Penny Palfrey Heading North

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

From The Daily News of Open Water Swimming

Penny Palfrey will attempt two swims of unimaginable magnitude within 2-3 months of each other.

For her first swim, she will attempt to swim 103 miles northwards from the north coast of Cuba to somewhere along the Florida Keys in June. Her 168K solo swim in the very warm and fast-flowing waters of the Florida Strait will force her to encounter box jellyfish, Portuguese man o war, sharks, waves, currents, tropical heat in the day, the Gulf Stream and a distance that will demand at least 140,000 arm strokes.

The logistics and planning of her Cuba swim is daunting, let alone the recovery time necessary for what will probably be a 30-60 hour swim depending on whether or not Penny catches the Gulf Stream or if the conditions turn out to be horrific.

But then after her Cuba attempt, she will turn her attention to the notorious North Channel between Scotland and Ireland. Famed for humbling one of the toughest swimmers in the history of marathon swimming, Kevin Murphy, the North Channel will present different challenges for Penny. With the water difference up to 30°F difference - 54°F (12.5°C) in the North Channel vs. well over 80°F (27°C) in the Caribbean Sea - Penny's body will have to undergo a rapid chameleon-like metamorphosis from a warm-water swimmer to a cold-water swimmer.

Living in Queensland, Australia with the constant threat of jellyfish and sharks in her ocean training grounds, her training is well-suited for her Florida Strait challenge. However, it is the antithesis of what she needs for her North Channel swim. But that has not stopped her before: she has completed swims in the Catalina Channel and Santa Barbara Channel where the ocean temperatures dipped below 55°F (13°C). So water temperature should not be a major problem.

And neither should the threat of the Lion's Mane or other jellyfish that often spread over the North Channel like frosting on a cake. Penny has suffered the excruciating pain of box jellyfish andPortuguese man o war, so other jellyfish stings will be bearable if they are not too numerous.

Although Penny will be 50 years old when she attempts the North Channel, she has the speed of elite swimmers half her age. Speeding along at a strong arm stroke pace with very disciplined feeding stops, Penny has set records throughout her career. She has an average swimming speed and proven overall endurance that can will be interesting to see in the North Channel.

With a laser-like focus on swimming and time on her hands, this summer may see some fast swimming in two different extremes by Penny Palfrey.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Armstrong on his Tri Bike

Armstrong on his Tri Bike
Written by: Dan Empfield
Date: Thu Feb 09 2012.

Things are changing for Lance. Like, his position. We asked him if he realizes how close his new triathlon position is to his old position aboard his QR bikes from 1989 and 1990? "I don't have the measurements off that position," he said. "The positions are more forward in triathlon, because there are no regulations.
Triathletes have gravitated to [steeper positions], it opens the hip angle, it's more conducive to running off the bike, and triathletes are moving to shorter cranks to play with that hip angle. The very first thing I did, I got out the Allen wrench and moved the saddle forward."
"You mention cranks," I asked him. "What crank length are you riding?" "My whole career I rode one-seventy-five cranks for both road and time trial," he said. "But, I fell victim to Slowtwitch Forum advice and went to one-seventies. There is even talk of going shorter, but, for me, one-seventy is short enough." So, there you go. Lance is a lurker.

 The move to a steeper seat angle caused Armstrong to have a cockpit length problem, consequently requiring a move up in bike size. "I moved from size-medium to size-large," for his Speed Concept. The larger size, "gave me more top tube, a longer wheelbase." He'll be racing a Bontrager disc in back and a Bontrager 7.0 wheel in the front. He's noodling the 9.0. "I'm tempted to ride the latter. But it's harder to ride that front end on a windy day, and I want to be relaxed."

 Maybe when he gets a 70.3 or two under his belt, he'll move to the deeper front rim. He's going to be riding the Bontrager aerobars that come stock on the 9-series Speed Concepts.

