Debate: Walking the Marathon

As more and more walkers participate in marathons like San Francisco's, some runners aren't happy.

"Some running purists, however, can be snobbish or insist that walking compromises the integrity of marathons by slowing them down and transforming a sport that began in ancient Greece into a cause or social event."

Activations From a Saturday Morning Ride

ACTIVATED
*Elderly gas station proprietor behind the counter in a small town: For being friendly to bikers spending a couple of bucks on energy bars and drinks and using the restroom. Usually at service stations or stores we get more of a vibe of just being tolerated--if that. One guy who runs a shop has had a sign reading, "No bike cleats--new floors" for three years. He must get a lot of new floors.
*Diesel: For letting me suck wheel for 98% of every ride without pulling a Chris Horner and chucking his water bottle at me. And for letting me take a pull today for all of two minutes.
*The huge amount of bike riders that have taken to the roads over the past several years. Our nearly deserted route from 8-9 years ago has been overtaken by cyclists. Love or hate Lance, he has jumpstarted the cycling trend in the U.S. and that's good for all who love the sport.
*Mother Nature: For giving us a July morning with low humidity, temps in the 70s, and no wind.

DEACTIVATED
*Odd-looking man who looked like a cross between Lucy Liu and a young Don Ho and dressed in long-sleeved silk shirt, fancy dress pants, and flip-flops at 9 AM who, as we stood by our bikes, was burning holes through our lycra shorts while filling his tank with gas. Creepy.
*Woman who walked her lab to exhaustion. The poor dog was just lying in the middle of the road panting. She OK? "I think I just walked her too far."
*Minivan driver who made a point to stay in her lane despite being inches from our bikes on the shoulder. This is so common that it's probably not worth noting. "Just Making a Point Driver:" You have been permanently deactivated.

Legwork

Of all the weight legwork I do, I’m best at the Cybex adductor machine. Years of running and cycling, along with God-given genetics, have equipped me with the strength and flexibility to spread my legs extra wide and then squeeze my knees together with that entire stack of weights—even the three extra five-pound plates. I love watching the next person continuing his or her circuit at the adductor machine marvel at the fact that the X-Man had just slammed the stack. And guys, here’s a tip: The X-Man has been known to scout the adductor machine for potential date candidates. The femininas that do well there possess certain positive qualities, if you know what I mean. Abduction is nice but adduction is where it’s at.
-Racer X

Le Post-Tour Depression

When you break up with someone, it's not so bad until you go somewhere or do something you used to do together. Then it hits.

Over the past few weeks my indoor trainer rides had been accompanied by OLN. I'd turn on the close captioning, stash the remote, and begin riding in a Tour time trial, peloton, breakaway, or chase group. My nutrition came from the window sill instead of the team car.

Without the Tour, my legs are uninspired, my position is non-aero, and my focus is lacking. I'm in a funk. And, Tom Cruise, vitamins and exercise aren't helping. I must have been with Matt Lauer while the rest of the world was studying the history of psychology with you.

Notice to all Activeness! readers who ride indoor trainers: These are not suitable Tour replacements: 1) Gastineau Girls; 2) E! True Hollywood Story (Christina Aguilera); 3) Survivor re-runs; 4) Professional bull riding; 5) Professional wrestling.

The Weather Channel helps. Sprint when you see green (rain) on the radar, climb in a big gear when you see red (hurricane, tornado), get down in the aerobars during local "on the 8" reports, and recover during airport delays, the allergy forecast, and commercials.

I know things will get better. It just takes time.

The Science of Lance

From National Geographic:

"When people reach exhaustion, their muscles build up acid, which causes the muscles to stop contracting. But Armstrong's muscles produce about half as much acid as the average person's muscles do when they get fatigued. This allows him to recover much faster than other people.

'You can see when Armstrong races, he can attack better than anybody,' Coyle said. 'He makes a break, then backs off and then breaks again, wearing [the others] down until they can't recover, and then he just takes off.'"

