Its a bit later than normal, but here goes.

After a few weeks of successful racing I headed up to WP Trials on Friday last week with a bit of hesitance, as I was nursing an upper respiratory tract infection, commonly known as a Stuffy Head. I did not feel great and was going up to see how I went, but not to kill myself. My plan was to work hard in the swim and bike, and coast the run with a hopeful lead.

I knew some of the faster guys were not coming up and this gave me a bit of hope for the day as well.

We lined up on Saturday morning with the usual smack talk and chatter and I got a good spot on the swim line and before we knew it, we were off on our 2 laps. I hung with swim rabbit Emslie for about 300m and then backed off once I saw we had a gap on the group. I merely wanted to limit loss to Emslie but still build a bit of a break to the chasing pack before the bike got going.

My new Orca Alpha suit, boys and girls, is the shiznitz. It felt really amazing in the water, with less restriction on the arms than I have ever felt. I swim with quite straight arms, and the suit didn’t inhibit that for one second. Kudos to Orca, I think first 4 out the water were all in Orca suits.

Onto the bike, and the mission was to sit up till about 5km, then hammer till 30km, then spin into T2. Mission was on the way when at about 5km I passed young Emslie on the bike and motored by, riding hard (there may have been a bit of white foam on the mouth at this point), checking my Suunto to make sure I was keeping it above 170. At 10km, I had 75sec on 2nd place, at 20km, it was 120sec. On leg 3 I thought I heard a puncture and nearly platzed myself, but the faint noise wouldn’t go, even if the tire was staying hard.

At 30km I still had 120sec over Harold chasing, with a foxy Brendan Lowen on his ass like a fly to a vrot carcass in the sun. I could see they were catching as Harold murders the bike, his freakishly sized calves not being supportive for his running agendas. I was pumped full of Whaspgel by this stage and was ready to spin/hammer home, but I felt as if I was riding with someone holding onto my shirt.

The last leg was murder and I couldn’t understand why it seemed so much harder (inspection after the race revealed that the brakes had locked onto my rear wheel a little and it was tough to spin the wheel – hence the extra effort and loss of time in the last 20km) but kept spinning as I wanted to have semi-fresh legs for the run, whereas I knew the two behind were going to hammer all the way into T2.

The official gap was around 30sec into T2, but I set out running lightly up the hill, but not murdering myself. My Puma racers were perfect for the day, no socks, light, no blisters, and YELLOW!

All our flat running was about to pay off. I buried the downhills and the flats, going deep into GP circuits for inspiration. The lead went up to 1:30 by the end of lap 1, 2:30 by the end of lap 2 so that I had the time and space to chill on lap 3 heading home for a well deserved win, sinus and rubbing wheels couldn’t stop me today.

As I came into the finishline I knew that the sickness, the strange bike feeling and the new, much harder run route would add to around 5minutes of extra time, so to come in just over 2 hours was a happy achievement, and proof that these damn ME workouts have paid off, that the calorie counting has paid off, and that a new attitude is paying off.

Thanks to all my sponsors, you make it so much easier. Puma, Orca, Whasp, Suunto, Rockets (worn in the car on the way home for no sore legs the next day), Jack Black Beer (official recovery fuel).

all images credited to Tess

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Those of you who have been unlucky enough to be coached by me know the value I put on my once a week gym session for you. Whilst not a full body session, its far more of a “core” workout. I place alot of value on lunges, squats, core work and quite alot of stability stuff i.e. one leg at a time.

The reason for this is simple – we do not hop when we bike, or run. Pretty much always (barring extreeeeeeeme desperation) we go ahead, one leg at a time. We also have to learn to keep our core strength statically strong for extended periods of time.

Wobble on your bike? time to do some plank exercises…

There is a pretty good workout here and a great explanation for why we do strength work is simply that, as we get a little older, we tend to get a little weaker, and to stay fresh with the whipper snappers, and able to be in the mix, you need some strength in there too.

A fantastic reason to be in the gym is also to avoid injury. I was fairly injury prone a few years ago, until I started regular work in the gym. Every single one of my disciplines got faster, and I have since, never been injured.

Also, as Crowder says. “A little rippedness never hurt nobody.”

Here is a new one I found today, which after a quick mail to the Muse, has gotten approval for insertion into the program. Hip Flexors, Hammies, Quads, Stability, all in there…

Unfortunately, for the mirror athletes, there are no bicep curls, and no calf raises.

