On Test - Hammer Perpetuem Fuel

In the first part of our Lonestar Triathlon review (Full review as a podcast coming very soon), we are covering the most important part - nutrition.

What you are looking at above is salt caked on my leg. I thought it was mud and road grime at first, but it was actually dried sweat and a testament to what you put your body through during a 70.3.

I started looking seriously at Perpetuem a couple of months ago. It has fat and electrolytes, making it a more complete fuel than many other options. I have been tinkering around with the portion amount on training rides as well, trying to find out how much per hour is the best for me.

You can look at the run splits at my race results and see that I used just a little too much. (Race results - I'm #418.) The second lap was slowest as the bouncing made the mix a little too hard on my stomach. I'm using a little less for the next event.

As far as performance goes, this stuff was solid. All that salt loss and I suffered no cramping. And when I crossed the finish line, I still had a lot of energy in the tank.

It mixed with water extremely well to make a single race bottle on the bike. I used the orange flavor and loved it. It was all very simple and easy, making it perfect for race day.

Ironstar 70.3 Galveston Quick Update

We've got a podcast in the works, but I just wanted to give a news flash about the race.  

Wow! What a great racing venue.  Flat, fast, and aid stations galore.  Huge pro turnout.  I used some cool new gear and will have lots of posts coming up about how it all worked.

I pulled my first sub 5:30 race.  Chris Lieto averaged nearly 27 mph on the bike.  What a great event.  I'm definitely going back next year.

Podcast - How to Race

 Click here to listen.

Want to know some tricks and techniques to race faster?  This episode of ZenTri includes a half hour of details on how to execute at your best from the beginning of race week all the way through the final sprint.  Don't miss out!

We also cover some triathlon news and have a nice bit of training log notes from Drew in the triathlon mecca of Bend, OR.

Here's the link to the 12.6 mile open ocean swim promo video - LINK.

Check it out!

Click here to listen.

Recycle THIS.

First off, please excuse the blurriness of the photos from my soon-to-be ancient iPhone 3G.  Being nearly two years old, it doesn't focus, do videos, or discover life on Mars like the newer ones do.  If I leave it under a stick, archeologists will soon find it and conclude that the dinosaurs had opposable thumbs.

When you look closely, cross your eyes, and hit yourself in the side of the head with a floor pump, you'll gain the correct focus to read that you can actually recycle these CO2 cartridges.  They are made of steel, which is one of the best materials to recycle.  

The sticker on the side is practically begging you to do so, but I think they can do better.  They could just as easily say, "Recycle me so I can someday become a spoke on Contador's wheelset as he wins more of everything." and then top it off by making it play an MP3 of "Circle of Life" from the Lion King when it senses you threw it in the wrong kind of receptacle.

On Test - Moeben Arm Sleeves

Arm sleeves are a great invention. Thinner ones warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer. They stop sunburn and bright ones can help you be seen in traffic.  They are a fast way to do all of the above because they go on and off in seconds, even while you ride.

And don't call them arm warmers.  The thin material actually keeps you cooler once you start to sweat. Compounded with the prevention of sun exposure, you'll finish a hot ride in better shape than if you went without them.  Just make sure you wear lighter colored ones in the hotter months and you'll be fine.

Moeben sells sleeves that are made in the U.S.A. and come in a variety of fabrics and colors. I ordered the tattoo print ones to fulfill some kind of weird dual-fantasy of having traffic notice me for safety and then having that traffic scared of me because I might be riding home from an opium den.  Just creating a perimeter of safety around my bike, folks!

I was impressed with the packaging.  The story of the founder was written on the cardboard casing.  Nice. They also included some super-tasty ginger candies. Very nice, indeed.  They fit fine because, unlike many other arm sleeve companies out there, they offered a sizing chart.  

I rode with them on my bike commute this morning and it was great.  Cars gave me a double-take and my arms were warm.  Once I heated up, I could feel the wind pulling the sweat off my arms like I was wearing dual air conditioners on my limbs.  Perfect.

The only downsides where I think they could use some improvement is the lack of grippy material at the tops.  They didn't slide down my arms, but many companies put a tiny bit of grip around the top to keep them secure, and that's nice.

Overall, they rock.  Consider some for yourself to keep from getting burned this summer.  Don't get stuck thinking that they will make you hot.  Just like a Coolmax jersey, these actually cool you and the UV protection is gangbusters.  They come in all kinds of colors and materials, so you can have fun mixing and matching them with all your short-sleeved cycling jerseys.