EverymanTri.com

This Thanksgiving please help someone less fortunate and pay it forward

Most triathletes are age groupers with full time jobs other than training and racing. We are constantly under the gun to work a full week or more, get our training in and handle all of our other responsibilities in life.

Just the other day, I was driving downtown thinking about when to get my next ride in, how can I take advantage of this great November weather, what are we going to get my 2 month old son for Christmas, bills, what to get my mother for Christmas, when will I find time to send out Christmas cards, what's my budget going to be for triathlon gear next year, how's my bonus at my job going to treat me, will I be able to make the races I want to do in 2011, how can I work out the training and racing logistics with a full time job, wife and 2 kids, just to name a few things.

Top professional triathletes back ITU's Rio 2016 Paratriathlon bid

Vancouver, 24 November 2010 - The International Triathlon Union's bid to have Paratriathlon added to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games programme has been boosted today by a world championship squad.  Reigning ITU Triathlon World Champions Emma Moffat and Javier Gomez, joined by Ironman World Champions Mirinda Carfae and Chris McCormack, support ITU's bid because of the sport's social benefit and valuable contribution to the Paralympic Movement.
 
"I believe the sport of triathlon can stir one's courage.  It is a challenging sport, which is why the sport always gives me confidence to overcome something bigger," said Moffatt, the 2009 and 2010 ITU Triathlon World Champion from Australia. "Having Paratriathlon in the Paralympics would have a tremendous impact for Paratriathletes and our society, letting global audiences learn the value of the Paralympics; courage, determination, inspiration and equality."
 
"Triathlon may be one of fastest growing sports in the world but the growth of Paratriathlon is remarkable," said 2010 ITU Triathlon World Champion Gomez. "Should the sport be honoured to join the Paralympic Games, I believe, it would become another social catalyst for people to take up the sport."
 
Mirinda Carfrae of Australia, the 2010 Ironman World Champion, noted inspirational Paratriathletes' athletic performances and feels tremendous potential for the sport to grow in the international sporting movement.
 
"Speed, strength and spirit truly capture people's attention and the inclusion of Paratriathlon would definitely contribute to the Paralympic Movement," she added.

Video classic: Ckuckie V doesn't think about girls, money or problems when he races

Back in the day former "pro" triathlete Ckuckie V was perhaps best known for three things:

1) His "old school" mohawk hairdo

2) Living out of his car

3) And going every race on the annual Ironman race calender (Keep in mind there were only a handful of IM races)

Video: Scott Tinley records his version of a drunk dial love call to Ironman

Let's be clear, we're not saying that Scott Tinley was drunk when he recorded this youtube video, but we are saying that it is his version of a drunk dial love call to Ironman.

For those of you who may not be all that up on your eighties triathlon history, Scott Tinely was one of the dominant Ironman triathletes along with Mark Allen, Dave Scott and Scott Molina.

In fact, Tinley won the Kona Ironman World Championships twice before retiring to a life as a Ironman hall of fame(er), teacher and writer.

But the rambling video below is certainly classic Tinley, we're just not all that sure of his point(s).

MarkAllenOnline wants you for their 2011 elite triathlon team

MarkAllenOnline, the leader in triathlon coaching, is currently accepting triathlon resumes from US based athletes who would like to be part of this elite team for 2011. If you are committed to being the best you can be and you want to utilize MarkAllenOnline for your coaching needs we encourage you to apply. To be considered for the team, please read this entire press release and understand the requirements. If interested then email the following items to [email protected] by December 15, 2011:

Over the past 5 years our team has achieved incredible results with multiple podium finishers and age group victories at the Hawaii Ironman, Clearwater 70.3 Worlds, USAT nationals and ITU world championships . In addition, many other great results were obtained at other domestic Ironman and Half Ironman and many other races across the country.

Video: Ironman Arizona from the inside out with Dave Erickson

This weekend was my first trip to Tempe to watch the Ford Ironman Arizona triathlon.  The weather was quite a bit better than what I left in Spokane on Saturday morning but it wasn't great by Arizona standards.  A number of times during the race the rain fell hard and fast.  It got a little on the windy side too.  I'd definitely take those conditions over what I came home to on Monday morning.