Dear Chris-itna

I don't know you (yet), but you showed up in my singleathletes.com dating service as a potential match for the X-Man. Now I've been known to make a typo here and there, but for the most part I can use the excuse of being oxygen-deprived as I type from a laptop inside my hyperbaric chamber or that I'm just plain exhausted from my latest bonk while training for Ironman Korea.

If either of the aforementioned excuses apply to you, then that's totally cool: Let's hook up for a brick, do some GU, and see where it goes. But if your name is really Christina and not Chris-itna and you just can't type your own name or don't care enough to double-check it, then I'm going to have to "close" you out of the X-Man's rolldown. I think Ablert or Stewrat would make better matches.
-Racer X

Vino Signs With Liberty-Seguros

So Alexandre Vinokourov has signed with the Spanish Liberty-Seguros team. I wonder if T-Mobile will have as much success chasing down his breaks as a competitor as they did this year, when he was a teammate?

"I'm still friends with Jan," the 31-year-old Vinokourov said, "but it was obvious you can't have two Tour contenders in the same team."

What Goes on While I’m Sleeping?

A few months ago I bought a fancy scale that measures body fat % and body water %, in addition to weight.

I’ve since discovered an interesting phenomenon. According to the scale, I lose weight every night (no surprise there). But occasionally it’s four pounds! At the same time, my body fat percentage always goes up. Go figure.

My non-scientific conclusion: I am dreaming about chasing down a box of Krispy Kremes and devouring them once I make the catch.

Daily Dose

Comedy Central's The Daily Show did some "reporting" on this year's Tour. Among the gags:
* A rebuttal to Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike book authored by his bike and called, F*** You, Lance.
* Jon Stewart: "During his post-win speech, he said to the non-believers of cycling, 'I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles.' And then, Lance Armstrong reached into his shorts and pulled out a unicorn!"
*Correspondent Rob Corddry appeared live from France to announce that, with Armstrong's retirement from the sport, "Americans will never have to care about cycling again."
* Corddry also reported that Armstrong's Disco team will continue to help him during his retirement, with Big George and Beltran on homework, Padrnos as au pair, and Savoldelli and Rubiera handling "relations" with Sheryl Crow. "It's a team sport, Jon. Come on! The guy's got one ball!"

101 Run Training Tips

Taking a break from telling us how to develop great abs in just three days, Runner's World has a list of 101 great training tips from running experts past and present.

As I prepare to run the Chicago Marathon again this October, I like this one, entitled "divide by three:"

"Divide the marathon into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." --Mike Fanelli, runner and coach

Mini-Lance

Mini-Lance the triathlete wears number 1 and mugs for the camera.

Then there's this six-year-old triathlete, who probaby writes his own tri blog detailing the travails of putting in adequate training for his target races while fulfilling his responsibilities as a first-grader and still finding time to watch Power Rangers.

Yellow Journalism

This is a cool gallery of newspaper front pages from Lance's Tour victory.

PEZ's Take on TdF 2005

Was Le Tour over in the first 20 minutes?

"Take the power to weight ratios from the Prologue and the very instant Lance passed Jan on Day One, this thing was in the hamper...If not for Vino trying to kick what ever ass was placed in front of him, it might not have seemed like a bike race at all."

"I know Lance should be allowed to celebrate, but I bet he retires about as well as Jordan, Lemieux, George Foreman or Mariah Carey."

I wonder what the ladies think? The usual Activeness prize goes to the first person to spot Elisa, the sister of the Tour boss's heir apparent.

Tour de France Slide Show

The New York Times shows "Armstrong's Final Statement."

Running Shoe Roulette

I'm mystified by the variety of running shoes you can buy at a big box store like Sports Authority. It could make sense for runners who have previously been helped by professionals at a specialty running shoe store to pop in to pick up the same model. But how can the other 99 percent of these stores' customers possibly know which shoe to select? Is the fit right? Do you need cushioned, motion control, lightweight racing, stability, trail running, or walking shoes? A combination? Got a question? Just ask that 16-year-old "associate" slouching against the gun counter.

And who dictated the new style trend that the majority of running shorts sold at places like this should be extra-loose and baggy? American focus group participants who need extra-loose and baggy shorts? Certainly not somebody who has run more than three miles in the heat.

