I’ve made it to Leysin and after a few sick days, I’m getting my wheels under me. I guess doing Alcatraz then flying SF/SD/Phi/Zurich and riding trains with three transfers including a missed one) and a trolley will knock you a little sideways.
The town is tiny, built on a hillside, and is very quiet. There has been some grey, cold and sometimes rainy weather these first few days here to remind me of Seattle. I’m bunking in a little room of a chateau in Leysin with my wife and getting accquainated with the place, replacing my “howdys” with “bonjours.” I knew most of Donna’s teammates and were glad to see them after having seen them in the Philippines, but got a chance to meet Andrew Johns and Chrissie Wellington for the first time, both of them are very nice. They’ve now gotten used to seeing me reclined in a beach chair, pulling down a wireless signal from my laptop at the pool as they churn out 5,000 meters for their their morning workout. Or in the case of yesterday, 10,000 meters. That’s right, six miles of swimming. The guys were given 4,000 or so meters of swimming, and a long ride, and shook their heads after they got out, looking on as Chrissie, Erika, Donna, Belinda, Rebecca, and Hillary cranked their arms over to the tune of 100 100s. And Hillary did half the workout with band on, no paddles.
The boys would come up and chat as they headed home after their swim. Justin and I quipped that he could get home, grab a bite, kit up and do his long ride, and still have time to come back to pick up Belinda. Brett came up and gave me a bit of insight and analysis of each of the women as they swam, their strengths and weakness and how he organized their training to their morphologies, genetics, strengths, limitations and desires. While every one of the women in that lane are long-course pros, each has a different regime. All are built and trained for endurance, but some have speed that would be counterproductive to the others. And those with speed would have issues with the higher volume of the ones absent the top-end speed. And watching his charges, Brett can discern the difference, and can thus structure the program to the athlete. There’s no one-size-fits-all program in a binder that Brett goes by. He knows his athletes so well, he knows how to best set them up for races, and what races to focus on. I'm so glad Donna's under his watch. I can't name another coach with this much day-to-day interaction. No emailed programs here.
And Brett made another point: it’s all quite simple. He has a limited amount of age groupers he coaches for a fee, and they can’t believe they’re not doing 5 x whatever intervals at VO2max, or doing wattage intervals on the bike. Training is as simple as getting the right workout—for you—and doing the miles. There’s a lot of quantity here, but there’s a lot of quality too.
And the focus here is second to none. I thought the Philippines was isolated. This trumps it. There is nothing here to distract, so the team simply trains, eats and sleeps. The food at the grocery is pretty simple and wholesome, lots of fruits, veggies. The only downside is all the smoking by the locals in the cafes and restaurants.
Back in the water, all I heard was the drone of water splashed all through the workout, but was startled when I heard a “woo-hoo” at the end of the pool—it was Belinda and some of the rest of the girls cheering their finish of their marathon swim. Brett’s attempt at quieting Belinda by wearing her out failed miserably. You can read about their intrasquad escapades and chatter (and even chime in with the athletes) this www.teamtbb.com link.
Today I rode with Donna down the mountain to Aigle as she did her run for the day, and I kicked around town. Glad I’m feeling better, as I am excited to do some rides on my own and explore. Friday I’m riding down the mountain and south along the valley for a few hours to a town called Verbier to catch the finish of the sixth stage at the Tour de Suisse. Sunday I’ve been invited to a press camp at Von Rutte Gut by Schwalbe tires and DT Swiss. I hope to perhaps visit with Morgan Nicol with Oval Concepts while here as well. It’s amazing how much bike business originates out of this country—Schwalbe, Oval Concepts, DT Swiss, Cervelo, BMC and Canyon all have bases here.
As I wind down for the evening, all Donna can think about is tomorrow hitting the bakery for the fresh, hot bread tomorrow, her one vice while here. I’m waiting to have my first crepe, but there’s lots of time to get into the cuisine.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Post Alcatraz, Pre-Leysin: Hitting the Road
Planes, Trains and What can Brown, er, Jay—do for you?
Where am I? That’s the question I just asked myself a minute ago. It seemed like I blinked and I was in San Francisco, building up and breaking down two bikes as my brother and I raced Escape from Alcatraz, me in my second effort, he in his first. I did the race five years ago and I hoped to even pull off better splits across the board.
Of course, that didn’t happen. I swam 29, better than before and biked 58 minutes a minute slower than before. But the run, I had dead legs, I think from losing the 25-tooth cassette to a slipped shift cable on my rear derailleur. So I muscled the 23 and paid for it with legs that didn’t belong to me for the first three-plus miles. They came around just before the run turnaround, but it was too late by then and I came in with a 1:04 run—much slower than the 58 I did before. Good for a “stellar” 51st place age group finish in the 35-39 age group. At least I took solace in knowing that there was depth in my age group. When I caught up with pro triathlete Kerry Classen and saw him racking his bike by mine, I realized he was no longer in the pro ranks. Of course he won my age group by a landslide. And Cid Cardoso of Inside Out Sports flew out from the East Coast to finish fourth… and further relegate me down the results list. Thanks, guys.
I was proud of my brother Jon, who finished about 12 minutes after I, on debut. I chalk it up to good coaching… on my part, of course. I was so impressed with Leanda Cave and Andy, watching them fly around the course. I must say, it’s a hell of a lot more fun covering a race from the course than it is from the back of a motorcycle. That race is just a blast anyway. Mirinda Carfrae said she’s never had more fun in a race, which is the same thing my brother said. Alcatraz delivers in a way no other race can even try to match. Terry Davis runs the greatest show on earth.
Below is a shot of my brother (right) and I, chilling on the Hornblower as we headed out to The Rock for the start. There's no scene like the legions of athletes awaiting the start, sitting in jumbles on the open floor. Then it's 2,000 lemmings, leaping into the bay and voiding the boat inside of six minutes.
So back to travel: I just very recently decided to hope a plane and join my wife at her training camp in Leysin, Switzerland. I figured, I don’t have a desk that I am chained do, may as well work with a view of the Swiss Alps, right?
But it was just two days ago I was breaking down bikes in a San Francisco hotel room. Last night I was building them back up in San Diego. This morning, a 3 a.m. drive to LAX. And now, I’m in Philly. Then Zurich in half a day. Then it’s pushing a bike box, a duffel, a computer bag and a bag full of camera and equipment a train to from Zurich to Lausanne, a switch to a small town, then a switch to an even smaller little town up in a ski village, where Team TBB summer training camp takes place. Where I’ll put my Cervelo together, then probably take a nap.
