When I’m getting ready to turn up the fire, here is what goes into the furnace:

JEFF IRVIN @JeffIrvin.

His guess of 5.2 pounds was just shy of the exact amount: 5.4 lbs.

Pre race weight photo, after eating a large breakfast (bagel, almond butter, banana, 1/4 of a cookie, stale energy bar, large glass of water, one bottle of EFS:

(Sorry it’s upside down and sorry the toes are unsightly.)

The temperature at the start of my run was 68 degrees, slightly overcast. But we are in Boulder, so it feels a lot warmer!

(video – click on photo)

During the run, I drank every bit of it:

In all bottles, the total: 104 ounces of pure water. In both flasks, the total: 600 calories of EFS Liquid Shot + 3 oz of water (10 oz total).

I drank one bottle every 4 miles, with the first one lasting 5.5 miles.  The total run time was 2:15, with an average pace of 6:18 per mile (21.25 miles). The workout was 5K wu, 11K at tempo, 5k regroup, 11k at tempo, 2+k cool down.

The temperature at the finish of my run was 73 degrees (12:05PM), with sunny skies.

The post-run weigh-in shows that I am down, despite consuming 114 total ounces of fluid (water + liquid shot).

This means that I lost 5.4 lbs during the course of the run, and Jeff guessed 5.2 lbs.

What does it all mean, despite that Jeff has won himself a bunch of fun freebies?

To me the greatest lesson to share with you all is that despite the seemingly cool conditions, my sweat rate is remains very high.

Converting from ounces to pounds, I took in an average of 3.167 pounds of fluid per hour. My net loss was 5.4, or 2.4 pounds per hour average.  So, we can say that combining the 3.167 (I took in) with the 2.4 (I lost), my sweat rate per hour is 5.567 pounds per hour.  This is right in line with the numbers we discovered during my lab tests a few years ago. However, the lab tests were in extreme “Kona” conditions (85 degrees with 80% + humidity).

So what you hopefully take home is this: your sweat rate is your sweat rate in most conditions. There is little variation, so figure out how much you are losing per hour, and aim to replace that fluid. For best results, combine the pure water with an electrolyte drink or shot like EFS.  This helps you absorb the fluid, and it will keep you in system in electrolyte balance – something that is key to successful endurance training and racing!

To those of you who thought I would not lose weight, you obviously haven’t seen me sweat!

Thanks for playing!

A rule of thumb I tend to live by is that hurting is OK, but harming is not.  This means that it’s fine to feel a bit of pain during the comeback, but the pain must go away (or at the very least stay the same) after the run.  Harming is when the pain you feel gets worse or persists all day long after the rehab run.

After my two runs, my assessment was that the muscle was loosening up, and there was notable improvement.  Fortunately for me, I have access to some amazing physical therapists in Austin (as well as in Boulder!), so they were able to confirm that the muscle strain was showing great improvement.  It was not just my own wishful thinking.

Day three of run comeback involved a 44-minute run – four blocks of 11 minutes with the corresponding 1-minute walk break.  The calf continued to pass the test.

Day four (yesterday) involved a bit of deep tissue work and ART.  I chose to swim and bike as my only training activities (in addition to my gym routine), so the calf got a break from running.  At the end of my long ride – later in the evening – I noticed that there was some new swelling/ fluid build-up on the tibia (near the injured Posterior Tibialis).  This pocket was not tender, but seemed to be a new addition.  I assumed it was a result of the manual therapy I had received that morning, so I iced for ten minutes.

Knowing that I had an hour run planned for today, I made sure I had covered every base, in terms of recovery. Another fortunate thing for me is that our Trakkers-Rev3 Racing Team has sponsorship by an amazing company, straight out of the medical industry: Recovery Pump.  Their products are designed to aid medical patients regain normal lymphatic flow and veinous return, when their bodies are not working properly.  These pneumatic compression boots are literal lifesavers to a great many people.  We athletes tend to need these same aids in our recovery, so the Recovery Pump has crossed over to our sport, and we are all the fortunate recipients of this crossover.

