Podcast - Open Water Swimming and Danskin Tri

Hey, Tri-studs and studettes!  Join in for a listen as we talk some Zen, I give a short instructional on how to swim better in the open water, and I do support for @ZenTriNurse at the Danskin triathlon in Austin.

We've been working on some new sponsorships here at ZenTri.  The first one is Fluid Recovery.  Go to LiveFluid.com and use "ZenTri" at checkout to get 20% of everything on the site except for clothing.  Heck yeah!

The show includes some fun audio clips from the Adam Carolla Show and Life Regenerator.  We also discuss "Goldilocks Good" in detail.

Enjoy the show and support our sponsors!

Click here to listen

First Ever ZenTri Poll!

I'm going to add polls to the website and want to test out some formatting.  To do so, I am indulging you with the first ever ZenTri Poll of Bike Dedication.  Answer and believe.

 Do you like bikes?

• Yes.
• WTF?
• No.
• I don't have a brain.

view results
Free vote poll

I'm impressed that the results can be displayed as a bar graph both horizontally and vertically.  That's like eating ice cream from a cone or a cup.  Too much awesomeness to be believed.

USA Triathlon Adopts New Wetsuit Regulation

I got this email yesterday.  New changes are coming soon!

Beginning in 2013, wetsuits may not exceed five millimeters in thickness

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following extensive research and consideration, USA Triathlon announced today that beginning in 2013 use of wetsuits exceeding five millimeters in thickness will not be permitted at USAT-sanctioned events.

 

The new regulation, which falls under Article 4.4 Wetsuits of the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules, states: "Effective January 1, 2013, any swimmer wearing a wetsuit with a thickness measured in any part greater than five millimeters shall be disqualified."

 

"Our board has been considering this issue and the impact it might have with our athletes for some time," said USA Triathlon CEO Skip Gilbert. "The overall feeling is that it makes perfect sense to align with the guidelines set by our international federation and multisport enthusiasts around the world. This is a standard that is good for the athlete community and our sport overall." 

 

By implementing this rule change, USA Triathlon falls in line with the international standard of five millimeters recognized by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and other National Governing Bodies.

 

The adoption of this rule is designed to eliminate any competitive advantage gained by enhancements in wetsuit technology in recent years. Studies have shown there is a marked and measurable performance benefit to the use of certain wetsuits, specifically added buoyancy effectively reducing passive drag. These performance benefits have led to an increased, and artificially induced, reduction in physical demand required during the swim leg of a triathlon and an increase in speed.

 

USAT recognizes that there may be wetsuits currently available on the market that are greater than five millimeters in thickness. Consequently, the organization has implemented a phase-in period of the rule to allow the use of wetsuits that currently do not meet the thickness requirement. This announcement of the new regulation serves as notice that the rule change will come into effect in 2013.

 

USAT recently solicited feedback on the wetsuit thickness issue from its certified race directors via a comprehensive survey. The majority of those surveyed supported USA Triathlon's adoption of this rule.

Laird Hamilton's Book Review

Laird Hamilton is a legendary "Big Wave" surfer, riding monster waves often in the range of 50 feet.  He lives the life many dream of: eating right, swimming and surfing in Hawaii, and just being all-around awesome.  

I downloaded his book, "Force of Nature" and read it on the Kindle app on the iPhone.  Having it on the iPhone was actually very convenient.  I was able to pop it open and read it at any time I liked.

I'm a bit of a book snob, but not in the way you'd think.  The book is targeted to readers that want simple answers and simple motivation, and it delivers perfectly.  I noticed there was a lack of high-brow language, and that served the book's purpose exactly.  He tells you how he does what he does, simply and effectively.  By "book snob", I mean that I think a book should deliver to it's target audience and purpose, and this one does.

His book provides an insight into how one of the most talented athletes in the world approaches nutrition, training, and spirit.  It's full of good insights, attitude, and even nutrition, which will take you miles farther than overly-detailed target heart rate graphs.

I finished the book feeling energized.  I also felt like I had seen into the mind of somebody who was doing it all in a way that we should aspire to attain.  It's a good read.

I got my copy at Amazon.com.  

What is "Land Paddling"? Gear and Initial Impressions.

Tools of the trade. No, I don't want to trade.

I recently found out about "Land Paddling" and fell in love with it.  You get on a longboard armbreaker skateboard and push yourself along with a Kahuna Big Stick, a lot like stand up paddle surfing.

I've done it a few times with a homemade push stick, a tennis ball on the end of a bamboo rod, which was pretty fun but not as effective as I wished.  The tennis ball was eaten up pretty quickly, but the bamboo stick was light and stiff.

I ordered the Kahuna Big Stick for $89 and waited patiently for it to come.  The difference it made was tremendous.  The carbon rubber bottom and nicely shaped handle at the top was like adding icing to a cake.  

The workout goes like this - You get a longboard skateboard and push yourself along.  When going downhill, you swoop side to side like surfing, working your balance coordination like crazy.  When on the flats, you "paddle", working your abs, lats, shoulders, arms, and forearms pretty nicely.  When going uphill, you can pretty much triple the flat land workout.

When you put it all together, it's like surfing, casual flat water paddling, or intense white water "holy sh*t, look out for that rock!" paddling, depending on the amount of slope you are on at the moment.  If you get up enough speed on a downhill, it can even be, "Holy sh*t! I'm going to die at Pipeline!" intense.  

What's really nice is that you are actually going somewhere and it's as challenging as you make it, so you can put in an hour of land paddling and not even know it.  I did 40 minutes of it last night and woke up today nicely sore and could definitely feel it during my swim.  Sweet!

You will either need some prior skateboarding experience or a full body helmet for the first few days.  If you're good with that, it is an awesome way to get in a great upper body and core workout while cruising around your neighborhood.  I give it a big thumb's up.