To me Triathlon is more than the three sports of swimming, biking, and running. It is a life style where I appreciate and respect the moment and relationships I have while striving to improve for the next day. I find the complexities, demands, and joy of the sport heighten my experiences with other aspects of my life. I think about this often and will be writing about it in my blog.
I have not won any races or even came close. At the moment winning a medal is not my objective in triathlon. My main purposes are to stay motivated and engaged in exercise for good health, positive attitude, and reduced stress.
My first triathlon was May 2006 the San Diego Spring Sprint Triathlon of 500 meter swim, 9 mile bike, and 5k run. As mentioned in my essay "Triathlon Paired with Life", "That first triathlon provided me the complex taste of a fine wine with the thrill and excitement of a spring break buzz. From then, I was hooked."
After that first sprint race, the distances increased to Olympic and Half Ironman. On August 1st, 2009, I will perform in my first full distance Ironman race at Vineman in Sonoma County California.
Click for a history of race results tracked by athlinks.com
Here are various products and resources I have found helpful.
Nutrition |
For over 3 years I have experimented with various sports nutrition bars, gels, power drinks, blocks, beans and whole foods. I found many bars and gels caused intestinal distress a few hours after consumption. I was frustrated with stomach issues. I arrived at the point where I was going to create my own gel / drink. Then I was introduced to Infinite Nutrition where I can customize my formula based upon my specific needs and training / race. After a few different formulations. I got the combination right for me. For long bike rides, I make a 3 or 4 hour concentrate bottle. (tune down the flavor). Then depending upon the heat, I'll vary my water intake and possibly supplement with salt tablets in higher heat. I have not been able to get the formulation correct for the run. I either find it too concentrated or I need to drink too frequently. However, I found Accelerade Gels work for me. (Gu, Cliff, and Hammer gave me stomach issues). I use Accelerade Vanilla for the early part of the run and switch to chocolate (with caffeine) on the later part. |
Blogs |
Jim Vance |
Clubs |
Triathlon Club of San Diego
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Equipment |
My Running Shoes: Mizuno WaveRider 12 I have a low arch (somewhat flat feet) causing pronation. Over the years I have experimented with a wide variety of motion control and support shoes. I have also used the blue SuperFeet inserts. Since April 2009, I have been running with Mizuno WaveRunner 12. I used these shoes in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, throughout my Vineman training, and for Vineman. I continue to be happy with Mizuno
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