Good thing I brought some sleeping pills.
So when the news went out that I was headed to Europe, the requests from Donna’s teammates came in, and Jay’s International Shipping Service went to work. I began taking orders. Since Big Brown failed to deliver the triple crown, UPS stocks plumetted. And I got busy.
Xterra speedsuits for Erika Csomor. A pair of Oakley Radars for Chris McDonald. Beaker Concepts compression socks for Chrisse Wellington, Erika and Donna to try, as well as the new Hydrotail H.5 for a collection of athletes to try on their Cervelos. A visit to Nytro to pick up shoes, goggles, tubes for Rebecca Preston.
And it seems Belinda Granger wants to give the Roth Challenge a go while wearing Oakley Thump Pros (they don’t subscribe to WTC rules, so she hopes to pull off a first and rock a win while rocking out—literally). So Greg Welch sent me with those. If customs cracks open my bike case, they’ll find a veritable bike shop in there. You'd think I was smuggling bodies in my bike box, it's so heavy of, just.... stuff. Hope it doesn’t happen, because I don’t want the tariffs that might come along with it. And if there are bodies in there... hey, it wasn't me.
Where am I? That’s the question I just asked myself a minute ago. It seemed like I blinked and I was in San Francisco, building up and breaking down two bikes as my brother and I raced Escape from Alcatraz, me in my second effort, he in his first. I did the race five years ago and I hoped to even pull off better splits across the board.
Of course, that didn’t happen. I swam 29, better than before and biked 58 minutes a minute slower than before. But the run, I had dead legs, I think from losing the 25-tooth cassette to a slipped shift cable on my rear derailleur. So I muscled the 23 and paid for it with legs that didn’t belong to me for the first three-plus miles. They came around just before the run turnaround, but it was too late by then and I came in with a 1:04 run—much slower than the 58 I did before. Good for a “stellar” 51st place age group finish in the 35-39 age group. At least I took solace in knowing that there was depth in my age group. When I caught up with pro triathlete Kerry Classen and saw him racking his bike by mine, I realized he was no longer in the pro ranks. Of course he won my age group by a landslide. And Cid Cardoso of Inside Out Sports flew out from the East Coast to finish fourth… and further relegate me down the results list. Thanks, guys.
I was proud of my brother Jon, who finished about 12 minutes after I, on debut. I chalk it up to good coaching… on my part, of course. I was so impressed with Leanda Cave and Andy, watching them fly around the course. I must say, it’s a hell of a lot more fun covering a race from the course than it is from the back of a motorcycle. That race is just a blast anyway. Mirinda Carfrae said she’s never had more fun in a race, which is the same thing my brother said. Alcatraz delivers in a way no other race can even try to match. Terry Davis runs the greatest show on earth.
Below is a shot of my brother (right) and I, chilling on the Hornblower as we headed out to The Rock for the start. There's no scene like the legions of athletes awaiting the start, sitting in jumbles on the open floor. Then it's 2,000 lemmings, leaping into the bay and voiding the boat inside of six minutes.
So back to travel: I just very recently decided to hope a plane and join my wife at her training camp in Leysin, Switzerland. I figured, I don’t have a desk that I am chained do, may as well work with a view of the Swiss Alps, right?
But it was just two days ago I was breaking down bikes in a San Francisco hotel room. Last night I was building them back up in San Diego. This morning, a 3 a.m. drive to LAX. And now, I’m in Philly. Then Zurich in half a day. Then it’s pushing a bike box, a duffel, a computer bag and a bag full of camera and equipment a train to from Zurich to Lausanne, a switch to a small town, then a switch to an even smaller little town up in a ski village, where Team TBB summer training camp takes place. Where I’ll put my Cervelo together, then probably take a nap.
Good thing I brought some sleeping pills.
So when the news went out that I was headed to Europe, the requests from Donna’s teammates came in, and Jay’s International Shipping Service went to work. I began taking orders. Since Big Brown failed to deliver the triple crown, UPS stocks plumetted. And I got busy.
Xterra speedsuits for Erika Csomor. A pair of Oakley Radars for Chris McDonald. Beaker Concepts compression socks for Chrisse Wellington, Erika and Donna to try, as well as the new Hydrotail H.5 for a collection of athletes to try on their Cervelos. A visit to Nytro to pick up shoes, goggles, tubes for Rebecca Preston.
And it seems Belinda Granger wants to give the Roth Challenge a go while wearing Oakley Thump Pros (they don’t subscribe to WTC rules, so she hopes to pull off a first and rock a win while rocking out—literally). So Greg Welch sent me with those. If customs cracks open my bike case, they’ll find a veritable bike shop in there. You'd think I was smuggling bodies in my bike box, it's so heavy of, just.... stuff. Hope it doesn’t happen, because I don’t want the tariffs that might come along with it. And if there are bodies in there... hey, it wasn't me.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Bringing Style: Art of Tri
I met Toby Jones a year ago when the one-man-show behind Art of Tri, a fledgling brand, made a leap of faith by taking a carload of t-shirts stateside from his home in Hong Kong. "Brave," I thought, as the British ex-pat cold-called the Triathlete offices to chat to us. I was impressed equally by a line of nice t-shirts and pullover hoodie sweatshirts.
To be fair, they're not just triathlon t-shirts—if it was just a triathlon shirt, it might end up like a fair bit of mine do, which is as convenient rags to clean my drivetrain. They're not emblazoned with event sponsors, and they don't hang off you like a Hanes Beefy T... that is, like a potato sack. The cut is athletic for both guys and girls tees, the look bright and bold.
The element I think that sets them apart is the design—simple, clean, and either delivering a simple message of inspiration (like "One World/One Sport), or harkening back to the days and locations where our sport was forged. His Mission Bay '74 shirt recalls the location and year of the first triathlon, at Mission Bay's Fiesta Island in San Diego. And Hawaii '78? You'll have to ask Commander Collins what that one's all about.
He's just come out with a new tee for 2008, the '78 down the center stripe of the shirt, again recalling the first Hawaii Ironman. He's got a few other designs he talks about in the video clip interview with Toby to the right, where he talks about the genesis of the brand.
No, there's no tech fabric—there's enough of those tees out there, Jones says. This is more about represnting the sport, with a sense of style that is lacking in a sport where people often find their identity by what they pull on. (And to the French guys in Kona wearing their Beauvais Triathlon Club tees, paired with a pair of Speedos and leather sandals...alright, we get it. You're hardcore, you're a triathlete. Now put on some pants and stop bumming us out.)
