NYer Of The Week: Triathlete…

The latest New Yorker of the Week is suiting up in Times Square for a good cause.

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NYer Of The Week: Triathlete…

My Chemical Romance:…

Photo: Nils Nilsen Sick of that straw hair feeling from all your pool time? Swim-specific shampoos can make a big difference in defending against chlorine and salt water damage. Restore your hair health with one of these products. Best for … Long hair Ultraswim Shampoo Long locks may cause you to go through shampoo faster, but at only $5 a bottle, Ultraswim won’t break the bank yet it does its job of removing harsh pool chemicals. $4.95, Swimoutlet.com (or local drugstore)

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My Chemical Romance:…

The Inside Scoop: Race During…

Need a challenge to stay motivated this off-season? Sign up for an indoor triathlon. The typical format is 60 minutes of racing: 10-minute pool swim, 30-minute indoor bike and 20-minute treadmill run, with variations depending on location and organizers. Can’t find an event near you? Create your own at the gym! JackRabbit Sports New York City; $50 ; Jan. 8 and 22, Feb. 4 and 19, March 4 This Big Apple tri shop hosts five events around the city and the top finishers compete in a championship. Jackrabbitsports.com Life Time Fitness Various U.S. locations; $25 for members, $30 for non-members ; see website for dates. The gym chain hosts outdoor events during the tri season and indoor races throughout the year. Lifetimefitness.com Progression Triathlon Tolland, Conn.; $25 for members, $35 for non-members ; Jan. 8, Feb. 5, March 11, April 15 and May 6 Every month the distance increases, ending with the final race—an 800-yd swim, 28-mile bike and 7-mile run. Starhillsports.com Tri to Help Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania; $40 individual, $90 team (early registration); Jan. 14, Feb. 12 and 25 This series raises money for Stroup Kids for Kids  Epilepsy Foundation, and hopes to expand to 4–5 states next year. Tritohelp.org Give It a Tri Duncan, Okla.; $35 individual, $90 for team ; Feb. 26 A 300-meter swim, 8-mile stationary bike and 3-mile run, with two race options for kids. Drhhealthfoundation.org RainMan Seattle; $45 ; April 1 A slightly different format—15 min indoor swim, 30 min ride with your bike on a trainer, then a 2.97-mile run around Green Lake. Trifreaks.com

