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America's obesity epidemic is getting worse every day according to a study just published in the British medical journal the Lancet.
As you know weight is the enemy of endurance sports yet growing numbers of Americans are losing the battle of the bulge.
In fact, the new report found that not only Americans, but people all around the world are getting fatter and fatter each day.
The reason?
For the 42nd consecutive year dating back to 1970, some of the world’s top swimmers will unite in Honolulu, Hawaii to partake in the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, one of the world’s oldest and most iconic open water competitions. The 2.384-mile (3.84 km) race takes place on Labor Day, September 5, 2011, beginning at 9:00 am (HST) at Sans Souci Beach between the Natatorium and New Otani Hotel.
It will finish at approximately 12 noon on Duke Kahanamoku Beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. The race is held in conjunction with the seventh annual “Swim with Mike,” a scholarship fund providing financial means for advanced education to physically challenged athletes. Past scholarship recipients include 2010 Hawaii Pacific University graduate Joe Broc, Keith Kitamura of Kapaa High School and the University of Hawaii, Ann Yoshida of Mililani HS and Utah State University, as well as current student Tusi Mailo of Kahuku HS and BYU-Hawaii.
(Defending Champion, Paul Ambrose chasing Romain Guillaume during the 2011 Ford Ironman Louisville in the Ohio River)
Great footage of the professional triathletes during the swim portion of the 5th annual Ford Ironman Louisville. Watch as the defending champion, Paul Ambrose chases swim leader, Romain Guillaume from start to finish. Also see the inaugural winner of the Ford Ironman Louisville and now 2-time Ironman Louisville winner, Chris McDonald as well. You’ll notice The Real Macca a.k.a. Big Sexy, swimming without his swim cap. He pulled it off within the first mile of the swim; possibly to avoid overheating in the 85 degree water.
Continue reading "Video: Ironman Louisville Pro Swim Start" »
Every so often I drift over to one of those massive Internet triathlon forums (i.e., SlowTwitch: aka the Peanut Gallery, where anger issues come out to play) to see if anything new or exciting has surfaced. Alas, it rarely has. Rather, there seems to be constant bickering about this, that or the other: what equipment is "better"; why this method of training is better than that; why I'm a better person than you; etc.
Etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. Etcetera!
One of the things I don't understand about these acerbic forum idiots (and to be sure, idiots they are) is why they spend their time actually responding, especially when they're talking about what equipment is "better". Better than what?
For 2012 Volkswagen has completely redesigned the iconic Beetle.
The car that built and defined the VW brand is only three generations old but it now comes in three flavors.
Volkswagen plans on introducing a 2.5 Liter base model Beetle, and a 2.0L turbo-charged Beetle. A diesel TDI version will also follow soon.
For 2012 the new Beetle is all grown up and ready for college. Not only is the new Beetle 6 inched longer but it is also 3 inches wider.
The new 2012 Beetle also comes with a new manly design that hope to move the car away from the current mostly female buyer demographic....and yes the small bud vase is now gone. Instead the car has many more go fast parts including a squared off steering wheel and even 19 inch wheels as a option.
Continue reading "Review: The 2012 Volkswagen Beetle loses the bud vase and grows a pair" »
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge (USPCC) is making its way through my home state of Colorado and as avid cycling fans, we were determined to catch some of it. We grabbed the kids and made our way up to Vail to catch the time trial.
We decided to hang out at the finish end of the time trial and I was hopeful that due to its hilltop finish, it would be less packed. And it was, for a little while.
46-year-old Mark Wezka began to struggle less than 8 minutes into the swim portion of yesterday's Ironman Louisville according to published reports.
The Lancaster, N.Y. resident had to be pulled from the Ohio River at the start of the Ironman race with the help from another competitors.
According to the Courier-Journal.com, "Farmer said Wezka had been in the water for less than eight minutes when a boat monitoring the race was alerted by other competitors yelling for help.
The competitors were holding up Wezka, who was unconscious, and helped to get him in the boat. Resuscitation efforts were started in the boat and continued as he was taken to University Hospital. He never regained consciousness."
Continue reading "Cause of Ironman Louisville endurance athlete death under investigation " »
So the 2011 GORE-TEX® TransRockies is over. It was over for me pretty much in the first stage when my teammate did a face plant in front of me and I had to hop over her to avoid a major collision. In the process I rolled my recently healed ankle. I felt a searing pain and hobbled away from the scene in major discomfort.
So I did my best to run with a foot injury, but this is not like running a nice smooth road race. The Gore-Tex TransRockies offers up some of the gnarliest running terrain on the planet, and this does not bode well for any racer with a significant injury.
I was pretty impressed that my mind did a great job of blocking the pain for two and half days and 47 miles, but at mile 14, during Stage 3 from Leadville to Camp Hale, my brain sent a text to my body to shut down the power valves. With each mile up a steep long ascent, I felt the body slowing down and shutting down the gas! I was done, my mind and body were spent and with encouragement from teammate Lori, I decided to call it a day at the second check point. Game over!
