your core temperature (especially if it’s cool outside).

CYCLING

The suit doesn’t flap around in the wind at all, which is awesome. However, the lack of any pockets and a chamois pad mean that this suit is really only suited for short rides. I would personally not want to race in this suit at anything over Olympic distance–maybe Half Ironman if I worked my way up to it.

However, keep in mind that this suit is explicitly NOT designed for long course–if you want a long course suit, Kiwami’s Kaiman is much better suited for the task. So the above criticisms are admittedly misplaced. The Amphibian is just fine for short course cycling, which is exactly what it was designed to do. You don’t need pockets or a chamois pad when you’re only riding for an hour or less.

RUNNING

I love the feel of this suit while running. It’s compressive, yet allows for freedom of movement, particularly in the crotch area. There are no chafe spots, as all of the seams are placed in non-critical areas. I’m told that the suit is also very flattering, which is important for us age group athletes.

I chose the Nero/Savoia/Bianco color combo. The black (I guess that’s the “Nero” part) is flattering, but it does get a bit warm at times on the run. However, this is not a big deal, especially considering the duration of the races in which you’ll use this suit.

SUMMARY

The Amphibian is an amazing suit for short-course racing. It’s a serious piece of equipment designed for a specific purpose. Use it for anything else (long course racing, weightlifting, tea parties) and you will probably be disappointed. But if you’re a short course athlete looking for every last bit of speed, the Amphibian is absolutely, unquestionably the suit you want.

With a few notable exceptions (professional and elite short-course racing), it is illegal to draft in triathlons.  However, the specifics of what exactly is considered drafting are a bit confusing.  If you’re a new triathlete, it’s particularly important for you to understand the drafting rules, primarily for your safety and secondarily to maintain the ethics of the sport.

So, what is “drafting?”

• When cycling, riders must keep their bike more than 3 bike lengths of the rear wheel of the rider in front of them. 3 bike lengths is a long distance.  Get out your bike, pace off 3 meters (10 feet) and visualize what that distance looks like.  There is one (AND ONLY ONE) exception to this rule.  See the next point.
• If you want to pass the rider in front of you, you may do so.  You have FIFTEEN (15) seconds to pass the rider. During this time you may enter the 3 bike length draft zone.  ”Passing” is defined as the front wheel of your bike overtaking the front wheel of the other athlete’s bike.
• Once you have passed the rider in front of you, the other rider has FIFTEEN (15) seconds to drop back to the legal distance of 3 bike lengths. To assist in this, continue to maintain your speed as you pass the rider.  That way, the overtaken rider doesn’t have to hit the brakes to get behind you.
• If you get closer than 3 bike lengths to the rider in front of you, you MUST pass the athlete.  If you do not, you will get a drafting penalty. You CANNOT approach the rider and drop back without passing.  There is only one way out of the draft zone, and that’s by passing the rider.  (The reason behind this seemingly unusual rule is this–even at 3 bike lengths, there’s still a noticeable drafting benefit.  If this rule did not exist, an athlete could “hover” between 2 and 4 bike lengths behind a rider for an extended duration, getting a nice draft in the process.)
• If you take longer than 15 seconds to drop back to 3 bike lengths after being passed, you will get a drafting penalty. Men, if a lady is passing you let her go.  Don’t try to catch her.  You’ll only humiliate yourself and get a penalty in the process.
• During your 15 second passing period, you may be anywhere within the draft zone.  It is LEGAL to get right behind the rider you’re about to pass and then “slingshot” around him or her–provided you do it all within 15 seconds.
• During this whole process, you must stay as far to the right as is practicable.  When you’re riding on your own you should be to the right anyway.  When you’re passing an athlete, you should pass on the left, but stay as far right as you can.  Certainly, do not cross the yellow line.  After passing, move back to the right so as not to be in a “blocking” position (riding too far to the left).
• It is polite (but not required) to announce “on your left” as you are passing the rider.  Give the rider plenty of advance notice so they don’t get startled and swerve into you as you’re trying to pass them.

Even if the race you’re doing is crowded and/or flat, if you can follow these rules, not only will you avoid costly penalties, but you’ll be improving everyone’s race experience–including your own!