 Who aids him in these equipment and position decisions? I asked about Steve Hed, in part because of his history with Hed, and also because I know from talking to the Steve Hed that the two were together in Austin prior to Armstrong's publicized trip to the wind tunnel in San Diego. "Steve is, you know, always a friend and supporter, an advisor, as regards position, wheels, bars, and he's largely involved in the new position. He came down to Austin before my trip to the tunnel." "It's always the road first," Hed explained, when describing his approach to fitting in general, and with Armstrong in particular. "I eyeball it." Otherwise, Hed explained, if you go to the tunnel first, and then you get out on the road and find you can't maintain the position developed in the tunnel, you've wasted your time in the tunnel.

 "We came forward," Hed continued while describing his recent session with Armstrong, and found, "We had to get a bigger bike," echoing what Armstrong explained above. "When he moved forward he needed more length. Plus, on the smaller-sized bikes, the brake levers aren't in an optimal climbing position. That's why the bigger bike was necessary. "He's not that low," Hed continued. "Lance has always been better aerodynamically if he doesn't go that low in front. He's really comfortable in that position. Also, real narrow elbows don't help him much."

Is Red Meat Dangerous?

 By Adam Bornstein - from the Livestrong blog

The hamburger is on America's Most Wanted List. That's the message spreading faster than Bieber fever after a study published by the Harvard School of Public Health linked red meat to higher rates of mortality. The lead author of the study, An Pan, was quoted as saying, "Our study adds more evidence to the health risks of eating high amounts of red meat, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers in other studies." On the surface the evidence seems overwhelming. The study tested more than 37,000 men and 83,000 women, and found that meat was linked with increases in cardiovascular mortality and cancer mortality.

 READ MORE

2012 VALPARAISO URBAN DOWNHILL

TRUE CYCLING EXCITEMENT: 2012 VALPARAISO URBAN DOWNHILL
 By The Cycle Life

 I keep hearing talk about how exciting the beginning of the 2012 road race season has been. On Sunday, the season's biggest prize thus far, Paris-Nice, came down to the 9.6-kilometer uphill time trial on the Col d'Èze, with Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins taking the final stage and the overall by a scant eight seconds. And today, Liquigas-Cannondale's 2010 Vuelta a España winner Vincenzo Nibali beat American Chris Horner in the final time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico by 20 seconds to win the the GC by an even slimmer six seconds.

 I'll admit it's nice to have some ProTour drama other than all of the doping turmoil earlier in the year. But judging by this video from the 2012 Valparaiso Urban Downhill, road racers and their fans are much more easily entertained than mountain bikers. Thrilling? I'd be surprised if the guy on the stairs at 2:34 wasn't so "excited" from that near miss that he had to clean his undershorts post run.

Racing When You're Sick

CTS Training Tip: Racing When You're Sick

Posted: 06 Mar 2012 06:18 AM PST

Early in the season, many triathletes who are preparing for Ironman or Ironman 70.3 races later in the season have a series of preparation races on their schedules. We all try to plan our training so we're optimally prepared for race days, but sometimes athletes, especially time-crunched athletes, get derailed and lose valuable training time because the kids get sick, work gets out of control and basically life gets in the way. Or athletes choose to jump into races before they are prepared, just because the opportunity presents itself. Two questions arise from these scenarios: should you bother entering a race if you're not ready for it? And what should you do if you're in a race and it's clear you're fitness isn't where you wanted it to be?

The Decision That Changed Health

By:  Adam Bornstein

The health industry is not exactly a hotspot for optimism and inspiration. More often than not, news is steeped in depressing statistics, endless studies that make little sense to the average person, and plenty of frustration.

Yet here I am, week after week, convinced that we're close to a gigantic leap that can change the lives of many.

Which is why it's hard reading stats like this: 88 percent of all people fail in their resolutions.

It's a frustrating concept that few have answered—why do so many people fall short of their goals? In search of an answer, I devised a quick test that might help you solve the problem.  READ MORE 

Penny Swimming from Cuba to Florida with the Blue Planet Network – Water is life. Pass it on.

There is a solution to prevent 20,000 people from dying each day and keep half of the hospital beds in the world empty. It could also allow millions of women and children to go to work or school. For countless other millions of people it also happens to be the first step out of poverty. This solution may even prevent future wars.

