A great movie about high school cross-country and legendary coach Joe Newton. A little inspiration for your long holiday weekend.
The Long Green Line
Friday, September 3, 2010
Fall preview: Cycling
Fall is quickly approaching and there are lots of events on tap over the next few weeks and months. The road racing season is quickly coming to a close in most states, although there are a few state championships left to be decided.
Arizona
Arizona has it's State Time Trial Championships coming up on September 12th. It's a new course for the championships, although it has been used in a few preview events this summer. Times look to be as quick as last years Picacho course, however the big question will be if the road will be cleaned in time to run a full 40km for most categories.
The Mount Graham Hill Climb on Sept. 26th also serves as the state hill climb championships. Weather can always be a factor at this one as racers in the past have seen fog, high winds, pouring rain, and warm temps on the mountain.
After the road season comes to a close, the fun ride season kicks into high gear with the Tour de Scottsdale, Cochise County Cycling Classic, and the granddaddy of them all, El Tour de Tucson.
Those so inclined to hit the dirt this fall will have plenty opportunities. Things open up with the Barn Burner on September 11th, which was postponed from it's June date due to a forest fire near Flagstaff. The Dust Devil series is back once again and provides a perfect lead into the endurance races, Dawn to Dusk and February's 24hrs of the Old Pueblo.
California
The bulk of the California road schedule wrapped up in August leaving a couple of stand alone events in September.
The final major criterium of the year is held on September 12th with The Razor's Edge State Championship.
The Everest Challenge is a brute of a two day stage race that takes in as much elevation gain as climbing Mt. Everest! September 25-26th.
As for the dirt side of things, the final event of the US Cup takes place on September 12th at Bonelli Park.
Next week we will take a look at the Running events on the upcoming calendar.
Arizona
Arizona has it's State Time Trial Championships coming up on September 12th. It's a new course for the championships, although it has been used in a few preview events this summer. Times look to be as quick as last years Picacho course, however the big question will be if the road will be cleaned in time to run a full 40km for most categories.
The Mount Graham Hill Climb on Sept. 26th also serves as the state hill climb championships. Weather can always be a factor at this one as racers in the past have seen fog, high winds, pouring rain, and warm temps on the mountain.
After the road season comes to a close, the fun ride season kicks into high gear with the Tour de Scottsdale, Cochise County Cycling Classic, and the granddaddy of them all, El Tour de Tucson.
Those so inclined to hit the dirt this fall will have plenty opportunities. Things open up with the Barn Burner on September 11th, which was postponed from it's June date due to a forest fire near Flagstaff. The Dust Devil series is back once again and provides a perfect lead into the endurance races, Dawn to Dusk and February's 24hrs of the Old Pueblo.
California
The bulk of the California road schedule wrapped up in August leaving a couple of stand alone events in September.
The final major criterium of the year is held on September 12th with The Razor's Edge State Championship.
The Everest Challenge is a brute of a two day stage race that takes in as much elevation gain as climbing Mt. Everest! September 25-26th.
As for the dirt side of things, the final event of the US Cup takes place on September 12th at Bonelli Park.
Next week we will take a look at the Running events on the upcoming calendar.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Review: Crocs pRepair
As a regular part of fifthelementcoaching.com we will be giving reviews of training aids. First up is the pRepair recovery clog from Crocs.
I bought a pair of these to try out and see if they match the claims posted on the Crocs website. Here's what they have to say:
"After your next competition slip into our top-of-the-line clog featuring a fast, sport-inspired design.
* Enhances recovery after athletic activity.
* Reduces peak pressure by up to 50%*.
* Reduces peak muscular effort by up to 24.6%*.
* Lower muscle exertions can provide an improved opportunity for blood flow and fatigue relief, creating greater recovery potential.
* Promotes a natural motion of the foot.
* Footbed conforms creating a custom fit."
(From: http://miniurl.com/52738)
I have no way to test all the claims but I decided to wear them for two weeks after workouts of both cycling and running, to see how they helped out.
The first thing I noticed after putting them on was that they definitely improve your posture. By supporting the foot in a better way, the body is forced not to slouch which in turn allows for better blood flow. This is done with a high arch and what feels like a bit of varus wedge to the insole. The shoe also has many little "massage" buttons on the insole of the shoe, which can be seen below.
The massage points on the insole aren't as pronounced as some other shoes, which helped to make these quite comfortable.
Within the first 20 minutes or so after hard exercise, I noticed a significant difference in the amount of leg soreness that I would experience without the shoes on. If this difference is mental or physical remains to be seen, but I'd have to say that, currently without a way to test the effects of these better, my conclusion is that they seem to work well. I woke up every morning feeling fresh and ready to go, which can be a feat in itself after not having good consistent training in the legs for a few months.
I'll continue to use them and I would definitely recommend these shoes for post exercise recovery. They retail for $39.99 but are currently on sale at the Crocs website for $19.99.
(Unless otherwise noted, all reviewed items have been purchased by Fifth Element Coaching coaches for personal or business use.)
I bought a pair of these to try out and see if they match the claims posted on the Crocs website. Here's what they have to say:
"After your next competition slip into our top-of-the-line clog featuring a fast, sport-inspired design.
* Enhances recovery after athletic activity.
* Reduces peak pressure by up to 50%*.
* Reduces peak muscular effort by up to 24.6%*.
* Lower muscle exertions can provide an improved opportunity for blood flow and fatigue relief, creating greater recovery potential.
* Promotes a natural motion of the foot.
* Footbed conforms creating a custom fit."
(From: http://miniurl.com/52738)
I have no way to test all the claims but I decided to wear them for two weeks after workouts of both cycling and running, to see how they helped out.
The first thing I noticed after putting them on was that they definitely improve your posture. By supporting the foot in a better way, the body is forced not to slouch which in turn allows for better blood flow. This is done with a high arch and what feels like a bit of varus wedge to the insole. The shoe also has many little "massage" buttons on the insole of the shoe, which can be seen below.
The massage points on the insole aren't as pronounced as some other shoes, which helped to make these quite comfortable.
Within the first 20 minutes or so after hard exercise, I noticed a significant difference in the amount of leg soreness that I would experience without the shoes on. If this difference is mental or physical remains to be seen, but I'd have to say that, currently without a way to test the effects of these better, my conclusion is that they seem to work well. I woke up every morning feeling fresh and ready to go, which can be a feat in itself after not having good consistent training in the legs for a few months.
I'll continue to use them and I would definitely recommend these shoes for post exercise recovery. They retail for $39.99 but are currently on sale at the Crocs website for $19.99.
(Unless otherwise noted, all reviewed items have been purchased by Fifth Element Coaching coaches for personal or business use.)
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