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What Shoes Will YOU Be Wearing?

Friday, October 15th, 2010

When mentioning to co-workers, friends and relatives that I qualified for XTERRA Worlds and will be out of town next week, many of them come up with some kooky questions. Yeah, you get the usual questions. How far do you race? Will you be swimming in the ocean? Are you worried about sharks? Of course, they’re usually answered with something just as kooky in return, such as: As far as my legs will take me. No, we’ll be swimming in a cenote. No, because I will be wearing chainmail. We love joking around like that.

But when fellow XTERRA triathletes or trail runners hear about racing in Maui, the most common question I get is: What shoes will you be wearing? My answer: I’m not sure yet.

You see, back at the beginning of the year, I managed to get my hand on two different pairs of shoes, both from Avia. At first glance, these two pairs of shoes have very distinct, different usages.

The first pair is a pair of Avia Avi-Stoltz trail shoes. If a great road shoe and a great trail shoe were to have children, they might just be twins to the Avi-Stoltz. Included in the team of designers was two time Olympian and three time Xterra World Champion Conrad Stoltz (hence the shoe name). I’ve raced in all kinds of trail shoes. Most of my complaints have been around the fact that most trail shoes are unusually bulky which equates to being unusually heavy. I like a rugged shoe and all, but they don’t need to be as heavy as combat boots. I had enough of those when I was in the Air Force.

The Avi-Stoltz are as light as road-running shoes. They have a very light, airy upper that drains as well as it ventilates. The toe box has decent protection up front and the heel (as well as the tongue) features long, rubbery finger grabs making it easy to slip on in transition, even with wet hands. Couple them with a pair of black, Nathan Velocity Laces and you’re all set to race.

The sole features serrated edges for great grip on a variety of terrain. I’ve raced in them on numerous trails in numerous races including XTERRA triathlons and XTERRA trail runs. Below you will see (from left to right), XTERRA Panther Creek, XTERRA Francis Beatty Trail Run, and XTERRA Canada Nationals. These are but a few of the races I’ve ran in them. Combine that with the COUNTLESS hours I’ve been wearing them in training and you have a pair of shoes that just about ready to be retired.

Click here for more info about the Avia Avi-Stoltz

The other pair of shoes that I have had the pleasure to wear while training and racing is a pair of Avia Av-Bolt II. At 8.5 ounces, this is one of the lightest shoes I’ve used to date. These shoes were made for triathlons. Whether it’s the speed laces or easy to grab heel and tongue (same features as the Avi-Stoltz), you’re sure to be quicker in these shoes.

Since I don’t race a whole ton of road events, I wasn’t sure how much use I would get out of them. One such race was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k in Charlotte, NC where I came in 6th overall out of about 1500. These shoes definitely allowed me to run better, faster & stronger.

However, after some poking and prodding by Coach Mel, I have been talked into trying the Avi-Bolt II shoes out trail running. I know they’re made for the road (I used that excuse with her), but they are just as fast on the trail. Granted, if you are going to be in some really gnarly trails, mud or anything that requires some extra grip, these may not be the ones to choose (instead, go with the Avi-Stoltz). Read Mel’s post about Nationals and you’ll see what I mean. However, if you’re mountain bike will have tires specific to the course, why wouldn’t you choose shoes in the same manner? Aren’t shoes the tires for your feet?

Click here for more info about the Avia Avi-Bolt II

Through numerous hours and miles of training on the trail lately, I have been running in both the Avi-Stoltz and the Avi-Bolt II shoes. It really depends on the terrain and the conditions. I can say that both of these shoes rock!

So which one will I choose to run the XTERRA Worlds course in Maui?

To be continued…

Be a Warrior!

Marcus

Tags: Avia, Nathan, Susan G. Komen, XTERRA, XTERRA Canada National Championships, XTERRA Panther Creek
Posted in Athlete Blog, Equipment, Marcus Barton, Product Reviews | No Comments »

Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29er

Friday, October 8th, 2010

By Brian Corff

My race bike this year has been a Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29er, and it has been sweet!