For an hour last night, as I tended to my computer work and rehydrating, I sat in my Recovery Pump boots.  Upon exiting the session, my “lump” of fluid, including any other (noticeable) fluid build-up was flushed completely gone.  Rare are the times when we can see visual proof that a product is working at it is touted to function.  We often are left to guess if what we did was helpful, coincidental, or purely an exercise in futility.  This is not to say those processes aren’t useful, but guessing tends to limit our confidence.

I am happy to say that Recovery Pump proved to me that it is a highly effective and useful tool to aid in recovery – from an injury, from a hard workout, or even from a hard day of standing around on our feet (we’ve all been there: wondering why we are so wrecked from attending a concert, for example).  Recovery Pump helped me wind down from a long training day, and it helped me heal up from a week-old injury.

While I am not back to full-speed yet, I am well on my way to getting there.  As I ended yesterday on the couch in a pair of “puffy boots”, I’m starting my day today in that same fashion.  Recovery Pump boots are also a great way to get the blood flowing in preparation for a training session.

Run comeback, here we go!

After a solid month of training in January – which I spent consistently plugging away from Lovato Home Base, Boulder version – I plunged into a month of travel and commitments: HRTC Training Weekend in Houston, REV3 Tri Costa Rica (camp, clinic, commentary, announcing, etc.), followed by the Solvang Triathlon Camps weeklong training stint in CA. Interspersed therein I flew back and forth from the ATX to the BCO, and later drove back to Texas via Albuquerque. My past four weeks have been… busy.

Although my training has been quite good, it’s gone in mini-blocks for the past four weeks. Logging four to five days in a row broken by a few days of work/ coaching/ travel/ etc. has made for a lack of true consistency. The only streak I have managed to keep alive is my new-found commitment to logging back-to-back swim week (after week, after week, after week).

And now that I am in Austin, I am starting my training AGAIN!

Starting again really just means that I am moving into a phase of training that will be characterized by a new set of markers; I’ll be doing more race-specific workouts, and I’ll be more consistently tied to my need for day-to-day recovery, and proper in-session fueling. And for this reason, I am writing this blog update: it becomes increasingly more important to tend to the details of nutrition.

Although each of us has a different set of circumstances that lead us to when and why we ramp up our spring training, I am still seeing many athletes in a similar spot: motivated and ready to train. So I am taking a moment to make a few suggestions – to you and to myself!

First off, allow your body’s needs to evolve as your training progresses. In other words, pay attention to the fact that you will need different quantities and different varieties of breakfast when entering your period of consistent training. Starting out you will find yourself immensely hungry after each training session. You may find that a 90-min ride creates an appetite that normally correlates to a 3-hour ride. Be ready for that ramped up hunger, and prepare yourself by introducing a new recovery tool: Ultragen. Especially in your early weeks, the body is fighting hard to adapt to the increased training load – it’s stressed out, and needs to be treated well. I find that one or two bottles of Ultragen per day, timed within 30 minutes of a training session, aids in recovery, keeps me from getting sick, and it encourages me to make wise choices for refueling (rather than returning famished from a hard workout, pillaging the kitchen cupboards like a crazed gorilla in search of any suitable morsel of food – we’ve all done it!). Start the habit now: an Ultragen a day is what keeps the doctor away! (Note: apples need not be offended nor miffed, we still love you.)

Next, pay very close attention to hydration. Nearly all of us starts the day a touch behind on fluids. We each tend to lose two to three pounds per night of water weight, and with that deficit we can start our day at a huge disadvantage. My suggestion first thing in the morning – even before that precious cup of Joe – is to down 16oz of water. Do it, your body will thank you (but you may find yourself needing a few more trips to the John).

A third way to help your body adjust to its increased consistency of training is to begin using your fluid replacement drink outside of training sessions. A quality sports drink like EFS will do the best job of meeting your fluid and amino acids needs, and of keeping your electrolytes in balance. Mixing up some EFS for those in-between moments will help your body level out and find its equilibrium between sessions (work sessions, training sessions, or family sessions). Carry that bottle with you like you do at the expo during race week – start forming good habits now, and get that body ready to handle your efforts. Fluid replacement drinks are not just for workouts anymore.

