Excerpt From Lance Armstrong's War

Daniel Coyle followed Lance all through the 2004 Tour. The fascinating excerpt published by Outside chronicles one of the race's brutal turning points--and explains the Dead Elvis grin

"Lance hardly talks at all about six Tours," said coach Chris Carmichael. "Getting six isn't at the motivational core of the guy. It's more like, I'm just going to go to the Tour and kick the shit out of everybody."

I'd like to read the book.

Couch Potato to Ironman to Sprint Distance Triathlete

A woman writing a "Couch Potato to Ironman" series for MSNBC.com has pulled the plug on her August Ironman attempt after being fished out of the water at a half-Ironman distance race. In May she finished the Vancouver Marathon in 6 hours and 39 minutes. After reading a few of her columns, it seems like bailing out now may be one of the best training decisions she has made.

"You see, over the past few weeks, I figured out that Ironman distances aren’t my cup of tea. In my training, I realized that I don't like being on a bike for 5 hours, and for Ironman it would be more like 7-8 hours. It’s boring, it hurts and it’s not fun."

Doin' the Subway Sleeper

The term "Subway Sleeper" entered the lexicon of several local endurance athletes in July 2003 when, after hammering a century ride in near-century temperatures, Activeness!'s Jan passed out at the register of a Subway sandwich shop in the shopping center where many begin and end their rides.

After ordering his post-workout favorite--a combo meal including a 12-inch cold cut trio on white bread with provolone cheese, Sun Chips, and a Coke--Jan suddenly lost consciousness, bracing his fall by throwing his arms atop the counter.

Subseqent, more minor "Subway Sleeper" incidents have included using the aforementioned Subway as a "recovery room"--a place to sit, cool down, and collect one's bearings before mustering the energy to take in nourishment.

Today, proper usage of the term "Subway Sleeper" encompasses any major "bonk" incident in an air-conditioned fast-food restaurant or convenience shop immediately following a long, brutally hot run, ride, or brick.
-John

Lance: "Tour Will Be Won in Mountains"

After checking out all the Tour's crucial mountain climbs, Lance Armstrong predicts the race will be won in the mountains.

Armstrong, sporting a black eye from a training-ride crash, has shed more than three pounds since placing fourth in the Dauphine Libere race in France two weeks ago.

iRude

Woman who listens to an iPod while running with your boyfriend: You have been deactivated. Boyfriend who puts up with and perhaps even drives her to it with lame conversation: So have you.

JJ: Ironhorse Quartermax Triathlon Recap

June 19, Springfield, Illinois, ¼ Iron-distance triathlon (.6M swim, 28M bike, 6.5M run)

I made the early morning 100-mile drive to Springfield, Illinois, to participate in the Ironhorse Quartermax Triathlon on Father’s Day. This is a race that has seen its ups and downs over the years but made a triumphant return to the calendar in the form of a new quarter-Ironman distance this year. The new distance and the fact that it was my first race in the 35-39 age group gave it a fresh feel and I looked forward to competing.

The weather was ideal--especially for June in the midwest. The swim was barely wetsuit legal (77 degrees), which would help me limit my losses in the early going. The under-40 males all eased down the boat ramp for the first wave and then we were off, swimming counter-clockwise around the orange and yellow buoys. It seemed like a long .6 miles and when I emerged from the water my watch reminded me that I am not a fast swimmer.

The 28-mile bike was very flat, with some slight winds, and mostly smooth roads. I was steadily gaining on bikers ahead of me and my legs felt good. At the first turnaround, I counted about 20 athletes ahead of me. By the second turnaround, I climbed to around 15th. Toward the end of the bike, I found myself jockeying with four other riders. I tried to size them up in terms of age and running ability. I wanted to outrun these guys and try to work my way into the top 10 if possible.