Overview

Prior to this, I haven’t owned a hardtail since 2002, so I was skeptical going in. On top of that, I have been fairly outspoken against carbon fiber for mountain bikes (just ask a few of my riding buddies). As a final straw, I had spent very little time on 29ers and I was not really sold on the concept. I can’t say that this bike has completely changed my perspective about any of these topics, but I can say that this bike is definitely fast, light, and it rolls extremely well… making it one hell of a good race bike!

Racing in the mountain region tends to involve lots of climbing. Two of the biggest races on my calendar each year are the XTERRA Mountain Championship in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and the XTERRA National Championship in Ogden, Utah. Anyone that has raced in these places knows that both courses share the same general formula… swim in a lake down in a valley, ride your bike straight uphill for 20 miles to the base of the ski area, then run up and down the ski hills. Because both bike courses are basically hill climbs, I figured that minimal weight was the number one priority in a race bike. Some of the other local race courses would definitely be more fun with full suspension, but none of them are impossible on a hardtail. There are lots of rocks around here though, so the bigger wheels of a 29er seemed like a good idea to help keep the flow going.

Front End

So, I finally settled on the Specialized Stumpjumper Expert Carbon 29er because it was extremely light, not astronomically expensive, and it looks pretty cool. Also, with a few choice parts swaps, I knew I cold make it lighter, possibly even lighter than the far more expensive S-Works model. What you see here is the bike as I raced it at the XTERRA National Championship in Ogden, dirt and all. With these tires, it weighs 20.8 lbs. That includes everything you see in the pictures, including not-so-light-but-durable XTR pedals, 3×10 drivetrain, and 4″ of plush Fox travel. Other parts highlights include:

• Stan’s ZTR Race wheels and Raven rear tire
• Race Face Next SL crankset
• SRAM XX rear derailleur, cassette, and brakes
• Edge Composites straight carbon handlebar
• Specialized S-Works Fast Trak LK front tire and Phenom SL saddle
• Thomson Masterpiece seatpost
• Titec carbon bottle cage
• ESI “Racer’s Edge” silicon grips

Yup, that's a 3x10 drivetrain. I'm not a tractor and 2x10 XX wasn't going to give me enough gears for the ultra-steep climbing in Colorado.

Yup, that's a 3x10 drivetrain. I'm not a tractor and 2x10 XX wasn't going to give me a low enough gear for the ultra-steep climbing in Colorado.

This just might be the perfect XTERRA race bike.

Posted in Athlete Blog, Brian Corff, Equipment, Product Reviews | No Comments »

Clean me up Nathan

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Power Shower to the rescue before the podium

Just a quick post giving two thumbs up to a product from Nathan I have come to love this year. After almost every mountain bike race or Xterra I am covered in a layer of dirt. I’m not sure if it is something in my sunscreen or the salt in my sweat but I often look around me and realize not everyone looks as gross as I do. Prior to this year I would make myself presentable after a race with a quick wipe or two with a baby wipe, which seemed to work well, until I tried the Power Shower by Nathan. They are strong wipes that can really withstand scrubbing gross grime off, they don’t leave a sticky residue on the skin and best of all I don’t smell like a baby’s freshly wiped butt afterwards. If you haven’t indulged in a Power Shower check them out:

www.nathansports.com/our-products/accessories/body-care

Posted in Athlete Blog, Product Reviews, Sara Tarkington | No Comments »

Emma’s XTERRA USA Championship Race Report

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Race: XTERRA USA Championships
Date: 9/25/10
Distances: 1500m swim, 30k mountain bike, 10k trail run
Place: 8th Pro Women
Products used: Profile Design Gold Cell Wetsuit, Specialized S-Works Era, Maxxis Larsen UST tubeless tires, Genuine Innovations Big Air, Avia Avi-stoltz trail shoes, Nathan Hydration Vest, Nathan number belt, Nathan Speed Laces, Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane GU, Vanilla GU, Lazer Helmet.

XTERRA USA swim start

PRE RACE: I consider myself a positive person 80 percent of the time but as I approached the XTERRA USA Championships, the season finale of the XTERRA USA Pro Series I’d had this feeling like I’d worked all year and wasn’t going to get paid. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t and can’t compete in triathlon for the money — but chances were I’d miss out on a much-needed payday.

