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Photos: Ryann Fraser, Ironman Triathlete, Gets Her Bike Ready - Video and Photo

The youngest competitor, Ryann Fraser, prepares her bike with Chris Huber, one of the best bike mechanics, experts and professionals on the island!

Alter-G, Effective Conditioning Available on Anti-Gravity Treadmills

AlterG has introduced the Anti-Gravity Treadmill which offers a revolutionary approach to training, rehabilitation and recovery. For triathletes, or any type of athlete for that matter, rehabilitation can be a slow, painful, and frustrating process. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill offers a safe and effective solution. Alter G is the first commercial manufacturer to provide a FDA-cleared therapeutic device that allows precise partial weight bearing exercise with natural, closed chain enclosure. The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill is a NASA developed Anti-Gravity Treadmill that helps patients recover faster from orthopedic and neuralgic conditions.

The G-Trainer works by creating a powerful lifting force known as Differential Air Pressure (DAP) Technology, which allows for precise ultra-low impact ambulation. The user wears neoprene shorts and zips the waist into a pressurized airtight enclosure suspended over the treadmill surface. By controlling the pressure in the enclosure from the console, the user can reduce their body weight by as much as 80%.

The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill has provided sports medicine clinicians, coaches, trainers and athletes alike, an innovative training and rehabilitation tool for maximizing performance and minimizing injury related reconditioning and down time. The world’s best athletes and sports teams consider the Anti-Gravity Treadmill an essential part of their athletic conditioning and rehabilitation programs. Over 20 NCAA teams, 20 professional NBA and NFL teams, 60 top performance enhancement centers, medical facilities and government facilities are using the Anti-Gravity Treadmill in their training and rehabilitation programs.

Applications:

• For Rehabilitation- Impact forces on the lower extremities are reduced by lowering body weight. The FDA has cleared the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill for use in the following conditions: Lower body injury and surgery rehabilitation, aerobic conditioning, weight control and reduction, sport specific conditioning programs, and neuralgic retraining.
• For Performance Enhancement- Allows the user to train longer, run faster, gain additional strength and enhance cardiovascular performance.
• For Increasing Training Volume and Minimizing Stress-Related Injury- Supplement standard training and improve aerobic conditioning without increasing the risk of stress injury. Provide accurate unweighting for a significant reduction in ground reaction force.
• To Maximize Fitness Retention During Rehabilitation- Athletes need to be able to maintain high fitness levels while they are injured. Match the aerobic intensity of an athlete’s workout and lower the impact on his/her injured body by using a combination of weight adjustment variables.

Top 5 reasons to try the G-trainer

1. Promotes the full range of motion while minimizing stress.
2. Enables injured athletes to maximize their fitness retention as they recover.
3. Minimize pain during rehabilitation.
4. Enhance your fitness level.
5. Maintain strength and build endurance.

“The Anti-Gravity Treadmill” took the fear out of returning to training. It enabled me to begin running 6 weeks before my doctor cleared me to run on the ground and allowed me to incrementally transition back to full training. AlterG’s Anti-Gravity Treadmill far surpasses its competition and would be an asset to any athlete’s training.”

-Shannon Rowbury, 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, Women’s 1500 meters. Finished first in the trials, and 7th in Beijing.

“The Anti-Gravity Treadmill has had an immediate impact on the Oakland Raiders. It has enhanced our ability to expedite certain phases of our rehabilitation protocols and has eliminated some of the unknowns that we used to face prior to returning to the playing surface. Our athletes recognize the importance and share the confidence we have in the AlterG."

-Oakland Raiders HATC Rod Martic, AATC Scott Touchet, and AATC Chris Cortez

Shark Spotted in La Jolla - Photo - La Jolla Children's Pool and La Jolla Cove - now an open "McShark." WARNING TO SWIMMERS.

Photo Submitted by AC - Photograph Shark spotted heading directly for Children's Pool in La Jolla, CA
Click photo to ENLARGE.

I sent this to several local papers, a few versions were published today. Yesterday, when a few folks from our office were heading to the cove, the lifeguards actually warned them, "you might not want to swim, there are sharks out there today."


"Dear Editor,

As a 17-year resident of La Jolla, I've watched the seal controversy closely. Or I should say, I've smelled it.

I think that the majority of the people who have fought to keep the seals in Children's pool obviously don't live there, or anywhere nearby. That, or their sense of smell has been burned out by all the Magic Markers used to create the "Keep the Seals!" signs. I jest.


I love seals, but in this case the overpopulated seal sanctuary in La Jolla is woefully misplaced and the fervent welcome and protection from some is based on a misunderstanding of the situation and the risks. With increasing regret, I have watched the seals take over the Children's protected pool left by Ellen Browning Scripps to the children of the world. I know the I-want-the-seals-here-now advocates with enough persistence, may be able to legally argue their way out of any trust or contract because with enough money and support you can prevail in almost any public argument. Unfortunately, after doing so much for San Diego, Ellen passed away in 1932 at the age of 95, so she really can't argue with them. But that does not mean what they so passionately argue is right. We're smarter than that, aren't we?


It's pretty clear that the spirit and intent of Ellen's agreement was that the children could continue to SWIM in the pool, no matter what the seal advocates argue. Just read the trust. It's online. I still remember fondly the smiles years ago in the children's faces and the laughs of joy I could hear from the children who love the ocean as I ran by Children's pool. But since then, I've seen the seal population expand, slowly but inexorably and more aggressively, and now seals and sea lions are starting to take over into the La Jolla Cove. The smell is spreading.


