The Tri Town Times: 1/31/22

Posted on 31 January 2022
By Antonio Gonzalez
Posted in the tri town times
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Image: Tri Town mechanic Ben Elumbaugh.

This week: USAT launches new gravel triathlon series; the results of a new "super shoe" study; book notes on Alex Hutchinson's Endure; a runner's haiku.

Hi all,

Here is your weekly Tri Town Times newsletter:

Events I'm looking forward to:

USA Triathlon has launched a new Gravel Triathlon Series. Events are located across the country, including here in Idaho at the Tamarack Resort in Donnelly on June 18th.

What is a Gravel Triathlon? Here are some of the distinguishing features as set out by USAT:

- Swim, bike, run distances are not set and vary based on the race (somewhat similar to Xterra).

- Aerobars, triathlon bikes, TT bikes are not allowed. Recumbents and fixed gear bikes are not allowed. Participants can choose to use a gravel bike, mountain bike, or road bike based on course conditions.

- Drafting is allowed.

Training thoughts and updates:

The results of a fascinating "Super Shoe" study confirm what many runners already know: the new crop of shoes with carbon plates work very well. Some insights from the study that may not be as obvious:

- The Nike Alphafly, Nike Vaporfly and the Asics Metaspeed Sky were consistently the most effective (of 7 shoe models tested) with gains around 3%, though the best shoe for an athlete varied greatly (experimentation is key).

- Some shoes worked VERY well for an athlete, and all of the top 3 performing shoes improved performance for all athletes to some degree (there were no "negative responders").

- For elite runners, choosing to not run in one of these 3 shoes is putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage.

Quote that struck a chord:

Simple and effective training haiku:

“Run a lot of miles

Some faster than your race pace

Rest once in a while.”

(from Endure, see below...)

If you have a moment to spare:

I recently read Endure, by Alex Hutchinson. This book had been on my reading list for some time, and it did not disappoint. The chapters on fueling and training/racing in the heat were exceptionally interesting with many thoughtful points I'll apply to my own training this season. You can read my book notes here for a quick summary of the key points.

Have a great week!

Antonio Gonzalez

Tri Town Bicycles

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