The Cemetery TT is a fixture of the Gainesville community. The Team Florida collegiate athletes use it as a benchmark to gauge their fitness, and the strongest Gainesville cyclists use it as a low-key chance to duke it out against the clock. After all, in the “race of truth,” the clock never lies.

For full disclosure, I have never participated in this race. There has only been one instance of the Cemetery TT since I moved to Gainesville, and I had a prior commitment. I have, however, participated in more than my fair share of triathlons (of which the cycling leg bears a strong resemblance to a standalone TT) and time trials of all distances.

The distinguishing feature of the Cemetery TT is the set of unique, arbitrary and unusual equipment restrictions. To quote Team Florida Cycling coach Phil Gaimon on the equipment rules:

“Equipment rules: aerobars, TT bikes, deep clincher wheels, shoe covers, and skinsuits are okay.
Aero helmets, tubular wheels, disc wheels, and trispokes are prohibited. You will not get scored if you come out on this stuff, because aero helmets aren’t as safe in the event of crashes, and no one wants to stand around while you change a flatted tubular or try to find a tube with a 2-mile valve.”

Of course, some of this reasoning is simply illogical.  Aero helmets are no less safe than regular vented helmets in a crash, and during a TT there is no one “standing around” waiting for you to change your flatted tubular.  (In fact, a flat tubular is faster to change than a flat clincher, if you do it right!)

So I followed up with Phil on this issue, and he cited two reasons for these equipment restrictions:

1. It’s the way things have always been done.
2. Since most collegiate athletes can’t afford fancy gear, we want the technological playing field to remain level.

Of course, reason #1 is fundamentally flawed.  Not only is the fact that something has been happening for a long time NOT proof that it is correct, the UCI (International Cycling Union) has a track record of changing equipment restrictions that have been in place for a long time.  Example: the retroactive changing of the Hour Record equipment rules, invalidating Boardman’s and Obree’s hour records that they set in grotesquely awesome positions with some hideously fast equipment.

Reason #2 is, in theory, a perfectly valid reason for implementing equipment restrictions.  There are few higher priorities in the sport of cycling than encouraging new athletes to compete at a high level.  The cost of TT equipment is a legitimate hurdle that these athletes must overcome to be competitive.  Setting equipment restrictions is a simple and effective way of allowing college athletes to get competitive experience without sacrificing their student loan payments.

However, the current equipment restrictions do not adequately reduce the financial barrier to entry of these cyclists.  The use of TT bikes adds a minimum of $1500 in cost to a collegiate cyclist looking to be competitive.  The use of deep clincher wheels is also another expense, as TT wheels are often deeper, heavier and less practical than the aero wheels used in road and crit racing.

Additionally, some of the equipment banned by the current rule-set makes no sense from a financial standpoint.  Aero helmets are not particularly expensive ($100-$200, about the same as a good set of clip-on aerobars, which are LEGAL under the current rule-set).  Tri-spoke wheels are perhaps the best “bang-for-your-buck” wheelset a college athlete could get.  Tubular wheels are often cheaper than their clincher counterparts, especially when obtained secondhand.  Wheel covers for a training wheel, effectively turning the wheel into a super-aero disc wheel, cost $100, a very reasonable price.  All of these pieces of equipment are banned on the pretense of either safety or convenience, both of which are largely non-factors in time trial racing.

The current equipment restrictions for the Cemetery TT are not appropriate.  They do not keep costs down for college athletes, and include the nonsensical banning of perfectly reasonable equipment.  Additionally, they do not allow those with tons of aero gear the chance to actually use a significant portion of their equipment.

So, what *should* the equipment restrictions be?

Simple.  Ban all aero equipment, period.  Run the TTs in an “Eddy Merckx” style–no aerobars, no deep wheels, no aero helmets, nothing.  Let the college athletes show up on the same road bikes they use for their weekly training rides and duke it out.  Total extra cost: $0.  (Well, maybe clip-on aerobars would be OK.   The expense is reasonable, it’s easy to install/remove them for the TTs and they get the athlete 95% of the way to a full-on TT setup in terms of the total bike/rider aerodynamic package.)