That's right, just come visit to see that the seals and sea lions are now taking over the rocks and beach of the La Jolla Cove. Tourists cluster around them, blissfully unaware that they are looking at and supporting creatures whose overpopulation and sanctuary like protection along formerly our most popular swimming beaches will endanger the humans who enjoyed swimming in the cove and may well, again someday, rob someone of a father, a mother, a son and a daughter because of the predators they attract.


Living just up the hill from the cove, I see and smell more and more of them every month. And when watching the ocean, it's clear that seals are more frequently spotted near the human swimmers. When I run past the seals at Children's Pool, I gag for several minutes when I inhale the horrible stench that now wafts into the houses, apartments and lives of the thousands of residents who live upwind of this madness. I love the San Diego Zoo, but I don't want to live in it.


I've been increasingly scared to swim in the La Jolla waters for several reasons. For starters, I've researched the bacteria and viruses that seals carry and transmit to humans. Just Google it. You’ll find extensive citations about the serious illnesses that humans can get from the contamination from seal fecal matter and other viruses and waste from the seal population. It can impact humans for miles north and south of a seal colony. And according to marine researchers, there are now hundreds of seals down there, and they have eaten all the fish. Yes, remember those beautiful goldfish that the tourists used to love to snorkel with? Almost all gone. Or the small fish that would swim near the top of the water with the swimmers and snorkelers? Gone. I've been in the water, the fish are disappearing, but we don't see anyone out there with a petition to save the fish. Just as the seals have preyed upon these welcome former inhabitants of the cove, the growing seal population will attract a universally unwelcome predator. Remember the sharks that starred in movies or made tragic headlines? They're baaaaaack. Or soon to be. It's a universal law, predators find their bait.


Experts agree - seals attract Great White Sharks, across the web you see warnings "Do not swim, snorkel or surf near seals." And so, have we gone mad? We've opened a Great White bait shop in the middle of the most populated swimming, surfing and snorkeling areas in the world. Most surfers and many swimmers don a black wetsuit, resembling, you guessed it - a seal. It only makes sense that where our legislators open a sea food restaurant, hungry predators will show up for lunch.


If you keep an eye out when walking on local beaches or past what has become the Seals Pool, you may catch a glimpse of a half-eaten seal carcass. I've seen them. So have my friends. You can check out some of these photos and the increasing reports over the past few years of Great White spotting - click www.sharkresearchcommittee.com, a site that track shark sightings along our coasts.


Photo: Seal bitten by shark photo taken at Children's Pool.


I am not mad at the people who love the seals and hang out with signs and petitions near Children's pool. I am, however very disappointed in the legislative groups that are missing the sharp toothed point: The decision to keep the seals will increasingly threaten human life and continue to violate our rights to breathe clean non-choke-me-zoo-like air where we live.


Based on what I've learned about the loss of a fantastic triathlete, father and husband David Martin to a Great White shark in June 2008 - the seals were a factor, After all, the closest colony, is, yep - La Jolla. And with a 25-mile colony range, the coastlines 25 miles north and 25 miles south are less safe than they were before the seal population explosion in La Jolla. When David Martin was fatally attacked, common sense dictates that it was likely a morning shark-hunt-seal chase gone bad - because that morning, a seal beached itself just before the attack. Months before that attack, I had published on my blog, several shark swimming warnings letting people know not to swim at dawn or dusk, because divers were increasingly spotting Great Whites in the area.


The Los Angeles Times contacted me after the attack for a quote because of my prediction online of an impending shark attack. This was one prediction I never wanted to be right about. Nor do I want to be right about what I see as an inevitable reprise.

We can be sure that there are sound arguments from the seal colony's self-elected custodians, and that there are details of this debate that I have missed, but this letter is an appeal to common sense. As a disclaimer, I'm not a seal researcher or a Great White expert and I know that more people die from dog bites each year than shark attacks. Even so, as a San Diego entrepreneur who lives on the front lines of this controversy, I regrettably predict that this decision to keep the seals here stinking up one of the most beautiful places on earth will directly cause another shark attack on a human, or two. It could be tomorrow, it could be in ten years. I pray I'm wrong, but if I'm right, I'll bet the folks involved in making the decision to surrender our beautiful beaches from our children to the seals - undeniably knowing and understanding that their decision caused a substantial increased risk to swimmers, surfers and to our children - will be hearing from the lawyers of the families of the deceased.


One of the privileges of making it to the top of the food chain should be our legislators’ commitment to do everything they can to keep us there.


Sincerely,

Mitch Thrower

Chairman, La Jolla Foundation, Inc www.lajollafoundation.org"

From Wikihow, here is the current entry..
Steps to avoid a shark attack:

