Six Things to Consider Before You Buy New Gear

It's not the lens protectors still on the goggles that made Rick look fruity.

Most people just get the cheapest and most immediate gear to get the job done.  We've all had that talk with the person at work wanting to buy a bike for commuting and is only willing to spend $99.  Bad idea.

Here's a simple run-down on a great checklist to use before you buy a new piece of equipment:

1. Buy or read some triathlon magazines and pay close attention to the ads.  Look at what the different manufacturers are claiming about their goods.  You can learn a lot that way.
2. Talk to other triathletes and ask how simple, reliable, and good-feeling their equipment is.
3. Get access to a pro or elite triathlete and find out what they are using and why.
4. Visualize yourself using the new item.  Is it more simple and easier to use than the last one?  Most importantly, does it give you more time to train?
5. How will you get it repaired or replaced if it breaks?
6. Price should be the last item on your checklist, once fit, form, and function are taken care of.

Now, the final thing to do is DON'T BUY IT.  Wait a week and see if it was really that important.  It probably wasn't.  

It's a Trap!

Lance Armstrong tweeted that this will be his last Tour De France.  I for one don't take the claim at face value.  It's a trap.

Lance Vader "Mellow Johnny" is famous for acting sick and feigning weakness to get his competition to drop their guard, then go for the kill.

Moving on to the article itself, I found the intro paragraph to be a dark surprise as well.

SILVER CITY — Saturday, the Super Bowl of cycling will kick off from Rotterdam, Holland, and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong tweeted that this will be his final appearance in the most prestigious and difficult bike race in the world — the Tour de France.

I think it's great that we have to compare three weeks of four-hour rides over mountains to one hour of five-second plays for Americans to even begin to understand how difficult this event is.  I'm now going to proudly call the Superbowl "The Tour De France of Football" and see how that goes over here in Texas.

Go Run, Rescue a Turtle!

One of the best things about triathlon training is the wildlife. Here's a sweaty iPhone 4 video of a turtle I plucked out of the street while on this morning's run.

I invested in an iPhone 4 especially for the video capability.  I'm always finding interesting creatures and situations that pictures can't do justice.  Also, my dad used to bring home snakes from his runs and I always loved it!  I'm not prone to picking up snakes, but at least I can take vids and bring those home to show my son.  

Kai had a friend spend the night last night and they loved the video of the turtle.  I also used it to demonstrate how we don't stomp or drive over creatures in our way, but show kindness and help them along their path.

Anybody know what kind of turtle that is?

7 Ways to Beat the Heat while Training.

The heat of summer is definitely here, bringing with it a host of problems. I took this picture yesterday, trying not to melt in the Texas countryside. It was hot, and the worst was yet to come.

Heat is a fact of life, so here are some great ways to beat it:

• Pre-hydrate the day before big workouts.
• Take more water with you than you think you need.
• Take in extra sodium.
• Slow down and temper your expectations.  The heat forces your body to not be as efficient as usual. You simply will not be able to keep up your usual speeds. No worries, though. You'll be super fast when the weather cools off.  It's all relative.
• Be aware that your post-ride hunger is probably actually dehydration. Food contains a lot of water and your body knows it. It also contains what might be extra calories you weren't bargaining on getting.
• Once I find myself overdoing the food after a hot workout, I short circuit the cravings by eating something super salty, like broth.
• If you have a post-workout headache, that's an indicator of dehydration as well.

Put the above tips into action and you can have a much better Summer training season. Don't let yourself get overheated and then miss a bunch of workouts while you recover.

Ironman Texas Announced

Round up your cattle and drive them doggies on down to H-town, partners! There's a new Ironman on the scene!  The Woodlands will host a 140.6 race on May 21st of 2011.

First off let's clear up some issues.  One press release said it's a "short distance" from downtown Houston.  If you consider 30 miles in urban gridlock "short", then Ironman racing is definitely the sport for you.  They also keep showing the same boat in the same canal over and over again for a reason:  That is all the open water they have there.  It will be interesting to see how they engineer the swim course.  Oh, and the entry fee is only a mere kidney $600.  

All of that aside, the Woodlands has a decent triathlete population.  The population of Houston is like a bazillion people, so they've been waiting for a race of this magnitude for quite a while.

The Woodlands is the closest part of Houston to where I live, so I train a lot on what will be the bike course.  It's awesome cycling out there.  The technical term for the lay of the land is "B.F.E.", which makes for a good jaunt.

Registration opens up today, but at least wait until I'm done.