Sports Authority, for allowing customers to play running shoe roulette and encouraging them to wear floppy shorts bound to cause chafing when wet: You have been deactivated.

Cheap Shot

Good to see Jan Ullrich getting a headstart on his 2006 Tour training.

LanceBox 2006!

Activeness reader C-Bus Bob has a great take on how OLN will deal with Tour de France coverage post-Lance:

"With Popovych, Ullrich, Basso, and a few other guys, the Tour should actually be quite exciting in 2006. For U.S. audiences they're going to make it an interactive event, where you can buy special contollers and actually shoot lasers at the riders from your living room. Referred to as LanceBox, you will be awarded points, much as sprinters and king of the mountain racers. John Madden and Ron Santo have been hired as announcers. Boom!"

What Happened to Michael Rasmussen in the Time Trial?

British ABCC coach Ric Stern has some ideas over at CyclingNews.com

"We saw that Michael Rasmussen lacked some skills today, as well, as the raw power required to time trial at the highest level. Not only did he crash once due to poor handling skills on a descent, but it's possible that his first crash (note: I'm speculating. I do this a lot!) was due to anxiety. ... Once you've experienced a crash under these circumstances it can be hard to rein your thoughts in and negative self-talk can cause further issues as panic sets in."

The Only Way to Beat Lance?

©EuroSport
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

French girls try one last ploy to break Lance's concentration.

Jan Ullrich's Last Tour Diary

Sorry, but I have to believe the only word Jan Ullrich writes in his T-Mobile Tour diary is the "Later" at the end. Still, a nice sentiment that he's happy about Vino's win today. Clearly Jan's a "great "bi' rider" and I wouldn't mind seeing the guy start the race at peak form (for once) and win another Tour next year. Basso still has plenty of time to collect his own wins.

Lance the Triathlete, Take II

How'd you like to be competing in an Austin-area triathlon next year and watch a guy with a "34" Sharpied on his calf blast by you on a tricked-up Trek? Martin Dugard indicates that could happen:

"Armstrong also stated that he is an athlete, and will still compete to keep himself fit. He specifically mentioned doing a few running and biking events in his hometown. Then he joked about maybe doing an Ironman in a couple years."

Top Ten Signs Lance Armstrong Is Getting Cocky

David Letterman weighs in with a Top Ten list:

"8. Is only giving 109%"

Activating Tour Rider #13: Matthias Kessler – Team T-Mobile

I’m intrigued by the underexposed riders in the Tour. Where are they from? How did they get to this level? What makes them tick? Of the 189 riders that started this year’s Tour, many have never or barely been mentioned. When the OLN broadcasters pointed out that the rider on the German T-Mobile squad, Matthias Kessler, wore the number 13 upside down on the back of his jersey because “he was very superstitious”, I had to see who this guy was. Turns out he’s the unlucky fellow who went flying into a fence post in the 2004 Tour, and after gutting out a stage finish with broken ribs, had to drop out. This year he looks to make it to the finish in Paris -- he currently sits in 57th place in the GC.

Activating Martin Dugard's Blog

Martin Dugard's blog is, bar none, the best I've ever read. Part travelogue, journal, reflection and, of course, insider Tour report. Dugard is a bestselling author (and a a runner) traveling with the Tour de France to research his next book: Chasing Lance.

"This whole country is beguiling and beautiful; medieval and modern; sublime and gaudy. Every day I fall in love with some sleepy little town or some romantic view. Every day I see something that turns my head and makes me gape in awe. Some times that’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s a little weird."

Note to Self: Run With Bulls, Not Riders

©AFP
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

This guy decided to run next to Big George Hincapie and Oscar Pereiro as they climbed a mountain on the 15th stage in the heart of the Pyrenees. When Running Guy ran out of gas and stopped, he apparently forgot that a TV motorbike--and the rest of the race--was following him. Hope everyone was OK.

Lance's Playboy Interview

Sex, drugs, rock and roll. This is far from your typical cycling magazine interview.