Finally, this transition from winter training to consistent load is a great time to eliminate your lazy habits. Give yourself a drop-dead date to start tending to the little things. For many folks this means taking your vitamins daily instead of every other third Tuesday. Build the vitamins into your morning routine: a good way to do this is to pop the pills with that initial glass of water you just started drinking first thing in the morning. It works – water AND Mult-V in the tank before your oatmeal, toast, coffee, eggs, or donut.

Lastly, in reference to that last breakfast mention, try to cut out a few of the junk food regulars. It’s OK to eat these things on occasion, but notching back on the donuts a bit, and replacing them with your odd piece of fruit might be just the trick to get your system running smoothly, and to aid in dropping those final few lbs that are hanging around from the holiday weight-gain. Just think about it.

And with that, I must return to training. It’s nearly noon, and I’ve just finished my second breakie, which included a bottle of EFS, a Multi-V or three, and a large apple (see, I follow my own advice).

Onward and upward!

(Boulder, CO) February 10, 2011 – For the second year in a row, Betty Designs has partnered with Team Trakkers to create its custom racing and training kits.

Betty Designs—the established leader in custom kit designs in the triathlon world—makes its mark by creating custom race gear for everyone.

Charlie Patten, Trakkers-Rev3 Head Honcho commented, “we are very pleased to be working with Betty Designs on the creation of our pro and age group apparel. Kristin has the unique ability to create a professional look that really stands out from what is typically seen on the race course—our team looks great!”

“Working with Trakkers for a second season has been a fantastic experience. From a design perspective, the project presented a unique creative challenge—to come up with a race kit that was bold and uniquely Trakkers/Rev3, while highlighting key sponsors,” stated Kristin Mayer of Betty Designs.  “This design then had to be individualized with colors, motifs and individual sponsor logos for specific pro athletes,” she added.

The relationship between Betty Designs and Team Trakkers allows each pro to train and race in the team uniform, while maintaining their own personality and brand.

Pro team member Chris “Big Sexy” McDonald commented that “this year I loved having my kit custom designed by Betty Designs. It has bought my look to a new professional level and Kristin was a breeze to work with. She has come up with a look that brings a little of me into the design.”

Hillary Biscay agreed: “I am so excited to finally have my very own Betty Designs race kit. I’ve always loved Kristin’s flair and am fired up to finally have some of it on my kit! She does beautiful work!”

About Betty Designs: Kristin has been a freelance graphic designer in the endurance sports industry since 1996. Aside from designing kick-ass race kits and product graphics, she can also help you take your brand to the next level with logo design, catalogs, advertising, t-shirts, event graphics and much more.

About Team Trakkers—REV3: A unique team comprised of eleven world-class professionals, and 39 age groups athletes, its mission is to promote and help grow the Revolution3 Triathlon brand; to gain exposure for the world’s first real-time GPS tracking devices; to represent triathlon’s strongest brands; and to compete at multiple events over varied distances, at triathlon series worldwide.

Visit  www.bettydesigns.com and www.rev3tri.com and www.trakkersgps.com

Press Release: 2011 Trakkers—Revolution3 Racing Team

(Boulder, CO) January 25, 2011 – The 2011 Trakkers-REV3 Racing Team returns with new athletes, new sponsors, and a new mission.

After a successful first season, Team Trakkers begins the New Year by revitalizing its relationship with the Revolution3 Triathlon Series, which now supports the team as its co-Title sponsor.  Presenting sponsors include both Kestrel Bicycles and First Endurance, who return this year to support the 11-person professional team and 39-member amateur squad.

New partners for 2011 are industry-leading companies, AVIA (footwear), TYR (wetsuits, speedsuits), and Canari (apparel).

“The Revolution3 Team is overjoyed at the opportunity to be a sponsor of such high-class professional athletes.  Their determination and drive to succeed motivate each and every one of us at Rev3.  Our goal is to push the sport of Triathlon forward and we hope our commitment to this group of athletes shows that we take this growth seriously.  We cannot wait to see them at the Rev3 races this year,” said Charlie Patten, Head Honcho of the Revolution3 Triathlon Series

“Kestrel is excited to be part of the Trakkers-REV3 Triathlon Team,” said Steven Harad, Kestrel Brand Manager.  “This is our second year with the Trakkers team and with the addition of many top level athletes, we are looking forward to a successful season.”

