Meet: Sebastian Christopher Wood

Some of you may have noticed the dramatic drop off in blogging and facebooking this past week.  Well that’s because yours truly (ie. Curt Wood) became a first time dad on Sunday morning at 9:19AM.   Sebastian Christopher Wood was born, weighing in at 8lbs 2oz and 20″.   I decided that in the spirit of the GWB&Tri Blog I should sit down and interview him so everyone could get to know him a little better.

Meet Sebastian Wood: Minnesota's next great triathlete?

CW: So Seb… I’m sorry, I’m being presumptuous; may I call you Seb?
SW: Seb, Big Seb, Sea Bass… it’s all good.    But I still like Sebastian too.

Under the Knife

This Friday, Gear West Bike and Tri’s own Trent Schoeder is having heart surgery to repair a leaky valve.   Trent has been with Gear West Bike and Tri for almost 5 years and has worn many hats:  Salesperson, Gear West Duathlon race director, website/marketing guru, official bike@gearwestbike.com responder, etc…     We wanted to ask Trent a few questions regarding his operation on behalf of all those interested. 

Gear West Bike and Tri's Trent goes in for heart surgery this Friday.

 CW: So Trent, tell me how you found out about your heart problem.
TS: I went in for a physical back in Nov. of 2007, and my doctor pointed out that I had a heart murmur. It was news to me, and he sent me in for a stress echo, where they studied my heart while it was “working” under duress. They told me then that I had mitral valve prolapse, and that we would have to watch it. I had another echo cardiogram in November of 2009 to take another look, and at that time my doctor and a cardiologist at the U deemed the valve bad enough that I should have it really looked at by a cardiologist.

So, after meeting with a cardiologist and surgeon at the U (who said I need to have surgery–shocking to me) I went to the Mpls Heart Institute to meet with another cardiologist for a second opinion–even though I didn’t doubt the first diagnosis. And away we went.

CW: So explain what exactly is going on in your heart, and why my heart is better? 

TS: As I understand it, the mitral valve in my left ventricle had essentially deteriorated to the point that my heart is starting to enlarge. The valve is not closing properly, which is sending blood back through the left side of my heart, so the heart has to work extra hard to re-pump that blood back through. Most people have a tiny bit of leakage back through, as the valve does not close entirely, but I’m told that on a scale of 1-4, 4 being the worst, my heart is more like a 4. The only reason they do surgery is 1) symptoms–shortness of breath, pain, etc, which I have never experienced (that I know of) and 2) if the heart starts to enlarge. So, I’m going under the knife. Your heart is better because it does not leak to the point that your heart has to work harder. I really have no idea how long this has been going on, but my current surgeon at the Mpls Heart Institute recently told me that it has definitely been going on a lot longer that we think. (I don’t really know what that means).

The mitral valve separates the two chambers (atrium and ventricle) of the left side of the heart. In mitral valve prolapse, the leaflets of the mitral valve bulge (prolapse) into the left atrium like a parachute during the heart's contraction. Thus, some blood may leak back into the atrium from the ventricle. (Courtesy of the Mayo Clinic)

CW: Is there anything that you know of that could have prevented this?
TS: Nothing at all, it just happens.

CW: Explain your decision for surgery and surgical options (you’re going with pig valve vs. bionic valve right?).   Is it 100% necessary?  And what is the procedure like?
TS: As I’m told by my sister-in-law (who works at Abbot Northwestern where I’m having surgery), right now this is a fixable issue. In ten years, it may not be fixable. I need to have it fixed so my heart does not fail on me. I really don’t want that to happen….HA. I would say that, yes for me surgery is 100% neccessary. I’m relatively young (41), and I want to continue running, biking and swimming–and I still haven’t done some things I want to do with respect to Tri and running.  I have two choices for surgery–open heart (which I am choosing), or a less invasive procedure where they would go through my right chest and do the repair robotically. My surgeon prefers the open heart approach so he can really see what is going on and repair it. The plan is to fix the problem rather than replace. The surgeon is very confident that he can repair the valve and I’ll be good as new. I also have the option to (only if needed) replace the valve with either a mechanical valve or an animal valve. I haven’t decided what I will choose, although I am leaning toward animal. (However, on a comedic note, I’m a vegetarian for moral issues, and choosing animal is something I’m truly thinking over.) But the animal version has less problematic after-shocks–namely that with a mechanical I would have to be on blood thinners for the rest of my life. My father-in-law and a few uncles and aunts say that is a terrible thing, so…

 CW: What are the related risks of surgery?   Do they have success rate type stats for this surgery?
TS: The risks are the same as with any major surgery–infection afterwards, blah, blah. I’m told there is around a 2% chance of not making it through the procedure, but that is something I try NOT to think about. The success rate is extremely high for this procedure.

