Bikes are awesome!

Christmas is here in like two days or something and my credit cards are already maxed out. I've even had to pawn my beloved Wheels in Motion jersey to afford gifts for everyone. The marketing magicians doing their job so well that I have been equating happiness with the amount of junk I buy. Honestly, I just bought a hand painted naked lady tie for my dad at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

Question: How much did it cost?

Answer: $45.00

Conclusion: I'm an ignoramus

Things, things, things and stuff... It's just so easy to get caught up in the Target version of Christmas and forget everything else. I've always loved Triathlon, and I've always loved cycling because it consists of the stripping away of all that excess. Distilling ourselves down to what we truly are and pushing beyond what we think we can do. Failing. Succeeding. Listening to ourselves and then ignoring the advice.

A winter ride with good friends, or the silence of a solo journey has got to reflect the spirit of the holidays better than a flippin' Snuggie. Suffering up climbs and laughing with out agenda has got to trump one of those bathtub whirlpool things. Santa, give me time. Give me Ranch Road 337. Allow me to bottle the peace I find while riding, and drink from it in my everyday life. That's what I want.

Oh... Shoot... Well, this is kind of the the blog of a retail store and I may have inferred that buying products may not be as rewarding as they initially seem. Uh... Man... O.K., Jack, before you freak out I've made a chart! Be calm, it's all very scientific. Strategic solutions for dynamic business data and whatnot.

See... Professional.

Bikes are awesome!

Race Mugs and Other Great Things

Here at Jack & Adam’s we all have Christmas and the New Year on our minds so I figured I would continue the trend and talk gift ideas and new 2010 items at the shop.

First on “my list” being a coffee lover and all is a cool hand painted race mug by Austin local artist/athlete Nancy Germond. The race mug is a great gift idea for under $50 ($40 to be specific) and in addition to being hand painted, the mug comes with your athlete’s race results, including all splits and race day info, ‘wrapped’ around the mug. For you local Austinites, order by December 22nd to have the gift ready before Christmas. Check out Nancy’s site here.

Second on “my list” is to take the cool race mug one step further and fill it with GU gels, Clif Shot Bloks, and or funky socks.

My background comes from the water, swimming that is, so though I don’t swim as much as I use to I still like to keep up with the latest and greatest in the swimming world; which brings me to Blue Seventy’s expansion of their goggle line. Blue Seventy now offers 5 different goggle models: the Hydra-Vision offering extended vision and enhanced clarity, the Nero RZR with interchangeable nose piece capability (my personal favorite), the Siren designed for the smaller framed faces, the Vision offering 180 degrees of view (available in two sizes), and the original Blue Seventy Element offering the silicon gasket for a more “gentle to the face” fit. Feel free to stop in and try on any pair of goggles!

Also, I know it's the "off-season" and all but don't forget to do something...anything. I have been enjoying my "off-season" time with swimming, some fun bike rides with super mechanic husband, James, and I am staying toned through Crossfit Central's Relentless Boot Camp...check out the site here . Check out my success story on the site, yup I am a Crossfit Success! Lisa Bender-Tiel is the head trainer for the Jack & Adam's bootcamp. To see what the J&A's bootcamp is all about check out our bootcamp blog...or tryout a class. To tryout a class contact Lisa here.

Happy Holidays and Be Safe!!

Race Mugs and Other Great Things

Pop's Pick: Follow Santa's Lead and Wear Red!

Jolly Saint Nick looks good in red and so can you. At the shop this week is the latest edition of Jack & Adam's jerseys and shorts. Our "Red Train" wear sells quick, so come by the shop and get you and yours some new gear for the New Year.

Looking for a last minute stocking stuffer, well stop monkeying around and get your act cleaned up. My friends and family are getting Grease Monkey Wipes. These handy little towels are individually packed and perfect for your saddle and transition bags. Designed locally by Tim, Erin, and the good folks at Kong Concepts these are not your average moist towelette. The all-natural citrus formula cleans the greasiest of hands. But don't just take my word for it, ask Paul Teutul Jr and Paul Sr. from American Chopper. Well, I don't know if they do use these wipes but they seem like smart guys and if they really wanted to help Mikey clean-up his act, Grease Monkey Wipes in my opinion would be a good place to start.

Last night I was killing five or six hours of good sleep listening to old concert footage on YouTube while I worked and I somehow made it from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits at Live Aid to Timbuk3 and their song "The Future is so Bright". A strange trip but it did inspire my final pick of the week Giro Sunglass.

The Coy for women is just one of the latest arrivals from Giro Eyewear we have at the shop. Italian made frames and legendary ZEISS lenses make Giro sunglasses leaders in the industry. But for many of us what really matters in selecting a pair of sunglasses is if it makes us look GOOD. Giro's Filter, Tone, Havik, Fader, Semi, Cymbal and Splitter offer all of us a chance to upgrade our windshields. Come by the shop and see why Giro is one of the hottest and fastest growing sunglass lines.

I'll be back in two weeks with some items to look forward to in the New Year. Until then, wishing you and yours a Happy Holidays!

cheers,

Pops

PS if you have some time to kill, checkout the LiveAid footage on YouTube. U2, Queen, The Who, Dire Straits, Sting, Run DMC, Black Sabbath, Tom Petty, The Cars. Classic.

Pop's Pick: Follow Santa's Lead and Wear Red!

J & A Twenty Ten!!!

2009 is almost in the books. It was a great year in the Triathlon and Cycling community and we are sad it is over. Jack & Adam’s Bicycles is excited about the New Year and has some new things in store for the 2010 season. Below is a little taste of what to expect in the months to come.