1. Stay out of shark-infested waters. The best way to avoid shark attacks is to stay out of water where sharks live. This of course means staying out of the ocean, but it also means staying out of estuaries and coastal rivers and lakes.
* Heed warnings. Coastal areas where sharks have recently been sighted will often have posted warnings, and even in the absence of these, local people may be able to alert you to potential dangers. Stay out of the water if warned to do so.
* Avoid steep dropoffs and the areas between sandbars. These are among sharks' favorite haunts.
* Avoid waters contaminated with effluents or sewage. Sharks are drawn to these areas. Of course, that's not the only reason to avoid polluted water.
* Avoid swimming near fishing activity. Sharks may come in for a snack off fishermen's nets or lines, and they may be attracted by bait or by discarded fish. Even in the absence of fishing boats, if you see seabirds swooping down to the water, there's a good chance there's fishing activity or feeding going on.
2. Know your shark. There are more than 300 species of sharks, but very few of these are considered dangerous to humans. In fact, three species--the white, tiger, and bull sharks--are responsible for the vast majority of human fatalities. These sharks are widely distributed in coastal waters throughout the world, and if you see them or know they are present you should exit the water as soon as safely possible. The oceanic whitetip shark is more common in the open ocean and can also be aggressive. Find out what kinds of sharks may be present where you will be entering the water, but keep in mind that any shark over 6 feet in length should be considered potentially dangerous.
3. Carry a weapon. If you're diving in waters where you're likely to encounter sharks, carry a speargun or pole-spear. By no means should you provoke an attack or lull yourself into a false sense of security with these weapons, but if you are attacked they may save your life.
4. Dress appropriately. Stick to dull swimwear and wetsuits, as bright or flashy colors with high contrast can attract sharks. Avoid wearing jewelry, as the reflection of light off such accessories is similar to the reflection of light off a fish's scales, and it can thus make you look like food. Cover your diving watch with the cuff of your wetsuit. Similarly, avoid or cover uneven tanning, as the contrast makes you more visible to shark. The bright yellows and oranges typical of life jackets and flotation devices can be attractive to sharks, but if you're in the open ocean you need to consider that these colors also make you more visible to rescuers.
5. Be vigilant. You may encounter any number of hazards when diving, surfing, or swimming in the ocean or coastal rivers, and you should always be wary. Proceed with caution in whatever you do, and be aware of your environment. If you spot a shark, don't let it out of your sight until you're safely on shore or in the boat.
6. Move gracefully. Avoid splashing on the surface of the water, and try to swim smoothly at all times. Avoid sudden or erratic movements when in the presence of sharks, as these may draw attention to you and, worse yet, give you the appearance of being wounded. If you see a shark nearby while you're diving, stay as still as possible to avoid attracting its attention or threatening it.
7. Swim in a group. Regardless of the danger of sharks, you should avoid swimming alone. If sharks are present, however, it's even more important to travel with a buddy or a group. Sharks are less likely to approach and attack a group of people, and if one member of the group is attacked, help is immediately available. When diving in the presence of sharks, one member of the group should be charged solely with watching the sharks and detecting changes in their behavior.
8. Recognize aggressive behavior. Sharks swimming slowly and smoothly are generally not a threat. They may approach divers but are generally just curious when they do so. If a shark begins making sudden movements, swimming quickly or erratically, or if it shows signs of aggression or irritation--pointing its pectoral fins down, arching its back, pointing its head upward, zig-zagging, or charging--it may be considering an attack. Swim quickly and smoothly to safety, either out of the water or to a defensible location, and prepare to defend yourself.
9. Stay out of the water at night and during dawn and dusk. Sharks hunt most actively at these times, and they're harder for you to see in dark conditions.
10. Stay out of the water if bleeding. If you have an open wound. Women need not be concerned if they are experiencing menstrual bleeding. Tampon's remedy this and with out one the amount of blood released in a 30-45 minute dive would be exceptionally minuscule. [1]
11. Avoid provoking sharks. A little less than half of documented shark attacks result from provocation or harassment of sharks, particularly by divers. Use common sense, and give sharks plenty of space. Do not attempt to catch or prod sharks. Don't corner them, and don't try to get close to them to photograph them. But, if you have to get close, be sure to carry a weapon. (Look at earlier paragraph.)

Septuagenarian Triathlete Not About to Slow Down

People have spent the past 48 years suggesting to Arnott Kidd that it is probably about time he retired from competitive sport.

As a 27-year-old, he felt almost apologetic when asked if he was still playing rugby, but querying his continuing longevity as a 75-year-old triathlete meets with a more defiant declaration.

“I can’t see any reason why should I stop,” insists the Edinburgh man, before softening his stance. “You see people who really are an embarrassment to themselves so as long as I’m in the main body of the race and not trailing in at the end I’ll still do it, but I’d definitely opt out if I got a patronising clap at the end after coming in last.”

That day still seems some way off for this remarkable competitor after a year of unprecedented success.

Gold medals in the 75-79 age group at both the European Duathlon and Triathlon championships were followed by a duathlon silver at the worlds in North Carolina, with Kidd only denied a third gold by a puncture. Not that he has any regrets at not completing a clean sweep; had he not been in the transition stage at the time and able to perform a 30-second wheel change, he would not have rescued any reward from an event he first participated in in 1995, a year after taking up the sport...

Click here to read the complete article.

Triathletes, on Your Mark...Whoa!

by Sean D. Hamill for the New York Times

RICK MOTTER remembers the first twinge.

He was about to finish first in his age group at the Reeds Lake Triathlon in East Grand Rapids, Mich., when, after swimming a half-mile and biking 17.2 miles, a younger competitor began to surge by him at the end of the 4.9-mile running portion of the race.

“I thought, ‘Well, that’s not going to happen,’ and I sprinted really hard — that’s when I felt it,” said Mr. Motter, 61, a manufacturing plant manager from Plainwell, Mich., who began competing in triathlons three years ago when his doctor told him he needed to reduce his cholesterol.

Soon the twinge in his right ankle evolved into severe pain, severe enough that he wound up in physical therapy with Achilles tendinitis. “A lot of my triathletes end up here because they do way too much too soon,” said Scott Miller, Mr. Motter’s physical therapist.

As more casual athletes like Mr. Motter sign up for triathlons, the sport has seen a corresponding rise in injuries. The newcomers are particularly injury-prone, doctors say, because of the rigors of training simultaneously for swimming, bicycling and running.

Paradoxically, many people move from a single sport to triathlons because of the oft-heard promise that adding variety to their exercise regimen will reduce injuries. The theory is that the three sports work different muscles, ideally minimizing the strain on any single muscle set. For runners in particular, adding biking and swimming to their repertory means less pounding against pavement...

Click here to read the complete article.

Aussie Kids get a Taste of Triathlon

Check out this awesome video from the 2009 WeetBix Kids TRY-athlon in Australia. The kids faced rainy, windy conditions, but had a blast. Let this video remind you of just how fun our sport is.

