I had been excited about 24 hour Nationals for months. Ever since I made the commitment to race back in the late Spring all of my riding had been with the aim to go as fast as I could around and round the 13 mile lap in Palmer Park. Of course I was motivated to …
I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for Interbike, including a few question-and-answer sessions with athletes and cycling industry folks. There’s a lot of nervousness out there, although it’s not about the state of the industry. People are nervous about Fall and Winter, more so than I remember hearing in recent years. …
I finally did it! Even as my weight came down and my fitness improved, I’ve struggled to ride Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs in under 20 minutes. I used to live at the top of the canyon, so the 3.1-mile long, 1200-vertical feet high ascent was my climb home. Way back when, in the years …
I had so much fun during the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Race Experience that I’m still smiling nearly a week after it ended in Denver. What an amazing race! What an incredible experience to ride every stage, get cheered on by all the fans, and to be treated like the race’s 17th team by the …
By Chris Carmichael With the countdown to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, I’m sure many of you half-IMers out there are wondering if you have what it takes to complete a full Ironman or qualify for Kona. The answer is yes, and the truth is that competing in half-Ironman events gets you into …
By Nick White Training the body for 140.6 miles of effort takes its toll on the body, especially when you’re trying to fit hours of weekly workouts around an already busy life where family and work are higher priorities. The stress of swimming, biking, running, and that thing called “life” can pile, on leading, sometimes, …
I spent last Saturday in an aid station. For the previous six years, I’d been on the other side of our Leadville 100 aid stations, coming in off the race course to get new bottles and reload on food. This year I decided not to race the Leadville 100, partly because I’m doing the USA …
By Nick White and Chris Carmichael The complexity of triathlon is one of its most alluring attributes. You can get started simply, but then your engagement with the sport continues to grow and develop along with you. For time-crunched athletes the complexity sometimes needs to be trimmed back; there’s only so much time and focus …
The Olympics are here again! For cyclists, the excitement starts immediately because the Road Race is today! Pretty much everyone is trying to figure out how to beat the British Dream Team, but I would caution that racing against one specific team or rider is often a bad plan. You can’t go into a race …
By Chris Carmichael Take a look at the transition area at any Ironman race and you’ll see some of the latest and greatest technology available and used by amateur athletes around: carbon-fiber bikes designed in wind tunnels, tear drop aero helmets, specially cut wet suits and lab-tested sports drinks and nutrition. Everything’s designed to make …