But why only once a week? Ask my athletes about GR/ME/Big Gear Intervals. They are gym, ON the bike. They are included in almost every work-out we do. They DO hurt, but they ARE worth it. I have yet to come across another form of specificity towards ME (Muscular Endurance) that works as well as GR (Gear restriction) intervals…

Want to know more? Drop me a line… raoul [at] urban-ninja.co.za

ciao ciao

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Encourage them….

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TT Bike Fit have a great article on the TDF bike tech. I just had to put it in after the team time trial yesterday. I loved watching how awesome the teams looked, all aero and moving SO SO SO fast in unison.

There are some clearly converging trends in aero bike design that were visible to the trained bike-nerd eye on Saturday:

Bayonet-style extended head tubes: Pioneered a few years ago by Felt, we now have extreme versions on the Giant which debuted a year ago, along with the Specialized Shiv and the Trek Speed Concept. The new Scott achieves a similar end by using a fixed but extended head tube. While these designs may improve front end stiffness, the main purpose is likely to increase the airfoil chord length of the head tube, turning it into a broad 8-1 or similar airfoil shape. They also give the ability to blend the front end more smoothly into the front wheel/fork, and in some cases facilitate hiding the front brake and cable. Note that the Look 596 (I didn’t see any of these on the TDF coverage- but they may have been there) also sports it’s own version of this design.

1. The Original Bayonet (Felt) with a modified stem
2. The Giant took the bayonet design to the next level
3. The Giant TT took the bayonet design to the next level – but otherwise looks like a P3 knockoff
4. The Shiv sports a large “nose cone” with integrated bars and brakes

Hidden brakes and cables: Also pioneered by Felt, the behind-the-BB under-inside-over -chainstays rear brake position is becoming standard. The Giant (at least some examples), Trek, Scott, Specialized (Shiv and Transition), and Cervelo P4 all use this design to clean up the trailing edge of their frames. Front brake placement however is still evolving. Some designs mount the brake behind the fork (Giant, Fuji), but the latest designs are embedding them along with their cables within the fork or head tube extension (Trek, Shiv). Notably absent from any front brake innovations are Cervelo (the P4 uses a conventional setup) and Scott.

Fared rear wheel: Pioneered by Cervelo on the P3, most new TT frames now blend the rear wheel tightly into the seat tube.

Low seat stays: Pioneered by Kestrel and QRoo some 20 years ago (and maybe by others even earlier). Seat stays on most of these frames join the seat tube far lower than they would on a standard road design. While this can stiffen up the rear end, it also helps keep the trailing edge clean and narrow, turning the upper half of the trailing edge into a shape similar to a sleek airplane rudder.

Integrated front ends: The new bayonet designs are allowing stemless front end setups with bars being mounted directly on top of the “nose cones”. Trek uses a modified version with a custom stem that blends tightly into the front end faring. While some designers have used this setup to eliminate dead space that occurs behind a standard stem/steerer tube by blending the bars evenly into the top tube, Trek diverges here also, setting the top tube below the bars but providing a smooth transition via the custom stem.

I think you have to give some props to Felt here, as some of these convergent design features were pioneered by Felt a few years ago: Bayonet fork and hidden rear brake. I didn’t notice any major changes to their frames as ridden by Team Garmin though. They did have a modified stem attachment on at least some frames for a smoother shape and lower position.

Another thing that is quickly becoming clear: Pro-Tour riders are demanding different frames than those sold to the mass tri market. Scott’s manager mentioned this potential trend at the Tour of CA, after Team Columbia refused to ride the Plasma 2 in the TT’s. When 1-2 secs over 60 minutes can be crucial, it is no surprise that these guys expect no-holds-barred aero designs that don’t necessarily lend themselves well to the tri market. Many of these riders use massive amounts of front end drop that would be simply unachievable on some “tri frames”. On the flip side, such designs would have limited mass-market appeal. They also have to conform to increasingly draconian UCI rules – tri bikes don’t. Finally, many of these super-aero innovations will be very difficult to build up and maintain, and will be even more difficult (and expensive) to adapt to a wide range of rider sizes and fits due to the broad use of custom parts. And let’s face it, a pro-tour TT and a triathlon bike leg have little in common other than the requirement for some amount of aerodynamic efficiency and aero-position friendliness. With all the other variables in a triathlon you have to admit that splitting these ‘aero hairs” on mass market tri bikes is probably not worth the hassle and expense.

Specialized has made it clear that their Shiv will be sold to the public next Spring, but in a “take it or leave it” manner. The frame will have one stack height, and a few different reaches (likely through swapping out the front end faring attachment in some manner). Essentially, it will be “size M” with a few different “stem lengths” available. If you fit on it and have what is likely to be big bucks, then have at it. If not, too bad. Specialized makes no apologies: the Pro-Tour riders are close enough in size and fit that most will fit on this one-size frame. To compensate the rest of us, they plan to offer 3 more sizes of the Transition – a great idea since the existing frame range is quite narrow fit-wise.