Instead of being a piece to show how many races you do, Art of Tri is the stuff you can wear before and after the race, representing the sport, while not looking like the rest of the lemmings in race tees. Toby has been generous to offer several pros (many of them top-five Hawaii finishers) apparel to wear, without asking for an endorsement. It's enough for him to see the athletes wearing the goods, because it's comfortable and looks good.
And as evidenced by the hand-tied Art of Tri hang tags on each piece of apparel (each lovingly tied up by Toby himself), the brand stays true to being a 100 percent organic brand, from sourcing the super-soft cotton to the ink they use to screen on the designs.
Where to check it out? The line is getting picked up in stores primarily on the West Coast of Cali at places like Edge Cyclesports in Laguna Woods, Triathlon Lab in Redondo Beach and Zoom Multisports in San Francisco since thats where he's made his first solo push, as well as TriBuys.com.
But to give it a greater reach across North America, Toby wanted to put out there a special little deal: since you're a loyal Workbench reader and obviously enjoy the finer things in life, Toby wanted to extend all y'all a cut: a 20 percent discount on any gear—tees, hoodies, whatever—at artoftri.com Not a bad offer on some stylee threads. It'll be good through June. When ordering, ender JAY068 in the promo code, and you'll get the discount.
In the land of Zoots, Orcas and 2Xus, I've been impressed by Toby's moxie in promoting his brand. Thankfully, North American consumers can appreciate style elements and design in an apparel line. After all, we're all driving Mercedes and Porsches. (No, wait, that's just John Duke). Well, some of us are driving a CR-V and riding everywhere else.
And hopefully the French and German and Brazilians can figure it out by Kona and put on a cooler shirt—and hopefully some shorts. Until that day, the tragedy of the Underpants Run forges forth...
To be fair, they're not just triathlon t-shirts—if it was just a triathlon shirt, it might end up like a fair bit of mine do, which is as convenient rags to clean my drivetrain. They're not emblazoned with event sponsors, and they don't hang off you like a Hanes Beefy T... that is, like a potato sack. The cut is athletic for both guys and girls tees, the look bright and bold.
The element I think that sets them apart is the design—simple, clean, and either delivering a simple message of inspiration (like "One World/One Sport), or harkening back to the days and locations where our sport was forged. His Mission Bay '74 shirt recalls the location and year of the first triathlon, at Mission Bay's Fiesta Island in San Diego. And Hawaii '78? You'll have to ask Commander Collins what that one's all about.
He's just come out with a new tee for 2008, the '78 down the center stripe of the shirt, again recalling the first Hawaii Ironman. He's got a few other designs he talks about in the video clip interview with Toby to the right, where he talks about the genesis of the brand.
No, there's no tech fabric—there's enough of those tees out there, Jones says. This is more about represnting the sport, with a sense of style that is lacking in a sport where people often find their identity by what they pull on. (And to the French guys in Kona wearing their Beauvais Triathlon Club tees, paired with a pair of Speedos and leather sandals...alright, we get it. You're hardcore, you're a triathlete. Now put on some pants and stop bumming us out.)
Instead of being a piece to show how many races you do, Art of Tri is the stuff you can wear before and after the race, representing the sport, while not looking like the rest of the lemmings in race tees. Toby has been generous to offer several pros (many of them top-five Hawaii finishers) apparel to wear, without asking for an endorsement. It's enough for him to see the athletes wearing the goods, because it's comfortable and looks good.
And as evidenced by the hand-tied Art of Tri hang tags on each piece of apparel (each lovingly tied up by Toby himself), the brand stays true to being a 100 percent organic brand, from sourcing the super-soft cotton to the ink they use to screen on the designs.
Where to check it out? The line is getting picked up in stores primarily on the West Coast of Cali at places like Edge Cyclesports in Laguna Woods, Triathlon Lab in Redondo Beach and Zoom Multisports in San Francisco since thats where he's made his first solo push, as well as TriBuys.com.
But to give it a greater reach across North America, Toby wanted to put out there a special little deal: since you're a loyal Workbench reader and obviously enjoy the finer things in life, Toby wanted to extend all y'all a cut: a 20 percent discount on any gear—tees, hoodies, whatever—at artoftri.com Not a bad offer on some stylee threads. It'll be good through June. When ordering, ender JAY068 in the promo code, and you'll get the discount.
In the land of Zoots, Orcas and 2Xus, I've been impressed by Toby's moxie in promoting his brand. Thankfully, North American consumers can appreciate style elements and design in an apparel line. After all, we're all driving Mercedes and Porsches. (No, wait, that's just John Duke). Well, some of us are driving a CR-V and riding everywhere else.
And hopefully the French and German and Brazilians can figure it out by Kona and put on a cooler shirt—and hopefully some shorts. Until that day, the tragedy of the Underpants Run forges forth...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Limited Editon Cervelos: Black, white and... SRAM Red
Some months ago I got to build up my dream bike, which was a magazine test: a Cervelo SLC-SL. That bike sits in a case, surrounded by Pringles, spare tires, boxes of Kashi GoLean and bubble wrap. That's right, I'm talkin' road trip.
I'm doing Escape from Alcatraz in San Francisco this weekend, and while that course, with its hills, technical corners at the bottom of said hills makes it heaven-sent for Alcatraz, I'm not riding that bike there. No, I've road-ified the PK Racing Guru Crono (which you'll see in the July issue of Triathlete and you'll see on this blog in a few days in way more glorious detail than Triathlete delivered. If you're at the race, look for the blaze vermillion and silver rocket, strapped with Zipp 808s. Hard to miss.
No, that bike will sit in its box while I race Alcatraz. Because two days after the race, I'm on my way to Switzerland. Thanks to this MacBook, I can do my work from anywhere. So I'm gonna spend a month being my wife's soignieur, cook and grocery-getter while she's doing the Team TBB thing with her team in Switzerland.
So I'll be damned if I'm not bringing the baddest road bike to ride the Swiss Alps for a month. The Tour de Suisse passes nearby for a stage finish and start too, so I gotta check that out for sure.
So this test Cervelo SLC-SL delivers pretty much all I, as a triathlete, look for in a road bike. Light weight, great steering, tight compact design, and the thing few other road bikes offer: aerodynamics.