“First Endurance is pleased and honored to be associated with this high caliber team of athletes and sponsors,” stated Robert Kunz, the VP of Science and Technology at FE. “All of the athletes will be using the entire system of First Endurance products, and more importantly they will have influence and input on our new product development, allowing us to keep producing and upgrading our line so it remain the best on the market.”

In addition to the changes in sponsorship, the team roster has grown and evolved. Returning members—Richie Cunningham, Brian Fleischmann, Jacqui Gordon, Amanda Lovato, and Michael Lovato—welcome new athletes, Hillary Biscay, Courtenay Brown, Kathleen Calkins, Chris McDonald, Jessica Meyers, and Matt Sheeks.

With a refreshed athlete roster and its committed sponsors, Team Trakkers—REV3 begins the 2011 race season with an evolved mission: to promote and help grow the Revolution3 Triathlon brand; to gain exposure for the world’s first real-time GPS tracking devices; to represent triathlon’s strongest brands; and to compete at a world-class level over varied distances, at multiple triathlon series worldwide.

“We had a great year in 2010, but our aim is to improve across the board, as we go forward,” stated Michael Lovato.  “To evolve in a positive direction, we have partnered with key sponsors who are committed to the sport of triathlon, to its growth, and to its athletes.  We could not be happier with our group of sponsors, or with our recharged roster of athletes.”

The full professional team includes:

Hillary Biscay:  2008 Ironman Wisconsin Champion; 15-time top-three Ironman finisher

Courtenay Brown: Danskin Tri & Silverman Half winner; Inside Tri columnist

Kathleen Calkins: 2010 REV3 Cedar Point 3^rd place; Top Amateur Kona 2009

Richie Cunningham: 2x 70.3 Champion; 4x Top-Five 70.3 World Championships

Brian Fleischmann: 1^st World Team Champs; 2x 2^nd place USAT National Champs

Jacqui Gordon: Multiple Ironman and 70.3 Top-Ten finisher

Amanda Lovato: 2010 Pucón 70.3 Champion; Multiple Half Ironman Champion; Multiple Top-Five Ironman finisher

Michael Lovato: 2x Ironman Champion; 3x Top-Ten Kona; 3x National Champion

Chris McDonald: 3x Ironman Champion

Jessica Meyers: 2010 Augusta 70.3 Champ; US National Team; Armed Services Champion

Matt Sheeks: 2010 Duathlon Pro National Champion; 2009 Duathlon AG World Champion

Thanks for the support before, during and after the race.

Many of you have probably heard about this already; in fact, many of you have tweeted about it already. For those of you who have not – and for those of you who do not believe it – the rumors are now confirmed: Team Trakkers has challenged the Trek/Kswiss team to a duel at Rev 3 Knoxville.  And they have stepped up and accepted our dare!

2010 is shaping up to be the year of the team in the sport of triathlon, and Team Trakkers will not be outdone.  While gathering for our Pro Team launch this past weekend in Austin, Texas, our competitive spirits – and the Shiner Bock – got the best of us, and we threw down the Five-Thousand-Dollar Challenge.

Our beer-and-pizza happy hour on Friday night served multiple purposes: we were there to meet one another; we were there to meet with our sponsors; we were there to talk about the season; we were there to meet the public; and, of course, we were there to have some fun.

Somewhere along the way, we got caught up in a little trash talk, and while managing to accomplish all of the above, we also got ourselves signed up for a bit of a schoolyard brawl on May 9^th.

But before any of these antics got underway, Dede Griesbauer, Richie Cunningham, Brian Fleischmann, Amanda Lovato, Jacqui Gordon, Carole Sharpless, and I all went through the rigors of a full-blown Liz Kreutz photo session.  Kreutz – the photographer who chronicled Lance Armstrong’s Comeback 2.0 last year – directed and managed our shoot, while making sure that each and every one of us had top-quality images for our websites and our Trakkers promos.  Liz is a true professional, and being the subject of her photos is a fun and smoothly run experience.

