Barend de Arend

Good ride. I eventually learned to shift my body weight for the cattle bridges after I took the same one three times to get it right. Took a tumble into a river. Got wet good and proper, but I'm not hurt too bad. After a while I got the message: when you build up speed, there's guaranteed a hard corner and a river crossing Some of the route markings were a bit late or hidden. Cruise past, and then go: "Wait! I had to turn left there???" and gooi ankers. One guy ended up on the wrong side of a fence -- dunno how. I've seen worse markings, though. My chain sounds like a gravel sack now.

It's invaluable if you're serious, and have a coach (where I used to be) It can be fun if you're serious, and have a proper training program, and understand some physiology. It's just a bunch of geeky numbers if you're not serious (where I am now) Cheapest actual power meter is prolly powertap hub in a heavy wheel. Then power2max, quarq, powertap in a race wheel, and then srm (30k+). All of these are +- 2 % error. There's powercal (from the powertap guys) at +- 10% error.

This used to be a big problem in South Africa (where you often get a delta of 20+ celsius.) It's good to hear they fixed this. What's the MTB BCD? 64/104?

Everything except your front wheel gets washed. One of CSA's front wheels gets washed. If it's a 29er, only half the front wheel.

The swim was just plain bad. It was a washing machine until the first corner, and after that it was a wet run. If you tried to swim, you just hit a guy walking after three strokes. Just too many people for the size of the ski dam. The bike was bad. The first problem is that the joke swim meant everyone started the bike simultaneously. You try not to draft, but that was just plain silly. And then you try to avoid traffic cones. And then you turn around and do 80 km/h against oncoming cyclists, and a bike marshal. Say squeeze! The run was good. So neither the swim nor bike could be raced. The could be finished, but not raced. The four hour wait from registration to race start was bad, too; but I was prepared for that. It would be nice to have a bit more shade for the wait, though.

The Rudy RX insert is similar, but it's much better executed. It's bigger for better peripheral vision, and the wire frame means that the final product ends up being thinner and less obtrusive. The inserts also come with a round piece of plastic for optometrists to know the size. Rudy also does prescription lenses as an alternative to the RX inserts. They work better; but it's costly if you want different colours for night and day riding. Prescription lenses will be more comfortable than the RX inserts in the long term.

Wait, you don't want to find your MTB crank length? So how do you know what size you want to buy for your road bike? Or you gonna buy a 172.5, 175, 177.5 and 180, and swap them till you like one?

It might, it might not. The first time I swapped between 170 and 172.5 I felt a big difference. These days every second day is on a different crank arm length, and I don't feel it anymore. I'd probably feel 160 to 180, though. What size is the MTB crankarm? It might also be pedal/cleat position if you use different shoes on the two bikes.

It's just different gears, that's all.

There are certain times. Time slots for swimmers, canoes, kayaks, sailing. If you swim while the canoes are going, make sure you wear a really bright cap. The canoes also stay outside the buoys, so it avoids collisions if you swim just inside them. 1000m per lap, if memory serves. Contact the canoe people. http://www.dabulamanzi.co.za/ They're pretty helpful.

I'd guess similar reasons to CycloCross. - lighter rims (no clincher hook) - fewer flats (no pinch flats) (what are the XC pit stop rules?) - ability to run lower pressures than clinchers (tubed) - no burping on tubeless Or, of course, it could be something new to sell.

Evox Hydra Heat might be over the counter, but you'll still want to avoid being tested by WADA. It contains methylhexanamine, if my Google skills are up to scratch. http://evox.co.za/product-item.aspx?prid=25

raise your legs works

The first couple of kays can be bit hairy with trucks. Just treat the first bit like a neutral zone, and don't be stupid. Just before halfway the road narrows, then there's the only climb. So of course everyone wants to start the climb at the front, so everyone goes a little crazy as the road narrows. I was bumped there last year, but I stayed upright. Two guys into the bushes. I don't remember it as being too serious, but I do remember being rattled. The "climb" is more like a false flat, but it's usually taken at serious speed, because it's followed by a u turn and it's the only natural attacking point.

Being able to breath on both sides is very important in open water swims. You might have to adjust your breathing depending on the chop or waves. If you always breath on your left, and the chop comes from the left, you get a mouthful of water every time you try. It's also important not to panic when you miss a breath. This was useful at the Ironman this year, since the water was so bad that I basically took a breath when I could, rather than when I wanted to. So it can be useful to practice breathing every seventh or ninth stroke. In the pool? Not important. Fastest way across 25 m is to not breath at all, but international swimming rules require your head comes up.

Power doesn't work like that. I can be at 150 HR and produce 0 watts, 250 watts, or 1000 watts. Power is more closely aligned to the heartrate slope (ie. how quickly does it go up or down) When you go anaerobic there is another factor: the longer you stay anaerobic, the more your power drops. You've got fatigue. This is related more closely to the area under the graph than the graph itself. Welcome calculus. In the example above: 0 watts: I was pedalling hard, got a high heartrate, and now I'm coasting. My HR hasn't reached rest yet. 250 watts: steady pedalling. 1000 watts: big burst (sprint?). My heartrate will go up in 10 seconds, and it will keep climbing for 30 seconds, but it hasn't moved yet. Heartrate is also an indication of torque rather than power. It indicates effort rather than effect or work. PowerCal has to look at movement in heartrate more than current heartrate. It's easy to get the 250 watt reading. If the heartrate is 150, and hasn't changed in the last 10 seconds, you can be pretty sure power is constant. PowerCal's magic juice has to differentiate between the 0 and 1000 watt cases. How well and quickly it does that will affect it's value. It is probably more accurate to calculate training dose or TSS or IF; but those aren't instant responses. Heartrate might also go up when negotiating a technical downhill, but PowerCal will be able to compensate for that with a cadence sensor. No cadence = no power. All power meters already do this. Some power meter computers won't register power without a cadence reading. How quickly your heartrate goes up and down is affected by your fitness, current health and whether or not you are warm, so the PowerCal algorithm has to take quite a lot into account. The accuracy is probably also affected by how rhythmic your heart beats. I'm quite interested in how well the magic juice performs. If the magic juice is good, the value of the product will be high.

Are you wearing a nose plug? In chlorine pools I have to wear a nose plug or I have problems breathing. I sound like I'm asthmatic when it happens. My nasal cavities hurt too, although I never associated it with a dry nose. The nose plug helps a lot, but it's not perfect. It doesn't help me for backstroke. Possibly the plug isn't good enough. I find the plug uncomfortable, but it's better than the alternative. I don't need or use nose plugs in open water, or pools with a more sensible amount of chlorine.

These used to come in two sizes. Try the smaller version.

I use running gloves as glove liners. You get them in any running store. Cheap and disposable. I think the common theme is layers: an inner liner, and an outer glove. One to keep the warmth in, and one to keep the wind out. Remember: the problem isn't when your fingers feel cold or pain -- it's when all feeling stops

Eddy Merckx, '71. (I see TNT1 found a few more)

A bit like a stone in your shoes, except it's in your shorts.

CSA didn't pay CSA the TV broadcast add-on price.

Is Longdog ok?

It's the first time I did this race since I crashed and lost my teeth there a few years ago. The goal was to ride past where I crashed. I had a good ride, but I did see the paramedics help some crashed cyclists. Late entry, ML. 3:27 ITT.

A lot of gyms have a swimming coach or class. This might be happening at different times of your swim, and at Virgin Active it isn't advertised. Ask reception.