EverymanTri.com

Review: Do Belaga socks really help you move with speed?

To run with or without socks is a question that haunts beginner and experienced triathletes. It may even cause nightmares and painful blisters for those brave enough to experiment. There are numerous articles and forum threads dedicated to the idea that eliminating socks in transition will lead to great savings in time trying to put socks on wet feet. Many offer their two cents on what to do to eliminate painful sores and blisters that might result from going sockless.

If you’re crazy or dedicated enough to go without socks to save a few seconds, more power to you. The majority of age groupers shouldn’t have to go through the pain, anguish and anxiety of messing with going sockless since it probably won’t get them a podium spot or overall win. Blisters and days of agony versus saving some seconds in transition, which is better?

Bulu Box vitamin and supplement subscription sample box review

Have you ever picked up your race packet and goodie bag and gone through all of those samples?  Stash the butt’r, bullfrog and icy-hot sample for later and maybe check out the rest after the race.  It’s almost like Christmas for the triathlete.  You never know what you will get and sometimes you get a lump of coal, diamond in the rough or nothing at all (with today’s virtual race bags).

If you find yourself jilted by not getting any samples or goodie bag, or wanting more, then there’s an option for you.

Bulu Box (www.BuluBox.com) contacted us here at EMT labs (Kansas City division) to review their novel concept of vitamin and supplement subscription sample box.  Basically for $10 per month, you get a sample box shipped to your front door to try out the latest and greatest on the market.  When you receive your sample, for the most part the amount of product per shipment exceeds the value of the $10 you paid to get the sample box.  Consumers shouldn’t have to worry that they are getting shorted for their money.

Review: Tailwind Nutrition put to the test

Have you ever had to stop mid-race to depart with something you ate, at either end?  Sounds gross, but in the world of triathletes, it’s a very real problem.  Heat, distance, sensitive stomachs, taking in too much or taking in too little can result in mild stomach cramps to full on port-a-potty stops and even DNF’s.  It’s a tightrope walk to find the right combination of hydration and nutrition that works for any one given athlete.  Forget about what your friends use.  They may not sweat like a pig or have a cast-iron gut that can process anything.  You’re not Rambo who can eat things that would make a billy goat puke.

For those keeping tabs, personally I’ve had my issues with heat and nutrition at long course events in 2011.  It started at the Midwest Mayhem long course triathlon and continued at Ironman Boulder 70.3.  Both of these long course events occurred during the heat of the summer.  It’s also interesting as we triathletes age, our external appearance not only changes, but our internal functionality changes as well.  Items such as sports gels and energy chews no longer worked on log course and instead caused GI upset, gas and heartburn.  What was once a staple of training and racing had become the bane of my existence on the race course. 

Review: Kiefer swim gear Ergo Hand Paddles perform flawlessly

Ask any triathlete what their biggest fear of race day is, and undoubtedly you will hear them lament the open water swim.  Whether it’s fear of getting kicked, punched or freaking out in open water, triathletes as a large majority aren’t digging the swim.  It’s almost viewed as a necessary evil to get to the bike and run.

There are TIPS on how to survive the swim during the actual event, but there’s more that can be done before a triathlete ever dips their toe in the open water to be prepared.

It’s a well known fact that if triathletes want to be better at swimming, they need to practice swimming.  There are many ways to improve in the pool.  Triathletes can just swim freestyle for 2000 yards, do drills or swim with masters swim groups.  All are solid options to gain that experience and capacity to survive the swim.  When thinking of drills, images of kickboards, swim buoys, stopwatches and laminated swim plans by poolside dance in triathletes’ heads.

Review: The new MIO Alpha watch does away with the sweaty heart rate sensor

Anyone who’s been racing triathlons for more than one season has more than likely been monitoring their heart rate.  EMT has posted an article HERE about heart rate training and HERE about VO2 testing which gives athletes direct correlations between effort and heart rate.  Heart rate talk is everywhere on the triathlon forums and if a triathlete is serious about improving their performance, they cannot afford to ignore their heart rate.
 
The problem is how can triathletes afford it?  The average GPS watch these days comes with the capabilities to read ANT+ devices, and more specifically heart rate straps.  Those sometimes awkward straps that going around a person’s sternum and sit there to track beats per minute and relay that to a GPS watch or running watch with ANT+ capabilities.  Garmin, Timex, Polar and a host of other GPS watches and then a whole other host of running watches without GPS all can provide the platform to track heart rate with the chest strap. 