Aussie Kids get a Taste of Triathlon
Uploaded by NTDWorldNews. - News videos hot off the press.

Never Too Old: Margaret Bomberg

For the last 30 of her 72 years, Margaret Bomberg—who has five children and six grandchildren—has been a lawyer. For the past nine years, the local family-law attorney has also been a triathlete (she didn’t take up the sport of running until she was in her 50s). Bomberg belongs to the Chico Women’s Triathlon Club (www.womenstriclub.com); she was one of a group of 12 club members who made up part of the U. S. team at the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships in September. Bomberg came home from that event—held this year on the Gold Coast of Australia—with a medal for placing first out of six in the 70-74 age group in a sprint-distance triathlon (750-meter swim, 20k bike ride and a 5k run). She will compete at the 2010 ITU Triathlon World Championships next September in Budapest, Hungary.

What made you become a triathlete?

I didn’t do a triathlon until I was 63. And then I only did because I thought it would be fun to do and I thought I’d lose weight. I wasn’t going to do any competitions, but then I thought, “Why not?”
How many triathlons have you competed in?

Something around 50. … I’ve also done a half-ironman [1.9k swim, 90k bike ride, 21.1k run]—Barb’s Race in Sonoma County.
What do you do for exercise on a regular basis?

I swim three times a week. I don’t bike outside in the winter. I do a spinning class, not a stationary bike—I don’t do anything unless I’m encouraged by a group. And I run with different groups, including the Fleet Feet running group.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened during a race?

When we have supporters who come to a race—some supporters came to Australia with us—you’re sort of distracted and you recognize those voices and wave to them. I sort of have to remember not to turn and wave to them, to just tend to business.

In 2007 when we were [at the ITU Triathlon World Championships] in Hamburg [Germany], they were taking pictures of the teams from different countries. The Australian team came up behind us and put a kangaroo behind us in the picture. This year, we held the American flag behind them in their picture. We thought that was turnabout [smiles].

So, why do you do triathlons?

I do it because it’s so much fun.

Some people think it’s grueling.

Oh no, it’s not.


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Ukranian Recognized as World's Best Triathlete

In the 2009 season as a result of competition among athletes aged under 23 Ukrainian triathlete Yulia Sapunova is recognized the best in the world. She is at the top of the ranking of the International Triathlon Union (ІTU), the press service of the Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports reports.

The top five also included Daniela Reef (Switzerland) - 2 place, Rebecca Robich (Germany) - 3 place, Vicky Holland (United Kingdom) - 4 th place and Paulina Kotfica (Poland) - 5 place.

Yulia Sapunova took the first place at the European Youth Championship (on June 20, Italy), 5th place at the World Championship (on September 12, Australia), Korrespondent reports.

The results of the participation of Yulia Sapunova at the stages of the World Cups: on March 29 in Australia she won the 4th place in the competitions among young people and 17th place in the competition among adults; on August 9 in Hungary she took 1 place in the competition among young people and 5th place in the competition among adults; on November 8 in Mexico she took 2nd place in the competitions among the youth and 5th place in the competition among adults.

Turning 40, my goal was to complete a triathlon

by Lori Simeunovic

Like unicorns and Victoria's Secret models, triathletes were always elusive, almost mythical creatures to me. Then I became one. Sort of.

It was a surprise to all who knew me, and certainly to me, when I announced my intention to complete a triathlon the year I turned 40. Never mind that, at 39, I wasn't particularly buoyant, didn't own a bike and had last run more than two kids and 20 pounds ago.

Physical fitness had never been my forte. If I'd applied myself in high-school physics with the same fervour that I faked cramps to get out of gym class, I'd be the head of NASA.

I decided to train with a friend from work, and she brought in some women from her gym. I soon realized that, as a team, we were doomed: They frequently met for 30-kilometre bike rides in bad weather (I still didn't have a bike); they regularly bragged of doing a double cardio pump class prior to our swim practice (I didn't belong to a gym and was still swimming with a flutter board); and they obsessively watched live feed from the Tour de France (I devoured Pringles during The Bachelorette). The last straw was seeing them have the same reaction to power shakes that I had to cheesecake. It was clearly time for me to go solo.
I scoured bookstores looking for the perfect training guide, passing quickly over covers with terrifyingly sculpted bodies until I found Jayne Williams's Slow, Fat Triathlete. It was the perfect how-to guide for normal people, offering such insightful chapters as Losing Your Tri Virginity and reassuring me that I would do just fine on my borrowed mountain bike. With less than two months until my race, I finally began to train in earnest.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Andy Baldwin Runs Marathon in Dress Shoes

On Sunday, November 1, a team of eight avid runners representing The Rockport Company led by Dr. Andy Baldwin of "The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman" fame ran the 26.2 mile 2009 New York Marathon in their DresSports 2 dress shoes from Rockport. The team represented five countries, the US, China, Sweden, South Korea, and France.

A Triathlete Amputee Muses About Missing an Arm, but Not Courage

Triathlete, published author on leadership and management development, and mother of quadruplets, twins and three other children, never leaves the house without lipstick in her purse. She's always prepared and presentable, no matter what. In Eighth grade her mother told her that she needed all the help she could get given that she was born with a congenital amputation of her left arm.

"That was a big of a grab for me," says Myers. "My reaction was to get really small and invisible. But part of me was curious. When my mother asked me to wear lipstick and light make up she said, 'This is not fair but people will judge you by what you wear and how you look. Never get fat. Always be healthy looking. Take care of your hair.'"

Myers' mother was a prestigious banker's wife who entertained frequently. Although she had twelve children she didn't look like a "drudge housewife". The house was always neat and tidy. Her hair was done, her clothes were clean, ironed, and pressed. She had a motto: Always be dressed for company.