With a few miles to go on the bike, I noticed that my aerobar pad was coming unscrewed and I feared it would break and either jolt me enough to make me crash or force me to ride in an unbalanced position. It held up until the final turn into transition. As it fell to the ground and I looked over my shoulder, a thoughtful guy yelled out, “I got it! Keep going!”

Out on the shaded run, I was clawing my way toward the top 10 and felt good about my pace through the finish line. When the day was over and all the waves were adjusted for start times I dropped down to 14th. Favorite race so far this year. Enthusiastic race director, great volunteers, quick results, good atmosphere.

Next race: Hillsboro, Illiniois, Biathlon, July 4, 2005. Stay tuned.
-Jan

The Tour on OLN

Here's a schedule of OLN's Tour de France broadcasts. The first stage is Saturday.

X: She's Done, I'm Back

I gave a quick wave to the Hottie running toward us as we nearly rubbed shoulders on the park's five-mile loop. The Hottie quickly returned my wave.
"Well-played," said Ian.
"Planting seeds," said I.
Twenty minutes later, we noticed Hottie approaching again. Too predictable: She was doing another loop.
"What's the play?" asked Ian.
"A stronger wave and an oral greeting," said I.
Ian grunted an approval.
Seconds later, I raised my palm confidently while shouting a familiar, "Hey!"
Eye contact was achieved.
Hottie shot back with a semi-nod and half-hearted wave.
"Weak," observed Ian.
"Lackluster," said I. "That so did not rock."
"Done with her," Ian proclaimed.
"Done."
- Anonymous Racer X

Lance Armstrong's War

Lance Armstrong may not really feel like going through another Tour, writes The New York Times' George Vecsey. "He is, however, quite obstinate enough to win the darn thing one more time."

Vecsey himself seems to be a weekend rider:

"Anybody on a bike is taking a chance. For some of us who ride a few miles for fun and exercise, danger comes from a driver barely in control of a wobbly S.U.V., juggling a cellphone in one hand, running a stop sign, oblivious to a cyclist. For cyclists on the Tour, the dangers are everywhere - one giddy fan, badly placed barricades, gravel, plastic shopping bags, high speed, to say nothing of one another."

Natural High

Swiss Alps
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

Brother Brian (and jump leader Hans) did a 45-second free fall and then parachuted down for another 6-7 minutes, floating in the breeze above the Swiss Alps.

When 55 Miles Isn't Enough

This poor guy completed the Comrades Marathon--about 55 miles--and then, after falling asleep and missing his ride, had to walk nearly four days to get home to Pretoria. I hope he had some leftover gels.

Smart Goggles

These goggles display race time and laps completed in the lens in front of the swimmer's eyes. Now the inventor has to discover a cost-effective way to manufacture goggles with a built-in compass. It's one thing for triathletes' bikes to cost more than many people's cars, but it might be hard to justify that for goggles.

A Fan of the Whole Genre of Energy Bars

"Those are great," said a Globo Corp. senior vice president, pointing to the Clif Bar wrapper on my desk.
"You like Clif Bars?", was my almost-interested response.
"No, I don't know anything about Clif Bars. But I picked up some kind of energy bars at Wal-Mart last night and they tasted yummy. I want to try to eat more of them. Seems like a good idea."
"OK," was the only response I could muster.

The whole scene took me on a This Is Spinal Tap flashback, when Lt. Hookstratten (the hilarious Fred Willard) is introducing himself to the band setting up to play at his Air Force base:

"May I start by saying how thrilled we are to have you here. We are such fans of your music and all of your records. I'm not speaking of yours personally, but the whole genre of rock and roll."

Tyler Hamilton's Diary

The guy sure is persistent in contesting the tests that found him guilty of blood doping. Makes you wonder.

Buzzing About Caffeine

New research shows caffeine boosts physical performance in endurance sports.

A Big Deactivation Saturday

Guy who plopped your butt and lawn chair down in the middle of the park's bike-run trail yesterday evening: You have been deactivated--with extreme malice.