CW: What’s the recovery like? 
TS: I will have around 5 days in the hospital after the procedure, and approximately 6 weeks of recovery at home. I can’t lift anything over 20 lbs (so neither of my boys…that will be very hard) and no driving, etc. until I’m ready to be back. It will be hard with 2 children, but we have good support, and Kevin and everyone here at Gear West Bike have been, simply put–amazing. I’ll be leaving them understaffed at a pretty busy time of year. So, thanks to Kevin and staff.

CW: Are you scared? 
TS: Honestly, I am pretty scared. It’s probably not cool to say that, but I can’t lie about how I’m feeling. I’ll say this–I’m very nervous, but extremely confident. The team at the Mpls Heart Institute is simply amazing, and I have every reason to believe that they will do everything right. But, I do think about being open on the table like I will be. I haven’t been sleeping very well. It will all be great.

CW: So honestly, with the much improved heart efficiency you’ll after the surgery, how many triathlons & time trials are you expecting to win this year? 
TS: One of the first things I did after finding out–besides telling Kevin, was to tell David Thompson to look out next year–I’m coming for him! That is a huge joke. I have differing opinions as to what my heart will do after the surgery. The first surgeon said I would notice a huge difference, and my current surgeon says I probably won’t notice too much of a change. I’m hoping for a little extra something–I need it.

CW: Anything else you’d like to add? 
TS: Thanks to the people who have offered up their services to Emily (my wife) and my boys–it will be hardest for them. All I have to do is heal.

Thanks dude.

Commuter Challenge: Final Results

Here's Drew and Kevin after one of many bike commutes to work this past year.

 I talked about it earlier, but starting in 2009 Gear West Bike and Tri had a bike commuting challenge for all employees.    The challenge was to commute as often as possible by bike (although we counted running to work as well) and scored the point system on a handicapped scale:

Commutes:
Kevin                  = 5 miles =  .5 point
Drew                    = 14 miles = .75 point
Hannah/David = 26 miles = 1.5 points
Trent              = 22 miles = 1.25 points
Curt                = 16 miles = 1 point
Jared             = 13 miles = .75 points

About mid-year we realized the race was between Drew and Kevin, who really got into a great routine of biking in and were destroying everyone else.  They continued to commute well into fall with each not wanting to give up points to the other by not commuting when able.    The bike commute ended with Kevin racking up the most total commutes (84) compared to Drew (77), but since Drew had a higher handicap he ended up winning with 57.75 pts versus Kevin’s 42 pts.    Trent rounded out the podium with 38.75 pts.    Total commutes for the store with full and part-timers was 302 commutes for a total mileage of 3,327. 

So here it is by the numbers:

Total “car miles” saved: 3,327
Gallons of gas saved: 166
Pounds of CO2 saved by our commutes this year: 3,220 (based off EPA estimates)
Calories burned by commuting staffers: 183,440 (appx 900 calories per hour for nearly 200 hours)
Number of McDonalds double cheeseburgers needed to offset those calories: 611
Number of times Drew and Kevin bragged about commuting: Too many to count

New and Cool Swim Product

Now, I know we’re mainly known as a “bike and triathlon” retailer, but one area of our store that has been slowly expanding over the last couple years is our swim section.   Being a former swimmer myself, I am really appreciating the new product we’re getting and have been able to try out a lot of it over the last couple years.   I’m also excited about some of the new stuff coming out in terms of swim wear, swimming aids, and swimming gadgets.   I thought with the Minnesota Masters meets coming up, and everyone’s 2010 training programs kicking off, now would be a good time to take you a couple of the cool swim products we carry at the store.

This is our ever-growing swim sector

Swim Wear
Now, I really like to split this up into 2 categories: Swimwear for training and swimwear for racing.  

1. Training Swimwear
   For training in a pool (which for most people is about 90% of their
   

   The Speedo Endurance Jammer for men and the Speedo Lzr Endurance Swimsuit for women are great training swimsuits

   triathlon training), most guys will wear “jammers”.  Jammers basically look like bike shorts without the pad.   The brave few still sport a traditional “speedo brief”, but you see less and less every year.  For women, a 1 piece swimsuit (like the one pictured) is generally what you’ll see the lap swimmers wearing.    Speedo makes both men’s and women’s ‘Endurance’ fabric suits that are made of polyester instead of lycra and last nearly 20x longer.  Do yourself a favor and invest in these suits.  They’ll last forever and you’ll save your swim-mates from seeing more of you than they bargained for.