Also, maintain a “best human effort” competitive category as a throwaway.  This would be for the athletes who want to show up with their disc wheels, aero helmets and other aero gadetry.  For many athletes, simply getting a chance to use their aero gear in a competitive setting is half of the run!  (Course records could not be set in this division.  Intra-category records could, of course, be set, but the official course record would have to come from the Eddy Merckx division, just as the current Hour Record does now.)

The collegiate cycling TT equipment rules are scheduled to change next year (for all non-A riders) or the year after (for the A riders).  Aero equipment will be severely restricted.  For college athletes, this is unquestionably a GOOD thing.  It’s time that the Cemetery TT followed suit.

November has arrived.  In most of the United States, that means the return of cold weather, indoor cycling, layered sweaters and hot cocoa.  It’s an exciting time of year if you’re into frostbite and icy mustaches.

On the other hand, here in Gainesville, November means it’s time to break out the arm warmers on a cool morning.  November is a great time of year for athletics in Gainesville, as the climate is enjoyable for all outdoor activities, including swim/bike/run.

However, if you’re a triathlete, despite the nice weather, November marks the beginning of the off-season.  Here’s what you should be doing:

1. Take some time off! This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do during the off-season.  Without extended periods of rest, your body simply can’t recover from the extended periods of hard training you put your body through during the summer.  Recovery happens on a micro (day-to-day) scale, macro (week-to-week) scale, super-macro (month-to-month) scale, and super-duper-ultra-macro (year-to-year) scale.  So take some super duper ultra time off and enjoy the holidays. Note that taking time off doesn’t mean that you have to stop training altogether.  I recommend a 40-50% reduction in volume, and a huge reduction in intensity, from your peak training week.  So, if you hit 20 hours in your biggest week, you should be training no more than 10-12hours/week during the offseason.  This will help to maintain fitness and keep your weight in check.
2. Take stock of what you accomplished this season. Did you reach your goals?  Did you increase your fitness?  What did you learn from your training and racing experiences?  Write all of this stuff down for future reference in your training log.
3. Set some goals for next season. These goals should be specific, measurable and attainable (with hard work and dedication).  They should build off what you accomplished this season, and improve upon it.  ”Get faster” is not a good goal.  ”Finish Miami Man in under 6 hours” is a good goal.  So is “Ride the 40k TT on May 15 in under 61 minutes.”  Focus on your “limiters,” the aspects of your racing you could most improve.
4. Closely related to #3 is: choose your important races for the upcoming season. You don’t need to choose every race you’re going to do, but outline the important races, of which there should be three at most.  These are your “A” priority races, for which you’ll focus your training specifically.
5. Working backward from your “A” races, schedule your training periods. Most athletes benefit from “periodization” of workouts, or putting your body through different training stresses depending on where you are in relation to your target races.  (Specific periodization techniques are the topic of another post).

Avoid the temptation to hammer your off-season training rides, runs and swims.  I can’t stress this enough!  Best case is you’ll be in great shape for that Christmas triathlon that doesn’t exist.  Worst case is you’ll injure yourself and be out of commission completely for an extended period of time.

Lastly, the off-season is a great time to remind ourselves why we enjoy doing this endurance sport stuff.  Go for a nice easy ride and enjoy the scenery!  Go for a late afternoon run and watch the kids playing in the park!  Go for a relaxing swim to blow off steam after work!   After a long, hard season of grinding out one tough workout after another, you deserve it.

One of the side affects of tapering is that, by suddenly going from 22 hours/week of training to 12-14 hours/week (and that’s not including shower/dressing time, breaks during the workouts and pit stops, btw) is that I have a lot more time and energy to think about things.

So, one of the things I’m doing is making a detailed plan of how I’m going to execute my race, starting with the day before the race itself. This is what I have so far.