There are also clear signs that the Giant and the Trek will also make it to market in some form (the Trek in 2011). My guess is they will follow Specialized’s lead and offer them on a limited basis. The UCI is having a major influence here, as new rules now state that all race bikes must be “currently marketed” or at least “marketable”. This recalls the ‘homologation specials” in the auto racing world. For example, BMW sold a handful of it’s M1 supercars in street-legal form in the early 80s and E30 M3’s later in the decade so that they could race these designs in touring events.

A few other observations:

The new Trek sports a “Kamm” airfoil design with a squared-off trailing edge, a design used effectively in the auto racing world. This allows a narrower section (i.e. 3-1 fitting the UCI rules) to mimic a broader and more efficient 8-1 airfoil section. If the shape is right, the air flow doesn’t “notice” the squared-off tail and rejoins as if the the tube was a true 8-1 airfoil. Apparently this design works well even in 15 degree yaw situations (thanks to James Huang from cyclingnews.com for a great preview of this frame). I suspect it rapidly stalls at steeper angles of attack, hence you wouldn’t find this airfoil on aircraft. Look for a lot more of this Kamm design on Pro Tour TT bikes if it works as advertised, as it seems to be a way around the UCI’s 3:1 aspect ratio limit.

We finally saw P4’s under the Cervelo Test Team riders. However, at least Sastre didn’t use the P4’s integrated water bottle, and instead had an Arundel-type bottle (made by Elite) mounted in the space. As I have guessed in the past, the UCI “may” not look kindly on the integrated bottle according to a Cervelo Team engineer. Cervelo now stands out as having their Pro-Tour guys on their mass-market frame. Will this be the last Tour without a special Cervelo Pro-Tour TT frame?

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Kestrel has been working on what it dubs, a Superbike. Here is the first side on pic, courtesy of Xtri.com

TT Bike Fit Blog posted their observations (based on the photo only – Kestrel isn’t talking):

* Center pull cantilever front brake. Eliminates the need for aerodynamically dirty cable housing. Similar to Specialized Transition.

* Broad fork blades incorporating mounting posts for cantilever brakes. There appears to be some slotting or interesting sculpting of the fork blades, and the fork crown fares into the downtube.

* No cables. It may be that this prototype simply doesn’t have the cables routed yet. Or, they could be concealed in the steerer/headtube and exit above the front tire, entering the down tube inside the crown faring. Also, there is no front derailleur (now that would be a trick! – I’m sure it’s just not mounted yet) and an electronic rear Dura-Ace derailleur.

* Concealed rear brake

* Very clean and low seat cluster area. The seat stays join the seat tube very low, similar to the Airfoil. This, along with the relocated rear brake, presents a very clean and thin trailing edge allowing air flow to pass between the rider’s legs easily, and likely helps it to rejoin flow passing over and around the rider, reducing low pressure (and hence drag) behind the rider.

* Seat stays form wings around the rear tire near the seat cluster area.

* Tiny, almost rudimentary seat tube. It fares the rear wheel, yes, but I wonder if it is mainly there to satisfy the UCI “double diamond” requirement. The Airfoil seems to do just fine with no seat tube or rear wheel faring.

* There also appears to be some unusual sculpting or slotting on the seat stays.

* The frame look to incorporate a variation on the integrated seat mast – an extended “seat tube mast” with internal post. My guess is the “seat tube mast” may still need to be trimmed to size, but the internal post should allow more adjustment than the caps used with seat masts. It is unclear how the seat post is fastened, and the post itself looks like it may be just a mock-up (quick prototype). In any case this may provide all of the advantages of an integrated seat mast (lighter weight, stiffer, cleaner interface) with greater adjustability. Or, they may add an extended cap onn the outside similar to the D6.

* The seat mast looks to be built at 75 degrees, although there is some parallax distortion in the photo. This will suit UCI regulations well, but will mean that the final seatpost will need a movable clamp (perhaps like the Fuji D6) to get a steep seat angle.

Nice one. I like it. Very much. Let the aero wars continue…

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Destined for legendary status amongst the global triathlon community 11global Cape Town is no ordinary triathlon.

For nearly 400 years, Robben Island, 11 kilometers from Cape Town, was a place of banishment, exile, isolation and imprisonment. However, today Robben Island has come to symbolize, not only for South Africa and the African continent, but for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity.