2. Racing Swimwear
   For those of you who don’t follow the swimming world, it has been
   

   With it's 'slippery' fabric, the speedo fastskin tri suit is faster in the water than a traditional tri suit or swimsuit

   going through quite the controversy the past year.   You can read more about it here but in a nutshell high-tech suits have helped swimmers world-wide set nearly every swimming world record over the past year.  So any debate that high-tech fabric and compression help swimming performance has been silenced.   In fact, I participated in a study with fellow swimmer and coach Duane Dobko and we found significant improvement with the speedo fastskin trisuit.  (Read more about our study here ).   We actually have these suits half-off, click here for men’s, click here for women’s.    Also over half off is the men’s 2 piece varieties of the same suit.  Top here and bottom here.

Training Aids
This is one area were a lot of people can get overwhelmed, but my philosophy is to keep it simple with regards to the training aids.    Most of the time I’ll go out with a kickboard, pull buoy, but I wanted to talk about a few of the other training aids we carry and why you might want to use them.

1. We sell “foot aids” in 2 basic varieties.  Zoomers and Training fins.
   

   The Finis Z2 Zoomer

   Using training fins (we like the TYR Splitfin) is like weight training for your kick.  Its helps build a stronger kick by overloading the kicking muscles.  Zoomers (our favorite is the Finis Z2)  are basically smaller fins.  They help build leg strength and a quick kick, but allow you to use them for longer swims since you don’t have to work quite as hard to move them through the water as bigger fins.    I think both have their place in swim workouts, but for most triathletes zoomers will probably be more useful.

2. Lap counters.   We carry the Finis Lap Track, which is great for those who swim at pools with no visible time clock, these are great.  Their also great for those that have a hard time keeping track of how many laps they’ve done.
3. Tempo trainer.  The Finis Tempo Trainer is a device that you attach to your goggle strap that transmits an audible beep at a predetermined rate.  Just like you would in cycling or running, this allows you to track your swim cadence.    Playing with different cadence rates allows swimmers to experiment with what is most efficient.
4. SwimP3 player.    This device from Finis is actually quite amazing.  It works through what they call ‘bone conduction technology’.  The two
   

   The Finis SwimP3 player

   devices are strapped through your goggles and placed on the bones of your skull.   The crazy thing is, it actually works. This thing holds 1gb of music, so you can swim all day and never hear the same song twice.

Goggles
Goggles are so important I decided to give them their own category.   They can really make or break your swimming experience.   There is absolutely nothing worse than an ill-fitting or leaky goggle.    We encourage people to take the goggles out of the package and try them on to ensure that you’re going to be comfortable with them.  We have dozens of varieties here at the store, but I wanted to give you the lowdown on a few of our most popular.

1. The Aqua Sphere Vista. This newer model from Aqua Sphere is quickly becoming our most popular ‘mask’ goggle.    It has a slightly
   

   The Aqua Sphere Vista Mask

   smaller profile than the ‘Seal Mask’ but still gives great suction and peripheral vision.    These are great for people who don’t like the feel of the smaller profile goggles.

2. TYR Nest Pro and the Blue Seventy Hydra Vision.  I’m putting these 2 in the same category because their very similar.  These have separate gaskets for each eye, but they’re larger than most traditional goggles making them more comfortable for many people.  Both provide an excellent seal and have become quite popular.
3. Speedo Vanquisher 2.0. This is my favorite training/racing goggle, and also happens to be one of the most popular ones we sell.  For me it fits very well and I never have to worry about these babies popping off on a dive start or flip turn.
4. Sable Water Optics RS101.  These are really the Cadillac of goggles.
   

   The Sable RS 101

   They offer the best underwater vision of any goggle (trust me, I’ve tested it), they don’t fog at all, and have a great suction.  They are also $45, so you better get a good goggle.

 

 

 

 

So that’s all for now.  Feel free to grab any of us in the store if you have any additional questions about our swim stuff.    Between all of us, we’ve pretty much tried everything in the store,so we should be able to provide good opinions and feedback on just about any swim product.

 

 

Meet: Josh Riff

In the fourth and final installment of our meeting of the new members of the 2010 Gear West Bike and Tri Development Team I wanted to introduce everybody to Josh Riff. As with most triatlete’s, Josh has… shall we say… a lot going on.    In addition to competing as one of Minnesota’s best long course triathletes, he’s a husband and father and leads up the ‘Minute Clinic’ for Target.  Oh, and he works one night at the ER.  This past year he really turned some heads at the Liberty Half Ironman where he finished 2nd overall ahead of many local studs with a solid 4:17:37.   He followed it up with solid placings at the Chisago Lakes Half (4:05: 14) and the Pigman Half (4:18:56) and then a solid, but injury-ridden 10:06.  We asked Josh a few questions to get to know him better.  Make sure to read all the way to the end, because he provides some great nuggets of wisdom.