Review: The Timex Run Trainer is a fabulous 5 Star GPS running watch

Quick, what word comes to mind when you think "Ironman"?

Robert Downey Jr.?
Marvel comics?
Torture?
Pain?
Chrissie Wellington?
Craig Alexander?
140.6 miles?

What about Timex? It seems as though Timex has been around since the beginning, but often gets overlooked within the triathlon world outside of brand loyalists.  They were tracking splits and miles before GPS was fully operational in 1994. Timex has been around since 1854, but not until recently have they ventured into the GPS game.

The Timex Run Trainer is their answer to bringing all of the features in Timex watches that have been loved by triathletes to a GPS watch that is now the staple training device. A triathlete without a GPS watch is like a duck without feathers. Splits, distance, speed, pace, heart rate... triathletes have to have it.

Review: Evolution Solution Infinitize & Refinitize offer a solid option for the hydration and recovery

It's just a simple fact, in a long course triathlon you will not make it in one piece to the finish line without some form of caloric intake. Ok. Maybe that's a little dramatic, but any triathlete with a good head on their shoulders knows enough about the game to at least bring some sort of sports drink on the bike and take some aid station kool aid on the run.

There are a lot of choices when it comes to hydration. There's the standard fare that can be found in your local grocery store that's a viable option, but may not get you to the next level. You could tempt fate and just go with H2O or use sports gels for your calories, but what if the ole gut doesn't appreciate gels? Then what?

Now that it's been established that you NEED more calories and nutrients from your race fluid intake than your average store bought sports drink (or training fluid intake for that matter), lets consider some options. Even if you're not convinced, just go along and assume a valid point has been made.

Evolution Solution (ES) has reached out to have their Infinitize and Refinitize recovery mix tested out and reviewed.

Since late October of 2012, ES has been the primary mix for any training and race wise from the Kansas City North Face 50k  to the Operation Jack Half Marathon on December 29, 2012.

If the activity required fluids, ES was on hand for during and after. After extensive and maybe obsessive use, check out the results below.

Gear Review: Timex Global Trainer with GPS (Part 3)

Its been awhile since we looked at the Timex Global Trainer. PART 1  looked at getting it out of the box and getting up and running.   PART 2  ooked at setup anf taking the TGT into the pool for a few laps. 

This part 3 will look at the rubber meeting the road, literally.

Bike tracking and metrics measuring is a newer venture for Timex. Combining it with swimming and running into one watch is a bold new front for Timex as well.

Lets jump on the saddle and go over what the TGT can do for you on the bike.

As mentioned before, make sure you have updated the watch firmware or some features may not work properly. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to troubleshoot issues for two hours only to realize the latest update fixed your problem. This can be said for most any tech workout widget on the market.

Review: Scheckter’s Organic Energy Drink is a natural alternative to boost performance

If you’re like a lot of triathletes out there, New Year’s Eve was spent recovering from running around chasing the kids for the holidays and managing some sort of semblance of a training schedule while dashing around visiting family, friends and holiday parties.

How does a busy triathlete ring in the New Year? Not with a bottle of champagne, wine or even a beer, but with a protein shake and energy drink, but of course! What better way to work off the holiday calories and start the new year right than hitting some energy drink and running, biking or swimming into 2013? But wait, energy drink and health don’t really go together, right?

Review: CLIF Bar a good addition to fruits and veggies you might have for your snacks through a day

Most triathletes are keenly aware of two things.  They are fixated on training; being planning, accomplishing or analyzing.  They are also sensitive about nutrition.  The key is to what degree they are aware of what goes into their bodies.  If you are like the everyday age grouper, you try to keep your diet in check with fruits, veggies and wholesome foods that appear to contain nutritious characteristics. 

But, most triathletes are in the throes of a full time job, kids, spouse, loved ones, families and the gauntlet of the daily demands of life as a productive member of society.  It’s hard to stay on the right path, or at least what you perceive to be the right path if you don’t have time to read the labels and look up ingredient names.  Sometimes you don’t have the time to fix a wholesome meal from scratch.  Sometimes you’re at Timmy’s basketball game and the only option for a meal is the snack shop with hotdogs and hamburgers.

