The Tri Town Times: 3/15/21

The Tri Town Times: 3/15/21

Cold acclimation; flat tire clinic; 70.3 Dubai; Challenge Miami, Garmin Varia tail light.

Hi all,
 
Here is your weekly Tri Town Times newsletter:
 
Weekend race report:
It's nice to have some racing again...

- The pandemic may have decreased the number of racing opportunities, but it has not slowed the racers themselves. 4x Ironman World Champion Daniela Ryf won Dubai 70.3 in course record time, and Dane Daniel Bakkegard took the men's title in a time of 3:33:02.

- Challenge continues their push back into the US market by putting on spectator-friendly events on Nascar race tracks. The Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted Challenge Miami this past weekend, with Jan Frodeno outpacing Lionel Sanders for the win, and Jodie Stimpson running a balanced race for the women's title.

 
Events I'm looking forward to:
St. George 70.3 is one of the best races on the Ironman circuit- in no small part because the community of St. George embraces the event. For example, check out this impressive monument they recently installed. The course is tough, beautiful, and worthy of the 70.3 World Championships later this fall.
 
Training thoughts and updates:
A friend of mine mentioned that riding outside in the rain/cold/snow during the winter is necessary for "cold acclimation" and "toughness" training. I'm a big advocate for regularly stressing your comfort level in most things (physical, mental, etc), and generally choosing a spartan life over one of luxury. But the belief that our bodies acclimate to cold temps in a way similar to how we acclimate to heat is not accurate. This excellent article by Alex Hutchinson explains that regular exposure to cold temperatures may build a mental tolerance for it (you get better at ignoring pain receptors), but you may be permanently damaging your body's ability to circulate blood and detect subtle changes in body temperature. More research is needed on this topic, but in short, it does not make you "soft" for running on a treadmill or riding your indoor trainer on a cold winter day.
 
Gear that caught my attention:
The Garmin Varia rear tail light and car-sensing radar continues to be the single best electronic purchase I've ever made. The Varia pairs to your bicycle's GPS device, and provides a simple visual display of cars as they approach from behind. The light itself can be seen from a mile away, and it makes an audible beep when a car is detected. Though it may be a false sense of confidence, I feel safer and more aware of my surroundings when using this device on any outdoor ride.
 
Shop Ops:
A flat tire on race day is one of the most common concerns I hear from athletes. With practice, I believe most athletes can fix a flat and be back on their bike in 3 minutes or less. For most athletes this is an insignificant penalty, and not something that will ruin their race. It simply takes some basic tools, a good understanding of tire and wheel design, and a thoughtful process.
 
Tomorrow at 6pm (March 16th), Coach Travis and I will show you the tools and techniques needed to fix a flat efficiently and confidently. This will be a hands on clinic- so bring your own bike and be prepared to get a little dirty. This clinic is limited to only road bikes or triathlon bikes (sorry, no mountain bikes- that will be another day).
 
Due to the need to limit group sizes, we can accept only a few more participants for this clinic. If you're interested please respond to this email and I'll reserve a spot for you.
 
Quote that struck a chord:
A year from now you will wish you had started today.” - Karen Lamb
 
 
Have a great week!
 
Antonio Gonzalez
Tri Town Bicycles
 
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