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From The Inside Triathlon…

A trip across the pond reveals Britain’s greatest threat to triathlon. This story was originally published in the May/June, 2011 issue of Inside Triathlon magazine. Alistair Brownlee, 22, gives new meaning to the phrase “I’d rather die than lose.” The 2009 ITU short-course world champion raced so hard at the ITU World Championship Series event in London last year that he drove himself unconscious. In fact, you could argue he nearly killed himself. Nearing the final straightaway, he was in a familiar position: primed to outkick Spain’s Javier Gomez. But suddenly and unexplainably, he let up. His face drained of all color. He began wobbling. “My last memory was being right behind Gomez with about 300 meters to go and [my brother] Jonny just coming past me, and at that point I thought if I just hold on to Gomez, I can outkick him the last 100 meters. I’ll win and be fine,” Brownlee said. “And then my memory goes blank, like literally blank.” Unconscious for nearly 30 minutes, he says, with his temperature rising to about 109 degrees Fahrenheit, his next memory is waking up on a hospital bed, covered in ice and with wires coming out of his chest and drips in his arms. “I just remember asking, ‘Where did I come? Where did I come?’” Brownlee said. “And someone was like, ‘I think you came in 10th. I’ll just check.’ I’m like, ‘How the hell did I come in 10th?’” As far as anyone could tell—because no one really knows what went wrong—he hadn’t absorbed any food or water in the previous several hours, perhaps because he had some sort of stomach bug. So he had started the race already dehydrated and depleted of fuel. That he was able to almost win that race on that summer day in London in 2010 is a frightening thought for all those who are looking for a weakness in Brownlee’s armor. “He’s not afraid of blowing up, [of] making things happen,” said Joel Filliol, who worked with Brownlee while he was head coach of the British Triathlon Federation from 2009 until he resigned from the position in March. “He’s not afraid to do that, [which is] a fantastic way for spectators to watch, but equally it shows he’s just not afraid—that’s a real asset.” And what is perhaps more frightening for the professional triathletes out there who are gunning for gold or a medal at the 2012 Olympics is that Alistair Brownlee’s brother Jonathan—the last person he remembers running past him in London—is primed and ready to join him among the ranks of the world’s best short-course racers. PHOTOS: Inside The Lives Of The Brownlee Brothers *** For those who don’t follow the ITU, Alistair Brownlee burst onto the scene in 2009, when he won every race he entered in the ITU’s premier World Championship Series. What was so fascinating about Brownlee’s dominance was that he established it while racing against Spain’s Gomez, a man whose profile on the ITU’s website resembles binary code, given that there are so many “1”s in it. It was difficult to imagine that someone could so swiftly establish dominance over the “almighty dominant one.” And yet that was precisely what Brownlee accomplished. In 2010, Brownlee faltered a bit, as it was a year marred by injury and illness. After winning the first World Championship Series race of his season, in Madrid, Brownlee placed 10th at the series’ race in London and 40th at the race in Kitzbühel, Austria. But he came back with a vengeance, outkicking Gomez for the win in the final stretch of the 2010 ITU World Championship Grand Final, in Budapest, Hungary. “[After T2] Alistair started to run really, really fast. I just tried to keep up the whole time,” Gomez told an ITU reporter after the race. “I gave everything.” This from the man who is known as the Michael Jordan of triathlon. Alistair’s brother Jonathan, 20, also put his stamp on 2010, coming in second at the World Championship Series race in London, behind Gomez, by posting the second-fastest run split of the day (29:33). It was a podium spot at one of the most competitive races of the year. Jonathan, who goes by Jonny, also became a double world champion in 2010 by winning the Under-23 world title in Budapest and the ITU Elite Sprint Triathlon World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Jonny’s coaches were particularly happy with his Under-23 win, as he went into the race as the heavy favorite and came out on top. “I was really pleased with how [Jonny] handled going into Budapest,” said Malcolm Brown, who works primarily as Alistair and Jonny’s running coach. “I think he won because he performed well. It wasn’t a fortuitous thing. He took it by the scruff of the neck and handled the pressure.” Both Brownlees are consummate triathletes—they are top 10 swimmers, two of the best cyclists on the ITU circuit and among the handful of the fastest runners. (Alistair’s fastest run split yet is 28:43.) “[Alistair’s] strongest point is that he doesn’t have weak points,” said Gomez, who is Alistair’s rival on the ITU circuit and teammate on the French Grand Prix circuit. “He’s one of the best swimmers, a more than solid cyclist and, well, we all know how fast he can run. So if you want to beat him, you need to have the race of your life and run under 29:30, which is not easy. Jonny is kind of the same, but he is still very young. He has already shown a couple of really amazing performances, and I have no doubt that he is going to be at least as good as Alistair.” Contrary to the reputation that ITU athletes have for dogging it on the bike, the Brownlees like to make each race a “full-on triathlon,” as they would tell you, and hammer the swim, bike and run. For Alistair, his racing style is a personality thing—he thinks it gives him the best shot at winning. “I think it’s quite risky, isn’t it?” Alistair said. “You know, if you take it on and really kill yourself on the bike, which you can do—Jonny did it this year, at the European champs in Athlone [Ireland]—you can then come 50th. Whereas if you don’t take it on, and sit in the pack, then you’re pretty much guaranteed a top 10/15 because you’re a good enough runner. That’s a bit safer, but then you’re never gonna win like that either.” Alistair isn’t kidding. Many of his major victories have been off of breakaways on the bike, including his win at the 2010 Athlone ETU Triathlon European Championships, where he took off with Gomez, Jonny and two other athletes and essentially time-trialed it through brutally windy conditions. “I ran about 40 minutes because the bike was the hardest bike I’ve ever done in my life,” Jonny said of the race. Alistair ran 30:54, 36 seconds faster than Gomez. ***

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From The Inside Triathlon…

Photos: The Brownlee Brothers

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Photos: The Brownlee Brothers

