Kona Underpants Run 2013! Ironman World Championships!

Yes, it's that moment you've waited all triathlon season for...the Kona Underpants Run of 2013!

And another gallery!

Nothing wrong with showing off your body if you're in good enough shape to make the Ironman World Championships, right?

I know it's hard to believe...well, maybe not...but there's a website just for the Underpants Run. It's right here and it's all for charity, so it's all good.

Be sure to note the many shots of Eugene resident and tri superstar Jesse Thomas. Yeah, he's the guy with the fuzzy hair and the old school $2.99 aviator sunglasses. Go Jesse!

It's Ironman Championship Week in Kona, Hawaii

And the athletes are using their swim practice time to head out to the boat and pick up some Kona Coffee!

from Triathlete.com

Big Swim Changes at Ironman Triathlon Races

Interesting news coming from Ironman in regards to the swim leg in their races:

Check it out here at Triathlete. Also, the Ironman site has a comprehensive list of plans here.

In a nutshell, they're testing out some new swim start ideas at various race locations to get rid of the odious mass swim start. Some of the ideas include: a "rolling" start across a timing mat (they'll try this one at Coeur d'Alene), wave starts by age group and self-seeded starts. Finally, some races will continue to use mass starts. I guess they'll get feedback from the different groups and figure out which way to go.

And one brave new idea is "rest" buoys where swimmers could actually stop and hold on until they're ready to continue their swim!

Of course, these changes will have two nice features. One, it will make the swim safer. That's good. And two, it will bring in new athletes that have been afraid of the mass swim starts to the point where they've just said "no thanks" to triathlon altogether.

Hey, even to a guy that loves the swim leg like me, there's nothing fun about a mass swim start. It's about time they figured out a new way forward.

Nice job, Ironman.

Kona Ironman Triathlon World Championships - Underpants Run!

Yes, yes, I realize that we're only a couple days away from the biggest Triathlon event of the year: the Kona Ironman Triathlon World Championships.

Check out some previews:

Here.

And here.

And here.

And here.

But the more important story is the continuing growth of the greatest race of all-time: the Kona Underpants Run!

The story behind the Underpants Run.

How to prepare for the Underpants Run.

And, of course, photos of last year's Underpants Run!

And the 2012 Run!

Photo by Kurt Hoy.

Lance Armstrong Wins Superfrog Half Iron Triathlon

Ban? What ban?

Yes, Lance is still banned, but this was not an officially sanctioned race, so Lance rocked the banana hammock for the entire race and won easily with a course record 3:49:45.

Story here.

Photos here.

Different story and different photos here.

Ironman Champ Chrissie Wellington in Corvallis on Thursday!

Yes, indeed. Ultrafantasticalsuperduperawesomeastic triathlon studette Chrissie Wellington is going to be at Peak Sports in Corvallis on Thursday, September 6th, from 6:00 to 7:00pm.

See here.

And here.

And straight from Chrissie's blog here.

So grab your copy of A Life Without Limits and head over to Peak Sports to pay homage.

Let's face it...this is the best triathlete you'll ever meet...period.

And you've got to love that smile when she crosses the finish line.

Interview on Lance Armstrong's Tri Ban plus Other Running and Triathlon Links

We're a day late on the links, so let's get right to it:

Here's an Interview with Ironman CEO Andrew Messick - he speaks to the ban on Lance Armstrong from Ironman events

Ultrarunner Charlie Engle Out of Prison - he's had some issues; let's hope he's past them

Photo Gallery from the Coeur d'Alene Ironman - congrats out to Corvallis superstud Jim McDonald

New Study on Forefoot vs. Rearfoot Strike - blah, blah, blah...just go run

Exercise and Depression; Any Correlation? - maybe, but any causation?

How to Run in Hot Weather - new sweat details

Western States 100 Results and Details - Ashland, OR superduperultrastar Timothy Olson wins it with a new record time

Ironman Legend Dave Scott's son, Drew, Wins Buffalo 70.3 - and he's not even a pro!

