What an experience. Philly’s Liberty Classic, one of cycling’s premier single day races, was my first competition in a professional field of world-class athletes. The energy and excitement of the race was coursing through the entire city – it was exhilarating and completely contagious. 

Pre-race prep. We rode the entire course once – a 14.4 mile loop, with 3 short climbs, and did 2 x race effort up Manayunk Wall. The first time, I accidentally rode up that infamous 17 percent grade in my big ring – I was so focused on my new rear cassette that I forgot to shift into my little ring in the front. Oops. No wonder I felt like my feet were threatening to come out of my shoes… I felt really great. Lots of hydrating, compression and pre-race rest followed… 

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Inspired by her work with professional runners, pro football players, Olympic athletes, and Kona qualifiers as well as talented age groupers, therapis...

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 I knew it was going to be another typical day at the Columbia Triathlon when I heard the thunder and rain outside my window at 4am. For some reason, this particular late-May race is plagued with bad weather. The rain makes for cautious cycling and sloppy transition areas. That's triathlon sometimes. I was expecting it. What I wasn't expecting was to set a personal best time on that course...a time that was attained six years ago (when it was sunny and nice). Yes, you can get faster as you get older.

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Many runners fail to recognize the importance of incorporating speed and strength based workouts into their training. Even endurance athletes benefit from speed work. Going on log runs at a comfortable pace will only help you improve so much. In order to be a faster runner, you have to actually run faster!

Here are a few strength and speed workouts to add to your workout routine:

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 I've always liked to check out new technology, be it bike or apparel. Recently I've heard a lot of talk about compression clothing and how the medical community has been using the technology for years to aid patients in their recovery. I must say I was intrigued and skeptical about compression clothing. Could clothing really aid you in recovery? The idea made sense to me; a tight circular knit fabric compresses the blood vessels to stimulate blood flow and support the muscles.

So I figured why not try it out. While on my lunch break one day I engaged in a rather strenuous lower body work out prescribed by one of the CycleLife Fitness staff. After the work out I did my normal stretching routine, then put on the 2XU Recovery Leggings.

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Disaster seems to strike in twos in threes. I once rode elevan months without a flat or on-road mechanical. I felt invincible!

And then, surrounded by shop staff, out in the wilds of West Virginia at the Raw Talent Ranch, I experienced a karmic reversal. Flat city. I'd fix the flat, and then a couple meters later ... pssssst. Rinse. Repeat.

Out came the flat repair kits.

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 The age old debate between endurance athletes of all disciplines and those just wanting to slim down wages on... To not lift weights at all vs. lifting light weights many, many times in a set. New research suggests both are wrong.

"Subjects lifting more weight fewer times burned more energy and had a greater metabolic boost after exercise." An April article in the New York Times Science section recently summarized these new studies.

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Duathlons are multi-sport events that usually follow a format of run-bike-run.  The term "duathlon" was coined to differentiate these events from biathlon, an already-established winter Olympic sport involving cross country skiing and rifle shooting.  Distances can very from short, fast "sprint" races to ultra endurance events such as Powerman.  They can even be off-road affairs with trail running and mountain biking.

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The X2 is still my favorite pedal. Here’s why:

1. Ease of entry: Whether you’re hustling out of T1, the gun just fired in a crit, or you have a stop-and go commute, getting clipped into your pedal quickly is paramount. Instinctual entry is also a safer because your focus can stay on the road.

The X2 is far-and-away the easiest pedal on the market to get into (Speedplay Light Action included). Dual sided entry means you don’t have to be concerned with pedal orientation. The cleat’s spring design doesn’t require you to “brush” your foot forward catch the toe—You just step down and your own body will snap you in.

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