This is a script that has played in Myers' head since the day her mother first schooled her on how she needed to present herself to the world. But today Myers has a different take on it. "It's the same script," she says , "I just have a new story. Now I see it as an invitation to always be ready, to extend for what you want, for what's needed. It's a lesson to be ready for anything." That anything can mean stares at the yoga studio and strangers boldly asking, "How are you going to do downward facing dog?"

So Myers shows them and asks if they have suggestions. "At first I didn't know whether I should try to explain or just demonstrate. I allow people to breathe around their own stories." When her yoga class recently undertook handstands, Myers had some moments of confrontation with herself.

Click here to read the complete article.

Unthinkable by Scott Rigsby Now Available

9 Seconds- That’s how long it took Scott Rigsby’s life to come crashing down around him... 16 Hours, 42 Minutes, 16 Seconds - That’s how long it took for Scott Rigsby to make history

After losing both of his legs in a car accident at age 18, Scott Rigsby battled his way back from depression and addiction to achieve the unthinkable—become the first double-leg amputee ever to cross the finish line in the sporting world’s most grueling and prestigious competition, the Ironman Triathlon. Scott has since become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of physically challenged and able-bodied athletes the world over. Unthinkable documents Scott’s remarkable journey. From the scene of the devastating crash that claimed both of his legs, and his subsequent battle with depression and alcohol addiction, through his dawning realization that God has a greater plan for his life, readers will be inspired. From his decision to participate in the Ironman competition, to the moment he crossed the finish line, readers will engage with Scott’s unthinkable courage,
determination and faith. Unthinkable releases simultaneously in both hardcover and softcover. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Scott Rigsby Foundation, a Georgia-based non-profit organization dedicated to inspire, inform, and enable physically challenged individuals with loss of limb or mobility to live an active lifestyle.

The book is available at www.amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com, and at other booksellers nationwide.

Scott Rigsby is a double–leg amputee, an athlete, and a professional speaker whose message is "Do the unthinkable." His mission is to encourage people to do more than they thought possible in pursuit of big goals. He has completed more than 20 triathlons, and in 2007, he became the world's first double–amputee to complete the Ford World Championship Ironman competition
in Kona–Kailua, Hawaii. Scott grew up in Georgia, where he still makes his home today. He is the founder of The Scott Rigsby Foundation, a Georgia–based nonprofit organization that exists to inspire and support challenged athletes. Scott has delivered keynote speeches for civic organizations, Fortune 1000 companies and schools across the country, and in 2008 was named World Vision's Advocate for Children with Disabilities. His story has been chronicled in Runner's World, Sports Illustrated, and on FOX, CNN and NBC news.

Jenna Glatzer is an award-winning full-time writer who's written 18 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and online publications such as Physical, Prevention, Woman’s World, Woman’s Own, USAA, Women's Health & Fitness, Salon.com, ePregnancy, Contemporary Bride, Match.com, MSN, and AOL.

Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead

“Not since Lance Armstrong has an American athlete been so celebrated for dodging death and competing again.”—Washington Post

The magic of the Hawaii Ironman is especially vivid with the inspirational tales --of athletes who overcome illness or injury to cross that finish line on Alii. NBC does an admirable job each year filming some of these special stories. Two years ago, it profiled Brian Boyle whose story of survival and athletic redemption led the Washington Post to write, “Not since Lance Armstrong has an American athlete been so celebrated for dodging death and competing again.”

Now Boyle has a new memoir out. Written with Bill Katovsky, founder of Tri-Athlete magazine, “Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead” is destined to be a triathlon classic-- yet it transcends multisport as it deals with the most fundamental issues of what it means to be alive.

Many people I know have had tears reading the first few chapters, and yet by the book's end, they are silently cheering as they follow Brian on the Ironman course.

Here's his amazing back story:

On July 6, 2004, eighteen-year-old Brian Boyle was driving home from swim practice. He lived with his parents in Welcome, Maryland, a small town near the Eastern Shore. The roads are narrow and windy in this rural part of the state. At one intersection, a speeding dump truck plowed into his Camaro, totaling the vehicle and practically costing Boyle his life. He suffered massive internal damage, shattered pelvis, and lost 60 percent of his blood. A helicopter whisked him to a local hospital with a state-of-the-art trauma unit. Doctors had to jumpstart his heart numerous times during surgery. To lessen his pain, the medical staff also put him in a chemical-induced coma that lasted two months.

With his mother and father sitting vigil at his bedside, the prognosis looked grim for the former bodybuilder, discus thrower, and competitive swimmer who would end up losing 100 pounds. Did he suffer irreversible brain damage? Would he ever speak or walk again? Would he permanently remain in a vegetative state? Miraculously, however, Boyle managed to punch his way through the coma barrier known as a 'locked-in” state. He was actually conscious and aware of his surroundings but was unable to communicate, blink, or express himself - he soon rejoined the land of the living again.

After months of rehab where he had to relearn such basics as eating, showering, talking, and taking a few steps, he set out to achieve what seemed like two impossible goals: joining the swim team at St. Mary's College, and competing in the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. He accomplished both. On October 13, 2007, Boyle crossed the Ironman finish line in 14 hours and 42 minutes - two and a half years after the catastrophic accident that had literally pushed his heart clear across his chest. Not only did Boyle cheat death, but also he had triumphed in one of the world's toughest endurance events while being shadowed throughout the long, hot day by an NBC television crew.

This inspirational memoir is a real page-turner. You root for the likable Brian the entire way. With no memory of the accident, imagine waking up to this horrific reality-”I awake to regular beeping sounds. I'm alone in a white room and looking straight up at the ceiling. Bright lights shine all around me. My heart is beating fast. I try to raise my arms, then legs, but I can't move them. My head won't budge either. I can't blink or wiggle my fingers.”

