FEATURES
Bring on the Smack Talk....
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Saturday, 23 April 2022 00:10
By Susan Lacke (triathlete.com)
My favorite part of last year’s Collins Cup was not seeing Taylor Knibb annihilate the competition on a road bike. It wasn’t Lionel Sanders’ thrilling comeback win after a mid-race bike crash. No, my favorite part of the Collins Cup was in the week leading up to the race, when world champ Jan Frodeno playfully threw a life raft into competitor Sam Long’s lane during a shakeout swim. It was hilarious, and I loved everything about it.
Smack talk is what makes the sports world go ‘round. If it wasn’t for Paula Newby-Fraser and Erin Baker’s vocal rivalry, we’d still think it was impossible for women to run the Ironman marathon without stopping. Chris “Macca” McCormack’s jawing spurred athletes like Craig “Crowie” Alexander to work harder to build a legacy that eclipsed Macca’s. Today, Sam Long and Lionel Sanders talk a big game and back it up with big performances. (They also hug it out at the finish line and make it a point to give each other kudos in post-race interviews. That’s what we do in triathlon.) ...
What Kind of Triathlon Finisher Are You?
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Saturday, 16 April 2022 00:10
By Adam Hill (triathlete.com)
Triathlon is an inherently silly sport. We dress up in spandex and punish ourselves through three events—not one, not two, but three. All for a shiny medal and the glory of the finish line.
Ah yes, the finish line. It’s what we train for, what we celebrate, and it can bring out the best in people. It can also bring out…other things. In that state of euphoria and exhaustion, unique quirks arise—some quirkier than others. There are almost as many different types of finishers as there are racers, but a few quirks float to the surface as the most common. Maybe I’m biased, since I’m guilty of many of these, but I don’t think we should be ashamed of our finish line foolishness. Instead, we should celebrate our uniqueness, and embrace the silliness of this sport we know and love. Declare loudly and proudly: Yes, I am a puker. ...
The Battle of the Carbs...
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Wednesday, 13 April 2022 00:10
By Cami Eckhoff
Fueling and hydration - this aspect of endurance training caught me by surprise last year. I guess you could say I learned the hard way. Migraines post race (all but 1), headaches after long training sessions, terrible side stitches during two of my races, didn’t go to the bathroom once during my half Ironman of 5 hours… can you say DEHYDRATED! It was my own battle of the carbs - I knew I needed them and was told approximately how many per hour for my long sessions and races but I was still skeptical of it and thought I would put on extra weight because of it, so I skimped on it and didn’t take time to learn what would work best for my body so I could maximize my time on the course. This 4th discipline of triathlon is just as important, so is the 5th, rest… but that’s for another day!
Now that I have a greater understanding of the science behind it and the importance of it from listening to many podcasts on fueling and hydration for endurance sports and working with my coach, there are general principles and guidelines to follow as well as a variety of ways to fuel (gels, chews, drinks, etc) and each athlete needs to figure out what works best for them...
Why is Triathlon So Popular for People Over-50?
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Thursday, 07 April 2022 00:10
By Rashelle Brown (nextavenue.org)
If someone asked you to name some lifetime sports, you'd probably list golf, tennis, hiking, nordic skiing or pickleball. What probably wouldn't jump to mind, is the grueling swim-bike-run of triathlon. That's why we were surprised to learn that a high percentage of triathletes — as many as half of participants in some races — are over 50....
Hope, Belief & Rodents...
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Saturday, 02 April 2022 00:10
By Shyanne McGregor
I’m the 1950’s, Curt Richter performed an experiment in which he put domestic and wild rats in a bucket of water to see how long they’d last before they drowned.
Domestic rats lasted two minutes. Wild rats, normally strong swimmers, lasted just a bit longer.
Curt had an idea why they drowned so quick. So he tested his theory. The next time, just before drowning, he took the rats out, held them and helped them recover, then put them back in. This time….they treaded water for 60 hours. Why?? They had HOPE! They BELIEVED they would be saved and pushed their bodies far past what they previously thought possible. ...