Sent as a frameset, I got to put what I wanted on it. I've been a big fan of what SRAM has accomplished in short time with its road offerings, and the new Red group was gonna make this thing... perfect. A Zipp Vuma Quad Crankset, Fizik Arione saddle and Flashpoint Racing 60 carbon wheels with alloy rims (in my opinion one of the most underrated wheelsets in the sport), and I'll be damned if I don't have one of the baddest bike around. I wish I was racing it in The City, but with a day turnaround, It would be impossible to pack it with all the other stuff Donna and her teammates are asking me to schlep from Encinitas to Leysin.
When I told the Cervelo folks that I built what I considered the perfect bike some months ago, they nodded, then said they had something up their sleeve. Those that know Cervelo know they only deal in Shimano. This year, as a bit of a test, Cervelo is doing a limited run of three models kitted with SRAM. Here's a traveler sheet with the info on the SLC-SL, outfitted with Red:
Love it, love it, love it. I wonder how many have swapped their Shimano spec for SRAM to complete their masterpiece on their own. Now, in an "act now!" kinda way, Cervelo plays liek Burger King and says you can have it your way, offering SRAM.
There's gonna be only 300 Cervelo RS bikes available kitted with SRAM Force, as well as 215 R3-SL kitted with SRAM Red. And my "dream bike," the SLC-SL, outfitted with SRAM Red? Just 180 of 'em.
Like I said, "act now," and save yourself from having to build it up. I sure hope Cervelo finds this to be a good litmus test as to whether they ought to be spec'ing SRAM. Not that they're having any trouble selling their bikes as it is.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to having fun in San Francisco. My younger brother Jon is doing the race for the first time, and I'm gonna try to steward him through the swim for a bit. While he knows pressure (in '95 he kicked a game-winning field goal with 22 seconds left to help our alma mater, the University of Arizona Wildcats, knock out a Jake Plummer-led Arizona State Sundevil team—in Tempe no less), he's making himself a ball of nerves. Just like I tell anyone else, just enjoy the experience...the boat, the bay, the sand ladder, Crissy Field, all of it. Because I've been to races around the world and there's just one race—Monaco 70.3—that rivals Escape from Alcatraz for sheer beauty. I'll be taking this one in, while tracking the race leaders on the course. You'd be surprised how much of the race you can follow on the bike and run while racing.. so look for a stellar race report at slowtwitch.com after the race.
Then the SLC-SL and I have a plane to catch...
I'm doing Escape from Alcatraz in San Francisco this weekend, and while that course, with its hills, technical corners at the bottom of said hills makes it heaven-sent for Alcatraz, I'm not riding that bike there. No, I've road-ified the PK Racing Guru Crono (which you'll see in the July issue of Triathlete and you'll see on this blog in a few days in way more glorious detail than Triathlete delivered. If you're at the race, look for the blaze vermillion and silver rocket, strapped with Zipp 808s. Hard to miss.
No, that bike will sit in its box while I race Alcatraz. Because two days after the race, I'm on my way to Switzerland. Thanks to this MacBook, I can do my work from anywhere. So I'm gonna spend a month being my wife's soignieur, cook and grocery-getter while she's doing the Team TBB thing with her team in Switzerland.
So I'll be damned if I'm not bringing the baddest road bike to ride the Swiss Alps for a month. The Tour de Suisse passes nearby for a stage finish and start too, so I gotta check that out for sure.
So this test Cervelo SLC-SL delivers pretty much all I, as a triathlete, look for in a road bike. Light weight, great steering, tight compact design, and the thing few other road bikes offer: aerodynamics.
Sent as a frameset, I got to put what I wanted on it. I've been a big fan of what SRAM has accomplished in short time with its road offerings, and the new Red group was gonna make this thing... perfect. A Zipp Vuma Quad Crankset, Fizik Arione saddle and Flashpoint Racing 60 carbon wheels with alloy rims (in my opinion one of the most underrated wheelsets in the sport), and I'll be damned if I don't have one of the baddest bike around. I wish I was racing it in The City, but with a day turnaround, It would be impossible to pack it with all the other stuff Donna and her teammates are asking me to schlep from Encinitas to Leysin.
When I told the Cervelo folks that I built what I considered the perfect bike some months ago, they nodded, then said they had something up their sleeve. Those that know Cervelo know they only deal in Shimano. This year, as a bit of a test, Cervelo is doing a limited run of three models kitted with SRAM. Here's a traveler sheet with the info on the SLC-SL, outfitted with Red:
Love it, love it, love it. I wonder how many have swapped their Shimano spec for SRAM to complete their masterpiece on their own. Now, in an "act now!" kinda way, Cervelo plays liek Burger King and says you can have it your way, offering SRAM.
There's gonna be only 300 Cervelo RS bikes available kitted with SRAM Force, as well as 215 R3-SL kitted with SRAM Red. And my "dream bike," the SLC-SL, outfitted with SRAM Red? Just 180 of 'em.
Like I said, "act now," and save yourself from having to build it up. I sure hope Cervelo finds this to be a good litmus test as to whether they ought to be spec'ing SRAM. Not that they're having any trouble selling their bikes as it is.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to having fun in San Francisco. My younger brother Jon is doing the race for the first time, and I'm gonna try to steward him through the swim for a bit. While he knows pressure (in '95 he kicked a game-winning field goal with 22 seconds left to help our alma mater, the University of Arizona Wildcats, knock out a Jake Plummer-led Arizona State Sundevil team—in Tempe no less), he's making himself a ball of nerves. Just like I tell anyone else, just enjoy the experience...the boat, the bay, the sand ladder, Crissy Field, all of it. Because I've been to races around the world and there's just one race—Monaco 70.3—that rivals Escape from Alcatraz for sheer beauty. I'll be taking this one in, while tracking the race leaders on the course. You'd be surprised how much of the race you can follow on the bike and run while racing.. so look for a stellar race report at slowtwitch.com after the race.
Then the SLC-SL and I have a plane to catch...
Monday, June 2, 2008
Macca's call to arms for a friend...
I got this email from Emma McCormack, wife of our reigning Ironman world champ,
Chris McCormack. Given that Chris lost his mother, Theresa, to breast cancer in
1999, he has a true connection to making the fight against cancer known.
It took on a sudden urgency when his friend Dave Baigent, also a triathlete,
was diagnosed with cancer. So, he's getting word out to help out Dave and
Allana in this fight.
"Chris and I are trying to raise money for a very very special couple, Dave
and Allana they are very close Friends of ours and are very wellknown in the
tri and firefighter world.