PLAYBOY: If you win another Tour or three, will you retire, sit around on the couch and get fat?
ARMSTRONG:: I'll be a fitness junkie forever, not out of shape like some guys. But I'm not naming names... achoo-lemond!
PLAYBOY: During that sneeze one side of your mouth mentioned Greg LeMond, your boyhood hero, who won three Tours but now rips you. He suspects you're a doper. What's your relationship with LeMond?
ARMSTRONG:: None. What he did in 1989 and 1990 was phenomenal. But Greg's not even worth talking about today. And I don't need to hear from him -- he'd only shove his foot farther down his mouth.

Phil and Paul Bingo

Print these cards and play some Phil and Paul Bingo? Was that a "Tough Bi' Rider" followed by "Spot of Bother?" I just need a "Heads of State" and I have bingo!

How Do Cycling Teams Work?

How do cycling teams support their leaders? Slate explains.

Tour de France Lion

Want to get your hands on one of those French Credit Lyonnais souvenir Tour de France lions? Then train like a madman and win! Or try eBay.

T-Mobile's Team Site

T-Mobile's team web site is as strong and deep as its Tour team. Did you know Jan's brother, Stefan Ullrich, is the team mechanic? That the massive German himself is blogging ("We will get our chance this weekend.")? That even Vino isn't sure who is the team captain ("We still have three aces up our sleeves.")? You can also buy lots of T-Mobile pink gear here. The guy with the hot pink frame who almost took out Diesel on the bike path last week while riding with headphones and sans helmet could go to town.

Reason #742 We All Should Be Out Running

I received this email--which appears to be from Dan to the Internet--today. I hope the "incident" has taught Dan a valuable lesson--as it has me. Cripes, the Zoloft helps but the aftershocks remain.

"Hey Net, how is it going? Well just thought that I would write you a little letter and let you know how I'm doing. I'm doing a lot better now that about 2 weeks have gone by and I'm starting to heal. Boy, I sure learned my lesson about this incident. I will not make this same mistake again that I can assure you. This really scared me a good bit. I will be walking again soon cause the doctor told me so. Well gotta go so write me back soon. DAN"

SPIEGEL Interview with Eddy Merckx

The writer from German magazine SPIEGEL was relentless in asking five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx to endorse Jan Ullrich as the favorite in this year's Tour. Merckx, though, wouldn't bite. Read the interview and wonder if the writer now is crying in his or her stein of Beck's.

Merckx:

"Ullrich is not capable of doing the right thing. Talent by itself is not enough. If one doesn't work hard, one will never make it to the top of the heap."

"Did he become a bicycle racer because he really likes riding? Or did he become a racer because the East German system forced him into it? His talent as a rider was discovered and so he had to ride for the glory of the state -- there was no way for him to say no. Sports have to be fun for younger people. For me, bicycle racing was always a passion and the best thing in the world. I think that for Ullrich, compulsion played too large of a role. Jan is a nice guy, but he is missing the massive ambition that Armstrong has."

Awwww. Please, somebody give the interviewer a hug.

Healthy Food for Thought

On OLN this morning, Coach Chris Carmichael noted that Lance would consume about 6,000 calories during Stage 12. The camera might add 10 lbs., but it appeared that Chris might consume 6,000 calories of his own.

Anyway, perhaps he would benefit from this list of more than 100 healthy foods that need less than 30 minutes to prepare. I know I would.

Live Bait Vending

North Dakota live bait vending machine: As a non-fisherman, I'm not sure whether to activate or deactivate you. Will we live to see the day of GU/Gel vending? Probably not.

Roll: "The Wienerschnitzel Is Bitter Indeed"

When he's not riding naked on a trainer, Bob Roll writes some excellent daily Tour reports for OLN. From today's report:

"Cruising and predatory, Lance Armstrong asphyxiated the field and left in his wake, not just some, but all of the pre-race favorites. Basso was ruined. Ullrich, Klöden, and Vinokourov, the Team Mobile leaders, were annihilated. Roberto Heras, Iban Mayo, Floyd Landis, Levi Leipheimer, Bobby Julich -- all great athletes, well-paid on the best teams. But you don’t tell Godzilla, the monster of the Tour, how to kill. You just step back and watch the destruction. ... In the sprint, Alejandro Valverde got the better of Lance by a little, tiny bit. But the GC is litany of despair for everyone else in this field. The wienerschnitzel is bitter indeed."

bobinthebuff.com

Watch Bob Roll get more exposure than necessary.