It was a great time none-the-less.  It was good to catch up with Sister Madonna Buder and to see my fellow Tri-Fusion team members, both from Spokane, Erica and Craig.  It was also a treat to see the best female triathlete in the world, 3x Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington.  She has won every Ironman triathlon she has entered and raced, 10 for 10!.  Sunday she broke the women's world record for the fastest ever Ironman finish with a time of 8:36.  She was 8th overall.

17 Hours to Brag for the rest of your life

There is no magic in the number 140.6. It represents a very random distance that several guys in Hawaii came up with in the winter of 1978 to determine if a swimmer, cyclist, or runner is the best endurance athlete.

U.S. Navy Commander John Collins is widely quoted as saying, "Whoever finishes first, we'll call him the Iron Man."

And so the first Ironman race took place on the small island of Oahu in the winter 1978 with a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike (the distance around the island) and traditional marathon of 26.2 miles. Gordon Haller was the first to earn the title Ironman by completing the course in a time of 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds.”

It is worth noting here that athletes were completely self-supported and more importantly that handwritten on the last page of the very sparse three sheets of paper listing a few rules and a course description was this exhortation: "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life" This is now an Ironman registered trademark.

Photo of the Day II: Chrissie Wellington & boyfriend Tom Lowe share a kiss after two podium finishes

"what a great great day. an amazing event. awesome crowd support and for my boy to get 3rd. icing on a very tasty cake!" Chrissie Wellington tweeted tonight after smashing the IMAZ course record while her boyfriend Tom Lowe finished in third place.

She also added, "i just ate the biggest ever burger with chunky fries and onion rings. from FatBurger. and a bottle of champagne awaits :)"

Of course Tom didn't have long to wait for his smooch at the finish line as Chrissie came in 8th place over all, or about 25 minutes behind her man.

Photo: Ironman.com

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German triathlete Timo Bracht wins Ironman Arizona in record time

German triathlete Tino Bracht held on during the run to win Ironman Arizona in a record time of 8:07:16.

"There’s no better way to finish a season, it’s unbelievable. I was not sure if I could show a perfect race again only a few weeks after Hawaii. Then I cycled my best bike split ever and was able to keep the gap until the finish line. I’m very happy to have won my second Ironman in the USA after Florida 2003,” said Bracht who finished in sixth place in Hawaii only a few weeks ago.

Chrissie Wellington demolishes IMAZ and shatters the women's Ironman world record time

8:36:13---that's the fastest ever world record Ironman time for a female triathlete, and of course that triathlete is Chrissie Wellington.

The three time Ironman World Champion showed once again that she's the dominant women and athlete in the sport of Ironman racing by demolishing Ironman Arizona in record time to finish in 8th place overall.

Wellington put together an blazing fast swim, bike, and run to finish almost a half hour ahead of the second place finisher American triathlete Lindsey Corbin...who finished in third on the stength of her marathon run is a time of 9:05:33.

Photo of the Day: Chrissie Wellington takes the lead at Ironman Arizona

As posted by Linsey Corbin (or whoever is tweeting for her today) to twitpic as Lindsey is also racing, but has some work to do on the marathon.

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Lance Armstrong to swim, bike, and run again after over 20 years on just the bike

OK, this headline is perhaps a bit misleading because Lance Armstrong has run several marathons since his last triathlon when he was just starting out in pro sports, but as we reported earlier this week, the seven time Tour de France winner will TRI again in January.

According to published reports in the New Zealand Media 39-year-old Armstrong is set to return to triathlon as the Eves Blue Lake Multisport Festival in Rotorua next year.

"The rumours were not confirmed until this morning when organisers from the Rotorua Association of Triathletes (RATS) received an email from Armstrong's media advisor.

Everyman Endurance Podcast with Tri-California founder Terry Davis

It’s been over two dozen since Tri-California founder and long time race director Terry Davis started the original Wildflower Triathlon Festival in Northern California.

