The beauty of losing

New season. New sport. A new way to lose.

I've always been a relatively average triathlete, and after several years of spreading that mediocrity amongst three sports I have decided to put all of my efforts into one activity. My plan is to focus on cycling for this next season and see where that takes me. I mean, it's simple math. If I am a 5 out of 10 in three separate things and I spend the same amount of time training each week in only one thing... Well, presto. 15 out of 10.

As I found out this past weekend at the Tour of New Braunfels, this may not exactly be the case. I was, what cyclists commonly call, pack fill. Kind of towards the front, but ultimately not a factor in the results. Basically, a mirror of my triathlon career. That's OK, really... I would like to share with you all a little secret that I stumbled upon some years ago. It's something that has kept me coming back to the sport. A ridiculously simple way of looking at things, and one of the easiest ways to build speed... Get dropped! Get lapped! Run, ride or swim with people faster than you and when you ultimately fail, get excited! Not every day, but certainly put yourself into that situation occasionally. Don't ever fear it.

Losing a wheel and not have anything left is a beautiful thing, because we are never more alive. Drooling, slobbering, form out the window. Or maybe in silence, watching the group in front of you drift away. To be at your absolute maximum. To push beyond that, even for an instant and then crack spectacularly is the secret and basis for not only truly knowing who you are, but also for figuring out how to last a second, an inch or lap longer. Go out and get dropped. Come back, get dropped again. Repeat.

Endurance sports aren't about overnight success. We may sometimes trick ourselves and certainly some people have a natural inclination for the sport, but ultimately it takes time... It takes years... It takes flippin' forever... It's really not a thing for the impatient, I guess. The key is to embrace losing and secretly savor the feeling. It's better than doing taxes, or grocery shopping, or watching TV. In fact, it's better than pretty much most things.

I'm a dude. I haven't cried in a decade at least. I laugh at awkward times and don't really ever get angry. There are so few venues in our society that allow us to reach the bottom of everything we are, both physically and mentally. We just don't really have that opportunity very often. So when it comes along, savor it. With each loss we get a little faster, a little wiser, and we learn to better appreciate our victories.

In other news, I just purchased a sick (that means awesome, you squares) new Felt road bike. It's pretty much gonna change my life forever. Above is a picture of the lovely beast.

It's sorta like I'm Avatar, and my bike is that big bird thing that the Avatar guy jumped on to get respect from all of the other Avatars. It's how I'm going to unite all the Cat 5 cyclists at my bike races. Inevitably, they will proclaim me their leader and escort me across the line... Or maybe I'll just keep learning how to be an awesome loser on a shiny new bike. Either way, I'm having a blast.

The beauty of losing

2010 New Profile Triathlon Clothing @J&A

New at Jack & Adam's 2010 is the Profile Design Triathlon Clothing line. I decided to try on a top and some shorts to give some feedback.

I was pleasantly surprised. The sizing was dead on. so the majority of athletes will not have to size up or size down. The fabric was super soft with minimal stitching (read,"minimal chaffing"). I was especially surprised with the built in shelf bra...super supportive without feeling restrictive. On top of all these great features, you can purchase a complete triathlon outfit including top and bottoms for under $100 ($89.99 excluding tax)!

Stop by Jack & Adam's this weekend to check out the new clothing!

Here I am trying to look tough!

2010 New Profile Triathlon Clothing @J&A

Interview: Matt Seagrave

I first met Matt while racing as a junior on Team Diabetic-Mapei several years back. We had several rides together including one that turned into hiding out under an overpass on Mopac during a thunderstorm. At the time, he seemed to me a PRO. Someone whom I wanted to become. Already an established Triathlete, Matt turned to road racing early this decade and quickly moved up the ranks of local bike racing. His race exploits have given him "legend status" many times.For example, early on, he once raced the at the Pace Bend road race as a cat 4 and, after breaking away early on, he won by over a minute. The very next day, while still a cat 4, he lined up with the cat 3s at the Lago Vista Primavera and pulled the same tactics, again, winning by over a minute. After the race, they asked for his racing license and upgraded his category on the spot.

To say Matt is a great cyclist, is an understatement. He is a class guy, exceptional rider and a part of the family here at Jack and Adams. Back in 2006, after several seasons proving himself both locally and nationally, he set off to Belgium to race amongst hardened Euro elite and PRO cyclists. Prove himself he did, placing many times in the top 10 of races that go over the same roads as the Classics.