Review: Picky Bars are hit it out of the park in taste, consistency & performance

Have you ever been in a predicament of needing quality grubbefore you bust out a hour long zone 2 ride with 10 x 2:00 zone 4 repeats after work with nothing on hand and no time to stop anywhere?  Maybe you don’t need that fuel, maybe you are superhuman or maybe that type of workout is child’s play for you.  At any rate, you SHOULD eat something before a solid workout.  You’re engine can’t run without fuel.
 
If you’re like many closet triathletes, you head to your cube farm in your polo shirt and kakis in the morning and meticulously plan your day to cram in work, family, friends and a workout.  Raise your hand if you have a lunch bag or cooler that you pack your 6 portioned meals in to get the right protein and carb servings.  Or, maybe you just stash whatever food you could get on the way out of the door to drop kids off and get to work.

Review: How does does swim, bike, run and recover work with EAS?

Swim, bike, run and recover.  Sounds like a simple plan for the average age grouper triathlete.  Figure out your training plan, wake up at the crack of dawn if you have a job and family to get your workouts in, and execute.  But, don’t forget about the most essential part of the plan, recovery.
 
We’re talking about what you put into your body immediately after you work out.  Hopefully it’s not beer and pretzels, or worst yet, diet soda!  In one study , evidence indicated that athletes in heavy training will maintain a higher level of health and performance if they consume a carbohydrate-protein liquid supplement immediately following each workout.  That means less fatigue related injuries and issues if you refuel right after a workout.
 

Can money buy speed? Karbon Speed aero wheels reviewed

Can money buy speed?  That’s what you have to weigh when you fork over 4 figures for a newish-used high end aero wheels (and that’s for at least one wheel, and lets not even talk about the prices for brand new wheels).  Nowadays there are start-up companies producing aero wheels for the tri and cycling industry for lower prices.  What’s for real anymore?  Do you want the look, performance or both?
 
After trying stock race wheels, Zipp 404’s, Zipp 808’s, Zipp 1080’s, Renn 575 discs, Planet X 82/101 sets and more, you tend to get a pretty good feel for legit aero wheels and those trying to get a toehold in the market with lower prices.

How EverymanTri race tests the triathlon gear we review

You get it, you use it for a week or so, you write up your thoughts and move on to the next latest and greatest product.  That’s generally how it goes for product testing and reviews here for EMT and other sites.
 
Have you ever wondered, what happened to those products?  What becomes of the rest of that skin care product or that tri top?
 
Here’s your chance to peek behind the curtain and find out.  Most products are offered up with no conditions of return for the testing and playing.  They are tested, the report is written and the product either goes on a shelf, in the trash for one time use products, or into the rotation for training and racing gear.
 
If it’s good gear, there’s no reason to trash it.  Use it to its full extent and run it into the ground and see what happens.  That’s what’s currently going on with the Skin Strong Slather , BRD Sports achilles brace , and Simple Hydration water bottles .
 
See the links for each to see the initial review of the products.  For the most part, each product testing was a positive experience and the gear was quality and served a valid function and purpose in training and racing.

Gear Review: Timex Global Trainer with GPS (Part 2)

Last time we chatted about the Timex Global Trainer (TGT) was way before Kona and Pete Jacobs taking the pro men’s title.  The hot topic was what was in the box and how it appeals  to that kid at Christmas type of triathlete we all are with new gear.
 
It’s time to go to the next level.  How does this piece of GPS hardware handle the day in and day out demands of weekend warriors to competitive age groupers?
 
Setup
Setup is fairly straight forward, although you might have to do some hunting in the internet to find answers to common problem you might face.  The watch comes with a quick start manual.  If you want the complete soup to nuts of the operational features of the TGT, then you will have to hit up Timex.com for the complete user manual.  You have to be able to view adobe PDF’s and take time to sit down at your computer, but overall it’s less manuals and papers taking up space at your house.

Review: Gatorade G Series Pro Carb Energy Chews hit it the spot

If you don’t eat, you won’t finish.  Sure, you can get by on a sprint triathlon without really taken in any nutrition, but try that on an Olympic, 70.3 or 140.6 course and you could be asking for trouble.
 
Taking this to heart, EMT labs ran to the farthest reaches of the earth, to the Incan ruins, Amazon Jungle and Florida to find products that might help the everyday age grouper make it to the finish line.

Coincidentally, the tester for this nutritional product lives where Gatorade got their pro football start, in Kansas City, Missouri.  Now, Gatorade the sports drink is a staple of triathlons and endurance sports around the globe, but they have thrown their hat into the sports chew world with Gatorade G Series Pro Carb Energy Chews.