Helen Jenkins Blogs About The…

Photo: Paul Phillips Great Britain’s Helen Jenkins, who is training in the Canary Islands, blogs about how she’s feeling with the Olympic games six months away. The Olympic opening ceremony is six months away today. After all the years of talking about London 2012, it now seems incredibly close. Yet, when I look at it in terms of my training plan, the weeks of competitions, it still seems there is a lot more work ahead – a lot more miles to cover on the bike, a lot more running, a lot more swimming. Like all the 550-odd British athletes hoping to be in London, this is not a glamorous time of the year but a very important one of which the public is probably not very aware. Out of sight and mind and before the competitive season starts in the spring, this is when we put in a lot of the work building up our core strength with the aim of peaking on that special day, which for me is the women’s triathlon on August 4. As far as I am concerned, life stops after that – I have not thought about what I will be doing after that day in Hyde Park, except maybe cheering on the GB men in their triathlon three days later. I have just arrived in Lanzarote for three weeks’ warm-weather training. The British squad were here before Christmas and I have come out for more work with my husband, Marc, who is my coach, and also here is one of our top men, Jonny Brownlee. Read more: Express.co.uk

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Helen Jenkins Blogs About The…

Man To Attempt Global…

Dan Martin will attempt to swim across the Atlantic from New York to France.  Then cycle from France to Siberia. Then run from Siberia/Alaska to New York. In May 2012, Dan will embark on his biggest journey to date, the world’s biggest adventure to date, as he attempts a global triathlon – swimming, cycling and running around the world. This will include a grueling 5,700 kilometer swim in which he will attempt to become the first man in history to swim the Atlantic. He was originally going to leave in 2010 but required more funding and training. Dan will combine three feats that each alone would be an athletic accomplishment that could be achieved by few humans. Read more: Blogs.theprovince.com

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Video: Energy Sources For…

To be successful in any endurance event, you have to refuel. In this video, Dr. Bob Sallis explains the basics of energy sources for endurance athletes. More videos from Triathlete.com.

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Video: Energy Sources For…

Going Pro: Meet 5 New Female…

Sarah Piampiano, 31, New York, N.Y. The fastest American amateur at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii last October, (9:51:17) Piampiano made her pro debut one month later at Ironman Cozumel, finishing seventh (9:57:58). The former investment banker for HSBC Securities in New York City now lives and trains in Los Angeles and will next race in April’s Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston and also has three Ironmans (Texas,  Coeur D’Alene and Lake Placid) penciled in her schedule. “Last year I was able to consistently place as either the top or one of the top overall amateurs at every race,” she says. “It was a huge accomplishment for me, but I am not ready to stop there.”

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Going Pro: Meet 5 New Female…

TriathlEats: Orzo And Wild…

Private chef Doug Ruddle of Memphis, Tenn., shares a simple, versatile side dish perfect for winter. Orzo and Wild Rice with Dried Fruit Chef Ruddle says this dish goes well with fish, pork, chicken or beef, and can be served cold or warm, making it extremely versatile. He says you can also substitute your favorite dried fruits instead of the cherries or currants. Plus, it couldn’t be simpler to make. Ingredients 2 cups orzo pasta 1 cup wild rice 1 red bell pepper, diced small 1 yellow bell pepper, diced small 10 oz slivered almonds, toasted 8 oz currants 8 oz dried cherries, roughly chopped 3 T balsamic vinegar 1 T olive oil ¼ cup brown sugar Salt and pepper to taste Directions Cook orzo and wild rice according to package directions. To toast almonds, bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes or until a light golden brown. Drain orzo and toss with olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. The recipe is best if left to marinate for a couple of hours. Meet the Chef Six years ago, Doug Ruddle left behind a 25-year career at FedEx to pursue his love of cooking. He attended the Memphis Culinary Academy and now owns Chef’s Palette, a catering and personal chef company. He teaches cooking classes at health clubs and gourmet kitchen stores like Williams-Sonoma. In addition to his cooking, Ruddle is also the vice president of operations for Start 2 Finish Event Management, which puts on races such as the Memphis in May Triathlon, and he coaches high-school girls’ cross-country and track and field teams. It’s his coaching that helps him train for triathlon. “It all fits together really well,” he says. “I run with my cross-country team, so that helps me manage my time better.” Ruddle has raced everything from sprint races to the half-iron distance, although he says the Olympic distance suits him best. He started racing in the mid-’90s in an attempt to lose weight, and ended up as a USA Triathlon All-American in 1994 and 1995. His favorite race was the Age Group World Championship in Honolulu, Hawaii. Despite living in landlocked Memphis, Tenn., his favorite cuisine to cook is seafood. “I love everything about the ocean, so I love to cook seafood dishes,” he says (he prefers grilling or sautéing). To get the freshest fish, though, “I’ll order it online and have it shipped overnight.”

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TriathlEats: Orzo And Wild…