Style note–I’m writing this as a “letter to myself,” i.e. in the second person, with occasional comments addressed to you, the reader, in italics. So, as you read, don’t let this unusual writing style throw you off

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Cliffs Notes version:

1. Avoid stress before the race.
2. Give yourself plenty of time before the race starts to compose yourself.
3. Swim easy and to the outside.
4. Bike easy, especially in the first 50 miles. Let the bike superstars go–you’ll catch them on the run. Maintain a constant power output except for on a few hills. Stay aero.
5. Run easy for the first loop, then push and give it all you have left toward the end.

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Long version:

Day before race:

Wake up early (6 or 7-ish). Have a big breakfast, similar to what you’ll have on race day. Head over to the race site.

Workout: Swim a portion of one loop of the swim course wearing your wetsuit. Cut the loop short to make it about 20 minutes of swimming. The key to this workout is swimming the start and the exit out of the water at the completion of the swim. Get an idea of what sighting will be like on race morning.

Workout: Immediately following, perform a short bike/run workout. 10-15 minutes each, just to get your legs moving a bit and make sure all equipment is in order. On each leg, do 3-4 accelerations to race pace (zones 2 and 3). If biking is not available due to logistics, no big deal–just do the run.

After the workout, drop off your bike and transition bags. (At Ironman, athletes assemble everything they’ll need in each of the two transitions into a bag–one for T1 and one for T2.)

In your T1 bag will go:
- Helmet
- Shoes (I’m using normal bike shoes instead of tri shoes for Ironman)
- Race Number and Belt
- Chamois cream (hey, it’s an 112 mile bike ride! Gotta lube up!)
- Arm warmers
- Socks
- Sunglasses

In your T2 bag will go:
- Running shoes
- Running socks
- Body glide
- Visor
- Spare sunglasses
- Race Number and Belt

Once the bike is dropped off, you’ll head back to the hotel and get away from the crowds and stresses of the race site. You don’t want to spend any more time around the loud noises, heavy traffic and testosterone-filled athletes than you have to. Take your parents (who are awesome and driving up from suburban Chicago to see me race) out to see a movie!

After taking care of any social obligations and returning to the hotel, assemble your “special needs” bags (bags of stuff that are available to me halfway through each of the bike and run legs).

In your bike special needs bag will go:
- Bottle of special Infinit Nutrition carbohydrate mix
- Spare flat fixing equipment
- PBJ sandwich

In your run special needs bag will go:
- Socks
- PBJ sandwich

Early dinner, shave down (legs, face) and get into bed by 9pm. Take two Benadryl tablets to help you get to sleep. (I’ve used these in training with regularity, they make me very relaxed and drowsy with no adverse side affects.)

Race Day:

4am: wake up. Breakfast is your normal fare: large bowl of cereal + bagel w/cream chese OR a PBJ sandwich + fruit OR yogurt. Probably about 800 calories. No coffee. Dressed (race attire under street clothes) and out the door by 5am.

5:30am: enter the transition area. Drop off your special needs bag and your dry clothes bag (which is just the stuff I was wearing to get to the race site that I’ll wear once I finish), get bodymarked, pump your tires, fill up your aero bottle with water, put on your timing chip, take an Immodium tablet (to avoid GI issues) and perform any other last-minute preparations.

6am: If all goes well, you’ll be finished with your pre-race prep by now. Relax.

I’m giving myself *plenty* of buffer time before the race starts at 7am for several reasons:

1. I want to be able to hang out with my friends and family before the race. They are taking the time to come see me and I want them to be actively incorporated into your race experience.
2. I want to give myself extra time in case something goes wrong (flat tire before the race, missing equipment, bad weather, long lines, etc).
3. I want some time to myself just to relax and unwind.

6:30am: put on your wetsuit and swim gear, say goodbye to friends and family and start moving toward the race start. Take your first No-doz tablet (200mg caffeine, equivalent to two cups of coffee) at this time. The pros start at 6:45, and then us mortals start at 7am.

7am: Ironman Wisconsin 2009 starts with a 2.4 mile swim. All 2300 athletes start at the same time, which can be a chaotic experience. Unfortunately, you suck at swimming and will be swimming right in the middle of the pack, around 70-75 minutes. That means you’ll have to deal with a lot of traffic. Start the swim to the *extreme* outside (the shore side), but somewhat toward the front. It’s better to get swam over by faster swimmers trying to get around you than kicked in the face by slower swimmers that you’re trying to pass.