Married baseball player who patrols the infield for the New York Yankees and is one of the highest paid professional athletes: For spiriting away the young woman who cuts my hair to New York this weekend, causing her to cancel my appointment with a lame excuse (but I have spies who know the truth about this and what happened between you two last week): You and your phony good-guy image have been deactivated--with even more extreme malice.

Rick Reilly Honors the Hoyts

If you enjoy great sportswriting, you've read Rick Reilly. If you follow endurance sports even casually, you probably know of the Hoyts and have seen 65-year-old Dick push his 43-year-old disabled son, Rick, in marathons--sometimes after towing him through a 2.4-mile swim and peadaling him 112 miles on the handlebars. This week's Sports Illustrated includes a Reilly Father's Day column on the Hoyts.

"This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 -- only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. 'No question about it,' Rick types. 'My dad is the Father of the Century.'"

Lance Armstrong: Seven Samurai

From the new Sports Illustrated cover story:

"There was Crow, sitting cross-legged on a hotel bed on Saturday night, leafing through a Pottery Barn Kids catalog -- she and Armstrong are building a house in Austin -- as he finished an interview. The conversation had been lighthearted, ranging from cycling to coffee beans to Armstrong's future off the bike. ('I'm going to travel the world as Sheryl's guitar-tech guy,' he said.) Now, for the first time that evening, he busted out the Look. Leaning forward, chopping the air with his right hand, he enunciated slowly, 'I do not intend to lose my last Tour.' To see the Look was to seriously doubt that he will."

Sets in the City

It seems New York women with free time and disposable income like to go to the gym.

Activating the World's Fastest Man

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was blasting along at 22.9 miles per hour when he ran a 9.77-second 100-meter dash to set a new world record.

JJ: Helmet Law

Racer
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

The other day I let my four-year-old pedal his bike out of our garage without wearing his helmet. But I hooked his helmet strap over my handlebars and followed him up the driveway. A few minutes later, he asked me to race about 100 yards, to the neighbor's garage door. After I convinced him that Lance always wears helmet during a race, the newly helmeted racer rang his Power Ranger bell to signify the race start ("On your market, get set, go!) and began furiously pedaling toward the finish-line door. As I coasted behind him, I watched his feet slip off the pedals--so he had no brakes. Seconds later, the front tire of his mini-Gary Fisher bike crashed into the garage door at full speed and his body flew forward, with his head smashing into the door. After a brief pause, he turned and gave me a semi-shocked smile. "That's why we wear helmets, right Dad?" - John

Runner Hospitalized With Severe Case Of Carbonatremia

The scary thing about this silly story is that with so many novice runners and triathletes jumping directly to longer-distance events before they really know how to train and what their bodies are capable of, I wasn't sure it was a joke based on the headline.

Flying

Flying
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

Forty-six pounds and fearless.

Quote of the Week: Steve Jobs

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech to Stanford University's graduates.

I liked this quote from Jobs, who recently survived a bout with a rare form of pancreatic cancer: "Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid the fear that you have something to lose."

JJ: Deactivating Tom Cruise

So Katie Holmes is converting to Scientology, and now is officially up Dawson's Creek without a paddle. I can only dream of one day having the juice to convert a successful woman 16 years younger and a few inches taller than me to a religion founded by a science fiction writer. Then, after I give her cold sores, I'll write a screenplay entitled Mission Impossible: IV-Revenge of the Insane Scientologists. What this post has to do with endurance sports and the active lifestyle, I have no idea, but I imagine Tom and Katie work out pretty regularly to keep their girlish figures. - John

Who Will Replace Armstrong?

Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruneel says he isn't sure who will replace Lance Armstrong as team leader after his retirement following this year's Tour de France.

"After Lance, there is no American leader for the moment who can replace him," Bruyneel said. "Either we will find him in the future, or in the meantime we will have some other leaders."

What if Lance doesn't really retire? He'll only be 34 and I don't think playing Whiffleball with his kids will satisfy the guy's hyper-competitive drive.