Here's Josh setting a PR at the Chisago Lakes Half Ironman this past July. (Photo Courtesy John M. Cooper Photography)"

CW: Why did you choose (or agree) to race for Gear West Bike and Tri?

JR: When I first moved to Minneapolis in 2007 I was told that the bottom line in Triathlon in Minnesota was Gear West. That season I was primarily bike racing but I found that at any Time Trial there were these guys in Red and Black and they were fast. After many years of training and racing alone I decided I wanted to join a squad to have the opportunity to train and race with some fast guys. I knew from my first race with GW that this was a team to be on. Besides having really fast guys to hang out with all of the cheering for GW when racing is motivational. As a solitary endeavor being part of the GW crew really brings an element of team to the sport. Also winning a team prize at Pigman was awesome. It allowed me to be part of something bigger than my own effort.

CW: What’s your athletic backround and what got you into triathlons?

JR: I was a mountain bike guide in Whistler, B.C. Upon returning to McGill university I used triathlons as a winter cross training tool but within 2 seasons I was hooked.

CW: So, work brought you to Minnesota from Arizona.  Was that a tough adjustment, or are you an indoor trainer lover?

JR: Living in Tucson was a Triathletes dream. I could leave my house and ride over 100 miles with less than 5 stop lights. The climbing was awesome, Mt lemmon for the big long rides and Gates Pass for the grinding slog. The riding was varied and never ever boring. In addition I could train year round. Add a famous 100+ person group ride on Sunday’s (The Shoot Out) and Tucson is a riders paradise. Minnesota on the other hand, is a bit of a challenge as it is hard to get a good run in on the ice and I do not enjoy treadmill running. As for indoor cycling I actually really enjoy the computrainer as a training tool and have done 4.5-5 hour workouts before so that is not too bad. I would argue that the racing here is much better in MN than in Arizona but the training cannot be compared. Anyone needing a winter training camp or getaway should call me. Tucson rocks for this.

CW: You really seem to excel at the longer distances, specifically half and full Ironman.  Why do you think that is?

JR: I have not really raced short course since the world in 1998. I love the challenges of the IM distance as it really is a complicated puzzle and anything can happen. I think I really have learned how to race an IM and understand the race fueling which I think is a weak link for many people. That said the training really grinds me down with the lack of recovery time that my life provides. On the other hand I love the half distance as you can really race it and not just survive it as you did in an IM (at least as I do). I never really focused on the half distance and look forward to a year or two of focusing on these events and building some speed up. I have not done a track workout since 2006 so I look forward to that type of pain. Actually I do not look forward to it but I will do it. When I visit Tucson and drive past my 1 mile repeat section or the high school track I have phantom bile in the back of my throat.

CW: With your work at Target, ER, and family, how do you fit in training and what’s a typical in season training week look like for you?

JR: Sketchy at best. I usually would get up at 5 am on M/W/Th/F to get 90-120 minutes of cycling or running in and would try to commute to work as much as possible (11 miles each direction). I usually would also get a 40-50 minute swim in at lunch. For the weekends one day would have a longer ride and the other a 2-3 hour one. Due to family commitments there were a few Saturdays with 3-4 am wake ups to get a long ride in (first half on the computrainer). I had to switch up my training though as Friday morning used to be my long run where I would do 90-130 minutes from my house to work. I would get to work, shower, eat, and then get into my day sitting at my computer and sitting in meetings. My legs were constantly post-marathon sore from the lack of recovery so I had to switch my long runs to the weekend so I could take an ice bath. Since I work Monday nights (3 pm- midnight) I would usually take Tuesday off and Wednesday was usually a limited session due to fatigue. So basically

Monday: 90 minute run or ride, swim at lunch. Work in ER

Tuesday: Commute to work. +/- swim

Wed: 90 minute computrainer session, commute to work. Swim at lunch

Thursday: 60 minute computrainer or easy run, swim

Friday: 90-120 minute run to work

Sat: Ride

Sun: run or ride

CW: With a little research, I found that your Hawaii PR is 10:01 in 2004 and 103rd overall (correct me if I’m wrong).  Share with us your IM and half IM time PRs.