Liggett-isms of the Day

Phil Liggett-isms as Lance Armstrong powered up the mountain to Courchevel in an incredible Stage 10:

"Armstrong is an angry man!"
"Carnage is the only way to describe this ascent!"
"The devil has joined in and that's never a good sign."
"What do these riders think of Armstrong? He's with them one minute, gone the next."

Partner Paul Sherwen also was on fire:

"Armstrong is tapping out a pace which is infernal!"
"Armstrong is dictating an unbelievable, infernal pace!"
"This is an infernal climb!"
"[Armstrong] will be looking at the muscle fibers of the guys in front of him. If he sees them twitch, he'll be ready to pounce!"
"He did what he had to do here this afternoon: He laid down the law."

An Interview With Floyd Landis

Canadian cycling magazine Pedal has an interview with Floyd Landis conducted by his coach, Allen Lim.

Landis tells Kim he likes to train long and hard.

"I mean we don't do any long slow rides in the Tour so there's no sense in training like that is there? I guess my reasoning is that if you can do long and hard, why do long and easy. There are only so many hours and days for training. And sometimes an extra hour riding the bike is one less hour of recovery."

Voigt Deserves Some Yellow

Though he'll likely give it up today, many were happy to see the popular Jens Voigt wearing the yellow jersey.

Voigt has built a career on attacking. "You know, I just go," he says of his mentality for getting in breakaways. "Cycling's not rocket science. You want to ride well? Train hard. You want to ride real well? Train very hard."

Activating the Ultimate Olympian

The world would be much more interesting if more people would pursue some kind of ridiculous challenge or impossible adventure. Activeness! announces the activation of the Ultimate Olympian:

"I am a man. I weigh just under 80kg. As such, there are 136 Olympic events in which I would be eligible to compete. Between the closing ceremony of Athens 2004 and the opening ceremony of Beijing 2008, I hope to have a go at all of them. I’m doing it for two reasons – to raise money for a very worthy cause and because I’ve always wondered just how one goes about learning to pole vault."

Check out the UO's blog.

Eat Strong

A day of rest during the Tour de France means an "easy" 60-mile ride and lots of healthy eating and drinking, reports USA Today's Sal Ruibal. Check out some of coach Chris Carmichael's favorite recipes at the end of the article.

JJ: Race Recap: Hillsboro, IL Biathlon

I joined 113 other competitors and about twenty 2-person teams to compete in the Independence Day Hillsboro Biathlon consisting of a 5-mile run and 20-mile bike. This was my 3rd time racing in the small Illinois town about 75 miles east of St. Louis.

The course is very straightforward. Start on the cobblestones, down the hill, out and back, ditto on the bike. Wind is usually a factor.

The run was humid and uneventful. As we circled the city hall to get on our bikes, I estimated I was in 12-15th place.

Unlike triathlons where I usually find myself trying to come from behind after the swim, I was now going to try and hold off as many bikers behind me and see if I could move past some of the faster runners ahead.

Feeling good with a tailwind, I was holding onto 11th at the bike turnaround. With 3 miles to go, there were four of us jockeying for the uphill/cobblestone finish. One guy was blatantly sitting on my wheel. No one took charge at the base of the hill, so I went first but did not attack. Montani attacked, followed by the guy in green riding illegally in the middle of the road. Before I knew it, we were on the cobbles and a rider came from nowhere blowing past all of us (the Cat 4 Missouri State time trial champion). There was no time to react or recover and the race was over. What just happened?

In the end I finished 12th with a course PR, and a bike PR. For the first time, I believe, my bike split ranked ahead of my run. Interesting that it comes on the verge of acquiring a new triathlon-specific bike. Bad move?

Despite being unprepared and un-aggressive enough in the final sprint, I felt solid on the bike and enjoyed the day.
-Jan

Bored by Lance

"Armstrong's wins always seem to lack something," opines SI.com writer Bill Syken, who once again exposes how little even the typical U.S. sportswriter knows about the Tour.