JJ: Halfmax Triathlon Recap

I did the 1/2 Iron-distance "Halfmax" Triathlon on June 5th in Innsbrook, Missouri.

The day was sultry.......

During the wet drive to the race, I had visions of Jan Ulrich crashing his time trial bike in the 2003 Tour on the slick roads. But by the time we all gathered on the lake beach, the sun was out in full force and it looked like we'd have dry pavement.

I started in the first swim wave, which is always my preference, with all the male 30-39 year olds. The swim was uneventful. I seemed to drift to my left from time to time as we made our way counter-clockwise around the buoys. I also noticed a few colored swimcaps from the wave that started 7 minutes behind me! Doh! Swimming, I just don't get it.

The bike portion consisted of a good mix of hills, flats and wind. I felt good overall, except for the dangerous downhill where my bike began to shimmy out of control. I had visions, this time, of Joseba Beloki, going down in the Tour when Lance had to ride around him into the grass. Somehow, I managed not to hit the deck.

The run is where, as Lance once said, there was some serious gut checking going on. 13.1 miles of hills on gravel roads in the blazing heat? I knew that people would not be able to hammer the run, so I tried to keep it steady and when necessary, just shuffle up the hills. As much as I felt like the run destroyed me, it was my fastest ranking split of the 3 disciplines.

I came across the line significantly slower than 2004, but was succesful in qualifying for the 1/2 Iron distance National Championship later this year.

Activeness! friend Matt from Swimbikerunstlouis wrote a nice race review.
Next race, June 19th, Ironhorse 1/4 Iron distance, Springfield, Illinois. Stay Tuned.

-Jan

Deactivating Sudden U-Turn Soccer Mom

You know who you are. And you almost brought my bike and me down again today. Sudden U-Turn Soccer Mom: You and your mammoth SUV have been deactivated.

The Ultimate Bike Ride

Kevin Mahaney, 43, who just started cycling three years ago, is planning to ride each of the 21 Tour de France stages one day ahead of the peloton. He has hired eight pro riders to lead him through each stage.

Kevin Mahaney, for being willing to throw around this kind of money to experience the Tour de France firsthand while also raising money for charity: You have been activated.

New Las Vegas Marathon Could Pay Millions

Organizers of the new race are offering $1.25 million for men's or women's world records set on the relatively flat course planned in part along the Las Vegas Strip.

"We are going to make history," said New Las Vegas Marathon Chairman Bernie Yuman, longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy and confidant of Muhammad Ali. "We are going to bring in people from all over the world."

If Siegfried & Roy's manager can't do it, nobody can.

Going the Extra Mile

Has anybody ever asked you how many miles your marathon was? More than 500 unwitting runners in Chicago now can answer "27.2." Lakeshore Marathon race director: You have been deactivated.

Book Excerpt: Michael Barry's Inside the Postal Bus

Former U.S. Postal Service rider Michael Barry provides a taste (and smell!) of life on the team bus.

"Everybody gets ready at the same time and the bus becomes a zoo. Backpacks of race clothing are opened, with gear spilling out—numbers, jerseys, shorts—everything that we need for racing. Riders punch the buttons of the coffee machine while others push to get to the race food. Sugar, milk, creamer, condensed milk, and stir sticks all sit beside the automatic machine."

JJ: A Tie Is the Same as a Loss

I lost Diesel's wheel near the end of our ride through the rural roads along the Mississippi River in southeast Illinois. We were finishing a tailwind-fueled stretch of miles in which we had maintained speeds of 25-27 MPH. My quads were burning, my face was caked with salt, my bottles were empty—I was toast. But since we were only two miles from the end, I wasn't worried about falling off Diesel's wheel. I'd just coast in.