No team camp would be complete without a few training sessions, and for good measure, we were sure to throw in a few swim, bike, runs. Friday morning got under way with a nice dip in 68-degree spring fed Barton Springs Pool.  Even with the upcoming races for three of our teammates, the tone of the workout was lighthearted.  We rewarded ourselves with a post-swim coffee and breakfast over at Austin Java Co., one of the locals’ favorite spots.

The next morning, we donned our green kits once again to lead a group ride through the hills of Austin. Each team member, and a few lucky extras, got to test out the Trakkers devices, which meant proving to everyone who watched the playback just how fast (or slow!) we rode the course.  Everyone agreed that Trakkers is going to change the way we view our sport—big time!

Saturday afternoon gave us the opportunity to slow it down a bit, and to showcase our generous Team Sponsors: Saucony, First Endurance and Kestrel.  At our Expo, Carrie Bartlett showed off the 2010 Saucony line, while allowing folks to test out the shoes; Robert Kunz handed out samples of EFS and Ultragen, while answering anyone’s nutrition-related questions; and four fully decked Kestrel Airfoils were on display for all to see.

As the expo closed out, our team gathered for one more group session: a short run around Town Lake.  Testing out our new green race kits, we jogged about, while Jay Prasuhn of Lava Magazine willingly followed behind with his camera.  Naturally our conversation turned back to the challenge we had laid out before us.

Challenges are what triathlon is all about.  Sometimes it’s a challenge to finish a tough day; sometimes it’s a challenge to beat your neighbor; and sometimes it’s the challenge of setting a new PR.  But in almost all cases, those challenges are all worthwhile because of the people we get to share them with. And in this particular case, Trakkers Pro Team is excited to share a season of challenges with one another, with our Amateur Team, and with all of our supporters and sponsors.  And we really look forward to kicking the pants off the Trek/ KSwiss team next month!

Challenge Rules:

Two Teams compete.

Top two men finishers count; top one female counts (per team).

Cross Country scoring: overall place counted as points, lowest point total wins.

Winning team gets $5000 from Trakkers, to be spilt amongst team members competing.

Friday April 9

8:30 AM Group Swim at Barton Springs – Knock the dust off your wetsuit and come take a swim with some of the best in the sport. (Meet at Barton Springs, bring cash for entry!)

6:00-8:00PM, Happy hour for ALL to attend – Come meet the Trakkers Pro Team, drink beer, eat catered food, kick back and listen to some live music! (Meet at J & A’s.)

Pro Team includes Michael Lovato, Amanda Lovato, Richie Cunningham, Dede Griesbauer, Brian Fleischmann, Mary Beth Ellis, Jacqui Gordon, and Carole Sharpless.

Saturday April 10

8:30 AM Group ride from J & A’s – 30 Mile Hilly Loop, presented by First Endurance ANYONE welcome – Free First Endurance product provided pre- and post-ride.
First Endurance nutrition talk immediately following the ride: learn the ins and outs of fueling and recovery. Breakfast tacos & coffee compliments of First Endurance.

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM – Trakkers Pro Team & Jack & Adam’s Season Kick-Off

Catered food from Whole Foods – fruit, sandwiches, and more, compliments of Team Trakkers and J & A’s.

Trakkers device test run and demo set to view at J & A’s.
High Five Events, Rev 3 Events, Trakkers, Saucony, First Endurance, and more will be on site with product samples and displays.

Lots of Free stuff to be given away!

4:30 PM Group Run from J & A’s – Take a jog around Town Lake. 4 and 7 mile loops available. – Pros split off for photos on Auditorium Shores

Sunday April 11

8:00AM Optional Capitol 10,000 event.
8:00AM -12:00PM Pro athletes receive Retul Bike Fits with Zane Castro
12:00: Trakkers product talk and wrap-up.

