it appears that i didn’t do a very good job trying to publicize a favorite poet of mine in a previous post (reference: an extra off-day of poetry). it turns out the link doesn’t work. which is a shame, since she’s one of my favorites, and i think deserving of more attention than she’s gotten. to rectify this error, i’m do a re-post, so that she can get the credit she deserves.the poet in

well, since we’re heading into that season again, replete with this year’s spectre of H1N1 as the bogeyman of sniffles, coughs, runny noses, fevers, delirium, phlegm, and all other host of potential assorted symptoms, i figure it’s time to offer up this piece of medical interest for all you athletes intent on training through the health hazards that lurk ahead of us:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/

i ordinarily eschew anything that might give the appearance of marketing, focusing instead on just commentary and recommendations. but occasionally something comes along that is so notable that it stands on its own independent of commercial overtones.this is one of them:http://banthespeedshop.com/#/homethis is, without a doubt, an act of sheer genius. it is one of the most hilarious videos on

you meet some interesting characters in endurance sports, particularly for ultra-endurance events like Ironman. they are without a doubt very unique personalities–you have to be one, or you have to become one, in order to get through the transformative experience of long-distance races–and they are the kind that tend to stick with you in your mind.and i mean this in a good way: the people i’ve

there are days when you wake up, and everything is right. the air is clear, the wind is crisp, the light is soft, the land is still, and time is more than time and space is more than space and the world is more than the world andyou want to goeverywhere; everywhereis the murmuring of whispers deep in the mist with the messagethat calls you forth to venture beyond your mindto places you do not

this is positively brilliant. so brilliant, in fact, that i feel compelled to pass the word:http://grassroots.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=311991&supid=273688756some of you may have seen the announcement for this already on Slowtwitch:http://www.slowtwitch.com/Features/Rappstar_s_Ironman_Arizona_Charity_Challenge_1080.htmlyes, i know. i just did a social-cause post, and some

social conscience, social consciousness, and sports are not often associated with one another. for whatever reason (and i admit, there are many), people just don’t generally associate athletes and athleticism with concerns for the larger world.which i think is unfortunate, and one that i think should be dispelled.as part of this, i am writing this post. some of you may have noticed the presence

we make choices in life. choices we don’t like. choices difficult. choices uncertain. choices with consequences that reverberate throughout our lives with the whispers of what we did, and leave us to wonder forever what if.what if we had thought what should have been thought?what if we had said what should have been said?what if we had done what should have been done?what if we had takenthe

we live with a sense of ingrained nostalgia, reaching instinctively for things gone past, reacting by reflex for the idyllic memories of the way things were anytime we are confronted by the shock of something new.we do not like the new. we do not like its imposition of change. we do not like its demands to break with calcified tradition and fossilized custom and hardened formula. we hold to

note: this is the 3rd in an ongoing, non-regular, non-periodic series on strength training in terms of endurance sports. you can see parts 1 and 2 here:strength training, part 1strength training, part 2i found some more Youtube videos regarding strength training. you can add these to the library of videos. these are a little different, but i consider that useful in the sense that it provides

ok. it’s time for a day off. i’m not doing or talking or thinking about anything related to sports today. i’m sore. i’m tired. i’m hungry. and i’m really interested in nothing other than going back to sleep. and the only reason i don’t is this:today, Saturday, September 19, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.i’ve written about this before:http://jonathaninthedistance.blogspot.com/2007

well, it was that time of year again…and i’m calling on all of you to help us preserve this for posterity.this past Sunday was the Malibu Triathlon, and we held our 4th running of the pink speedo crew. we didn’t have as many people as last year, but we made up for it with some extra equipment– tandem bikes (in pink), converse low-tops (in pink)–and extra effort–this year we did the swim in

hmmmmmmm…the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada are supposed to continue the trend towards more eco-friendly sports events, with the Olympic-related construction in Whistler and Vancouver aimed at fulfilling the goals of sustainable development. as part of this, the Olympic village in Vancouver is intended to be a model of sustainability, and has been touted as an example of what will eventually

for those of you into cross-cultural exchange, ASICS recently published the results of their multi-national study on running habits in Europe. you can access it here:http://www.everythingaboutrunning.asics.eu/don’t be fooled by the spare nature of the entry page. click on any one of the countries or the more general “Europe” and you’ll find a lot of content regarding the nature of runners and

you did it. you made the milestone. you accomplished the achievement that preoccupied your mind all this time. dreams, hopes, aspirations. they all came true. and it was all because of you. it was not easy, and it took a lot from you, and you made sacrifices, and you had to work harder than you’d ever thought possible. but you did it.and the way it makes you feel is literally like you are

