WE MOVED OUR BLOG - CHECK IT OUT

Howdie athletes and friends,


In order to make our blog, testing and racing for charity more interesting for you, we have moved our blog to www.tridudes.com

Almost all articles have been moved, new features are being implemented every day, new articles have been added and you can learn a lot more about us personally and the charities we race for.

Thanks for following us so far and we are hoping to see you and all your friends at your new blog.

Pro Race Report - ITU Pro Jenna Shoemaker

Here is another fun race report from our friend and ITU Pro Triathlete Jenna Shoemaker. Girl-You Rock!


Hi!

Today, I raced at the USA Triathlon Pro National Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As the last ITU race I have on my calendar for the season, I wanted to just go for it - as a celebration of all of my hard work and the great strides that I have made this season. It was a beautiful day with lower humidity than expected and temperatures in the mid-80s. The swim strung out the field and made it a very tough and tactical day for all of us. But, a strong run (2nd fastest split - 35:40) earned me a silver medal and my fourth podium performance of the season. My 2nd place finish also crowned me Champion in the 2009 USA Twenty-12 Elite Series.

Now, I head back to Austin, Texas for a few days before making the trip to Chicago for the Lifetime Fitness Series race being held there on Sunday August 30th.

Be on the look out later this week for a more complete race report as well as some photos from the event!
Thank you so much for all of your support!!!

Best,
Jenna


Why did you get into tri?


Hey guys, Thanks for checking back. Lately we were wondering: why do people get into triathlons?

Is it cause cause realized you need to turn your lives around for one reason or another, did you get into triathlons cause a friend or family member was doing it and you thought it was pretty cool, were you hooked the first time you saw an IM on tv? What is your reason.

For me personally it is a very simple story. I did it cause my older brother was doing it. In 2002 whilst doing my compulsary service in England (yep, it's true, I skipped the German army) my brothers were both super active - one of 'em cycling, the other one running marathons - and me??? I was sitting on my butt smoking up to 40 cigarettes a day. (hand rolled at least - so I was doing my share of working out.)


I decided to quit smoking and started running instead and about three and half months later I ran my first marathon in a respectable 3:28. Boy did my legs suffer after the race and it certainly took me almost a year to do it again.

After playing around with marathons for a while it was again my bigger brother who inspired me to do a triathlon. I happened to have a road bike I bought sometime around 2003 and he asked me to start in a sprint distance race he was going to race for fun.

Dude, I am telling you. My first triathlon. Let's not talk about the swim in my super thick beginner wetsuit (don't think 2009 super thick. I am talking 2003 knights armor super thick) but at least it had a zipper all the way on the side and was easy to get off :-) I guess my bike leg wasn't all that bad and the running most certainly was painful without ever having done a brick. Hell, back then I didn't even know what that was.

The thing that truly inspired me to stick with triathlon though was the atmosphere and camaraderie. Just after finishing the sprint distance, the Olympic starters got out of the water whilst we were picking up our bikes and the guy right next to my brother had obviously inflated his tire a little too much and it exploded in the heat. Without even having a second thought, my brother handed this total stranger a darn 1000 Dollar Zipp rear wheel and said 'enjoy the race. See you later'. The stranger did indeed return the wheel after the race. No idea how he placed and I honestly don't care - but that was the all inspiring moment for me.

Ever since I am loving and living the sport. Next stop: get our oldest brother to do a triathlon as well :-)

We would love to hear your story folks.
Thanks for reading and rock on.

Till

Racing for Charity

Whilst it is quite popular to race for charity in the US and some other countries around the globe - may it be because people really wanna do good or because it is their only way to get into some popular, sold out events - it is not a common thing in Germany and surrounding countries yet.


Whilst we are planning our own little event at the moment and try to give back at events such as the coming 24 hour run relay around the Alster in Hamburg, Germany, we are wondering:

Is it that people don't care, do they simply not know about it, do they wanna do good but they don't know how simple it is to join a cause or are you actually supporting some great innitiative already.

We would love to hear your take on racing for charity or using the sport in some other way to give back.

Send us a message to trinited@gmail.com or even better, leave us a comment on this post.

Thanks for starting a discussion.

Rock on,

Till

SLStri Compression Sock Test

During last winter, whilst we weren't updating as a result of our slight isolation in Switzerland :-), we had a great time running up and down the mountains, testing compression socks. Whilst there is still no proof that they are indeed supporting performance, it is definitely worth looking into it.

Let's start with pair 1.



Brand: SLS3

Produkt: SLS3 Compression Socks

Website: www.SLStri.com

Price: 57.95 Dollar

Miles Tested: app. 152

Test Conditions: From sunny dessert in 110 Fahrenheit to snowy mountains in 15 Fahrenheit. Run through the dessert, rivers, snow, in high and low altitude. Both in racing and training.

Ordering process: Simple to order, fast delivery, very personal contact.

Sock Feel: Nice feeling on the skin. They almost look like a normal knee sock but you feel that something is different about the material. Only slight downside: they seemed to dry out the skin in cold climates a little more than other socks. No issues in hot climates whatsoever.

Compression: Nice, gradual compression. Almost like a little wow effect when putting them on. Test winner for one tester. Some testers wished they had the same foot compression as the CEP socks. The strong compression makes for a very athletic feel.

Cushion: Not super thin and not too thick. A great sock for training and racing.

Use: The compression is obvious and requires a little more effort than some other socks but not as much as for example Bauerfeind. Still easy enough to put on in transition.

Performance: They provided under any circumstances. Even during a 5 hour mountain run in the heat of California.

Durability: Keep on running. No loss in compression yet. They look a little used but hey – they had a lot to deal with.

Regeneration: Both during and after exercise – right up there with CEP, Bauerfeind and BV Sport. It is a real pleasure ‘feeling’ the positive effects the next day.

Look: We liked both the white and the black pair. The logo is real nice and simple and the white socks come with small red accents which make them look real athletic. One testers favorite.

Comments: It feels just like a CEP sock without the foot compression. Top in the test together with CEP, Bauerfeind and BV Sport. It really comes down to personal preference and if they are available on your continent. Advantage with SLS3 – their performance line goes far beyond just socks.