So far 2010 has been an outstanding year.  My beautiful and talented wife started out the season with a victory at one of the coolest races on the planet: Pucon 70.3; we have settled back into our spring and winter life down here in Austin, Texas – and our friends have embraced our return; and the training has been going very well for both of us.   On top of that, we have partnered up with a few new sponsors this year, and I can absolutely say that we have the best support in the industry.  The products and companies we are working with are the best; and the relationships we have been able to form are truly amazing.  We are very pleased to be working with each one of these folks!

And last, but not least, we have formed an incredible team of athletes this year: Team Trakkers.  Together with Saucony, Kestrel and First Endurance, Trakkers has assembled a group of pros who will be contending for wins and podiums at every distance from Ironman down to Olympic and sprint.  Our age groupers (36 of them!) are fast, insightful, inspiring, fun, dedicated, and committed to our sport.  We are a fun bunch, and we plan to demonstrate that Triathlon can thrive with top quality support of the professional athletes, as well as a true dedication to the inspirational stories of our amateur athletes.

Stay tuned to this blog, to twitter, and to all of your favorite industry websites for updates on how our Trakkers Team is bringing it in 2010!

And don’t worry, I won’t let another four months go by…

There are some things I just can’t change. I can’t seem to stop referencing songs in my posts, tweets, or conversations. I love music, and sometimes I just have to quote a lyric or two. Another thing I can’t seem to do: blog regularly. Admittedly, the whole Twitting project has been fun, will continue to be fun, and has taken a bit of my blog time. But I ain’t gone yet!

Lately in Austin we’ve been signing a bit of Zeppelin or Stevie Ray Vaughn. Take your pick: “If it keeps on raining, the levee’s going to break,” OR, “It’s floodin’ down in Texas…” Either way you chose it, we’ve gotten a bit wet and cold. I’m not complaining though; it’s been the only bad weather we’ve had all winter. No complaints.

However, one thing that always guarantees rainfall is a new bike. And I got one. New bike= wet and dirty roads, guaranteed. (There are no guarantees, I know.)

Why a new bike? Good question, astute reader. Javelin has been my steed of choice for four years. The company has been super supportive of my goals, my racing, my training, and everything. The bike is a great piece of equipment, and I rode it well. However, recent times have seen a bit of “disappearance” by Javelin from the Tri Scene. For good or for bad, the changes they are making have left me feeling like I wanted to be on board with a triathlon bike company that is going places.

Enter Kestrel.

Kestrel is, and always has been, an innovator in the triathlon world. They have been making cool, unique, and fast bikes for many years. And they have plans to return to the forefront of triathlon, and I plan to help them do so.

Below are some photos of my new ride, before its first trip outdoors. Zane at Jack and Adam’s has been fitting me on bikes since, oh, about 1999. He knows me, and he has helped me evolve my fit over time. He’s good, and he has me all set up! Thanks, bro, and thanks to Jack for everything, and to James for building up this bad boy.

Since I’ve gotten all thanky-thanky on this post, I’d like to send out a big, fat Gracias to Steven Harad for bringing me on the Kestrel team. We’re going to have a great year!
No, my saddle is not too high, my leg is locked out on purpose.
just wait til start moving

close up!
Now I’m moving angry-style

While poking around on the internet Friday afternoon, I stumbled upon a few blogs (and a few blogger comments) which started me thinking about sponsorship in the world of triathlon. It’s not only the blog posts that got me thinking. Hearing some of my fellow pro triathletes’ opinions has made me wonder about the trends of our sport; and talking to various age group athletes, has presented me with similar questions.

What I continue to ask myself is this: why do so many athletes consider it their right to be sponsored? Why do they not realize that the support of a sponsor is a hard earned privilege?

First I thought it would be helpful to define sponsorship. Primarily, a sponsor is someone who assumes responsibility for another person, or who vouches for that person. Or to expand on that, it is someone who takes care of another. Be it in a financial, emotional, or physical manner, a sponsor takes responsibility for someone else.

In triathlon, as in other sports, sponsors take care of athletes by providing them money, equipment, and general support in his or her endeavors. Sponsors do this so that the athlete can perform better, so he or she can achieve certain goals, so he or she can make a living, and so the sponsor can share in the responsibility of the athlete’s struggles and accomplishments. In short, they do so because they care about the athletes.