I was injured and unable to run for almost six weeks leading up to the race, sitting fourth in US series points behind the international cast of Shonny Vanlandingham (US), Melanie McQuaid (Canada), and Renata Bucher (Switzerland). I needed to perform well to hold onto my spot in the series.

I wanted nothing more than to have a good race for the championships, especially considering the race was in my backyard.

Being a local for nationals also gave me a ‘cheering squad’ at the race I didn’t want to let down. Friends, old roommates, old teammates, neighbors and their family, family, boyfriend and dog to name a few.

GAME PLAN: I decided I wouldn’t try to run at all until I got off my bike in T-2. At least being injured took the pressure off a bit, I had a legit excuse not to have a good race…but at a cost. This meant I didn’t have to save anything for the run — in case I couldn’t.

The start

SWIM: Air temps were in the 30s when we woke race morning which always makes me question what I’m doing. Luckily the water wasn’t AS cold.

Two laps in Pineview reservoir, mass start of 300 racers. Looking into the sun for much of the race had me swimming off course. Swimming on my own the first lap left my arms tired and I took a break behind some feet for the second lap. At this point I’d figured out I was swimming behind teammate Sara Tarkington and Tracy Thelen. Running to transition was tough, perhaps not a good sign.

THE BIKE: I headed out on my Specialized S-Works Era on the road and then on the trails to Snowbasin. I was feeling strong and catching racers. It’s a steady climb with a few breaks up to the base of Snowbasin. Then the climbing gets much harder up the ski slopes. Making this a little less painful are those cheering on the sidelines. It always lifts my spirits when people know your name.

“Who’s that crazy girl yelling?” I thought as I passed by the Snowbasin Lodge.

It was my college roommate/teammate Kari Skinner. Kari and I were on the ski team together at the University of Nevada. It made me realize skiers have a different level of cheering and it was good to hear at a triathlon.

I got a few splits there were some other pro women not far ahead.

The top section was tough and somewhat lonely making it hard to stay focused and push the pace. We headed out on a loose, dusty, rocky climb up the ski resort before descending back to T2. I was glad to be wearing my Nathan Hydration Vest as it was hard to take my hands off the bars.

I got some awesome skier-sourced cheerers again coming into T2 — this time the voice of Katie Ronsee, another Alaskan Nordic skier who’s been training in PC with Team Canada (among others) and took a break to come to the race.

THE RUN: After a not-so-stellar T2 trying to find my Avi Stoltz amongst the pro bikes I headed out on the run. Amazed I could actually run with marginal pain brought a smile to my face.

Maybe it’s just the uphill…

Past my amazing cheering crew, I started to pass a few age-group guys. After a steep climb, we headed onto rocky singletrack. My legs felt surprisingly fresh as I tried to remember how to run. It was almost as if my legs were moving on their own as I tip toed around. I opted for a more sturdy pair of Avi Stoltz as I figured I may need the added stability to trail shoes.

Another pro woman, Suzy Snyder was not far ahead, and soon I could see her down the trail.

Besides wanting to keep my 4th place in the series I also hoped to be of the top four Americans so I had the option of going to the ITU Cross World Championships in Spain next April.

Honestly, I was really happy and appreciative to just be running. Not that it made it any easier.

I soon moved up to 8th place. There are a couple of steep hills before a long descent to the finish. Ronsee figured out how to catch me there and pushed me even faster still.

My strength in running has usually been on the descents, so I didn’t hold back, and still didn’t have the pain I anticipated.

Heard more cheers and a couple of barks from my beloved border collie Kip before crossing the line. It was my highest finish to date at the US Championships and I knocked four minutes off my time from last year. I also secured my 4th place finish by a mere two points — a huge improvement from 8th in 2009.

XTERRA USA Pro Series Podium

It was a huge relief to finish the series on a high note and not have my injury impact the overall results. Unfortunately, I’m by no means healed and have many more PT and ART sessions before Maui.

…

NOW THE FUN PART: For me, the real highlight of the weekend was the showing off my backyard trails with post-race ride on the Crest Trail in Park City through fall colors.