Dave got the worst news ever that he has cancer. It is a very hard time
for them as anyone. We would like to help them out anyway we can. Allana
has had to cut back on
work to be there for Dave, as his treament is getting longer and more
intense due to the type of cancer he has chemo daily. He soon will
need to have radiation to the brain. We have put a fund together for
them to raise money to help them get though this time. If we can raise
$5000 the Talbert Family Foundation will match it for us. We are in the
process of getting a ABN for Australian tax deductions so it would be a
gift at the moment. If you are in the USA it is all set up for tax
deductions.
For those who don't know Dave, he is often referred to as the
"Oldest Teenager in the job!" This is due to his active
involvement in any activity causing sweat, pain and requiring extreme
endurance such as Ironman triathlons, 24 hour relays etc. Many will also
be aware of the time Dave gives to anyone wishing to mend or tune their
pushy."
Here's Macca and Emma's plea for help. Given that he is racing Ironman 70.3 UK
to donate the prize winnings to Dave, you can be he will be racing his ass off.
I don't care of Faris and Simon Whitfield showed up; I wouldn't be against Chris.
If you can help, please do so.
***
Hi everyone,
Many of you know Dave Baigent and many of you do not. If you are an Australian
triathlete you would know Dave from all the races around the country with his
smiling face, caring heart and absolute love of this sport and the people in it.
He is one of the souls of the earth and a very close friend of mine. Dave was
recently diagnosed with a Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma type T-cell cancer which is very
aggressive. The main tumor is behind his heart but the cancer has spread rapidly
into other parts of his body including his spine. The treatment required was
immediate and heavy and Dave has been hospitalised for most of the past 13 weeks
fighting this cancer. Cancer has forced Dave to have to leave his job as a fireman
which has put huge financial stress on his family. Dave a servied as Firefighter
for over 20 years he has also been there for the public.
Dave is an absolute fighter and is determined to beat this crippling disease. I
lost my mother to cancer in 1999 and have been a strong supporter of fighting this
disease ever since. In this time I was able to link up with the Talbert Foundation
in the Unites States. They are a non for profit organization who help families
raise money in this time of need and take off the financial burden that can cripple
them when a member of the family is struck by this disease. For the first time ever
they have been able to offer their organization to assist someone out of the USA.
I cannot thank Julie and Lloyd Talbert enough for their help here.
Anyway guys and girls, please help us all raise money for Dave and Allana. The
Talbert foundation will match dollar for dollar the first $5,000 we raise
so if you make a $10 donation that is really $20 and every single cent helps.
Our aim is to raise enough money so than Allana and Dave can focus only on fighting this
disease and not worry about anything else at this point in their lives. Everything raised goes
directly to Dave and Allana so please find it in your hearts to go past this website we have
set up for Dave and make a donation. I will be racing the UK Ironman 70.3 race for Dave and
donating my entire prize purse to Dave and Allana. I hope you all can help us in some way
make a huge impact on this family. They are just incredible and need our help now. For
people in the USA, this is tax deductable. For Australian residents, we are waiting to get
this set up should be done really soon. So it would have to be a gift for now.
You can make your donations through this foundation site we have set up.
http://www.talbertfamilyfoundation.org/pages/DaveBaigent.html
If you have any questions please email emma5458@gmail.com or the foundation. Also
if anyone can donate any services to auction, that would be fantastic.
Thanks everyone,
Macca and Emma
***
Best of luck in the fundraising, but most importantly, best of luck to Dave in his fight.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Sea Otter goods & Wildflower/Xterra news: Jamie's back on the scene!
Yeah, whatever, it's late. Story of my life. I've been busy. I'll be catching up. Anyway, here's a smattering of what I caught a looong time at in Monterey at Sea Otter, and a little news from Wildflower.... lots of pretty pics and a few words. Well, maybe more than a few words. At least I'm not reviewing some ice wine or whatever one of my Triathlete contemporaries is doing right now. I can't wait until Brad espouses the variances on the palate of St. Ides, Mad Dog 20/20 or Mickey's. In fact Brad, I'll give you $20 to drink the bottle of Night Train screw-top wine in Wattie's office I won at Interbike like, six year ago. C'mon, twenty bucks... that's two pizzas and some cookies. You can eat like a pi... a king. Eat like a king.
Back to Sea Otter: among the offerings were two big debuts: the debut of the new SRAM redesigns of Force and Rival, and the debut of Edge Composites. Let's look at SRAM first.
SRAM
SRAM held a press conference at Otter to show of some stuff that probably doesn't have the carbon bling factor, but resonated with those of us that have to look after the mortgage and putting food on the table ahead of carbon.
So if carbon isn't the option, how about aluminum? SRAM showed off the 500TT aero brake levers. For $108 a pair, you get the same shape and design (a functional return spring being the most important element) as the carbon version, at a few grams of added weight. They're 99 grams. Great deal. They also debuted a new 500 level TT shifter—same as the carbon version in every way, except using aluminum instead of carbon on the shifters. 154 grams a pair, at $120.
You can also now throw them on Zipp's new SRAM-compatible s-bend extensions. The extension represents the first collaborative between Zipp and SRAM after the latter purchased the former. While it was only a sample, in the hand, the absence of a plug-in feels really positive for shifting—zero potential for flex of the shifter in this version.
Also on show: a new TT ring set, in 54 or 55 big blade and 42-tooth inner ring. I trust we'll see T.J. Tollakson and the rest of a growing lot of SRAM-sponsored pros turning the cranks on these.
Staying on the "value" theme, SRAM did announce some major redesign changes. Nothing with Red; from our account, they have done nothing short of nail it all on the Red group. It's light, shifts crisp as a sunny spring morning, and the shifter/brake lever shape for the full road groupset is ergonomically solid. I've been riding Red for the last few months on my Cervelo and have been so pleased with it. It made me think about how fast and far they came. I mean, Force was hot when it debuted two years ago, now it's off the back. As is Rival.
Well, Force and Rival
just caught up. The two junior groups took on a new facelift, both cosmetically and functionally for 2009. The biggest gainer is Rival, which takes on new shifter shape and adjustable lever reach akin to Red, and also adopts a front chainring trim. The brake levers go from alloy to a sexy matte carbon, the levers themselves dropping 40 grams. Also cool about Rival: the crankset crankarm length comes in an insane length range: 165mm to 180mm. Many of the pro roadies have been riding Force cranks just to get the fit option they want.