They do not do this because they have to do so.

My recent observations have told me that far too many triathletes assume that they deserve sponsorship for one or more of the following reasons:
a) They are (or think they are) really fast at swimming, biking, and running;
b) They are the most “loyal” customer of a particular company;
c) They just want to get free stuff;
d) They see that others have sponsors, so they assume that they, too, should have sponsors, and
e) They need sponsorship to feed their egos, because then they will be “sponsored athletes,” like Tiger Woods.

At this point, I am afraid I’m going to have to call bullshit.

I find it absolutely appalling when I read about a disgruntled athlete who choses to boycott or discontinue use of a product merely because the company who produces it decides not to sponsor that particular athlete. If the basis of the sponsorship request was that the athlete believes in and uses the product, why does that change if the company chooses not to invest in the athlete? In other words, if you were going to wear that race outfit when you thought it was going to be free, why wouldn’t you use it once you know you have to pay for it?!!

Additionally, I periodically hear an athlete talking badly about a company or a product: “So-and-so did not get back to me promptly when I asked them to sponsor me,” or “this-and-that is an inferior company because they chose not to spend money on me.” (Yes, it does cost a sponsor money even if it’s purely a product-only deal.) If the athlete is talking smack about a company just because it has chosen not to sponsor him or her, it is pretty clear the sponsor made the right decision: nobody wants to be associated with a smack-talking whiner!

In contrast to the above reasons for seeking sponsorship, here are some pretty simple questions to ask prior to making that sponsorship inquiry:
a) Do I believe in the product?
b) Can I make the company more successful, or can I help it improve?
c) Will I make a good representative of the company?
d) Am I capable of clearly communicating the company’s message to its customers or clients?
e) Do I want sponsorship, or do I need sponsorship?

In the end, we could not have professional triathletes without the generous support of our sponsors. Rather than be bitter, disgruntled or ungrateful, we should be appreciative that there are kind-hearted, giving businessmen and (and women) who chose to associate their companies with us as athletes. As an extension or a representation of the sponsors’ companies, we athletes should stand up, be thankful, and take nothing for granted.

Sponsorship is NOT a right; it is most certainly a privilege… and one to which not everyone is entitled. And that’s OK, too.

We have arrived in Tempe! It’s great to be here, and we’re really excited to be back in the warmth!

After quite a positive response to Amanda’s online poll on her blog, I am posting a quick look at a possible race outfit of mine. Courtesy of Splish, here is my back and my front.

And next up is my Rudy Project aero helmet. It’s a standard Syton Open helmet, but jazzed up a bit courtesy of Fitz Graphix, a local auto body detail shop. It’s scary, so beware!

That’s it for now. I’ve got to get to sleep, as tomorrow is the final short brick workout here in Boulder before we head off to the Big Island.

Thanks for checking in on me.

Oh, and for those who are interested in seeing a bit of triathlon on TV, I’m attaching the OLN schedule for Ironman North America events. Tomorrow just happen to be IM Arizona, so I definitely recommend tuning in!

We had about 100 athletes in attendance, some of whom were seasoned vets, while others were beginners. Amanda and I really enjoyed telling our stories about how we became triathletes, and how we’ve progressed since our humble beginnings. We got to share a bit more during the half-hour individual Q & A sessions following lunch. In addition to our part, athletes were afforded the chance to do bike fits, biomechanical gait analyses, stroke critiques, transition clinics, and much more. All in all, it was an impressive clinic, and a great first-time show.

We took advantage of being out in NC to scope out the area as a potential future home. We’ve always been drawn to North Carolina, and the Chapel Hill area has been top of the list. We didn’t get a chance to see Ashville or Wilmington, but we’ll plan another trip out there before too long.

In addition to the clinic, Amanda and I did a bit of training with the local tri crew. We did a couple of nice rides, and enjoyed a long run on the trails just outside Raleigh. All in all, it was a great trip, with a lot of laughs and a bit of easy training.

We’re now back in Boulder, and are entering into March: the snowy month!

That’s it for now.