Crest Trail Park City

Big thanks to my sponsor Melrad Racing, supporters and friends and family who made this race happen! Next up is my season finale the XTERRA World Championships in Maui Sunday, Oct. 24.

Posted in Athlete Blog, Emma Garrard, Race Reports, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Jumping on the Nutrition Bandwagon

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

by Marcus Barton

Many of my MelRad teammates have blogged about nutrition and how important good nutritional habits are vitally important to your sport of choice, especially triathlons. Well, I’m jumping on the bandwagon with this post and catching the proverbial piggy-back ride of my teammates.

Leading into a race weekend, we all think about every aspect of our training. Did I put in enough quality miles? Did I swim enough? Did yesterday’s run really feel that bad? Did I eat the right foods?

As you can see, like my teammates, nutrition ranks right up there with every other aspect of training and race preparation. However, I’m not here to drone on about lean proteins, quality carbohydrates and healthy fats. You’ve already done your research on all of that, right? Don’t look at your computer monitor with that strange look. You know what you need to do there. Put down the sweets, quit eating those refined carbos, and stay away from that deep fried, chocolate-covered bacon on a stick.

Instead, I want to talk about vitamin supplements. We, as triathletes, burn lots and lots of calories during our training regimens. This results in us eating lots of food to restore those burnt cals. Even though you may be eating well (as mentioned previously), you may still be missing some key nutrients in your diet. This is especially true for those of you that are using your triathlon “kick” as a ride on the weight-loss train. If you’re training to also lose weight, then you are probably cutting calories in an effort to burn more than you consume. You, my friend, are in DIRE need of nutritional supplementation.

Digging through my stash of magazines in my bath… uh… reading room, I came across an excellent article in Bicycle Magazine. It mentioned “15 Proven Ways to Get Faster.” In that article, number 9 was:

“Recent research suggests that active people who are low in B vitamins such as B6, B12, folate and riboflavin don’t perform their best and may have trouble building muscle and producing oxygen—carrying red blood cells. During hard training, load up on B nutrients, which are essential for converting protein and carbs to energy and for repairing cells, by eating plenty of whole grains, dark-green veggies and low-fat dairy. Pop a daily multivitamin or start the day with a fortified cereal for extra insurance.”

Yet another article in another issue also mentions Vitamin D and Antioxidants. These are only but a few of the very important things that should also be part of your diet. Even though I only mention these two articles, there are plenty of reliable sources of information that will back it up.

So how and what should you be looking for in a good supplementation to your diet? My personal recommendation is USANA’s HealthPak. Here’s a couple of reasons why:

First, it’s easy. The HealthPak comes presorted with the right nutrients in individual packets. The packets also come with an AM and PM packet neatly attached. For someone on the go like me, it makes it pretty easy to toss a packet in my pocket on my way to work or a bunch when heading out of town (like this weekend). No fuss, no muss.

Second, it’s easy. Yep, I said it again. No guesswork about which multi-viatamins, antioxidant, or other supplement to buy. Ever been to one of those vitamin shops with walls and walls of vitamins? Which do you choose? With the HealthPak, they’re chosen, presorted, and pre-packed for me.

Lastly, it’s the right nutrition. Each packet comes with the following supplements:

2 Mega Antioxidants
2 Chelated Minerals
1 Active Calcium
1 AO Booster

Each pack contains the following vitamins: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D , Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Folate, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, & Manganese. (see this detailed list of vitamins and quantities).

Although vitamins are no substitute for healthy eating habits, they can take your nutrition (and your racing) to the next level. So even if you already have healthy eating habits, you should try USANA. If you don’t already have healthy eating habits, get with the program, chump. (grin)

Just a note of caution: You know your own dietary needs. Even though I’m not a dietician, I am a triathlete like you with a goal of being the best that I can. So in the process of doing so, I have researched nutrition quite a bit myself, including recommendations from a licensed dietician. I implore you to do you’re own research to find out what nutrition is right for you and/or speak to a registered dietician.

Be a Warrior!

Marcus

Tags: Nutrition, USANA, Vitamins
Posted in Athlete Blog, Marcus Barton, Nutrition, Product Reviews | No Comments »