Continue reading "2011 TransRockies: Reflections From The Side Lines" »
Are you bored with racing local triathlons? Tired of the same nasty pond water that geese regularly poop in, resulting in high bacteria counts? Ready to hit the open road or friendly skies in search of that ultimate destination race? So was I. My target was Ironman Boulder 70.3 and I was freaked out. Not about running a half ironman, I knew I could at least finish, but getting me and my stuff there.
These days airlines hit you wherever they can. Bag fees, bike fees and ridiculous flight prices are just a few. Some airlines charge you upwards of $200 EACH WAY to bring your tri bike and treat it like a caber toss in the cargo bay.
Stay thirsty, my friends. If you are ever vigilant you can find a way. Frontier airlines went bike feeless and all you pay for is the regular $25 fee as long as you stay under 50 pounds. Find a bike bag, pack my tri stuff and I'm off!
My venture is your gain. Here's a few tips about traveling to a triathlon with your gear and the bike bag I used.
Aussie triathlete Chris McDonald and German veteran Nina Kraft took the top podium spots today at the fifth edition of the Ford Ironman Louisville.
McDonald won the race on the strength of his race best bike split over second and third placed American triathletes Patrick Evoe and Justin Daerr.
On the women's side of the race it was all about German veteran triathlete Nina Kraft, who lead the race from the first swim stroke to the last step.
Continue reading "McDonald and Kraft win a hot and muggy Ironman Louisville " »
An athlete died during today's Ironman Louisville during the swim portion of the race. The death was due to an apparent cardiac arrest.
According to WDRB.com:
"Ironman officials report the death of an athlete at Sunday's Ford Ironman Louisville. The athlete experienced cardiac arrest during the swim portion of the event and was transported to University of Louisville Hospital. Pending notification of the athlete's family, the name and additional details are not being released at this time."
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American triathletes Jordan Rapp and Mary Beth Ellis crushed the competition today at Ironman Canada by easily winning the top podium spots.
Rapp combined a race best bike split of 4:38:06, and a race best run split of 2:53:17 to beat second place German Triathlete Torsten Abel by 13 minutes across the finish line (See video below).
In what is a epic win, red-hot triathlete Mary Beth Ellis finished 8th overall to surpass Erin Baker's historic 1990 course record by over two minutes in a total time of 9:03:13.
Continue reading "Video: Rapp and Ellis crush competition at Ironman Canada" »
Fifteen years into his career, Levi Leipheimer may be riding at his career best. Rebounding from a disappointing result at the Tour de France, Leipheimer won his third stage race this season Sunday with an 11-second win at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
While Daniel Oss (Liquigas) of Italy won the 70.9-mile final stage of the 518-mile inaugural race from Golden that included six five-mile finishing circuits in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 8 seconds, Leipheimer placed seventh to complete the inaugural weeklong race in which he led twice for and for a total of five days.
Leipheimer, 37, a Montana native who lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., and rides for RadioShack, assumed his second race lead with a slim victory in the stage 3 time trial in Vail. He also won stage 1 with a burst from lead group in the uphill finish in Mt. Crest Butte to take his first race lead.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — The overall standings of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge list Andy Schleck's name in an unusual place. The Luxembourg rider and three-time Tour de France runner-up is 34th overall and trails race leader Levi Leipheimer by nearly seven minutes.
Despite training for nearly two weeks at altitude, Schleck has had difficulty racing at altitude, which twice in the inaugural event has included exceeding 12,000 feet, several stages at more than 9,000 feet and the first stage at more than 10,000 feet.
But Schleck, who in July won stage 18, the Queen Stage of the Tour de France, high into the Alps, finally showcased his talents Saturday late in stage 5.
Schleck was part of a four-rider breakaway that rode at the front of most of the stage and built a five-minute lead. But with less than two miles left, Schleck went to the front alone.
Continue reading "Acura race report: Andy Schleck & altitude at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge" »
I don’t know about you but I live in fear of getting a puncture during a race. It’s the reason I ride clinchers and have never dabbled with tubs, punctures with them just sound so complicated, glue and tape and the possible need for a knife.
No thanks.
I practice changing tyres and fitting tubes but still to get one in a race would be a nightmare. This past Sunday it was my ‘A’ race, a half Ironman, in the city of Ely. “The Monster” it was dubbed. How I would have loved a puncture to have been my main problem, unfortunately the monster ate me up and spat me out in a horror show called a ‘Nightmare on Ely Streets’. (Sorry for the bad joke – couldn’t resist)
The swim was fairly uneventful, the usual battle of arms and legs, in cold muddy water. Thankfully the plentiful geese and swans just looked at the strange creatures filing past in silver caps, not inclined to defend their river with beaks.
The 1.9km was tough for me as it was all upstream against the current, it wasn’t raging but it was significant enough to make me some 10 minutes slower than I was expecting. I was out of the water in 51 minutes and as I ran through transition, little did I know that I had approximately eight minutes until the best part of my day would be behind me.
Onto the bike and I was feeling really confident as I got up to 23mph on perhaps the flattest and therefore fastest 56 mile bike course in the world. My garmin file would show later that it had -8m of elevation average. I just passed my cheering family and gave them a huge big grin, I was buzzing and feeling like I was going to challenge my pb of 5.35. Two minutes later as I reached 1.8 miles that feeling was destroyed.