Over all those years triathlon has grown from a niche sport to one that now spans the world with hundreds of thousands of amateur athletes taking on the swim, bike and run competition on a global basis.

Click HERE to listen now.

And like the sport of triathlon, Davis has built up Tri-California into a regional powerhouse that now puts on races throughout the year and throughout California.

This summer Tri-California is expanding again to just outside of LA with a new multisport festival they’re calling the Trifecta which brings together the sports of triathlon, cycling and running as both individual sports as well a the traditional of combination of the sport of triathlon.

For more information on the courses and entry fees, and to register, please visit www.trifectaworld.com.

Roman Mica recently had a chance to speak with Terry Davis and learn more about the new Trifecta festival, as well as chat about how triathlon has changed from the early days of Wildflower.

Click HERE to listen, or download, or subscribe to the podcast now.

Follow on twitter @everymantri or view latest videos on YouTube.

Video: Spin while they sing: The fun & fantastic "Glee" indoor cycling workout

Whether you catch it on Fox, Hulu or a DVD, you probably wouldn't be reading this article unless you were somewhat familiar with Glee, the popular musical TV show in which a high-school Spanish teacher becomes the director of the school's Glee club, hoping to restore it to its former glory.

Lately, as the weather has grown colder and I continue to train for triathlon with indoor cycling workouts, I've found myself frequently stumbling across the weekly release of Glee. And I gotta say, although I was a bit wary at first, as a fan of music and a guy who likes to sing, I now kinda dig the show.

And so, in that breathless, stinky place where sweating meets singing, I've created the official Glee Indoor Cycling Workout. What can be better than burning calories, building leg muscles, and still enjoying your favorite tunes sung by 30 year old actresses pretending to be high school cheerleaders? This workout takes into account an average of 4 songs per episode, and an approximate length of 50 minutes with commercials. If the episode has more than 4 songs, you're probably going to hate me.

So, here's how the Glee indoor Cycling Workout goes:

The ultimate triathlete training dilemma: work out or sleep in

Do you feel like a slacker on the mornings you snoozed through your workout and missed it altogether? You’ve heard sayings like, “while you’re sleeping, someone else is training and getting better” touting those that drag out of bed at ridiculous hours to train and deprive themselves of sleep. They may be getting more training time in, but are they really improving their fitness and health?

First of all, just getting up early every day and working out doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting more fit or improving. Secondly, depriving yourself of rest on a consistent basis can be detrimental to your training and body.

When athletes hit the pavement, treadmill, bike, trainer, weights or pool, they cause damage to the body. From the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness , “the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage include: soreness, increase in limb volume and circumference of damaged muscle, decrease in resting arm angle when the elbow flexors are damaged, decrease in range of motion of the affected limb, decrease in muscular strength, decrease in power output, leakage of myofibre proteins into the blood, the most commonly measured being creatine kinase (CK) and swelling and structural damage.” It doesn’t matter what you do or what intensity you are doing it, damage is being done.

Swimmers compete to break epic long record: Who can swim the Amazon the fastest?

Serbian swimmer Darko Novovic has set a new World record for swimming the 5,450 kms of the Amazon river in just over 46 days according to news reports today. In doing so he broke Slovenia’s legendary Martin Strel's record by 20 days.

The 37 year old professional water polo player began his record breaking feat on September 29th in Atalaya, Peru (near to the source of the Amazon) and swam on average 16 hours and 118kms a day. Novovic finished the epic swim at the mouth of the Amazon in the Atlantic Ocean at Belem, Brazil on November 13th. The Amazon River is the largest River in the world with a total discharge greater than the next ten rivers combined.

Swimming it can be extremely challenging. Dark tannin stained waters contain bacteria which can blind you, dangerous undercurrents can pull you under and it plays host to crocodiles,bull sharks, piranhas and more worryingly candiru (also known as vampire fish) a parasite which is attracted by the scent of urine and enters the body by swimming up the penis where it feeds on blood and tissue. To keep predators at bay a net cage was suspended between two of the four Venezuelan yachts that accompanied him during the swim.