2012 Rev3 Knoxville Half

I was excited to add a new race for me last year in REV3 Knoxville Half.  It was a bit of a trek from San Francisco to get there, but it was a cool college town and a fun venue.  It was also good to meet up with many of my team REV3 teammates and be able to race in our brand new kits!

All quiet before the storm! (Eric Wynn Photography)

Swimming in the river under the bridges was very cool.  It reminded me of the Vineman half course, although luckily this water was much deeper.

Go, Go Go! (Eric Wynn Photography)

Rev3 Knoville Half Rolling Bike Course

As you can see below, my avg pace on bike was pretty good even with the rolling hills.  I should have brought along my compact crank though, so definitely consider that if you race there.  It was humid out there, but that didn’t really come into play on the bike.  It is a beautiful bike course through the countryside that should be on everyone’s race list.  In 2014 this race will be the REV3 Age Group Championship, which will be a fun and challenging day for sure!

Click through for Strava ride detail

Definitely a challenging and hilly bike course!

Rocking new Team Rev3 Kit in Style!

Wishing I was running faster!

I felt great those first four miles even with the climbs, as we ran along the river.  That hill somewhere on mile 5 crushed my spirit a bit and I needed to pull back my pace to survive  At mile 11 I was able to start my charge thanks to a double caffeine Powerbar gel.  I passed over 30 people those last three miles even finishing that last mile with an 8:20.  It was definitely a challenging early season race that was a blast to race in!

Running those back to back hills on mile 3 & 4 crushed me!

Cheers,

Michael

New Kestrel Legend SL & Retul Fit

My New Mistress!

I hope the New Year is treating everyone well.  Going into 2013, I was looking to upgrade my road bike and looked to Kestrel’s new line.  I’ve been a huge fan since I was first introduced to the brand when they sponsored the Trakkers/REV3 team a few years back.  My Kestrel 4000 rocket is the fastest bike I’ve ever ridden.  Last year I made some great upgrades to my 4000 that helped me qualify for Vegas Champs.  Given that I moved to a much hillier area and I’m also tackling some tough hilly courses this year, I felt it was time for a road bike upgrade.  My new ride is the Kestrel SRAM Red Legend SL.  I’ve been most impressed with how feather light it is and the sharp drive train response. If you’ve never ridden a high end road bike, you should give the Legend a spin!  Here are a few review quotes for the Legend:

Peloton magazine Review

“Flawless craftsmanship…feathery weight…I loved the Legend’s ride. It was rock stable at high speed plus nimble and quick. It was light and lively and it made hanging on the descent and climb a breeze.” READ MORE

JIM LANGLEY, ROAD BIKE RIDER

“A great alternative to ‘comfort’ road bikes like the Specialized Roubaix. As opposed to making a crazy stiff bike and trying to quash vibration, the Legend lets the vibration move through the bike to inform your sense of the road surface.” READ MORE

PATRICK BRADY, RED KITE PRAYER

“Perhaps most notable with the Legend is the fork construction method, which uses both an internal bladder and a foam core to maximize efficiency of the carbon lay-up.”READ MORE

BEN DELANEY, BIKE RADAR

Sneaking in a ride in between rain showers!

I logged a few rides in between rain storms just before the end of the year and loved her.  I knew that I wanted to fine tune my fit with Retul, as that really helped me dial in my Kestrel 4000 a few years back.  Phil from HyperCat has helped me in the past before moving to Ventura and he now comes up to NorCal once a quarter with his mobile shop.  If you’ve never had a Retul fit, it is well worth looking into.  You will literally see your power increase throughout the fit to find you power sweet spot.

Here is some background info on what a Retul fit looks like:

WHY GET A RETUL BIKE FIT?

What are the benefits of a proper bike fit?
A proper bike fit is essential for injury prevention and maximized efficiency.  An optimal position on the bike will allow for greater comfort and enjoyment while riding.  All bodies are different and your position on the bike should reflect your biomechanics.

Why get fit with Retul 3D motion capture technology?
The best way to analyze a rider’s efficiency is to observe and measure the rider while he or she is pedaling the bike.  Retul 3D motion capture technology simultaneously measures three planes of movement on the rider as he or she is in motion.  Retul averages the rider’s pedal strokes to provide a comprehensive data set reflecting the rider’s movements.  Only at this point can a bike fit expert properly evaluate changes to a rider’s position.  Attempts to analyze the rider in a static position, or only in two dimensions, will not provide data at the same level of accuracy as 3D motion capture.      

Who can benefit from a bike fit?
Generally, if you are serious enough to clip into a bike, you will benefit from a bike fit.  Whether you are a professional or recreational rider, getting the proper bike fit is an effective yet economical way to improve performance.

How long does a Retul fit take?
An average fit with Retul lasts 90 minutes.  However, if you have major adjustments or component changes, the fit may be longer.

How is fit data shared with the rider?
The Retul software archives data for every rider and his or her bike/bikes.  The client receives a report of the final fit data, which includes body measurements and angles, as well as bike set-up and measurements.

Hypercat Fitting with Phil

Ok, back to my fit session with Phil.  He was up in NorCal in his mobile shop, which is way more that I imagined.  I also had a new pair of Pearl Izumi Tri-Fly shoes that needed to be fitted. We started off on the trainer and looking at any obvious changes that needed to be made.

Wired up for Retul session!

The biggest thing that needed to be addressed was how scrunched up my shoulders were.  I also needed to improve my elbow angle by relaxing some more.  Below are good before and after pics!