Entire Rival group: $919. Damn. The Force group gets the same cosmetic facelift and front ring trim. Shimano's coming, but they better come strong, because SRAM is taking no shorts. And Campy? I hope their new marketing man, Tom Kattus, can impart upon the Italians how far off the back they've fallen with the triathlon market. Tom's a tri guy, so I hope to hear he's throwing his weight around there (when he's not surfing in Fiji).
Last SRAM item: they'll debut in '09 a few new cassettes. The new SRAM Red Powerdome cassette will be available in an 11-26 option, which is great. But the Force and Rival cassettes will go further than that, with an.... 11-28. Wow. They'll also have a 12-25, 12-26 and 12-27. What a killer climbing range.
They had on display the process by which they create a Red cassette. From left to right you can see its raw form: an alloy billet (which would make a nice paperweight) that is CNC'd into a hollowed one-piece cassette. SRAM's Michael Zellmann tells me it was a young engineer at their Chicago office who came up with that one. I said they need to give that kid a raise.
Edge Composites
I've known Jim Pfeil, former Reynolds Composites staffer, for some years, being that their offices were located in nearby Carlsbad. When the company's brainpower, namely Jim and a bunch of top engineers) left, they reconvened in Utah to form Edge Composites. So I knew that when they were to debut some new wheels, they'd be nothing short of special. They make their own rims, which are some of the strongest I've ever ridden. Hell, Jason Schiers, the president of the company, was the first to create the all-carbon clincher.
So Sea Otter marked My eyes were on their 68mm clincher. Capable of taking up to 160psi, this... this is what I wish my wife could ride (if she didn't have an existing sponsorship). Hell, this is what I want to ride. I've seen waaay too many folks who have bitchin tubulars, flat in the race... and just stand there with their tubular in their hand, wondering what the hell to do.
I'm not gonna make this a "you should learn how to change a tubular in a race" schpeil, because Edge Composites solves for this with a wheel you can race or train on, and has all the weight savings of full carbon. I mean, we're raised on clinchers, why not have a real race wheel you can use them on too? I hope to do some testing on this wheel soon. They also have a 38mm clincher, and tubular versions of both wheels. All light, all way, way strong, built on DT Swiss hubs. They're all gorgeous. Steve Larsen won Worlds Toughest Triathlon last weekend on the deep tubulars from Edge Composites. He could win on anything, but the fact Steve picked these, that speaks volumes.
Edge Composites is also the first brand I've seen to make full-carbon mountain bike tires. Not ones for show. These are for DH, hard XC. Again, you have to see these rims to believe.
They also have road and mountain bike bars 320g Aero 1.0. They also offer a slightly more stout 2.0 version.
I'm glad to see the guys that built one brand are building another, but doing it on a wholly other level that surpasses anything they'
ve done before. I mean, real full-carbon mountain bike wheels? Who else could have created that? This is a company on the rise, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few on the pier in Kona. These are just that good, and in a carbon clincher form, that easy to use.
The rest of Sea Otter saw a lot of cool new stuff. Including...
Continental GP4000 tubulars. Yes, they exist. I bought one of thes
e for my wife's new rear Hed Stinger 90 before she did Ironman China. I've had nothing but great luck with Continental, so to see the GP4000 finally available in a tubie, meant a level of security that my wife was most likely not gonna flat. She often doesn't appreciate the nuiances of a good ride, but she does if it fails her. Fortunately, the GP4000 didn't attract her attention, delivering her without incident. Whew. On what was a reputedly rough course, it was to task.
All of the new tires, tubie or clincher (GP4000, are getting a new tire-toughenin
g agent called Black Chili, and retain the Vectran flat-resistance layer. It's the Vectran that gives me that piece of mind against flats, but the Black Chili compound adds a tacky new gumminess to the rubber that I really like.
And, of course, Conti has the baddest color range this side of the rainbow. For those of us that like to color coordinate, Conti is the only option for a "pretty" tire you can actually ride with the 4000. I mean, who else has brown tires? Or two tones of blue?
Fi'zi:k also showed off something some MTB guys and road time trialers have been playing with: stick pads. These felt-topped adhesive pieces are to go on top of your saddle (no
, it doesn't have to be a Fi'zi:k saddle to help prevent slipping. I haven't tried this, as I like to range around on the saddle, particularly if I'm on a hilly or rolling course. Perhaps on a flat course like Brazil or Florida, if you like to lock into that one position they might do the trick though. One to test sometime.
We also got a look at the new paintjob for the Look 486, the one that started the whole bayonet front end craze. I've liked the bike, but never really dug the look. I like it now.
We also ran into this chick, who just last week started off her season with a win at Xterra Temecula. Canadian Melanie McQuaid plans to split for Europe to get after the
Xterra Europe circuit and face off against Julie Dibens, who trumped her in Maui last year. I love that since Dibens ain't coming here, she's facing her foe on her turf. As Rage Against the Machine lead singer Zack de la Rocha says, know your enemy. With Jamie Whitmore sidelined (and making a hard-charging recovery) after a tumor in her glute and hamstring (I'll be following up with you on her more soon, as I spent a good 45 minutes chatting with her at Temecula last weekend, and will be writing a feature on her for Competitor), McQuaid needs to find someone who challenges her as much as Jamie. Mel's on the warpath.
One last on Jamie: Given all that has been rained upon her, she has been an absolute rock star to show up at Wildflower and Xterra Temecula, present at Xterra to support her boy, Courtney Cardenas. If you want to help a cool chick and a world champion through a bit of a crossroads, drop her an email (gutzytrigirl at gmail dot com), get her a grocery card, whatever. She's the optimistic I know many of us wish we were, and I think her positive mindset overall can help her get rolling again... or get that foot moving. But I reckon it hurt a lot for her to see the girls take off for the race start at Vail Lake.
At Wildflower, I had a chance to smush her between two good guys and make her a Jamie sandwich at the Cannondale truck down by Lake San Antonio. When this whole cancerous mass in her leg thing went down with Jamie, her sponsors totally had her back. "Monavie, ESI Grips and Zeal have really stuck by and gone above and beyond," Jamie told me. "Monavie has honored my contract, and ESI Grips and Zeal have donated a percentage of sales to help with bills! And TYR and Michelin have been great by sending care packages and such!"
The guys I always see at the races were her bike sponsors. Several years back it was Felt racing, and currently, Cannondale. Both Cannondale's Bill Rudell and Felt namesake Jim Felt have been huge fans of Jamie aside from sponsors, and both have been there to support her through it. Not too many industries big or small, that respond like our industry does, let alone two competing brands. "Cannondale has not only been there financially but as a friend, and I can never forget about Jim Felt and his family!" That's Jim on the right and Bill to the left of Jamie.