Or consider this passage after he comes out of the coma and is finally aware of his condition: “Each morning, nurses strap me into what I call the angry chair, positioning my body so it can sit upright at a thirty-degree angle. This is supposed to improve blood flow in my legs. While I feel less like a corpse when I'm confined in the angry chair than lying in bed, I only wish I could tell the nurses to loosen the restraining belts which are cutting off the circulation in my chest, waist, and legs. The way they have me strapped down, I feel like a catatonic patient in a mental institution. Sitting like this, my paralyzed left arm dangles uselessly by my side, while my right arm rests inert upon my chest like I should be reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The fingers on my right hand look foreign and small, just paper-thin skin stretched tightly around the bones. They remind me of illustrations of skeletal fingers in my high school biology textbook. I wonder if my entire body is skin and bones. I must have lost a lot of weight. Exactly how much?

“Not long ago, I weighed 230 pounds. My weight changed according to the sports I played: swimming on the high school team in the winter and, in the spring, throwing the discus and putting the shot for the track team. But that satisfying memory is eclipsed by Room 19's reality. I can't even toss a pencil in the air or snap my fingers. A wave of rage crashes inside my head. My body, in response, reacts by shaking ferociously, trying to wriggle itself free from the restraints. But I am too weak, so nothing happens. I slam my head against the chair's top in agitated fury and grind my teeth, shredding my tongue, to feel something other than numbness. Blood dribbles out of my mouth and down my chin.

Or weeks later, when he's at the rehab center: “{The therapist} Jamie's job is to teach me how to do simple everyday chores. We start with tying shoelaces. She places a black Nike running shoe on the table in front of me. I stare at it. Nothing really intimidating, right? But looks are deceiving, because my left hand refuses to cooperate with my right. I flop my left hand upon the shoe for support as I ready my right hand to do all the work. You would think that I'm a diamond cutter by the intensity I direct toward this simple act. I take a break after the first loop. Several minutes later, I have the next loop established. My fingers fumble trying to interweave the loops for a knot. After fifteen minutes, I finish tying my first shoelace.

Now leap forward in time several years to when he's at in the Ironman and has just made the turnaround at Hawi and is barreling down the lava highway on his Canondale CAAD8: “The downhill section is terrifying. I'm traveling so fast that the bike begins to shimmy. I must be going at least forty miles per hour. One small mishap and I'll be torn to shreds by the fall. Yet I literally throw caution to the wind. I hold on tighter to the handlebars. It might be called a death grip. But I recognize it as a “life grip.” I let out a cry of triumph and victory that acts as an emotional release of all the built-up aggression, bitterness, frustration, and anger from the past few years.

“I don't remember the accident on July 6, 2004, so I don't know if my life 'flashed before my very eyes' like most survivors say it does, but in this sustained moment, as I'm barreling down the mountain, I start having a series of memory flashbacks: waking up from the coma in the hospital; seeing white-sheet covered dead bodies rolled out on gurneys; having my parents visit three times a day; being confined to a wheelchair. Thoughts are rushing by at such velocity that I can't even keep up with them. When I finally reach the bottom of the mountain, my cheeks are wet-not with sweat but with tears of joy. “

Powerful stuff--how he went from coma to Kona. And guess what? He's still competing in triathlon, and this past August went sub-11 hours at the Louisville Ironman. Not bad for someone whose heart had stopped eight times in Intensive Care. Brian has the heart of a warrior and the soul of a poet.

Click here to buy Iron Heart on Amazon.
Click here to buy Iron Heart from Barnes and Noble.

CAF San Diego Triathlon Challenge Photo Gallery

Some wonderful photos from the CAF San Diego Triathlon Challenge...

Press play in the window below, and you can scroll through the photos.

Injured SEAL's Friends Staging Fundraiser--SATURDAY

LA JOLLA — Just 36 hours into his fourth combat deployment, Navy Lt. Dan Cnossen, commanding a Coronado-based SEAL platoon, stepped on a land mine on a hilltop in southern Afghanistan.

The blast Sept. 7 blew off both of Cnossen's legs, damaged his internal organs and nearly cost the mountain climber and triathlete his life.

“When he left Afghanistan, it was kind of a 50/50 proposition whether he'd make it or not,” said Lt. Brian Ray, his longtime friend and former Naval Academy roommate. “Someone who wasn't in the kind of shape he was probably wouldn't have made it.”

Six weeks and 25 surgeries later, Cnossen is recovering at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., cracking up visitors with his relentless jokes.

On Saturday his Navy and triathlete friends from the San Diego area are holding a fundraiser in La Jolla to help Cnossen and his family, who live in Topeka, Kan., with expenses.

“A lot of people wanted to help. This was a way for us to focus everybody's energy,” said close friend and fellow SEAL Marty, who asked that his last name be withheld because SEALs and other special forces work undercover.

The event, called “Dan's Aquathlon,” begins at 9 a.m. in front of Tower 30 at La Jolla Shores Beach on Avenida de la Playa. In honor of Cnossen's love of athletics, it will combine a 500-meter ocean swim and a 5 km beach run. About 180 people already have signed up to participate, Marty said, for an entry fee of $25. Thirty more of Dan's friends are volunteers...

Click here to read the complete article.

Hawaii Ironman Demo had 15% More Vendors this Year

SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Triathlete Magazine's Kona Demo Days saw a 15 percent increase in the number of vendors attending this year’s event.

Brands such as Cannondale, Cervelo, Fuji, Kestrel, Orbea and Scott hit Kailua-Kona late last week so that athletes could test the latest in high-end bikes, wheels, pedals, components, helmets and running shoes.