With each of the 7 left hand turns, move closer and closer to the turn buoys. The first and second turns (at 800 meters and 1000 meters after the start respectively) are going to be the most crowded, so if you can get through those turns safely you should be OK.

In terms of pace, swim easy. Your HR will be high due to nervousness and the general stress of open water swimming, but your effort should be very, very low. Make a good effort to find some feet to draft and generally take it very easy. Even split the two swim loops.

Transition 1: the transitions in Ironman Wisconsin are long, due to some long runs between the swim exit and bike/run areas. Run out of the water, get your wetsuit stripped off, and run into one of the big rooms at the convention center. Pick up your transition bag, put on your helmet, apply chamois cream, put on arm warmers if necessary, put on socks and go get your bike (carrying your shoes in your hand as they’re hard to run in). Once you get your bike, run up to near the mount line, put your shoes on and head out on the bike.

The 112 mile bike leg consists of a 16 mile outbound trip from Madison to Verona, followed by 2 loops of 40 miles clockwise to the north and West of Verona, and then a 16 mile inbound trip back to transition.

Split the ride into four sections:

Mile 0-30: this roughly corresponds to the outbound leg from Madison to Verona, plus another 15 miles toward the town of Mt Horeb. This is actually a very difficult part of the bike leg. Many people, feeling good after the swim, ride this section too hard. The terrain is also tricky, as there’s a very slight elevation gain throughout the first 30 miles, and it’s easy to get impatient with the slow pace of the beginning of the Ironman bike leg.

Keep a medium cadence (85-90) and don’t be afraid to lose some speed and shift down to the small chainring on the false flats. I’m using 50/34 chainrings and an 11-26 cassette, which gives me a very nice range of gears from which to choose, on rollers, flats and downhills.

Get started on your nutrition as soon as you get away from transition, as well. In addition to your Infinit carbohydrate mix, take a PowerGel and water at most aid stations (every 10 miles or so).

Most importantly, LET THE BRAINLESS TESTOSTERONE MEN PASS YOU. DON’T CHASE THEM. Everyone feels like a champ 20 miles into the bike course. Let them go. You’ll probably catch up with them again in a few hours when they blow. (And if you don’t catch them, no big deal–they’re probably Kona qualifiers and well out of your league anyway.)

Miles 31-60: this roughly corresponds to the rest of the first loop of the bike course. This features the most technically challenging terrain of the course, with many steep rollers and a few more significant climbs. It’s OK to go just a tiny bit harder on some of these climbs than on the flats (especially if you catch a glimpse of your friends and family!), but with your low gearing (34/26 is a pretty short gear) you have no excuse not to keep a high cadence up these climbs. Do NOT play “catch-up” games with the other athletes. Race your own race. Continue to be consistent on your nutrition, and aim to finish the first bottle of Infinit by mile 50, and pick up the second bottle of Infinit at special needs around mile 55. Take your second No-doz tablet after three hours of racing.

Miles 61-90: this is most of the rest of the second loop. This will be mentally challenging because you’re going to start to feel some fatigue at this point. Put out a bit more effort during this portion of the bike, drop cadence a bit (80-85) and focus on maintaining good pedaling technique and staying in the aero position. Remain seated on all climbs and don’t waste any energy. It will start to become more difficult to consume nutrition, but suck it up (literally).

Miles 91-112: aside from one medium climb around mile 100, this is all downhill to transition. Finish up your bike nutrition, shift down a gear and spin nice and fast (93+ rpm) into transition. This is the easiest part of the bike leg, but keep your focus so you don’t lose time for stupid reasons. Take your third No-doz tablet after 6 hours of racing.

Transition 2: KEEP MOVING! Shoes remain attached to the pedals heading off the bike. Run into the convention center, remove your helmet, put body glide on your feet, put on socks and shoes, grab visor and race belt, and head out. It will be tempting to dawdle. Don’t do it.

The run course is 6.55 miles out, 6.55 miles back, performed twice.