Oh, remember how Jamie always rocked her bikes with "Powered by God" decal? She keeps it rolling, on the brace supporting her left foot, which has foot fall due to the nerve that was damaged in the removal of the tumor that had wrapped itself around the nerve.
In the meantime, Jamie, paddles, pullbuoy and band... and Compex.... and get that leg stronger!
Back to Sea Otter: among the offerings were two big debuts: the debut of the new SRAM redesigns of Force and Rival, and the debut of Edge Composites. Let's look at SRAM first.
SRAM
SRAM held a press conference at Otter to show of some stuff that probably doesn't have the carbon bling factor, but resonated with those of us that have to look after the mortgage and putting food on the table ahead of carbon.So if carbon isn't the option, how about aluminum? SRAM showed off the 500TT aero brake levers. For $108 a pair, you get the same shape and design (a functional return spring being the most important element) as the carbon version, at a few grams of added weight. They're 99 grams. Great deal. They also debuted a new 500 level TT shifter—same as the carbon version in every way, except using aluminum instead of carbon on the shifters. 154 grams a pair, at $120.
You can also now throw them on Zipp's new SRAM-compatible s-bend extensions. The extension represents the first collaborative between Zipp and SRAM after the latter purchased the former. While it was only a sample, in the hand, the absence of a plug-in feels really positive for shifting—zero potential for flex of the shifter in this version.
Also on show: a new TT ring set, in 54 or 55 big blade and 42-tooth inner ring. I trust we'll see T.J. Tollakson and the rest of a growing lot of SRAM-sponsored pros turning the cranks on these.
Staying on the "value" theme, SRAM did announce some major redesign changes. Nothing with Red; from our account, they have done nothing short of nail it all on the Red group. It's light, shifts crisp as a sunny spring morning, and the shifter/brake lever shape for the full road groupset is ergonomically solid. I've been riding Red for the last few months on my Cervelo and have been so pleased with it. It made me think about how fast and far they came. I mean, Force was hot when it debuted two years ago, now it's off the back. As is Rival.
Well, Force and Rival
just caught up. The two junior groups took on a new facelift, both cosmetically and functionally for 2009. The biggest gainer is Rival, which takes on new shifter shape and adjustable lever reach akin to Red, and also adopts a front chainring trim. The brake levers go from alloy to a sexy matte carbon, the levers themselves dropping 40 grams. Also cool about Rival: the crankset crankarm length comes in an insane length range: 165mm to 180mm. Many of the pro roadies have been riding Force cranks just to get the fit option they want.Entire Rival group: $919. Damn. The Force group gets the same cosmetic facelift and front ring trim. Shimano's coming, but they better come strong, because SRAM is taking no shorts. And Campy? I hope their new marketing man, Tom Kattus, can impart upon the Italians how far off the back they've fallen with the triathlon market. Tom's a tri guy, so I hope to hear he's throwing his weight around there (when he's not surfing in Fiji).
Last SRAM item: they'll debut in '09 a few new cassettes. The new SRAM Red Powerdome cassette will be available in an 11-26 option, which is great. But the Force and Rival cassettes will go further than that, with an.... 11-28. Wow. They'll also have a 12-25, 12-26 and 12-27. What a killer climbing range.
They had on display the process by which they create a Red cassette. From left to right you can see its raw form: an alloy billet (which would make a nice paperweight) that is CNC'd into a hollowed one-piece cassette. SRAM's Michael Zellmann tells me it was a young engineer at their Chicago office who came up with that one. I said they need to give that kid a raise.
Edge Composites
I've known Jim Pfeil, former Reynolds Composites staffer, for some years, being that their offices were located in nearby Carlsbad. When the company's brainpower, namely Jim and a bunch of top engineers) left, they reconvened in Utah to form Edge Composites. So I knew that when they were to debut some new wheels, they'd be nothing short of special. They make their own rims, which are some of the strongest I've ever ridden. Hell, Jason Schiers, the president of the company, was the first to create the all-carbon clincher.
So Sea Otter marked My eyes were on their 68mm clincher. Capable of taking up to 160psi, this... this is what I wish my wife could ride (if she didn't have an existing sponsorship). Hell, this is what I want to ride. I've seen waaay too many folks who have bitchin tubulars, flat in the race... and just stand there with their tubular in their hand, wondering what the hell to do.
I'm not gonna make this a "you should learn how to change a tubular in a race" schpeil, because Edge Composites solves for this with a wheel you can race or train on, and has all the weight savings of full carbon. I mean, we're raised on clinchers, why not have a real race wheel you can use them on too? I hope to do some testing on this wheel soon. They also have a 38mm clincher, and tubular versions of both wheels. All light, all way, way strong, built on DT Swiss hubs. They're all gorgeous. Steve Larsen won Worlds Toughest Triathlon last weekend on the deep tubulars from Edge Composites. He could win on anything, but the fact Steve picked these, that speaks volumes.
Edge Composites is also the first brand I've seen to make full-carbon mountain bike tires. Not ones for show. These are for DH, hard XC. Again, you have to see these rims to believe.
They also have road and mountain bike bars 320g Aero 1.0. They also offer a slightly more stout 2.0 version.
I'm glad to see the guys that built one brand are building another, but doing it on a wholly other level that surpasses anything they'
ve done before. I mean, real full-carbon mountain bike wheels? Who else could have created that? This is a company on the rise, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few on the pier in Kona. These are just that good, and in a carbon clincher form, that easy to use.The rest of Sea Otter saw a lot of cool new stuff. Including...
Continental GP4000 tubulars. Yes, they exist. I bought one of thes
e for my wife's new rear Hed Stinger 90 before she did Ironman China. I've had nothing but great luck with Continental, so to see the GP4000 finally available in a tubie, meant a level of security that my wife was most likely not gonna flat. She often doesn't appreciate the nuiances of a good ride, but she does if it fails her. Fortunately, the GP4000 didn't attract her attention, delivering her without incident. Whew. On what was a reputedly rough course, it was to task.All of the new tires, tubie or clincher (GP4000, are getting a new tire-toughenin
g agent called Black Chili, and retain the Vectran flat-resistance layer. It's the Vectran that gives me that piece of mind against flats, but the Black Chili compound adds a tacky new gumminess to the rubber that I really like.And, of course, Conti has the baddest color range this side of the rainbow. For those of us that like to color coordinate, Conti is the only option for a "pretty" tire you can actually ride with the 4000. I mean, who else has brown tires? Or two tones of blue?