1. Retul – J & A will be adding a Retul system to the fit room. With already one of the most fit educated staff in the world, Jack & Adam’s is sure to stay on the edge of technology with the addition of this 3 D fitting system.

2. High Five Events – In addition to The Texas Tri Series and The Splash -N- Dash Summer Series, High Five Events and Jack & Adam’s will be adding two more great events in 2010! Keep your eyes on our websites to find out all the details.

3. Triathlon Info Seminars and Clinics – Starting in February Jack & Adam’s and many of our community partners will be hosting a monthly clinic covering everything from your 1st triathlon to your next Ironman. The monthly seminars will be completely free and cover topics such as nutrition, training, mechanics, traveling, equipment, and much more. We are lining up special guest now for the entire year.

4. Multisport Club – With all the pieces in place Jack & Adam’s will be forming a community multisport club. It will be completely free and cover all aspects of swimming, biking and running. Special product discounts, social events, guest speakers, training, info clinics, lots of free stuff and much more. Again keep your eyes on J & A for more info soon.

Thanks for the great year and we hope to see you all in the store in 2010. We promise it will be a good one.

J & A Twenty Ten!!!

I get asked how to clean a chain pretty often. It is very easy to do and it only takes a couple of tools to do it.
First you need a bucket, a couple of different size brushes, degreaser( i prefer finish line citrus degreaser) and Simple Green. If your chain is super dirty, spray a little citrus degreaser on it, but do not let it sit for more than a minute or so as it can affect the finish on some paints. With the citrus still on it use a brush and scrub the chain on both sides to break loose the dirt and oil. Once it looks reasonably clean rinse it off with a hose. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the bucket and pour a little Simple Green in. Use your brush with the Simple Green mixture and finish cleaning your chain. Make sure to rinse this off one more time very thoroughly. Once your chain has dried you can relube the chain. If you do this every couple of weeks it should only take a couple of minutes and your chain and the rest of your drivetrain will last much longer.

Budgeting Healthy Eating Through the Holidays

By: Meredith Terranova, Austinite, nutritionist and ultra distance runner

Budgeting is so much more than saving money. It is considering the long term benefits and risks involved with each decision you make. All of this rings perfectly true in your day-to-day nutrition, and even more so in your holiday choices, and preparation for holiday meals.

Below are some ways you can budget what you eat over the holidays:

• Plan your treats. Plan to have one item a day or less if you know you are going to splurge somewhere else.
• Out of sight, out of mind. Keep treats off of your desk and avoid hanging out in the break room. If you have a treat planned, get it and move on.
• Savor the flavors. When you decide to treat yourself, sit and eat without distractions whenever you can - concentrating on the taste and flavors of food can help you become satisfied with less.
• If it's not homemade, no thank you. Try to stick with this rule, and you can easily avoid store bought cookies, cakes, and candy. If someone has gone through the trouble to prepare a dish, take a taste if it is something you want to try.
• Don't skip meals. If you know one meal is going to be huge, don't skip the rest of your meals for the day, eat light throughout the day so that you are ravenous when that meal approaches. Remember: Physical hunger overrides willpower and good intentions.
• Last, but not least, if you do splurge don't starve yourself the next day. Get back on your good eating the next day and add in a little extra exercise.

And here are some ways to budget your holiday meal:

• Keep the menu simple:Cut back on all those extra side dishes that everyone insists we must have, but frequently wind up going to waste. Select just two additional side vegetables, one stuffing, and the cranberry sauce. This will cut down on waste, preparation time, and additional calories.
• Keep desserts to a minimum: Opt for one or two favorite desserts. Desserts are a great option for guests to bring. Making them yourself can also save money and calories. And baking together is a great way to get younger family members involved in the Christmas meal preparation. Tip: Fruit-based desserts can be healthier options. Apples are now in season and lower cost. See Apple Pie Recipe for an idea!
• Write out your menu and grocery list ahead of time: Planning for the items you need and what you already have is important not only for saving money, but for making shopping easier. Check your spices (are they expired), baking ingredients, and freezer before heading to the grocery.
• Ask for Specific help: Instead of just opening the door for people to bring anything, ask for specific healthy additions like a salad, steamed vegetables, fruit, vegetables and hummus for snack. This way healthy options are available and some of your expense is cut down.

Visit the Eating and Living Healthy website or sign up for the free Monthly Eating and Living Healthy newsletter HERE.

Budgeting Healthy Eating Through the Holidays

High Five Events to speak at 2010 USAT Race Director Symposium

Dan Carroll of High Five Events has been selected to speak at the USAT Race Director Symposium Feb. 12-14th in Colorado Springs. Dan will be presenting on "Volunteer Recruiting and Management". Also presenting at the event is Johan Bruyneel, team manager for 9 Tour de France championship squads including US Postal, Discovery Channel, and Astana. Sure, Johan is the keynote speaker and Dan is just a breakout session presenter, but it's still pretty cool.

Of course, Dan will need some help from Michelle Lapuente to prepare his presentation. :)

Dan is also on track to achieve the new Level 2 Race Director certification by the end of the year. Dan is already a certified RD, but Level 2 is the new advanced certification. He will be one of the first race directors in the country to reach this level of certification.

Anyone can attend the RD symposium, although it's probably pretty boring unless you're into race directing. Info is available here: http://usatriathlon.org/pages/1750

High Five Events to speak at 2010 USAT Race Director Symposium