Kinvarna Review

It’s been roughly a week since the new Saucony Kinvarna’s arrived, so I thought I’d provide my completely unscientific review. So far, they are amazing. Everything I hoped they would be. They are surprisingly comfortable for such a minimalist shoe. In addition, because of all the “bells and whistles” other shoes offer, these shoes seem to allow me to run in more of a natural way. I noticed that after doing some barefoot drills. Normally, there was a noticeable difference when going barefoot to putting the shoes back on, but with these shoes the change is not so drastic. Only time will tell how well they will hold up, but based on the short time I’ve had them I’m optimistic. As of today, I’m completely in love with the shoes!

Kinvarna’s are Here

My new Saucony Progrid Kinvarna’s just arrived, and they look amazing! I can’t wait to put some miles on them to see how they perform. Hopefully, they will live up to the hype. I’ll be sure to post my review of them after I get a couple training sessions on them.

What’s on the Shuffle?

There’s no doubt an mp3 player is vital to triathlon training. It’s pretty much your best friend when you’re out there on those long runs or while you’re peddling away for hours on your indoor trainer. So what’s on my iPod? Well, there’s certainly a wide mix, but there are always some essentials: 80’s rock, old school rap, and some metal which comes in great for weight training.

Here’s what on the shuffle right now:

Ravonettes, White Stripes, Rancid, Pantera, Guns n’ Roses, Eminem, Public Enemy, Modest Mouse, Faith No More, Slipknot, Venom, Juliette and the Licks, Down, Superjoint Ritual, Bright Eyes, Anthrax, NWA, Tegan & Sara

The off-season has begun

It turns out my 2010 triathlon season ended a little earlier than expected. The season ended with the New York City Triathlon. I had a few more races on the calendar, but unfortunately work got in the way. In any event, the shortened season gave me the opportunity to take a few months off to give my body a much needed break. Now that roughly 2 months have passed I’m refreshed and already looking forward to 2011. This off-season I’ve dedicated to focusing on my swimming technique and increasing speed on the bike.

As far as swimming goes I came across a fantastic website I wish I had known about from the start; www.swimsmooth.com. It’s got tons of great tips and resources. Of course the best element is Mr. Smooth, their animated swimmer that allows you to see what a perfect swim stroke looks like. It’s awesome. After stumbling on the site about two weeks ago I’ve already made some changes to my technique and am seeing benefits. The site is definitely worth a look.

On the biking front, after a month or so of building back my endurance I’ll be implementing plenty of interval and sprint training. I’m also looking hard at Coach Troy’s Spinerval DVD’s. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but maybe I’ll add them to my Christmas list. I’ll be posting my off-season schedule in the coming days. Be sure to check out the, “Triathlon Training Schedule” page to see what it looks like.

Training While Travelling

I just finished a week in San Antonia traveling for work: Usually, getting in quality triathlon training sessions while traveling is tough, but not this time. Fortunately, the Grand Hyatt I stayed at had an amazing gym with top notch equipment. Not only that, they had a roof top pool, so I was able to get a couple swim sessions in. I was even able to a get a tan while I swam.  That, coupled with a few runs along the River Walk, made for a great week of triathlon training as I transition to the off-season.