This solution is simply safe drinking water.

Yet it is out of reach for a billion people – almost one-sixth of the world’s population.

We have three major challenges in changing these statistics.

1 – Most people have no idea about the problem.
2 – The world has lacked the water project infrastructure to create sustainable access to safe drinking water.
3 – We are missing the global willpower and community to fund projects and build a movement.

I want to help solve each of these challenges in order to bring safe drinking water to every person on our planet.

My crew and I take on epic endurance swimming challenges to capture attention and build awareness of the world’s water crisis. To tackle the second challenge, we partnered with Blue Planet Network, a global community of funders, project implementers, supporters and communities in need that is powered by a scalable online platform to manage the funding, implementation, and monitoring of tens of thousands of water projects. The combination of these two approaches creates a new model for solving what is quickly becoming the world’s most crucial crisis.

The third challenge is up to you. Please help us build the community capable of solving one of humanity’s most important problems. Together we are a powerful force for change. My swim represents the power of ordinary people to conquer incredible challenges. Our goals are focused, measurable, and achievable. The solutions are extremely affordable – $30 can create safe drinking water for one person for most of a lifetime. You can join our movement to pass on this solution by sponsoring the Penny Palfrey Cuba to Florida record-breaking swim.http://blueplanetnetwork.org/waterheroes/penny-palfrey

The message is so important, the 2007 Blue Planet Run Team carried it on foot 15,200 miles through 16 countries all the way around the globe, delivering it hand to hand, face to face, step by step. Together, we must continue, drop by drop until there is safe drinking water for everyone.

Water is life. Pass it on.

From the HURT Blog

The Oahu Perimeter Solo Run March 2-4th, 2012.

The ‘Oahu Perimeter Solos Run
March 2-4th, 2012.

This is the unofficial, unsupported, ‘Do-It-Yourself Anyway-You-Want’, Oahu perimeter run.  
Each year a group of intrepid individuals comes together to run around Oahu, and complete the longest ultra run that occurs on Oahu during the year.  This year’s venture will commence Friday, March 2nd, at 6:00pm at the Aloha Tower, and end approximately 135 miles later back at the same spot sometime Sunday afternoon, March 4th.

You need not run this alone, and teams are welcome.  As noted it is an anyway you want kind of run. 

This is an informal, no rules, no fee’s, individual-bear-your-own-risk kind of venture.  Runners are often expected to self support themselves at stores or parks.  We are occasionally fortunate enough to have informal volunteer support teams, but can not count on that.   If you run out of steam, or come up lame,  you need your own support network, or bus fare ($2.50 exact), as there is no guarantee anyone will be around to bail you out.   

Though there are no rules, it is highly recommended that each runner be garbed in reflective gear (Vest, arm bands,belt, bright hat),  bright shirt, and reflectors. Night-time lights, strobes and reflector/blinkers are recommended as well.  Each runner should also allow for the possibility of wet and cool weather or hot and sunny conditions.  Sufficient water carrying capacity and electrolytes are a must.  

The need for Individual safety can not be overemphasized.  Roads often have little or no verge, sidewalk, or room for a walker or a runner.  Drivers are not always willing to give right-of-way to pedestrians.  In addition running along roadways for extended periods of time can become unpleasant and draining. Potential runners should understand these conditions and the problems of ultra distance ventures and be ready to deal with them as they present themselves.

The general route is  Honolulu, Ala Moana, Waikiki, Kahala, to Hawaii Kai.  Hawaii Kai backside to Kalama,  Sandy’s, Makapu’u, Waimanalo, Kailua. Kailua to Aikahi,  Kaneohe.  Kaneohe via He’eia, Kahalu’u, Kualoa, Ka’a’awa, Kahana, Punalu’u, Hau’ula to Laie and the North Shore.   Laie to Kahuku, Kuilima, Pupukea, Waimea, to Haleiwa. Haleiwa to Waialua, Mokuleia, Peacocks if we Dare, Dillingham, Kaena Point Trail, to Yokahama Bay and the Leeward Side. Makua, Makaha,  Waianae, Nanakuli, Kahe, Where-the-Hell-is-the-Road, Ewa Plain, to Waipahu.  Waipahu along the Pearl Harbor Bike Trail to Kamehameha Highway, to Nimitz Highway to the Aloha Tower. Easy and almost as quick as saying the names!   