11global celebrates this triumph and delivers a demanding race course consisting of sub average water temperature, a flat yet windy bike and a fast run. Come prepared as we guarantee to recalibrate your race experience! – Global 11

So, whats the backdrop like?

chilled

Now, how many quality Olympic Distance Races are there in Cape Town? um…. NONE, until now. I am personally very excited about this race and am preparing quite nicely for it at the moment. Non drafting (so juniors with dubious intentions – I will squirt GU2O in your eyes if you sit my wheel), epic swim in the slightly cooler water, and a fast, scenic run. AND its in Cape Town.

If you are racing Ironman, this fits in well with the program. You can schedule this in no problem. The top pro`s from SA and abroad will be there, with the Don making an appearance to keep the guys running hard up front, and I believe it will be a race on par on an organisational level as an Ironman.

So, what are you doing here? Click the link here which takes you to registration, and please, let me know if you`re coming. We should do lunch after the race. I mean, how often do we all get together?

Ciao. Raoul

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Last weekend, I had the priviledge of taking part in the Atlantic Triathlon Club’s Xroads race with good mates Si and Law. Quick bit of background…

Atlantic Tri Club is the largest triathlon club in the country. The focus is FUN and the formula works really well for them. They have great partners and continue to grow not only their club, but the love for triathlon in general. Their events are much the same formula. The Housemate is chairman of the club, so I’m generally flooded with ATC stuff. Which is a great thing. If you’re keen to join, surf over to for more info.

Note the use of the Urban Ninja in the marketing material. How awesome.

Anyhoo. The event consists of a 5km trail run and then the race splits. Roadies have the option to ride 20km on rolling terrain out in Durbanville, and the Dirty Mountainbikers have their own route. The top guys and girls all take the same time to get through their course and end up together in 2nd transition. The race is on for a last 2.5km through the mud and the winner gets an awesome prize. All in all, add in schwarma’s, pretty people and awesome music. That’s a magic formula.

The two mates I brought along, Si & Law, had a blast and I hope to see them at future events. The next one takes place on November 2nd. Hope to see you there.

Lets look at some of the pics… (more…)

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“You’re addicted!” The only way you’ve avoided hearing that phrase is by either not telling people you train most days of the week or by not actually training most days of the week. Such sins of omission are entirely understandable. Keeping the peace, or a low profile can be difficult enough when you’ve got a tan like a panda bear and legs as hairless as Michael Jordan’s head. The full story has been known to cause non-athletes to think your last known address was Area 51. Wait till you do an Ironman, then when you explain to people WHAT it is, you will learn the true meaning of blank expression.

But addicted? It’s not like any of us would ever say, “I can stop this any time.” We don’t pretend our lives could go on without sport and remain fulfilled, enjoyable. And shouldn’t that be the definition of addicted? Shouldn’t a true addiction be something we are honest about, the thing without which our lives would lose some luster? (more…)

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The idea of training camps came to me not in the sense for gaining fitness. There are loads of camps available, and loads of clinics, for people who want to get into the sport of triathlon. We want to cater to a different crowd. I want the best athletes from around South Africa to get together. These are people who work hard, are at the top of their professions, and who also happen to be phenomenal athletes. We want to isolate them from the world and see how far they can push themselves without the normal distractions that are in their daily lives. Just for a week to ten days, they can be professional athletes, and live a part of their dreams.

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They probably have never had the opportunity to test each other, and themselves, day to day. I want to offer them this opportunity. To put themselves at total risk of blowing up, digging deep, and doing it all over again tomorrow. I have done one such camp, and read of many stories from such camps, and the overwhelming sense after the experience is that you are left with this deep sense of calm.

That’s real.

In a culture where so much is made-to-order, I want to offer the top end of our triathlon community the chance to experience that. We will provide them with chef, massages; we will carry their bags, wash their clothes and clean their bikes. All we expect them to do is train, listen to the experts doing talks on the camps, and enjoy the experience.

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Most of these guys will know that victories don’t satisfy their egos. What’s really satisfying to them is the ability to go beyond what is deemed normal, and have a story to tell others in their peer groups.

Added in to training we are going to bring in the top guys in their particular fields to help the athletes with talks on nutrition, equipment, recovery and training methodology. A real 360 degree solution for their busy lives. They aim is to improve not only their sporting lives, but their ability to live well.

We are charging a premium for the camps, as the experience is a premium one. Every athlete will walk away with a unique experience, completely physically, emotionally and mentally spent, but that calm sense will overwhelm them and fill them with confidence for their whole lives, that whatever is thrown their way, they can get through it, again and again.

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