"Seventh Heaven"

The Tour de France 2005 is far, far from over. I just wanted to be the first to use the "Seventh Heaven" headline to highlight Lance's potential seventh Tour win. Done.

We Love LA!

PopMatters explores the legacy of Lance Armstrong.

"If Armstrong has opened this bizarre world of beloved cheats and spectacular runners-up to an American audience, it's a remarkable achievement. Not least because it's shown the bitterly conservative sports media that America does care about what happens outside the 50 states."

Biking and Blogging the Tour de France

This guy won a Subaru sweepstakes, and now he's on his way to France to climb aboard his new Trek Madone 5.2, ride abbreviated Tour stages, and blog about it.

Los Angeles Times writer Diane Pucin is dishing out some great stuff in her Tour blog.

..."There is a bit of fun being made of Boonen because a Belgian tabloid newspaper quoted him as saying he doesn't think about sex during the Tour until he is riding towards Paris and then, and I'm just quoting, 'I get really horny.'"

Bush to Scotland: "Clean Up Bike Trails or You're Next"

President Bush picked up some road rash in Scotland. When I make my trans-Atlantic journeys to meet with world leaders, I always like to don my grape-smugglers and squeeze in a quick bike ride before we get down to business.

Tour Baby

TourBaby
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

If my baby girl's first words are something like, "He's dancing on his pedals in a most immodest way," or "He climbs like an angel," then my wife may figure out how the two of us have been spending our July mornings together. Damn you, Phil Liggett!

As of today, Lance has worn the yellow jersey 68 days in his career. Baby is about 150 days old.

Sullying the Yellow Jersey

TdF quote of the day, uttered by the great Phill Liggett as poor Dave Zabriskie crashed hard near the end of today's team time trial:

"The maillot jaune has been sullied!"

Here's a discouraged Dave crossing the line.

Next time a meddling Globo Corp. exec ruins something I've worked on, I can't wait to proclaim, "Madam/Sir: You have sullied my report!"

Book Review: Heft on Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180

A co-worker loaned me the autobiographical account of Mike Magnuson’s journey from overweight, alcoholic smoker to, 100 pounds later, avid cyclist. The book is a quick read and kept me interested. I even was familiar with some of the cycling routes described in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As I got deeper into the book, I grew increasingly antsy about the lack of mention of his wife and kids, who didn’t seem to cross his mind as he spent all his time cycling with his training buddies. Despite his impressive turnaround, I was starting to dislike him for the lack of husband and father time. Fortunately, though, he did address this toward the end in a way that salvages the respect I wanted to have for him in making such a dramatic lifestyle change. I also liked the honesty with which he described his job and how it fit into his priorities and life in general. This is something a lot of amateur adult athletes can relate to.
-Jan

Activating the Cycling Photo Wire

AP TdF
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

Lots of TdF images feeding through the AP's Cycling Photo Wire.

Talk of the Devil...

...And his horns appear.

Is the Kaiser's Tour Already Over?

Did Jan Ullrich take the opening stage seriously enough, wonders VeloNews?

"Fifteen kilometers into the 19km time trial, Armstrong whipped past the German, making him look like an old man more than a Tour contender. In the first 20 minutes of the Tour, Ullrich has lost more than one minute - seven seconds more than he lost in the entire Tour in 2003. ... Ullrich and his entourage appeared flabbergasted as to just what happened in those 20 short minutes by the Atlantic seaboard."

Activating PEZ

PezCycling News has some great Tour coverage. Stage reports like this remind me of sitting around and talking cycling with friends who know their stuff. Excerpt:

"After 6 years of amazing rides in the world’s biggest race, Lance did it again today by slapping his challengers right upside da’ head with a TT ride for the record books. But small-fry Dave Zabriskie (CSC) showed the stones to win the day.

Cervelo's Tour de France

Here's a cool video montage from last year's Tour de France.

JJ: Church Sign I'd Like To See

Church
Originally uploaded by jjactive.

Create your own at Church Sign Generator.
-John