Will it be sixty two degress tomorrow or twenty six? This is the time of year when temperatures start to hint of the start of spring. When winter temperatures drop, though, for even a day, it can seem like a week. Hang tough. It can't last lon.
So you have the NYC half marathon coming up in a few weeks? And you have only logged two good long runs? What you should you do? Take a weekend off and drive three hours in search of the only snow that has fallen this year. Two days of cold air, beautiful scenery, and great company on cross country skis made it worth it. So what if you don't get the PR you were looking for? Sometimes the journey is better than the destination.
ccross country in Motivation 
We recently had the opportunity to interview triathlete Chris Thomas, member of Team Timex since 2003. Based in Easton, CT, Chris, age 40, just came off a strong 2011 season. This fall he earned a second place finish in his age group at the 70.3 Ironman Championship in Nevada. He then placed 8th in his age group at Kona with a time of 9:07:08.
Our interview focused on hydration strategies he learned at the Team Timex base triathlon camp held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey a week ago. Go to www.Trijuice.com for the full story.
What keeps a guy like Chris pushing his limit in every training session and every race? It all comes down to addiction to the sport he told us.
It is in his blood. He began running road races at a very early age. In college, he played hockey for Fairfield University.
At the end of his hockey career, he told us he needed to find the "next outlet." He eventually found his way to triathlons in 1999 and that was it. "I was addicted," he told us.
We wish him the best of luck as he prepares for Eagleman, his first "A" race of the season.
Chris thomas, Team Timex, triathlon If an unintended email leads you to an unlisted YouTube video, are you a snoop? What if the video (only 12 views until now) shows a shocking transformation of a classic sinker into a competitive swimmer by wearing a brand new wetsuit? The new wetsuit from Huub, a startup founded by some former Blueseventy execs, literally shaves 60 seconds off of a 2:14 non-wetsuit swim. If this is the stuff I find, I'll think I'll start snooping more. Watch this to believe:
Triathlon seems to inspire innovation like no other sport today. After I recently tried the FLEXR handheld waterbottle and wrote up the results, I actually received a call from Jim the CEO and founder of the company. He's another great example of people in this business who are not afraid to take a risk and build something new. In this case, Jim took a fresh look at a very old product - a water bottle - and came up with a way to make sure every drink is fresh and the environment stays a little cleaner.
After that call, another bottle design of his showed up on my doorstep. I decided to let someone else have the pleasure of letting me know how it works. Siobhan, a mountain bike racer, said she would happily give it a try on one of her off-road adventures. Here's what she had to say in report from the hills of Maryland:
The flat bottle design allowed for tucking into rear of garment during steep trail climbs and/or rock scrambles. I found the surface texture of the bottle provided nice gripping surface during outdoor exercise in inclement weather.
The plastic used was softer than other bottles. I liked this because oftentimes sport bottles are designed with plastic that is too firm – making it difficult to get a sufficient flow of water without a lot of exertion. For those lacking in hand strength, this actually makes a big impact.
The shape ruled it out for use during cycling activities as it didn’t fit in a typical, frame-mount cage. But I really liked it!"
Thanks, Siobhan! We'll try a hands-free bike hydration system from FLEXR next.