2009 August | TriSports.com Blog

Track racing – part deux

By Lisa R.
August 10, 2009 on 4:47 pm | In Random Musings | No Comments

Back to the velodrome for the AZ State Track championships. Yes, we Arizonans have to go to California for our State Champs…maybe one day we won’t have to.

This time I went back much more prepared than last time – I borrowed a bike and slapped my newly acquired Zipp 1080 and 900 disc on it. I claimed the prize for biggest time differential between frameset and wheels – my guess is about 20yrs. I did, however, get quite a few compliments on the setup.

Having tried every event available at the last race, I narrowed my focus this time. It was a good quad-splitting fest for the 2K and 3K races, and the 500 and flying 200 weren’t any picnic either. Again, in my rookie state I screwed up the 500 and attempted to get into the aerobars – wrong! Too violent of a race, starting from a dead stop and having to crank it up to full speed in 150m, then hammer for the remaining 350m – not enough time to successfully get aero and keep the bike under control. I’m lucky I didn’t bite it on that one.

For the State races, they do a Keirin – now that is a race to behold. Picture about 9 people lined up one behind the next, with a motorcycle pacer in the front. The pacer starts around 15mph and paces the riders up to about 32mph within about 4 laps. Once the motorpace pulls off – all bets are off and the race begins! It is a virtual free-for-all to the finish line and I am told there is always a lot of head butting and almost always a crash in that race. I stayed safely on the sidelines for this one, and luckily there was no crash. This race is extremely popular in Japan and their Keirin riders are like celebrities there.

Once again, we had a great time at the velodrome and I will certainly do it again! Here’s a picture of the TriSports.com truck on its way to the races!

The Commuters Corner – “What you need to commute.”

By Webster H.
August 7, 2009 on 4:38 pm | In Random Musings | No Comments

   So now that you have made a commitment to ride to work you may be asking yourself what you need to buy. The truth is not a lot. There are only a couple things you really need to have in order to commute. The first thing is a bike. Any bike that doesn’t have an engine should work with one exception. I would not recommend commuting with a tri bike, mainly because of safety issues. Tri Bikes are intended for speed but they are also intended to be ridden when it’s just you and the road. Cornering and Braking in traffic on these can be a little tricky if not downright dangerous.
   The next thing you need is a helmet. If you are not wearing a helmet you are not controlling your level of risk on the road and you might be breaking the law. You don’t need to break the bank however when purchasing a helmet. The Giro Transfer is just as safe as the Giro Ionos. The differences between the two are weight, airflow, and ascetics. Those are big issues, but not if you are on a budget.
  You also want to take some small essential items for on the road repairs when commuting. Check this video out for a comprehensive look at what should be with you every time you ride, regardless of your destination.

IMLP – I Cheated…Legally

By Seton
August 4, 2009 on 5:56 pm | In Random Musings | No Comments

About a week ago I did Ironman Lake Placid. I don’t want to bore you with the details of my race, but to summarize 10 hours in a couple sentences:

Swim: Pretty straight forward, I was about 7 strokes behind the lead group at the first buoy and decided it wasn’t worth the effort to gap them so I slowed down and waited for the group behind me to catch up. I just sat on their feet and enjoyed the “ride” – I can’t believe how not straight those guys were swimming – there is a frickin’ cable to guide you. I just swam straight and let them meander like a snake in front of me. Swim split: 52 minutes.

Swim Exit

Bike: Yes, this is the part of the course I cheated – legally (unlike many people who took part in the draft fest). I used a Power Meter, or as I like to call it a Cheater Meter. Look, if you are serious about this sport then you will buy and race with a power meter. Period. I came into this race pretty strong on the bike and when the hills came I would just maintain my set power and watch guys go by me knowing there was no way possible for them to sustain the power they were having to put out up those hills. Needless to say I was right. I was one of a few people to even split the bike course. It was actually quite amusing catching all the guys that passed me on the first lap and watching them pop on the second. Bike Split: 5:32.

Out on the bike - Power Meter!!!

Run: Long story short I didn’t have it in the cards on the back half of the run. I am typically 5 min slower on my back half and this race I was about 14 min slower….of course I did have to take a couple emergency stops in the port ‘o johns. Run Split: 3:29.

Finishing up the Run - with Garmin 310XT

Finish: This is when it got good…or really bad. Immediately got hauled into the med tent. Spent an hour or so, got my grape sized blisters popped on almost all of my toes. Came out, ate a little, and then spent the next hour battling severe stomach pain and 5 bouts of diarrhea. Went to get my bags, almost passed out on my way back to the med tent. Blood pressure was 80/50….pretty much on my way to death. I took 3 bags (1.5 L of saline) and made it out of the tent at about 10PM. Finish time: 10:02.