JR: Good question. I had to google this. My fastest IM PR is 9:29 at IM AZ. This is ironic as I trained very little for this and went in as a final swan song thinking I would be happy to finish. My IM Hawaii time in 2004 was slow at 10:01 but the placing is one of my proudest accomplishments. I was aiming for a 9:15-9:20 this year in Hawaii but really bad knee pain leading into the race really slowed me down (a post race MRI showed a stress fracture along an old fracture line). As for halves I am really proud of a 4:14 at Eagleman that qualified me for Kona in 2004 but I think my fastest was a 4:05 at Chisago. I am also really proud of a 3^rd place AG finish at Wildflower despite a flat. I raced hard on those trails.

CW: What would you consider your triathlon career highlight?

JR: When I was younger I used to lift a lot of weights and put on some mass. Years later when I took up triathlon I wondered if all of those years spent in a gym lifting weights was a waste of time and if I would ever look back at Triathlon with the same mindset. While it is too early to say I think this will not happen because my career highlight is the great relationships I have formed and the awesome locations I have traveled. If you are asking about race highlights though I would say I am really proud of my first Hawaii qualification and I think the way I ran myself from 9^th at the half way point on the run at Liberty to 2^nd place overall was pretty cool.

CW: What’s your biggest training or racing blunder?

JR: You name it I have done it. Let’s see: getting flipped over a pickup truck while on a training ride is probably the biggest blunder. Eating a bowl of raising bran before a group run, blunder number 2. Racing a half with no socks, number three. New elastic laces before IM Hawaii in 2004, #4. Shall I go on?

CW: Nutritional weakness/guilty pleasure (non-racing)?

JR: This is a pretty lame one but as a kid growing up dried fruit was our  reward. My mother was a nutrition freak before it was in vogue so there was no candy or ice cream so to say. If you finished your dinner (and we would have to sit for hours) you could have a piece of fruit or if you were really good raisins or dried pineapple. Psychologically to this day dried pineapple is my indulgence of choice. Not that it is bad for you but my obstacle to ideal race weight is not quality of food it is quantity. When I go apple picking I can eat 8-12 apples before check out. No questions asked. As for post race indulgences or if I nail a workout and set a goal I like to grab a Wendy’s frosty.

CW: What’s your racing plans for 2010 ?

JR: I am trying to nail this down. I am definitely not racing any full distances. This  winter I am taking some time off to see what happens without compulsive training. I will race a few cross country skiing races including the Birky (I tried skiing for the first time last year and made the first wave for this year by the skin of my teeth) and see how my knee rehabs. I am going to analyze my running this winter as I always have injuries to my left leg. Assuming I can rehab I would love to race a bunch of local halves. More importantly though I want to have some fun and be social at the races. Traditionally I train alone, I show up, I race, and I leave. I think this is the year to make it a sport again.

CW: Anything else you’d like to add?

JR: I tend not to be too philosophical about life but triathlon has really been an amazing sport for me and has taught me some of the most important lessons in life. In medical school it gave me the mind set to work hard every day so I did not have to cram at the end. During residency the complexity of IM training gave me the understanding of balance and the comfort with being a jack of all trade but master of none. More recently the patience I developed in tackling a 100+ mile ride that seems overwhelming at first but is manageable once broken into segments gives me insight and comfort when working on long term projects at Target. I would recommend to any Triathlete to look at their life in a similar manner. Triathlons may be a lifestyle, or a religion to some, but at the end of the day injuries or age may sideline you so it is essential to learn to look at the training and racing as a process and not an end point. As people say getting to the starting line is the goal and the reward of the hard work we put in.

Thanks Josh!

Matt Goes to Washington

It could be the name to a children’s book, but in reality it’s happening to our  longtime and trusted mechanic Matt Leighton.     Today is his last day, and on Wednesday he’s off to Washington to work for Congressman Erik Paulsen. 

Matt has worked as a Mechanic at Gear West Bike and Tri for the past 6 years, and you may also recognize him as the on-site mechanic at many of the Midwest Multisport series races throughout the summer.     Those who know Matt like to tease him about his slightly obsessive-compulsive attitude towards any type of equipment/components.   Combine that with a vocabulary that will leave many of us checking the dictionary (as you will see from some of his answers), setting him loose on the sales floor can sometimes result in serious head scratching.   

I wanted to ask Matt a few questions before he exits Minnesota.

Here's Matt pretending to work on a bike

CW:  So Matt, when did you start at Gear West Bike and Tri and what brought you here?
ML: I came to Gear West after my freshmen year of college. I had worked at a different shop beforehand, but it was time for a change. At that time I was still very much involved in nordic ski racing, so I wanted to have a job that was supportive and compatible with that lifestyle. After some health issues forced me to abandon serious competition, I opted to stay in contact with endurance sports through the shop.