Teams are welcome, participants doing partial runs are welcome, support runners are always welcome, and of course aid along the way is very welcome.  Runners are free to set their own pace, determine their own aid stops and pretty much go it as they see fit.  In the past a core group of runners has chosen to move in a loose group which increases runner safety. 

In the past the goal is for teams and solos to reach Waialua/Dillingham about the same time Saturday evening in order to facilitate the safe passage of groups around the Kaena Point trail and through Yokohama, which from time to time can be a bit lawless and rude. (Teams can generally plan on an Aloha Tower departure sometime Saturday morning, with a Haleiwa arrival Saturday evening.)

If you are interested in venturing out upon this non-event either as a team or as a solo, you can contact me for details. If you would like to offer unofficial aid or support. which is alwayswelcome, please contact me as well.  (Mikem-     manoahouse at hotmail)   Aloha! 

HURT HAWAII 

 
 

From the LiveStrong Blog

Does the Gym Make You Fail?

Posted by abornstein | February 28, 2012 | 23 Comments

When I was 13 years old I had my first experience with a personal trainer. Some might think I was too young for one-on-one training and what I needed was to spend more time running outside and less time grabbing seconds (and thirds) of my mom’s Rice Krispie treats. At the time, I was a playing a lot of tennis and my body was routinely failing me. I wanted to improve, so naturally a trainer seemed like a good solution.

It was one the best decisions I ever made as a young athlete. That summer I became faster, stronger, and a better tennis player. Unfortunately, I was also terribly lazy, quit working out, and abandoned non-sports activity for several years. 

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/blog/fixing-fitness-industry/#ixzz1nhYgB5jl

Trust Your Body

Shutting off the Numbers and Trusting your Body

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 11:42 AM PST

As triathletes, most of us are fairly Type A personalities. We're driven. We like to have a plan, check off our workouts, check off our goals and always be pushing forward towards something bigger and better. Data is, of course, a fairly useful tool. We all use it, whether it be our speed or power on the bike, our given heart rate for various workouts, or pace for running. The data allows us to track our progress, see improvements and ultimately get faster. That said, there is a time and a place for using data and sometimes, when racing, it's useful to turn the numbers off and purely listen to your body. (Photo of Kelly Williamson courtesy FinisherPix.com)

READ MORE

Docherty wins Panama 70.3, Lance comes in second

Written by: Herbert Krabel
Date: Sun Feb 12 2012

Kiwi Bevan Docherty ran down Lance Armstrong with a lot of grit to take Ironman 70.3 Panama in 3:50:13. Canadian Angela Naeth recorded the fastest bike split in the women's race and pulled away during the run for the win.

The men

The 70.3 Panama received quite a bit of hype prior to the race when word got out that 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was going to be in the event. Plus entries from fast ITU Pros Bevan Docherty, Ivan Vasilyev and Bertrand Billard promised to make this early season race very interesting.

Matty Reed who also has quite a bit of short course experience and speed took charge of the 1.2 mile point-to-point swim and managed to be first out of the water in 18:49. Reed had Vasilyev and Docherty right on his heels, and Rasmus Henning was next. Lance Armstrong managed a 19:22 swim that allowed him to be 10th out of the water, with Chris Lieto in 12th position, another 16 seconds back. 

MORE

Lance at Ironman Panama

Posted: 11 Feb 2012 12:35 PM PST There was lots of excitement in Panama today as Lance Armstrong attended today's pro meeting. The seven-time Tour de France champion sat next to Chris Lieto and listened closely as organizers went through the rules for tomorrow's race - then had to beeline off the site as the crowd of media and age group athletes thronged around him. (You can check out photos and video on our Ironmanlive coverage.) Dave Erickson filed this report for us: Video: Armstrong's Appearance at Ironman 70.3 Panama