Alistair Brownlee Wins Yet Another Race - he's got to be the Olympic favorite

Everything About the Olympic Track Trials in Eugene - it's been fun to watch so far

Awesome photo of the Trials from the Oregonian. Yeah, it's been a little wet.

Lance Armstrong Banned from Triathlon

Well, not so fast.

OK, unless you've been unconscious for the last 24 hours, you've probably heard the news that Lance Armstrong is now facing doping charges from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

Here's the actual 14-page letter from the USADA to Armstrong.

And here's a rundown of the whole thing from ESPN.

So does this mean Lance is banned from Triathlon while the investigation/hearing is going on?

Well, USA Today, and practically every other big news organization say "yes."

See last paragraph from USA Today.

But just a second. What about innocent until proven guilty and all that? Well, this isn't a criminal case and tri organizations like WTC, who owns all the Ironman races, could ban him during the investigation.

Hold on there, says Dan Empfield at Slowtwitch. Empfield thinks Armstrong will probably continue to race as he has been, at least until something more concrete is decided in some sort of official hearing, and/or appeals.

On this one, I'd trust Slowtwitch more than USA Today.

However, CNN says that WTC has already said he can't race in the upcoming Ironman France, so...

Most stories have the same basic info, but here's the take from:

A good Q and A from Bonnie Ford at ESPN.

Another look from Slowtwitch.

Sports Illustrated/CNN.

The Washington Post.

3 Wire Sports and Alan Abrahamson.

And here's a very interesting letter from Armstrong's lawyers before all this hit the news.

My own take on it is this: don't rush to judge either way here. We've seen Armstrong accused before and, believe him or not, he's never been proven to have doped. Let this play out. If the USADA has real evidence, then it will come out in time.

Until then, I'd say this isn't as big a story as people are making it out to be. Go ahead and move on with your lives.

Lance Armstrong Crushes Competition at Ironman 70.3 Florida

Lance Armstrong breezed to the win today at the Ironman 70.3 Florida.

Armstrong's bike leg was ten minutes (TEN MINUTES!) faster than the next fastest biker. And his run wasn't too shabby either - a 1:15:56 half marathon.

I know Lance inspires a lot of love...and hate...but like him or not, there's no denying that he's shaking up the Tri World...as a 40 year old!

Running and Triathlon Links Monday!

Lots of good stuff here...start reading!

Lance Armstrong will Race in Ironman 70.3 St. Croix - Coming up fast on May 6th

Zola Budd is Still Out There Running - And she's still plenty fast, with or without shoes

Sami Stoner, Blind but Still Running Fast - With her guide dog alongside

How Tough Will It Be to Get Into the Boston Marathon with the New Qualifying Times? - Well, if you can actually get under those times, maybe not that hard

The Third Man on the US Olympic Marathon Team, Abdi Abdirahman - You know, the guy that's going to his fourth Olympics

Cool Photo Gallery of the 2012 USAT Collegiate National Championships - There are some fast triathletes coming up through the ranks

Want to Be Better In the Swim Leg of Your Next Tri? Swim Some Backstroke - Or you know...if you just need to roll over on your back and catch your breath

Lopez Lomong Absolutely Crushes the Last Lap in the Payton Invitational 5000 - Well, until he realized he was a lap short

They're Trying to Bring Back the Mile - I have to agree; the 1500 is lame

Pro Triathlete Kelly Williamson Tells You How to Get Faster on the Bike - I'm so slow on the bike, I read it twice

Want to Get Through the Tough Miles During the Race? Visualize Yourself Doing Just That - Sort of an advanced version of "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

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Lance Armstrong Takes 2nd in Half Ironman!

Wow.

I mean, it's pretty clear that the guy knows how to pedal, and he was a competitive triathlete in his younger days, still...dude's 40 years old. And trust me, the body doesn't always cooperate after 40, so this is a pretty impressive finish.

And as you can see from the writeup on Slowtwitch, this race had some talent going up against Lance, including winner Bevan Docherty, Chris Lieto, Richie Cunningham, Matty Reed, and Rasmus Henning. Plus, it was in the heat and humidity of Panama (the country, not Florida).

All in all, an impressive race for Lance as he builds up for his effort to win the Ironman Championships in Hawaii.