CW: What is your most memorable moment from your employement here?
ML: I think the most memorable thing for me was not a single instance but my entire tenure. As I reflect on it, watching how the shop has evolved and grown has been a fascinating experience that I am glad I was able to be apart of. But if I had to cite one instance that I am glad happened, it was fulfilling a personal goal — getting to a race before any racers. When I first started regularly acting as the Gear West on-site technician, I could not believe how early some people get to races. So at Lake Waconia ‘07 I beat everyone but the race officials. I think I got there at 4:30am.

CW: What are you going to miss about working here?
ML: I of course will most miss the people I worked with. We always operate as a quasi-family at the shop, with each characteristic and talent coalescing into an effective team. The result is a smooth and successful blend of both personal and professional life that makes work easy. Plus, I have worked here at a time in my own life (late-teens, college) where everyone undergoes a sort of intellectual and emotional maturation. Undeniably, the last six years have had a deep impact on who I am today.

CW: What aren’t you going to miss?
ML: What I will miss least will be very familiar to my co-workers, but for outsiders I need to set it up first. For the last six summers I have been at nearly every race Gear West sponsors for on-site technical assistance. The most common thing I do is, of course, pump tires. (Incidentally, it’s a great workout for your upper body). At times the line can grow enormously, as there is a salient and understandable pre-race anxiety from participants. And here is where I would always, without fail, encounter the character I call the “I couldn’t inflate it so it must be flat” boyfriend, or his close cousin, the “lied to his girlfriend/wife about pumping her tires so now she thinks she has a flat” guy. Seriously. You couldn’t figure it out, or were too lazy to. Just admit it! It was such a profoundly simple form of egotism I just didn’t understand.

CW: So tell us what you’re going off to do now?
ML: I am going to be interning for Congressmen Erik Paulsen, which I am going to hopefully use as a springboard into a field concerning international affairs/economics, which was the focus of my degrees in college and an area of deep personal interest. That way I won’t have to subject the guys in the shop to the audio edition of The Economist anymore.

CW: What’s your big picture career ambitions/goals?
ML: My broadly defined goal is, again, to work in foreign affairs, preferably through a public institution like the State Department. I also dabbled in journalism in college, so I could see myself doing that if I somehow decided I never wanted to make a decent living. More narrowly, I want to go to graduate school. My wish upon a star would be to get a joint JD from Stanford and a MA in international relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS. I still have not decided on whether I want to pursue a Ph.D, though I will have a good amount of time to ruminate.

CW: What skills/knowledge from the bike/tri world will serve you well in DC?
ML: Being in a customer service position gives you great experience with being public relations, and with communication in general. In a legislative environment that is probably going to be important. Also, the knowledge that there is a 25 percent tariff leveled against all bicycles imported into the United States gives me the motivation to dig around to find why in gods name that is the case, and which rent-seeking party (parties?) lobbies for it. If you look bikes up in the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, it is an across the board 25 percent on all types. Unbelievable.

CW: OK, pop quiz hot shot: what’s wrong with the below picture?

President Obama riding his Trek 7100

ML: A couple of things stand out. First, the rear tire is too low. The frame looks at least a size too small, and his seat is still too low. And if I am not mistaken, it would seem that his stem is flirting with the minimum insertion level.

CW: So I’m just gonna lay it out there…. You think you’re betta’ than me?
ML: I’m probably better at discussing geopolitics, but beyond that, it’s a crapshoot.

CW: Thanks Matt.   Make sure to stay in touch, and don’t get corrupted:)

Manitou Tri and Gear West Duatlon Registration Opens today

Sign up here: http://gearwestbike.com/about/gear-west-duathlon-and-manitou-triathlon-registration-pg404.htm

It’s never to early to start getting prepared for the race season…

Meet: Suzie Finger

The third new addition to the Gear West Bike and Triathlon Development Team is Chaska resident Suzie Finger.    2009 was Suzie’s first year doing triathlons, and her ascension to the top of the rankings was one of the fastest I’ve seen.   Not surprisingly, she won the MMA award for Rookie of the Year, in addition to recording a win at the Chaska Triathlon, a 2nd place finish at the Waseca 1/3rd Iron distance triathlon, and a 3rd place finish at the Irongirl Duathlon after crashing.

Suzie in and out of race-mode

CW: Why did you choose to race for Gear West Bike and Tri?
SF: It will be a privilege to be part of a team affiliated with a high quality bike shop that supports the triathlon community.