Me: Explain yourself.
Matt: Matt Seagrave, Athelte, Mentor, Coach

Me: What does the phrase "to be Belgian" mean to you?
Matt: From my expereince living and racing in Belgium. When I think of a person who can call themselved Belgian. I think that person to be a hard worker, with alot of determination. Who also likes festivals/parties in the town centrum. Anything that I think of that is Belgian I think of being tough or hard and well worth the experience good or bad.

Me: What is really the best embrocation for Belgians?
Matt: I could not tell you the name of the stuff I just know its smell is really strong and makes the legs warm. Also make sure you dont still have it on the legs when gettting into a hot shower or your legs will feel as though they are on fire.
Nutella or Peanut Butter? I really like Nutella, but when you combine both together it is perfect.

Me: Do you ever say that you are from Belgium to impress the ladies?
Matt: No, because most American girls dont really care about that.

Me: VDB or Museeuw?
Matt: Museeuw

Me: Boonen or Devolder?
Matt: Museeuw

Me: Flanders or Roubaix?
Matt: Tour of Flanders hands down. I have raced most of that course, brutal.

Me: How steep is the Koppenburg? (27%, ludicrus steep, hope i dont die steep?)
Matt: All Im thinking in my head is got to get to the front so I can get on the smooth concrete section and hopefully make it to the top without stopping. (like the steepest part of jester but with cobbles steep)

Me: Waffles or Frites?
Matt: Waffles covered in sugar or chocolate.

Me: Hold your line or "Stomme eikel, recht rijden?"
Matt: Hey.

Me: What is "the beer" of the Vlaanderen people?
Matt: We had free Augustijn.

Me: What stylish haircuts have you seen during your stay in Belgica?
Matt: Everything from a shaved head to a crazy russian mullet that the whole team was sporting.

Me: Ok more serious questions...What led you to go to Belgium to race?
Matt: Just figured if I was to have a go at racing my bike I shoud go to Belgium so I did.

Me: How long where you there?
Matt: 7months (120 day longer than legally supposed to, never got a visa)

Me: What is the typical lifestyle of a bike racer there?
Matt: Fair amount of training, good bit of recovery and good bit of reading or movie watching.

Me: What type of training did you do while racing?
Matt: We raced so much that once the season got going real training was not happening (3months straight I raced 3-5days a week of one day races, with riding to and from races so could be an extra 1- 3hrs on top of 3-5hrs of racing)

Me: Explain the Kermesse racing system. What is the typical course, riders/field, conditions, aggressiveness, days, etc.?
Matt: Kermesse is more like a curcuit race in the U.S., but the spectators can wage money on the riders. The course is usually say 10-15km in length. The cost to enter the race is 5euro with the refund of 3euro when you turn your number back in. Now if you dont turn your number back in you are suspended from racing for a week by the belgian cycling federation. The courses usually start in a small village and can be on really smooth roads the whole time or crappy cobbles just depends on the course. Living in Gent (Ghent) during the summer you could chose from 2-4 different races a day within riding distance of the house (15min-1hr bike ride). The races are agressive just "get to work when they say go."

Me: Explain the bookies over there. How long did it take to be on the boards? Is that a big honor locally?
Matt: For me I was on the boards on my second race in Europe first race in Belgium. had a good first race and just never looked back. Yes getting on the boards is an honor and good feeling when the people waging money on you are checking how you feel before races and buying you a pint post race. Also had a few times where I would hear "hey look the American is here today you need to watch him." Sometimes the rider will get a kick back if the wager makes enough money off your success, but on that note if you lose them money because you took a chance during the race then they would let you know this also.

Me: Did you get a chance to race over the same roads/courses as the Protour riders?
Matt: Yes, I had a chance to race and train over the roads of Tour of Flanders, Gent Wevelgem and other Protour races. I even had a chance to race against team such as QuickStep, Unibet, Dovitomin Lotto among others. This was a good experience and made me stronger/ smarter racer.

Interview: Matt Seagrave

Basic maintenance at home

Even though the mechanics here at Jack and Adams are more than happy to work on your bikes, there are a few things that you can do at home to keep your bike in good working order. One of the most important things is to keep the proper air pressure in your tires. If your tires have the right amount of air in them, not only will it be easier to ride, but you will get less flats and your tires will last a lot longer. Another important thing to do is to keep your chain properly lubricated. If you keep your chain properly lubed it will not only work better but your bike will run smoother and the life of your chain will be prolonged quite a bit. The easiest way to make your bike last longer and look better is to keep your bike clean. Not everyone can use a hose and bucket at home, but anyone can at least wipe down the bike if it is just a little dirty or you know someone with a yard and a hose that you could borrow for a few minutes. When you keep your bike clean, everything not only works better, but it will help lengthen the life of your drivetrain and help you to find any issues with your bike whether it is finding a crack in your frame or simply keeping your hands clean when you have to change a flat. I try to wash my bike at least once every couple of weeks under normal riding conditions and after every ride that is wet or muddy. One bonus of keeping your bike very clean is that Sam may upgrade your status from amateur to pro or if it is really clean maybe even get that coveted Belgian status. If all else fails bring it to us here at the shop and we would be happy to clean it and if you want we can show you some tips on how to clean your bike quickly without skipping over anything.