Photo: yes, that's actually Lance...a long, long time ago.


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Ironman Marathon Not An Actual Marathon?

Maybe some of you already knew this, but it's news to me. Some Ironman Triathlons, by rule, can have their Marathon run course be as much as 10% short (or long) and still be good to go! No, really. That's a 23.6 mile marathon, in case you were curious.

See a decent write-up of the whole thing here at Track and Field News.

Wow. There's a lot to wonder about here. First, I don't think, even a little, that this diminishes how difficult an Ironman tri is, and how impressive the athletes are that finish them. But does it matter?

Absolutely.

Now anyone that has done a trail run knows that one 50k is not equal to all 50k's. Some are brutal, with over 7000 feet of climbing, while others have less than 2000 feet of climbing. But a 50k record is a 50k record. No matter what. And a marathon record is a marathon record, whether you're running in hilly Seattle or flat Eugene. It shouldn't matter.

And I feel the same way about Ironman races. They should all have 26.2 runs. No question. How can anyone compare one time to another?

Now it's one thing to be "certified." I don't care if a course is certified, necessarily, as long as it's been measured honestly as the correct length. But I don't want a race director consciously making a course where every mile is actually nine-tenths of a mile.

Now apparently the Ironman Championships in Kona is run on a certified course. It's legit. If you're wondering what other courses might or might not be legit, just check this list over at the USATF.

This is one I hope gets changed soon. Let's make an Ironman and Ironman.

Ironman Kona World Championships!

They're racing...right NOW!

Go check it out live at Ironman.com.

Also, check out Universal Sports for a live feed.

And cheer on Corvallis homeboy Nate Smith! He's got bib number 1238. Go Nate!

Ford Ironman World Championship

They're on the bikes now and it's over 100 degrees in Kona!

Chris Lieto leads the men at the moment. Julie Dibens leads the women.

Check out the race here.

Hand Me the Damn Soapbox!

A very funny post today over at Frayed Laces ultimately left me, after a little too much thought, dismayed and disappointed.

It made me wonder, "has any sport gotten farther away from the pure athletic ideal than triathlon?"

Has any sport made the toys more important than the body like triathlon?

Don't get me wrong, I believe the athletes, from top to bottom, in triathlon may be finer specimens than in any other sport.

But why don't you watch an elite athlete in a race over the next couple weeks and add up the cost of the equipment they use:
-The $800 wetsuit.
-The $5000 bike
-The $2000 wheelset
-The $200 aero helmet.
-The $150 tri suit.
-The $300 aerobars.
-The $200 bike shoes.
-The $300 bike pedals.
-The $100 running shoes.
-The $150 sunglasses.
-Oh, and don't forget the $500 entry fee to that Ironman race.

Have we added up to more than your latest car yet?

Look, I like nice toys too, but it's just getting a little ridiculous. At least you can still run a 5k on a $100 budget, from shoes to entry to shorts and shirt. Not so the triathlon. If you think the pro golf circuit is full of pampered rich kids, don't look too closely at your local Olympic Triathlon. It's not pretty.

I know what you're thinking: "OK, big talker. What's your great plan to fix the problem?"

Well, it's not great, but why don't you try this. Instead of buying that $4000 bike, why don't you buy a $3000 bike and give the other $1000 to a program that encourages running or biking or triathlon in the inner cities? Or buy the $80 Nikes instead of the $140 pair and give $60 to a program that buys running shoes for children in Africa that can't afford them?

Give before it's too late, I say, because to me, the Sport of Triathlon looks like its pricing itself right out of existence for the normal athletes of the world. And if it keeps going the way it has been, the great growth of the last twenty years will be lost because so few kids will be able to buy enough crap to compete at a high level!

Or if you're really adventurous, how about some race director out there starting a tri that bans aerobars? Bans wetsuits? Bans aero wheels and aero helmets? Would that be so bad? Just once? For fun?

As Lake Padden Triathlon Race Director Lance Romo once said to me, "I remember back when, if you wanted to go faster on your bike, you had to pedal harder!"

Those were the days.