CW: What’s your athletic background, and how did you become involved in Triathlons?
SF: I played competitive fastpitch softball for 17 years but I still have a need to compete and push myself. I did my first running race in May of 2008 because a few of my co-workers and my sister registered for it. Afterwards I was looking for more running races online and I found the Iron Girl Duathlon. I got a road bike in late July of ’08 to train for my first multi-sport race in September. It was way more fun than just running and I was hooked. June of 2009 I started swimming and did my first triathlon in July.

CW: You had quite the rookie year, and I hear you only started biking and swimming in June of this year.   To what can you attribute your quick success?
SF: I actually started biking a summer earlier but it is true that I started swimming in June of this year. I can sum my success up in two words: Dan Cohen. He will be mad at me for saying that but I don’t care because it is the truth. Dan says that he will never take credit for any of his athlete’s success but I disagree.

CW: Any skills from softball that have helped in triathlon?
SF: Unfortunately not a single skill transfers over.  Being able to throw a 60 mph fastball gets you nowhere in triathlon. Softball did teach me sportsmanship, discipline and gave me a strong work ethic.

CW: What would you consider the highlight of your season?
SF: 3 way tie:
1. Meeting Dan
2. Being asked to race for the Gear West Development Team
3. Waseca 1/3 Iron. It was the only race my parents could get to Minnesota to watch. I am blessed with parents who have supported me in every single thing I have ever wanted to do my entire life, so it was fun to have them there. I got to see my Dad six times during the race and hug my Mom at the finish line. It was also my first race on a tri bike and I enjoyed each mile of the ride.

CW: Chaska is quickly becoming the triathlon ‘mecca’ of the Twin Cities.   (We now have fellow GW athlete Heidi Keller-Miler, age-group stud Nick Vanduzee, Most Enthusiastic rookie Paul Mollet, MJET standout and swimming stud Nick Madrinich, and of course myself:)  What brought you to Chaska?
SF: I fell in love with a townhouse on 25 miles of running trails and some of the best biking in the cities that nobody knows about. I later learned there are some great triathletes in Chaska that I can’t wait to train with and learn from.

CW: Describe a ‘normal’ training week during the summer?
SF: My coach/boyfriend Dan tailored my training to the races I was prepping for so I was always doing something different and I did most of my training with Dan. The only ‘normal’ part was that I regularly attended Masters at SCS Multi-sport.

CW: Now that the race season is done, what are you up to these days?
SF: I am swimming 4-5 days a week. The water is still a very humbling place for me so I swim as much as possible. I’ve been watching a lot of movies and cooking with my boyfriend. I read about a book a week and I got a new Felt road bike at Gear West today that I can’t wait to ride. I just spent Thanksgiving in Seattle with my boyfriend and I have a Chihuahua who loves attention.

CW: What are your plans for next year in terms of racing?  Any public goals?
SF: I am going to do a handful of MMS series races and 4 half iron distances races. I haven’t set my goals yet but I know I will be having fun.

CW: What’s your nutritional weakness?
SF: If you are talking about everyday eating I have a sweet tooth so it is a good thing I love to train. If you are talking about triathlon nutrition I am still learning. At Waseca I did the whole race without nutrition and learned my lesson. I got lightheaded, dizzy, weak, went off the run course, and crossed the finish line twice.

Registration opening soon for the Manitou Triathlon

The Manitou Triathlon, in addition to being one of the most competitive sprint triathlons in the midwest, has added a major twist for 2010.   For those 25 and under, there is now the option to race in the new ‘draft legal’ ITU format.   These waves will go off first, with the elite and age group waves following.    They are also offering a draft legal race clinic prior to the race for those doing their first draft legal race. 

Below is the official press release from Manitou race directors:

Manitou Sprint Triathlon Expands Format and Website    

The Manitou Sprint Triathlon is excited to announce the addition of a USA Triathlon Youth F1 and Elite Development Race to our 2010 event on Sunday, June 13^th, 2010.

The Youth F1 Triathlon format provides a pathway from Youth Triathlons to Youth Elite and Junior Elite Cups.  All ITU draft legal rules will apply.  No national points will be awarded at this event. It will be open to athlete’s aged 12-16.

Elite Development Races provide a pathway from Junior Elite racing to USAT/ITU Elite events. It allows for continued skill progression in the draft-legal format without the impact of Intermediate Distance racing. The Junior/Elite Development Race will be open to athlete’s aged 16-25. Athletes over 25 may race by special invite only. Ranking points will only be issued to athletes 16-19 years old. 