Before/After Photos

Below is the type of output you can expect from a great Retul fit.  We definitely found my power sweet spot in the fitting and I’ve already noticed a significant increase in power on recent rides!

Retul Fit Report

Lastly, as I was writing up this post I saw Phil post a pic of a Retul fit he recently completed for Simon Whitfield!  If the fastest triathletes in the world trust Phil, I’m glad he’s my fitter!!!

You may recognize this Gold medal winner!

Cheers,

Hutto

Happy Holidays!

 

 

From my family to yours, we wish everyone a great Holiday Season!

 

 

Holiday Cheers,

Michael

 

2012 Cyber Monday Triathlon/Cycling Deals

Make sure to check out my Black Friday post, as many of those deals are through Cyber Monday: http://mhutto.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/2012-black-friday-triathloncycling-deals/

THECLYMB: LIVE DEAL

No code needed, but you do have to register to see the deals.  They tend to have great name brand tri and cycling gear for at least 60% off.  I’ll warn you that the site is addictive though!

Competitivecyclist: LIVE DEAL

Great deal on Oakley Jawbone Sunglasses for $99!!!  Also added 50% off Reynolds wheelsets

Infinit Nutrition: LIVE DEAL

Wednesday November 28th starting at Noon EST (9am PST). This is your final chance to get in on the sale for the year.

The code is THESALE

50% for the first hour
40% for the second hour
30% for the third hour
20% for the last hour.

ProBikeKit: LIVE DEAL

2012 Black Friday Triathlon/Cycling Deals

It’s that time of year again where I create a post about the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that cater to endurance sports/triathlon.  Yes, I’ve been called an alpha shopper and  love to try the newest and greatest.  Last year was the first year that I shared my list of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals.  I received a ton of great feedback and was excited to share these deals.  My blog had over 10k hits last November, so I hope that you found a great deal!  My favorite deals last year were the great and rare Rapha sale and the Trix gear tshirt deal! Worth noting is that I don’t get paid to do this, I’m just trying to help my fellow endurance/triathlon peeps find great deals!  I’m more than open to free swag or additional discounts if they come my way though

The great news with my deal list, is that you will be able to find deals at all price points.  Where do you fall in the following chart?!

This list will grow quickly and the Cyber Monday post historically has a lot more deals.  Here are last year’s deal posts:

2011 Black Friday post:  http://mhutto.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/triathlon-black-fridaycyber-monday-sales/

2011 Cyber Monday post:   http://mhutto.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/triathlon-cyber-monday-deals/

KOMPETITIVE EDGE: EXPIRED DEAL

Great deals & also extended through Sunday online only!

TRISPORTS:  EXPIRED DEAL

A great sale of 25% off store wide using code “GOBBLE”.  Looks like there are also some great door busters including Pearl Izumi shoes at 50% off and a Lightspeed Ci2 Ultegra Di1 bike at 60% off!

TheClymb: LIVE NOW

Great sale on Canonndale and 2XU

2012 Tri Season Recap Video!

Check out my 2012 Tri Season Recap video including these highlights:
*Oceanside 70.3
*PRSfit Training Camp in Colorado
*Two Tour of California pre-rides
*REV3 Knoxville Half
*Kansas 70.3

*Alcatraz Challenge

*Vineman 70.3 – New PR of 4:57 & Vegas Championship slot!
*Marin Century
*REV3 Maine
*Ironman World Championship 70.3 Las Vegas
*Diablo Challenge

Cookies To The Rescue

In my blog, I mainly try to share my training and racing experiences from my triathlon world.  Recently, I turned to my triathlon world to solve a personal problem with great success and I wanted to share with everyone.

I read an article in the WSJ last month that sent me searching for a solution.  I posted an excerpt below and link to the article for your perusal.  It discusses a recent study that shows skipping breakfast before a day of school significantly reduced students’ speed and accuracy on cognitive and memory tests compared with those who ate breakfast.  It also noted that girls without breakfast were significantly more disrupted in their ability to focus than boys who didn’t have breakfast, results showed.  This was eye opening for me.

No Breakfast Hurts Girls’ Focus Most

By ANN LUKITS

Skipping breakfast before a day of school significantly reduced students’ speed and accuracy on cognitive and memory tests compared with           those who ate breakfast, according to a study recently published online in the journal Appetite.

Researchers compared the performance of 1,386 students from 32 schools throughout the U.K. on several Internet-based tests of attention, memory and reaction time. Subjects included 721 girls and 665 boys age 6 to 16 who logged onto a website between 7:42 a.m. and 12:33 p.m. On testing day, 1,202 students reported having breakfast and 184 didn’t have breakfast. A higher percentage of girls didn’t have breakfast, 7.6% compared with 5.6% of boys.

Compared with those who ate breakfast, students who skipped the morning meal had 7% slower power of attention, a measure of their ability to focus and avoid distraction. They also detected 7% fewer targets on target-detection tasks and correctly identified 9% fewer pictures on a picture-recognition test at a 9% slower speed than students who ate breakfast. Variability in response time, an indication of focusing consistency, was 10% more erratic in those who missed breakfast. Girls without breakfast were significantly more disrupted in their ability to focus than boys who didn’t have breakfast, results showed.

I turned to Erin Baker’s looking for a solution.  I was familiar with the brand through my triathlon experiences.   They sponsor an age-group triathlon team and offer many healthy foods including endurance granola and their famous breakfast cookies.  I’m not sponsored by them, but have tried their products in the past.  I knew their cookies may be able to help on all fronts if I could convince my daughter to try them.  My thoughts were that this would help her get a healthy start to her day and introduce calories right away to help her morning mood.