Suddenly a train whistle shattered my self-satisfied silence. A couple hundred yards ahead, at the crest of a small hill, I saw the long white train crossing gates begin to lower. One gate narrowly missed Diesel's Cervelo as he scooted over the crossing. "Those things are longer than you expect," he said later. I slowed down, resigned to waiting out the train, which I knew could mean up to 10 minutes standing alone in the heat on the side of the road. But as I rolled closer, Diesel began to frantically wave me in. "You can make it," his body language was saying.

About that time my sugar-deprived brain wasn't functioning. I had one mission: Get out of the sun and immerse myself in the icy Gatorade waiting in the car. So I shifted into a bigger gear, stood on the pedals, and hammered up the hill. My face wore the mask of pain.

I whizzed across the double set of tracks—hopping over various grooves that easily could have grabbed a wheel and sent me tumbling--about 100 feet ahead of that train. I saw it in my peripheral vision but couldn't bear to look. The shrill whistles from the engine told the story.

As we eased down the road, I took a deep breath and Diesel glanced back over his shoulder. "Hey, that train was only about 10 cars." Just then the winds began to kick up and I heard voices emanating from the cornfields that engulfed us. "You're an idiot, John" whispered the breeze.

- John

Run Away From Lisa Ling

Runners World's current featured "celebrity" runner is Lisa Ling, the 31-year-old host of a show I've never seen: the National Geographic Channel's Explorer.

Among Ling's pearls of bizarre running "wisdom":

* "I try to run 45 [minutes] every day. But yesterday, for example, I only ran 43. It's just so hot in Miami."
* "I never run hills. My quads are already big enough. I don't run to build muscle; I do it for cardio."
* "I just wear a basketball jersey. It's mesh, so it doesn't get too soaked.... I go and shop in the boys' section of the NBA store."
* "I have shoes in Miami, L.A., New York and Washington and they're all different. They're all the ones that I get on sale. As a result I really suffer. I have chronically bruised toenails."
* "I would advise anyone to train sufficiently for a marathon."
* "Two weeks before the marathon I was watching the Oscars, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was winning all these awards. I was trying to impress my boyfriend. I try to impress boys with the silliest things. I went down in the splits without stretching, and I pulled my hamstring. It was so painful, but regardless, I had to run that marathon."
* "I have to run with an iPod. Green Day hits at about 30 minutes. And after I hit 30 minutes I can just go crazy."
"I've run covered up in Afghanistan, dressed as a boy. ... They don't wear burkas, obviously. So I didn't wear makeup and kind of covered my head and covered my body and I jogged dressed in a masculine way."
* "It's really not that creative a time for me. Some people say that that's where they are creative, but it's not really for me. I'm just rocking out to my music, trying to perspire. When I'm pounding, I can't really think."
* "I absorb a lot of shock in my shoulders. I have never been able to figure out how to decrease that. So I hate how tense I get in my shoulders from running."
* "Actually, when I'm not running, I'm skinnier. If I stop running for a week, I'll lose weight. I'm very muscular."
* "I try not to eat too many carbs. For no good reason. Even if I eat carbs or no carbs, I weigh the same. I'm not crazy."
* "I can only run with an iPod and having consumed a fair amount of caffeine. If I run in the morning, I have to drink a huge cup of coffee. If I run in the afternoon, I have to either drink a huge cup of coffee or drink a Red Bull."

American Dream or Nightmare?

Here's a chilling (at least to me) account of living in the suburbs while Dad climbs the corporate ladder.

"What is the American dream?" said Karen Handel, chairwoman of the Fulton County Commission in Alpharetta. "It's to have a house of your own, the biggest house you can afford, on the biggest lot you can afford, with a great school for your kids, a nice park to spend Saturday afternoon with your kids in, and deep in amenities that get into the trade-offs with traffic."

She forgot to mention the trade-offs for living a rootless, soulless life.

X: Bunko Means Final Warning

Dear Singleathletes.com:

When I signed up for your online dating service, I was hopeful of meeting like-minded, accomplished athletes like myself that could relate to “the lifestyle” and could handle being with a dedicated champion.