In addition, the Manitou Triathlon has completely revamped it’s website www.manitoutri.com.  The addition of the new events and website are designed to compliment the 21^st annual edition of the Manitou Sprint Triathlon.   The same great sprint distance event will be run at Ramsey Beach in White Bear Lake, Minnesota on Sunday, June 13^th.  Registration for all races opens on January 1^st, 2010.  More information, including event descriptions and registration details can be found at the race website www.manitoutri.com.

Meet: Devon Palmer

The second new addition to the 2010 Gear West Bike and Triathlon Development Team is former MJET’er Devon Palmer.  Devon (aka D.P. ; aka Devox), who won the MMA award this year for ‘Triathlete of the Year’, is just 22 years of age and is finishing up his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology and Coaching at the U of M before starting his M Ed in Sport and Exercise Science.   He is also starting his coaching career as a coach with SCS Multisport.  His progression over the last 2 years has been nothing short of amazing, and it was no surprise to us when he decided to get his pro-card for 2010.    In addition to being one of the most approachable, genuinely nice people you will meet, Devon has also worked out at the shop the last 2 summers, so after his tenure with the MJETs, we jumped at the opportunity to get him in the Gear West Bike and Tri colors.  

Devon galloping down the Cedar Ave. bridge on his way to the amateur win at the Life Time Fitness Triathlon this past July.

CW: Why did you choose to race for Gear West Bike and Tri?

DP: I’ve been watching the guys in red and black win all the races for 4 years so when I was presented with the opportunity to race with them it was a no brainer.

CW: What’s your athletic background, and how did you become involved in Triathlons?

DP: I’ve been swimming for a while but didn’t start trying until high school – picked up running during high school as well. Enjoyed training and racing quite a bit but my ambition far exceeded my ability. I went to a Big 10 school so there was no chance of swimming or running for the team. Did my first tris after my freshman year of college and it felt like coming home.

CW: You really took it to the ‘next level’ this past year, especially on the bike. What do you think are the factors there?

DP: I’ve gotten smarter about both my training and racing. I know my bike is a strength so I can go really, really hard. A combination of aggression and confidence have really brought me to where I am now as opposed to a year or two ago.

Devon just before and after his win at the Manitou Sprint Triathlon this past June.

CW: What would you consider the highlight of your “career” so far?

DP: I have been fortunate to have several stellar days of racing, the type of day where the engine is running 100%. Each of these days has been memorable and it was great to have 3 such races this season (Manitou, Heart of the Lakes, Turtleman if you were wondering).

CW: Ok, so I have to bring this up.  You raced in a women’s tri suit for USAT Nationals this year. What’s the story on that?

DP: Absent-mindeness is an unfortunate trait. The MJETs drove down to Alabama for the race, straight down overnight that is, so at about 4am I spontaneously thought of my race suit hanging to dry in the basement. I simply could not remember packing it. After checking in the morning I sheepishly told everyone – planning to just buy a pair of tri shorts at the expo and call it good enough. Luckily we were traveling in good company and Cathy Yndestad happened to have an extra GW fastskin with her. It fit remarkably well and the race went just fine.

Devon at USAT Nationals with Cathy Yndestad's tri suit.

CW: Describe a ‘normal’ training week during the summer?

DP: Ideally swim masters at TWIN Cities Swim Team mon, wed, fri morning. Long run tues morning, hard run workout thurs, ez runs a few other days. Bike hard Tuesday evening (TNT or other workout) and ride however I felt most other days. Race Sunday.

CW: So we’ve been lucky enough to have you work here at the store the last few summers. Did you take anything away from your experience here?  Any memorable moments (humorous or otherwise)?

DP: Working at Gear West produces plenty of memorable moments, mostly good since it is a pleasure to talk about triathlon stuff with nice folks. However, the day Hannah made me do an inventory of the kid’s bikes was awful. Also, one Friday morning Becky Lavelle snuck in the back door before we were open to get some work done on her Felt. I basically told her to beat it since we were closed – fortunately Drew was there, recognized her, and gave her the appropriate star treatment.

CW: Now that the race season is done, what are you up to these days?

DP: Finishing my undergrad degree at the U of M and coaching high school swimming. Also starting to coach triathletes with SCS.

CW: What are your plans for next year in terms of racing?

DP: Do 3-4 pro races and 8 Midwest Multisport Series races.

CW: What’s your nutritional weakness?

Eating is definitely a strength of mine. Discipline when it comes to what and how much I eat is more of a weakness.

CW: Anything else you’d like to add?

DP: If you work at GW being of average height makes you look short. For the record, I am not short I am perfectly average.