“The event is getting some serious traction after its second year,” said Sean “Wattie” Watkins, vice president of sales and marketing for Triathlete.

According to Fletch Newland of Cervelo Cycles, the company’s staff conducted more than 100 demo rides leading up to the race, hosting 18 professional athletes—that represented more than 50 Ironman wins—at the Cervelo signing booth.

Kestrel’s brand manager Steven Harad said it’s the best expo the company has ever attended. “A solid test ride show with our local dealer [sold] six Kestrels in three days,” Harad said.

Fizik marketing manager Suzette Ayotte feels that the tri market has barely been tapped. “Triathlon is a unique population with an insatiable appetite for technology, innovation and information,” Ayotte said.

Almot 1000 Unedited Photos -- Ironman Hawaii!!

Click here to see close to 1,000 photos from Kona, Hawaii - the unedited photo gallery is below...

KSWISS Triathlete Party @ Ironman - Photo Gallery

What a great night, some rain, but some stories... Click on the photo gallery below for more photos...

Ironman Race Day Photo Montage With Music!

A photo is worth a thousand words. Add music and movement and well, you've got a million words...

Scroll down below this text and then click the play button just once below for a one mini photo montage from my race on Saturday. If you click the Full Screen button you can expand the video to full screen.

Ironman Eve - Friday - The IRONMAN is Tomorrow - Photo Gallery

Click here for a great photo gallery from today's events in Kona Hawaii...

Carbo Banquet Photo Gallery - Ironman Hawaii

The Expo Low-Down

by Stephanie Warren

The expo is a must-hit for every triathlete in Kona. There’s no better event in the world at which to learn about all of triathlon's newest time-, sweat-, and energy-saving products and talk to the people who make them. Here’s just a small sample of what the expo has to offer:

Zoot Sports’ Physiologist Chris Bohannon

Chris previewed Zoot’s three hottest new products for us. They are:

The Ultraspeed shoe. Zoot used a medical pressure device to measure the varying pressures on the different parts of a shoe during exercise. Zoot was able to use this data to create a shoe that replicates the feel of a regular running shoe—but without laces. Imagine the ease of a slip-on shoe, but with the security of a laced one. This is the future of exercise shoes.

The CompressRx Calf Sleeve. Zoot used medical studies to make a connection between the physiology of those recovering from injury and the physiology of a triathlete’s muscles under duress. They discovered that since compression of injured tissue works well for medical patients, it should also work for triathletes, to aid in muscular recovery from workouts.

The Icefil Cool Sleeve. This incredible arm sleeve is made of a fabric with zylotol, a crystal that vibrates when wet, creating an endothermic (or cooling) reaction. When activated by water or sweat, the sleeve lowers its temperature by 5.4°. That’s 5.4° that would come in very handy on the lava fields on Saturday.

Contact Chris at chris@zootsports.com or visit their website here.

Endless Pools’ Michael Sparacio

Endless pools are a great solution for triathletes that want a convenient way to practice their strokes at home. Endless pools operate at two different speeds, and, since you remain stationary, allow a perfect platform for coaching. Michael affirms, “If you hold at top speed for 2.4 miles, you’ll be the first one out of the Ironman swim by 5 minutes.”

Endless Pools is offering two models, the original and the Fastlane. The original is the most effective and efficient, and the Fastlane is a more inexpensive option which has one great advantage: the unit itself can be purchased and installed directly into an existing pool, turning a backyard oasis into a high-tech training machine.

Contact Michael at msparacio@endlesspools.com or visit their website here.

Rocket Science Sports’ CEO Martin Sochaki

Rocket Science Sports is introducing a new “rocket racer” called 20BPM. It’s made of a special material that is double-sided, white on the outside and black on the inside. The white outside shell is made of a special reflective material that sends the sun’s rays away from the body. The inner black lining prevents whatever sun that gets through from hitting the skin.

The suit also features a unique cycling pad. With a specific gravity of 0.25, it floats and won’t weigh you down, but it also stays dry so that you can swim in it without that uncomfortable diaper sensation.

Martin is Rocket Science Sports’ CEO. He’s also its engineer, and a former aerospace engineer. Visit Rocket Science Sports’ website here.

All photos credit Alexis MacMillan

Triathlete Profile: Jaime Windrow

by Stephanie Warren

Today we got a chance to sit down and talk to Jaime Windrow, a Rockette-turned triathlete that we met earlier this week. Jaime’s story is an unusual one; unusual, however, is the norm in the world of triathlon.

When Jaime was 15, she started working as a lifeguard. Her lifeguard coach was an Ironman, and he would while away the time by entertaining her with stories from his experiences. “One day, he told me about the Ironman and Kona, and I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to do that someday.’” 18 years later, Jaime is less than 48 hours away from making her dream come true, on the cusp of her personal IronMoment.

“I grew up as both a dancer and an athlete—a double life,” says Jaime. Jaime loved running and eventually started to race in marathons. “When I was 20, I moved to New York and became a Radio City Rockette, my lifelong dream.” Jaime loved dancing and performing, but found it hard to continue her athletic lifestyle. “Dancers aren’t runners-it’s just not how it works. A professional dancer can’t afford to build up the wrong muscles.”

“But one day, I watched the New York City Marathon run by, and I started crying. I missed being a part of that. I decided to enter multisport, no matter what it took.”

With profound determination and “incredible” support from Radio City, Jaime started running again, this time adding swimming and biking to the mix. Amazingly, her dancing improved. “I was so much stronger from the cardiovascular exercise. My knee pain went away. Keeping up the flexibility was the hardest part, but I manage it with lots of Pilates.”