Basic maintenance at home

Road I.D. and You

The staff here at Jack & Adam's recently had the opportunity to invest in some road safety equipment. Thanks to P.J and Ed over at Road ID we all now have identification bands for cycling, running, and really any outdoor activity just in case an emergency occurs and we are not able to communicate to the first respondent.

Personally, I don't plan on ever needing it out on the road but there is never a guarantee. But with the help of Road ID I feel more confident knowing the emergency personal will have my medical history, emergency contact, current health information, and additional personal information right at their fingertips just in case I cannot respond. The ID comes in several different options ranging from anklets, arm bands, and even dog tags and comes in all different color options (I went with the red wrist id elite band). You can customize the plaque information to list anything you want someone to know about you if you are in need of emergency care and cannot communicate. I would also recommend upgrading to the road interactive model which allows responders to access vital information (like blood type or insurance info) online or by phone beyond the information listed on your ID.

Jack & Adam's will soon carry Road ID and Road ID accessories so stop in sometime to check on availability. If you just can't wait for their arrival here at the shop please use discoutn code to ThanksAngie608341 to receive $1 off any Road ID order.

Be safe out there!

Road I.D. and You

Tri Unites

No matter what side of the red/blue line you stand on, triathlon can be a sport that unites. Take Massachusetts Democratic Senator John Kerry and newly elected Massachusetts Republican Senator Scott Brown for instance. The two stated today that they plan to participate in a triathlon together, well, as soon as Kerry's hip feels better.

Kerry is well known to be a cycling enthusiast. When I met him at Lance's 2005 Tour de France victory party at the Ritz Carlton in Paris, I thought he was there for the same reasons Lindsey Lohan was there - the free food and drinks. But the guy actually does like bikes and is pretty good at riding according to former pro cyclist and Garmin team director Jonathan Vaughters.

Scott Brown also appears to be an avid cyclist. Not only that, but he's a long distance runner and swimmer and has competed (and placed) in many triathlons and duathlons.

I'd like to cordially invite Kerry and Brown to go head-to-head at the Rookie Tri in New Braunfels on May 9th. If the Rookie is good enough for Texas Governor Rick Perry's first tri, then it's good enough for two Yankee senators. But they better sign up soon, because the event fills up quickly!



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Tri Unites

Transition 101

Personally, I'm not super excited that the shop has been getting busier. I much prefer being paid to look at cycling websites and come up with nicknames for my co-workers (Incidentally, I now answer to the name "Goat Nasty"). But people have been stirring this past week, several of you have come by asking for information on training groups and tips on getting started in the sport.

There's nothing I can really do. Chug a chug a... It's out of my hands. Chug a chug a... That giant diesel engine has started, and 2010 is already picking up speed. Get on board or get out the way. Or, if you're like me, get all of those crumbs off your shirt, change out of your house slippers and kind of stumble on board.

This is a post aimed at improving your transition speed, and I will be offering up videos to illustrate how efficient transitions can buy you a little more couch time this season. Triathlon is hard, that's why we like it. Not because it is just another check on our bucket list, but because we want to challenge ourselves. We want to burn all of our matches and borrow some more on credit. Racing is a draining thing. A beautiful, passionate endeavor that demands so much of our time. Standing on the edge a new season it's sometimes hard to dive in, to make that final push and accept that you will suffer.

If you are already swimming around out there, great. Perfect your transitions to decimate the competition. If you're still thinking about how cold the water is, ignore that last sentence and take solace in the fact that these videos are the intellectual equivalent of a free pair of Zipp wheels.

Brutal... I could really dissect what went wrong and how, but it would kind of be like finding meaning in a Miley Cyrus song. Pointless...

Next, we have the worlds fastest child, showing us a proper T1.

Sweet Moses! With transition speed like that, I could probably make it through all of the American Idol auditions before I needed to get my feet wet.

Transition 101