Orca Tri Tank and Shorts

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Will

In an event, under my wetsuit, I wear my Orca Tri Jersey and Tri Pant (shorts).  When I finish the swim I just have to peel off the wetsuit, throw on bike shoes/helmet/gloves and I’m off.

The shorts are like bicycle shorts but with a much thinner chamois, so it dries within minutes of jumping on the bike, and there’s a pocket in the back for gels.  The jersey is super breathable and has two massive pockets in back.  Both are very comfortable and don’t chafe in the slightest.

In training, I use just the jersey with running shorts.  A cotton t-shirt is fine for up to 45 minutes, but past that there’s chafing, and chafing is lame.  Lycra and spandex are your friends.

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Fuel belt & nuun tablets

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Will

I’ve found that, for runs of an hour or less, I don’t need any water.  Past that, though, things start to go downhill very quickly, and not in the fun “hey I’m running downhill” kind of way.  I used to use a 24 oz hand-held model,  but now I’ve advanced to a full 6-bottle belt (48 oz total).

Instead of just water, though, I use nuun tablets, every flavor of which is delicious. They’re more quickly absorbed than water alone, and have salt and other electrolytes to keep you feeling strong.

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Nike running hat

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Will

Lightweight, breathable material with vents, sweat-absorbent brow liner, and stylish to boot!  The Nike running hat:

nike-hat

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Asics GT-2150

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Will

I’ve been running in this style of asics for years.  I’ll probably switch to a sock-less shoe next season for events (for speedier transitions), but I’ll still use the Asics for training.  This particular model corrects my slight over-pronation, feels light but supportive, and has just enough cushioning.

asics-shoe

Always buy two pairs, so if you get rained on you don’t have to run in soggy shoes the next day.

Update: I’ve come to realize that this shoe probably has too much cushioning, and shouldn’t be correcting my pronation (as the foot is supposed to pronate a bit anyway).  This is a great shoe if you run on your heels, but that’s a horribly damaging way to run.  I’ll be looking for lighter, less-cushioned shoes in the future, and work on my form such that I land at mid-foot (like one does naturally when running barefoot).

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Asics Core Lycra running shorts

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Will

I bought these based on reviews from Amazon.com, and they’ve totally worked out!

core_shorts

Chafing can go from being an annoyance to a show-stopper as you start adding the miles, and the various lycra/spandex products out there are absolutely worth the money to stop that from happening.  I usually wear regular athletic shorts over them.

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Race Report: The Grand Columbian

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Will

The Grand Columbian, Grand Coulee, WA – 09/18/2010
www.thegrandcolumbian.com

On Friday, the day before the race, Matt and I drove out to Grand Coulee and checked in to the Trail West Motel.  We found ourselves in a clean room of adequate size with a couple double beds and a mini-fridge; just right.

I had registered online, so I just needed to check in and get my bike racked.

This was a breeze, as the low overall number of entrants meant plenty of parking, plus the volunteers had everything nice and organized in the way I’ve come to expect of USAT-sanctioned events (not that I’ve been to a non-sanctioned event, but still).

Continue reading →

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