May 27, 2010

YWCA Women's Triathlon
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Beat the Price Increase

Not registered yet? Remeber you can beat the price increase if you register by May 31. Be a part of it!

Register here: www.2010ywcawomenstri.zapevent.com

You or Your Friends Not Ready for Three? Try a RELAY

New this year is a relay option where 2-3 women can share the workload (one person swim, another bikes and another runs). It is a great way to still be part of the event if someone isn't able to do all three sports.

Faces of the Tri: Nick Morales, Bike Course Coordinator

The bike course is one of the more difficult pieces of a triathlon to nail down since it requires multiple points of coordination with volunteers, sag vehicles, emergency medical access, police, barricades and coning over a big area. We are fortunate to have someone like Nick Morales who brings invaluable triathlon experience and eye for safety and detail to our behind-the-scenes crew. We asked Nick to say a little about himself:

"I took the sport of triathlon up again in 2005 after a short stint back in the early 90's. Have done everything from Sprints to Ironman races, here in Minnesota, around the U.S. and Internationally. When I'm not racing or training I'm working on two triathlon websites: TRIJUICE.com (triathlon news and resource blog) and TRImapper.com (world triathlon race and club finder). This will be my 3rd year with the YWCA of Minneapolis Women's Triathlon, and second as the Bike Course coordinator [Nick drove a sag vehicle on the bike course his first year]. It's a challenge getting the course cleaned up, marked and lined with volunteers, but well worth it when I see people having a good day racing..."

Gear West Yankz Coupon

Tip of the day: Elastic laces for your running shoes. No question about it. Keeping things simple in transition is both faster and less stressful. You might love these for everyday life as well.

Use this coupon below to get FREE Yankz Elastic Laces from Gear West Bike & Tri with a purchase of $25 or more.
Open/print the Coupon (JPG file)

Training: What Kind of Bike do I Need?

You can do a triathlon on almost any kind of bike (no recumbents or unicycles). If you are new to the sport, you may choose to ride the bike you have in your garage. If you opt to borrow one from a friend, try to borrow it for most of the season so you have plenty of time to get used to it by actually training on it. Or use the race as an opportunity (or excuse) to upgrade your bike! There is no question that you will be much faster on a tri or road bike (less total effort on the bike means more energy for the run!).

Here are four kinds of bikes that you might see at our triathlon:

1. Triathlon/Time Trial bikes. Built for aerodynamics and top speed. Before getting one of these bikes, you probably want to know that you are ready to make a commitment to the sport. Or money is no obstacle. You might find some good closeout or intro tri bikes in the $1-1.5K range or spend as much as $4-8K or more for top of the line!
2. Road bikes. Usually classified as performance (racing or dedicated training) or touring (casual rides, tours). Many triathletes start on a road bike and stay on a road bike (maybe add clip-on aero bars). There are lots of good options in the $800-1200 range for a first bike. More for a high performance road bike.
3. Hybrids. Kind of a cross between a mountain bike and a touring bike. Might be called a "city bike" and will be more upright than a road bike. Many new riders are more comfortable on a bike with this position and geometry. You want what you will ride (i.e. fun to train!) and is comfortable.
4. Mountain bikes. Built to go off-road on trails, these bikes are tougher and heavier. If you are going to use a mountain bike for a triathlon, at least switch the wide knobby tires for smoother and narrower tires (sometimes called slicks) to gain a lot of speed and save energy.

You might also consider taking your bike to a bike shop that is experienced in bike fitting to be sure it will fit you correctly and be safe and comfortable. (Gear West Bike & Triathlon fits triathletes every day). Or even just to be sure your bike is tuned up and ready to go. And if you have racks, baskets or kickstands, consider take them off for race day to lighten your load. Happy riding!