Split the run course into four sections:

First three miles: Get into some kind of slow, easy rhythm. These first few miles will probably suck a lot, but just take short, easy, confident strides and get through the first 3 miles in about half an hour. These first three miles are critical for nutrution, as well–take in a gel at almost every aid station to “bank” calories for later in the run, when digestion becomes more difficult.

Rest of the first loop: Stay conservative. Don’t push the pace. Continue to hydrate and take in gels. Run on the grass when possible. KEEP RUNNING! Don’t walk unless there are serious problems (such as an injury or serious chafing). Aim to finish the first loop in around 2:05, which is a brain-dead slow pace for you.

First half of second loop: This is where the race gets batty. you’ll be tired and your mental energy will be at its lowest. Again, KEEP RUNNING and do not let your pace drop. You should have the energy to run the same speed or hopefully slightly faster at this point. Nutrition will become more difficult, but it’s still necessary to keep your energy up for the last hour of the race. Take your fourth (and final) No-doz tablet at the start of the second loop.

Second half of second loop: These last 6.5 miles will be a yo-yo between “it’s almost over” and “oh man this still hurts for seriously.” Mentally, hopefully things will be getting easier, but your legs will be pretty dead. Hopefully you’ll have enough energy to maintain your previous pace and finish up the race even-splitting the run.

After the race, drink and eat what you can, get one of the brief free massages that they offer, catch up with friends and family, clean up and eat again.

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Chances I’ll remember all of this stuff during the race? Minimal. But I find that writing it down and organizing it into something coherent helps me focus on the task at hend.

And did he ever run fast.

Bolt beat his Beijing time by over a tenth of a second, running the distance in an astonishing 9.58 seconds.  The wind was a slight tailwind of 0.9 m/s, well within the legal limit of 2.0 m/s.  Tyson Gay claimed second place, running the third fastest time in history, 9.71 seconds (an American record as well).

Watching Usain Bolt sprint is like watching Michael Phelps swim.  He makes the distance look easy.  His tall and relatively lanky stature makes for unbeatable speed in the middle and later stages of the race.  What an amazing athlete.

The only remaining question is: when will Bolt run even faster?

In the transition area, you neither have to pay a dollar cost nor a training (time) cost to improve your time.  It’s “free” speed!  Here are some tips to improve your transition times:

1. Minimize the amount of stuff you have in your transition area.  This is the MOST IMPORTANT TIP.  Keep it simple.  For T1, you need only your bike helmet, bike shoes and optional sunglasses and socks.  Leave the gloves in the car unless it’s cold.  Leave the gels in your transition bag–they’ll have them on course.  Wear your tri top under your wetsuit, wear a one-piece suit or go without a top.
2. If the transition spots are not assigned to you, try to get a spot as close to the bike OUT as you can, and as close to the center aisle as you can.
3. Put your helmet on top of your bike handlebars, so you don’t have to bend down to pick it up.  If you wear sunglasses, put them inside your helmet.  Set the straps up so when you put your helmet on, the straps fall to the sides and you can buckle your helmet quickly.
4. If (but only if) you have practiced this, start the bike with your shoes already clipped to the pedals.  When you start the bike, get up to full speed and then insert your feet into your shoes.  Again, this takes practice and can be dangerous if you haven’t practiced it.
5. When you run to/from the mount line with your bike, hold your bike by the saddle, NOT the handlebars.  You can run a lot faster this way.  Your front wheel will be just fine, and you can microsteer with your hand on the saddle.
6. Leave your bike shoes on your bike when you complete the bike leg.  Dismount the bike in your bare feet/cycling socks.
7. Use quick laces on your running shoes, or pre-tie your running shoes.  Don’t waste time tying (or even worse, untying) your shoes in T2!
8. Put on your race belt, run sunglasses and hat as you are leaving transition.  Don’t stand around and put these things on–you can do it on the go!
9. Don’t eat or drink anything in transition.  Again, you can do these things on the go!
10. Lastly, move quickly through transition, but stay calm.  Have a mental checklist of all the stuff you need to do in transition.  Do it all but do it quickly.