this past week was the 2009 World Track & Field Championships in Berlin. apart from the sports, this year’s competition was notable because it was hosted in the Olympiastadion, which was first made infamous as the site of the 1936 Berlin Olympics but ultimately became famous as the site of the transcendant performance of Jessie Owens in the face of Nazi Aryanism.one of the lesser-known stories

note:  this is the 2nd in an ongoing, non-regular, non-periodic series on strength training in terms of endurance sports.  you can get part 1 here: http://jonathaninthedistance.blogspot.com/2008/03/videos-strength-training-part-1.htmlit surprises a fair number of newbies that endurance athletes integrate an element of strength training (alternatively, weight training) into their overall training

i’m writing in response to some questions people have posted regarding what i eat. i’m guessing some of you are wondering what i’m doing to maintain my body mass and body fat (for the past year, around 68 kg, or a little over 150 lbs, and 5-6%, respectively), and want to compare notes on the diet and nutrition that’s helping me to stay to these numbers. my apologies for taking so long to write

oh boy. here we go again.there’s an article in Time magazine with the provocative title “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.” for the sake of reference and understanding what i’m about to say i’ll provide the link (and in case the link doesn’t work, i included the text of it at the end of this post–but be warned: it’s loooooooong):http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.htmli

i’ve written several posts on swimming technique before (you can reference part 1 and part 2). well, for those of you wanted more, and i mean *more*, as in more than you could ever possibly want–like an all-you-can-eat-buffet that replenishes no matter how much you consume, i have come across something that’s about as good a candidate as you’ll ever find.it’s the Youtube channel “fit2race” (you

it’s a little-known fact of the Tour de France that the competitors do not uniformly like rest days. in fact, most (if not all) the teams continue to hold bike rides on the days off.they don’t do this as an expression of some cycling-related obsessive-compulsive disorder. Bob Roll, cycling commentator and former Tour cyclist himself, regularly notes that rest days are actually viewed upon with

my last post dealt with vegan athlete Rich Roll (reference: getting fit & healthy). i found his story impressive, not just in terms of athletic achievement or personal change, but also because of his adoption of a vegan diet. i’m like so many others who find it hard to associate veganism with sports, given the integral nature of protein into physical recovery and growth. clearly, just based on

i’ve always insisted that anyone can do an Ironman. anyone.i’ve heard a lot of excuses from others about why that’s not true. from work (read: long hours on the job, few hours at home) to family (read: kids) to fitness (read: lack thereof, or fat) to diet (read: vegetarian, or vegan, or whatever) to whatever to blah blah blah blah blah blah. i’ve done my best to respond to these arguments,

i am a piece of sirloin.yes, indeed, i am.USDA grade A 100% all-american.steak.rare.and red.and juicy.and above all, lean.yes. yes, i am.quite some years ago i had a coach who was rather attentive to the body composition of the athletes under his care (”care” is a euphemism, “baleful glare” would be more apt, “obsessive preoccupation” would be the most clinically accurate). he would have us log

people have asked me why i don’t follow pro cycling, much less the Tour de France.this article pretty much will tell you the story why:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/07/07/tour it’s an article from Sports Illustrated on the nature of drugs in pro cycling. if the link doesn’t work, i’ve put the full text at the bottom of this post.the article essentially points out how

over the years since the first running in 1978, Ironman has developed its own body of lore, with stories used in various degrees to inspire, awe, shock, and warn both competitors and spectators about the nature of the distance.the underlying theme of the stories is consistent: the race is not easy, and is not something to be taken lightly. the distance carries with it strange properties, and

these are times of great travail. conditions are harsh. the distance is not kind. the race has not gone well. it has, in fact, has been downright brutal. and while you’d thought that things would eventually get better, each mile has only proven to be another step into an unfathomable darkness out from which you cannot see a way.and it doesn’t matter what you do, things just do not seem to change.

i’ve resumed 2-a-day workouts, after a year (more than a year) hiatus.this is kind of a big step, even though it isn’t anything extraordinary. generally, 2-a-days are pretty common in many sports–basketball, football, track & field, swimming, etc., all incorporate 2-a-day workouts at some point into their training schedule, with a training session in the morning and another training session in

i have not been on a bike since Ironman New Zealand 2008. which means i literally have not mounted the saddle and shoes, pulled on the helmet and gloves, or even touched the frame and chain in the space of the last 16 months.bad, i know, especially considering that i’m supposedly doing Ironman Utah 2010.while i have been keeping up a schedule of running, swimming, and general physical activity,

i’m sure a lot of you have been doing a lot of core work. it seems to be a pretty big trend, with just about every workout and training regime that i see devoting at least some part of the schedule to it. it’s at the point that if you’re not doing core work, you probably feel like you’re missing out.i’ve fallen prey to this wave myself, catching it courtesy of the advice of some physical