Fi'zi:k also showed off something some MTB guys and road time trialers have been playing with: stick pads. These felt-topped adhesive pieces are to go on top of your saddle (no
, it doesn't have to be a Fi'zi:k saddle to help prevent slipping. I haven't tried this, as I like to range around on the saddle, particularly if I'm on a hilly or rolling course. Perhaps on a flat course like Brazil or Florida, if you like to lock into that one position they might do the trick though. One to test sometime.We also got a look at the new paintjob for the Look 486, the one that started the whole bayonet front end craze. I've liked the bike, but never really dug the look. I like it now.
We also ran into this chick, who just last week started off her season with a win at Xterra Temecula. Canadian Melanie McQuaid plans to split for Europe to get after the
Xterra Europe circuit and face off against Julie Dibens, who trumped her in Maui last year. I love that since Dibens ain't coming here, she's facing her foe on her turf. As Rage Against the Machine lead singer Zack de la Rocha says, know your enemy. With Jamie Whitmore sidelined (and making a hard-charging recovery) after a tumor in her glute and hamstring (I'll be following up with you on her more soon, as I spent a good 45 minutes chatting with her at Temecula last weekend, and will be writing a feature on her for Competitor), McQuaid needs to find someone who challenges her as much as Jamie. Mel's on the warpath.One last on Jamie: Given all that has been rained upon her, she has been an absolute rock star to show up at Wildflower and Xterra Temecula, present at Xterra to support her boy, Courtney Cardenas. If you want to help a cool chick and a world champion through a bit of a crossroads, drop her an email (gutzytrigirl at gmail dot com), get her a grocery card, whatever. She's the optimistic I know many of us wish we were, and I think her positive mindset overall can help her get rolling again... or get that foot moving. But I reckon it hurt a lot for her to see the girls take off for the race start at Vail Lake.
At Wildflower, I had a chance to smush her between two good guys and make her a Jamie sandwich at the Cannondale truck down by Lake San Antonio. When this whole cancerous mass in her leg thing went down with Jamie, her sponsors totally had her back. "Monavie, ESI Grips and Zeal have really stuck by and gone above and beyond," Jamie told me. "Monavie has honored my contract, and ESI Grips and Zeal have donated a percentage of sales to help with bills! And TYR and Michelin have been great by sending care packages and such!"
The guys I always see at the races were her bike sponsors. Several years back it was Felt racing, and currently, Cannondale. Both Cannondale's Bill Rudell and Felt namesake Jim Felt have been huge fans of Jamie aside from sponsors, and both have been there to support her through it. Not too many industries big or small, that respond like our industry does, let alone two competing brands. "Cannondale has not only been there financially but as a friend, and I can never forget about Jim Felt and his family!" That's Jim on the right and Bill to the left of Jamie.
Oh, remember how Jamie always rocked her bikes with "Powered by God" decal? She keeps it rolling, on the brace supporting her left foot, which has foot fall due to the nerve that was damaged in the removal of the tumor that had wrapped itself around the nerve.
In the meantime, Jamie, paddles, pullbuoy and band... and Compex.... and get that leg stronger!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
In our last episode...
Sorry for those I left high and dry the last few weeks, I know I've the crack rock of multisport blogs (though my homeboy Brad thinks his is.... what is "testing" beers?). I've simply had a heap of stuff going on. My wife Donna returned from Asia with a cool Ironman China trophy, some coconut-flavored candy and a Cervelo P3C needing a bunch of work. So I've been spending some quality time with she and her parents. Saturday she's boarding the big bird again, this time for TeamTBB's summer camp Leysin, Switzerland. I'm hoping to pack my bike and spend some time with her for a while out there.
The other stuff I've had on is a change of jobs. I've always been a disciple of Dan Empfield and we've always had a great repoire. The flux of events with Falconhead, owner of Triathlete/Inside Triathlon/VeloNews/Competitor Publications/Elite Racing meant that after nine great years, I was going to move on. Such are corporate buyouts.
Fortunately, the move was to greener pastures: slowtwitch.com The (that is, THE) end-all, be-all website in multisport. It's Dan's ship crafted initially of balsa and built into the current Chrysler Tower it stands as. The forum has been its mainstay, but Dan has built it into a bigger entity, bringing aboard editor Herbert Krabel and tech/resident pro Jordan Rapp to add utility and content.
Then he brought me aboard. I've been in a state of flux the last few weeks, but am getting settled in to start generating some content, to help make it the first place people go when they're looking for results, news, tech, proven rumor, all that. Dan's a journalist and a total word craftsman, something I appreciate in him. I'm looking forward to contributing. I'm jazzed about calling Dan, Herbert, both longtime friends, and Jordan (a new homie) colleagues.
I'll still be contributing to Triathlete, but to a lesser degree.
Now that my bride is headed off to train in the Swiss Alps, I'll catch up on updating this site, training, testing, doing some freelance work (which has let me inside on some new stuff coming to our market that I can't tell you about... just yet) and enjoying stuff like... working from home. Wherever home is... hopefully somewhere in the Swiss Alps in a month!
The other stuff I've had on is a change of jobs. I've always been a disciple of Dan Empfield and we've always had a great repoire. The flux of events with Falconhead, owner of Triathlete/Inside Triathlon/VeloNews/Competitor Publications/Elite Racing meant that after nine great years, I was going to move on. Such are corporate buyouts.
Fortunately, the move was to greener pastures: slowtwitch.com The (that is, THE) end-all, be-all website in multisport. It's Dan's ship crafted initially of balsa and built into the current Chrysler Tower it stands as. The forum has been its mainstay, but Dan has built it into a bigger entity, bringing aboard editor Herbert Krabel and tech/resident pro Jordan Rapp to add utility and content.
Then he brought me aboard. I've been in a state of flux the last few weeks, but am getting settled in to start generating some content, to help make it the first place people go when they're looking for results, news, tech, proven rumor, all that. Dan's a journalist and a total word craftsman, something I appreciate in him. I'm looking forward to contributing. I'm jazzed about calling Dan, Herbert, both longtime friends, and Jordan (a new homie) colleagues.
I'll still be contributing to Triathlete, but to a lesser degree.
Now that my bride is headed off to train in the Swiss Alps, I'll catch up on updating this site, training, testing, doing some freelance work (which has let me inside on some new stuff coming to our market that I can't tell you about... just yet) and enjoying stuff like... working from home. Wherever home is... hopefully somewhere in the Swiss Alps in a month!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)