When you matched me up with women who only “competed” in one sport, I decided to look the other way. Though I checked the “hardcore athlete” requirement, I got “runners” who weren’t sure if they finished the half-marathon (walk) in two or three hours. (Ladies: If you have to check your cell phone to check the time, then it’s three hours.) On my last date, I asked the young lady which sports she enjoyed. Her answer: Bunko.

Singleathletes.com, consider this your final warning. Either get me some real athletes or the X-man is Audi 5000, G. That means you should reduce your revenue projections by $24.95 a month. Got it?

-Anonymous Racer X

Foot Injury in a Box?

The new Nike Free shoes are designed to mimic the feel of running barefoot. They move and bend like the human foot.

Pretty Fly

Pretty Fly
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

A few days ago my 21-year-old brother, Brian, launched himself from an airplane 14,000 feet above the Swiss Alps. Pretty fly for a Bri guy.

Brian, you have been activated.

The World's a Better Place at Dawn

Find out how to become an early riser.

"Go to bed only when you're too sleepy to stay up, and get up at a fixed time every morning."

JJ: Highland, IL Biathlon

The 27th annual Highland, Illinois Biathlon (5 mile run, 15 mile bike) took place this Memorial Day. 27th ANNUAL??!!!! Holy cow. I thought this was a “new” sport. And man, has it become competitive.

In 2002, the last time I did this race, I came in 13th. This year, despite a slightly faster time, I came in 21st.

The field consisted of two Olympic 2008 triathlon hopefuls, training full-time with Team USA in Colorado, at least two Hawaii Ironman qualifiers, the Missouri state marathon champion, and countless other champions from triathlon, to road racing, to mountain biking. Eeesh!

Takeaways from the race:
• Olympic hopefuls are fast! One was St. Louisan, Sarah Haskins.
• Short races are lactic hell sufferfests.
• Racing pushes you like no well-intentioned hard training can.

Next up: ½ Ironman Halfmax Triathlon, Innsbrook, Missouri, June 5th

Stay tuned.
-Jan

Go Pre!

Nike has a new TV ad featuring Pre. Exploiting the gift?

This weekend's annual Prefontaine Classic track and field meet in Eugene, Oregon, marks the 30th anniversary of Steve Prefontaine's death.

Meet director Tom Jordan remembers being in the Hayward Field stands to watch Pre race: "All of a sudden, I see Pre is out there jogging and they were applauding his warm-up. Of course, once the race started, there was the rhythmic clapping and the stomping of the feet. Every time he came around, there was this `boom, boom, boom' off the West Grandstand. It gave me chills. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up."

Change or Die? Most Choose Death

Change or die? Fast Company magazine cites scientifically studied odds of nine to one that you’ll choose death.

The vast majority of the U.S. health care budget still goes toward people with diseases resulting from how they choose to live their lives. The five obvious behavioral issues are too much smoking, drinking, eating, and stress, and not enough exercise.

But not even severe heart disease can motivate most people. "If you look at people after coronary-artery bypass grafting two years later, 90% of them have not changed their lifestyle," says Dr. Edward Miller, the dean of the medical school and CEO of the hospital at Johns Hopkins University.

"Providing health information is important but not always sufficient," says Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California. "We also need to bring in the psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions that are so often ignored."

Ornish believes many live the way they do as a day-to-day strategy for coping with their emotional troubles. "Telling people who are lonely and depressed that they're going to live longer if they quit smoking or change their diet and lifestyle is not that motivating," Ornish says. "Who wants to live longer when you're in chronic emotional pain?"

Instead of trying to motivate them with the "fear of dying," Ornish inspires a new vision of the "joy of living" -- convincing them they can feel better, not just live longer. "Joy is a more powerful motivator than fear."

A Welcome Distraction

So guys send these photos of "wives, girlriends, sisters, mothers, coworkers, and neighbors" in exchange for a pair of PEZ socks? Good deal.