Jaime’s first Ironman was Lake Placid. “I didn’t even knew I qualified for Kona until someone sent me a text,” she says, her eyes shining with emotion. “This has been 18 years in the making.”

Jaime is a professional nutritionist as well as a triathlete. You can check out her website here. Good luck, Jaime! We’ll be watching for your high-kick photo pose at the finish line!

Who Wore It Better? Kona Style...

Ironman Aloha Reception

Situated on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona, Hulihe`e Palace was the vacation residence of Hawai`ian royalty. Today it is a museum operated by the Daughters of Hawai`i and is a showplace of beautiful furniture and fascinating artifacts. The Ironman Aloha Reception is held there every year for sponsors and special guests. Here is a photo gallery from the evening.

Windy Bike Safety Tips + Video from the Natural Energy Lab

This photo shows the windiest spots in Hawaii, the blue is a 7 on 1-7 scale.

At Ironman Hawaii, you need to learn how to handle severe crosswinds (sometimes referred to as a Wind Shear, a microscale meteorological phenomenon occurring over a very small distance). They are dangerous, and scary. A wind burst from your right or left can make you lose control of your bike. On the road to Hawi, with 20,30,40 mph + winds in your face, or on the return trip - you might feel bursts of crosswinds. There are a few things you can do to increase your safety if the winds are blowing this year. Here is a short video... and you can scroll past the video for 7 important safety tips...

1. Keep your fingers wrapped around your aero bards if you are aero. This is a good idea at most times, and the goal here is to make sure your hand is actually "holding" the bars, not merely resting on it.
2. Don't go aero. When you need to respond to crazy crosswinds, you will need to hold on to your handle bars tightly - it's more difficult to respond to a sudden wind burst when you are aero.
3. Lean forward and down to reduce your profile.
4. During gusts, your bike will NOT travel in a straight line, if your bike is blown off course with a gust and the result of that movement is EXACTLY the same as any other minor course
change – you will need modest counter-steer to correct it.
5. Anticipating wind shear is especially important under a couple of scenarios during the race, a) when approaching or being approached by bikers, b) when riding near any cars or motorcycles that are on the course, as they pass they can reduce the wind then allow a wind burst when they are farther away.
6. Also, remember, that there are TWO times when a gusty crosswind changes your bike’s direction of travel: when it hits, and when it stops. Each of these moments will require quick action and control on your bike.
7. Remember, the wind is not necessarily the most dangerous part, it's the other cyclists who are on the course and how they react to it when you are nearby that are dangerous.

Safe Riding!

Bo Arlander: A True IronMom

Today, we caught up with Bo Arlander, a longtime triathlete with an incredible story. Bo has raced countless Ironmans, and has been a regular in Kona since 1998. She counts herself as blessed, with a healthy body, a fulfilling lifestyle, and wonderful friends. But three years ago, she decided she was tired of having no one to meet her at the finish line.

After "a bunch" of IFVs, finally, in 2006, Bo was pregnant and overjoyed. A few weeks before the Hawaii Iroman, she had a miscarriage. Bo simply describes her Ironman experience that year as “really, really hard.” Kona didn’t carry its usually magic to inspire and renew. The race didn’t bring her spirits up--she felt defeated and depressed.

But after years of hard work and disappointment, on October 16, 2007 baby Mirabel was born. Bo’s face lights up when she talks about her baby daughter—it’s clear that Mirabel has given her a new lease on life.

Last year, Beau came again to watch the race, this time with her new baby in tow. Finally, she felt the old magic of the island working on her. “I got inspired,” she said. “I raced Florida a month later and qualified for this year.” Bo looks in great shape and happy with life. She’s nicely recovered from a shoulder surgery she had 2 ½ months ago, counts many as great friends in the world of triathlon, and recently quit her job to start her own business, a private equity company that makes investments in middle market consumer and retail companies called Moxie Capital. But best of all, she says with a twinkle in her eye, “Now I have someone waiting for me at the finish line.”

Congratulations Bo, and we wish you the best of luck on Saturday!

Snapshots from The Parade of Nations -

In this year's parade: an all-new, improved Konasauras, and a new fire truck donated to the city by Ironman, with a huge water cannon - that they fired during the parade - it was fantastic. Athletes from around the world marched in the parade. There is an old rumor or myth that says that if you don't walk in the parade, you'll do some serious walking on the run course, which is a bit better than the Ironman Canada Parade rumor from years back, which said if you did not march in that parade, the lake Monster, Ogo Pogo, would eat you during the swim. Here is the parade Photo Gallery, enjoy!

Ironman Super-Large Image Photo Gallery from Dig Me Beach, Wednesday with the Turtle...

Move your mouse over the photo gallery today to scroll through the photos!

Photo Gallery - Ironman Kids Fun Swim Run

Today, triathlete Philip La Haye, whose wife, Blair LaHaye, is the Director of Communications for Ironman, let us in on a little secret. “If you’re looking for the biggest gathering of the world’s best race directors,” he said, “Go to the Ironman Kids Fun Swim Run.” Race directors from the best Ironman races across the globe come together to help put on the Ironman Kids race every year. You could call it the best-organized (and most adorable!) event in the world.

Double-click any image to view a larger version.

The Ironman Kids race is truly one of the most inspiring events that goes on during Ironman Week here on Kona. What grabs you every time is their onverwhelming enthusiasm for the sport. They give it all they've got, and if they mess up the little things, like going the right way around the buoy or having to run barefoot because they can't get their shoes on, they don't slow down one bit. We should all take a lesson from this kind of tenacity and enthusiasm.


When you're racing on Saturday, don't forget that this incredible event in this gorgeous place is, yes, an opportunity for you to show off your muscles and beat last year's time, but it's also an opportunity to experience that purest form of childhood fun: the joy of motion.