The Volvo Ocean Race has hit Cape Town and PUMA has an array of entertainment and activities planned for the duration of the stopover.

The PUMA Quad, a pop-up store and entertainment venue, is built from four 40 feet containers, with three creating a ground level and one on the top. It is located near the Amphitheatre at the V&A Waterfront. It will be open from 9am to 9pm from Friday 25 November to Sunday 11 December. The ground floor will host a PUMA shop selling official Volvo Ocean Race merchandise as well as PUMA Sailing products.

An entertainment area, which opens up onto a wooden deck, will house Bar Mostro where PUMA will host events and keep PUMA fans entertained in true PUMA style.

PUMA Quad activities include Grinding Competitions, Spinnaker Sessions – sunset music sessions with cool local DJs, a photobooth and an extraordinary shopping experience.

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Boys love gear. It’s not a life changing statement and one that is pretty much widely accepted in the world. Equipment makes us happy. Whether its power drills, Morewood bikes or iPad2′s, we like our toys.

We are confined to keeping it in its own area, which I am sure you have become accustomed to. Let’s reflect on this area, often known as the Drawer of Death or the Man Drawer (kudos to TheHousemate for sending this along):

Excellent way to set the tone for the rest of this article. It is indeed extremely important for a man to have toys. If you do not believe me, please attend an Ironman race or a Geek conference. Worlds apart, they have 1 common fact: He with the most toys, wins.

So it is in this vain that I am doing a toys research program for O till O. A reminder of what that is…

54km of running.
11km of swimming.

Continuously.

Here are some images:

Really, equipment choice is going to make or break this day. Having the right wetsuit to be able to swim and run in, the right nutrition, the right shoes, the right paddles, pull buoy, socks, base layer, goggles, etc etc can all potentially ruin what is one of the toughest days in the world, anywhere. This is why I am researching and testing products already, possibly having custom stuff made and going about making it as easy as possible for my partner and myself.

Equipment plays a huge part in that. During Cape Epic 2009, we had ZERO issues with our Morewood bikes. In a race where mechanical issues can break you, our bikes held out perfectly. The 1 mechanical we had was human error, but there is no cure for that.

I have recently started riding a new bike and can honestly say that it’s a completely new animal. The work that has gone into every element of it’s design is incredible. I had years ago ridden it’s “older brother” for a season. It was considered the worlds fastest time trial bike for 10 years. This new, younger, more virile version has absolutely knocked my socks off. Want to guess what is it?

Testing equipment and making sure you have the best at your disposal nowadays is not that tough. Bike shops will try organize a ride for you. Running stores have demo shoes for you to take around a few blocks. Take your time. It’s possibly a big money decision, one which could affect you for years to come.

While I am nursing this knee of mine back to optimal health, it’s been fun to think of all the gear that makes getting from session to session just a little easier and analyse what I need to keep and what needs to be adapted. We should never stop innovating, testing and playing with gear. It’s an essential part of our nature.

A more inspirational post coming tomorrow…

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Cape Town, South Africa, April 2011 – Visitors to the Two Oceans Marathon Expo between 20 and 22 April will be able to pit their speed against world record speedster Usain Bolt, and stand to win lucrative running sponsorships.

Technical supplier to the race PUMA will operate their Usain Bolt FAAS Test mini-track – an electronically timed speed trap – where the public can test their running speed against Bolt’s, with the fastest man and woman during the three days of the expo each winning a 1 year PUMA product sponsorship worth R10 000.

PUMA is also bringing their FAAS lab, a pop-up PUMA store transformed to celebrate the Jamaican Athletic Federation, to the Expo – look out for the dreadlocks, Jamaican rhythms and sugar cane.

Expert runners including Elana Meyer, Dan Hugo, Jacques van Rensburg and Leanne Juul will be on hand to introduce visitors to PUMA’s latest footwear – the award winning FAAS 500 and 300 minimalist, lightweight running shoes. Faas is the Jamaican word for fast, and the name fits.

There will also be loads of Two Oceans Memorabilia on sale and runners who present their race numbers qualify for a 25% discount.

Visit www.puma.com/running for more information.

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Give it to Puma, this is a fun ad. I have been running in the FAAS 500 now for a few weeks and it’s been a revolution of sorts. The FAAS range is not going to be for every runner, but if you are looking for a fun shoe to run anything up to 21km in and you have a neutral or mild (very) stability need, then the FAAS could be the perfect shoe for you. Head into a Puma Concept Store to try them on.

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Quite a bit is going on this time of the year in terms of product innovation and new toys being delivered. I always attempt to be progressive and find simple ways to improve my performances without necessarily training more. Some people like to call this “free speed” but really, its hardly ever free. These things cost money. I am fortunate enough to be able to work with some amazing companies to play with the newest, latest and greatest and test them out to see what works.

I like sharing this information. In the last 3 months I have played with a variety of new toys. Many of them didn’t work and some were really fun and worked. Here is a short list of the stuff which has been great to play with:

The Morewood Kwela 29er (I currently have the only one in the world) has been a fun experience. 29ers are all the rage and it has been quite a learning curve as to where this rage is best located. There are times when my Zula is simply better and times when the 29er is the obvious choice. Tight single track – Zula. Open, flowing stuff, Kwela.

This weekend I am taking both bikes out to Grabouw to test ride the Xterra course on them both and will make the call then which one to use for that specific course. Either way, I am ridiculously spoilt to have the options.

I started running in Puma FAAS500 shoes this week and so far they have been a revelation. I have not felt a shoe that feels so different in the last 10 years. That is my honest opinion and I will stand by it. The Bioride technologies in the shoe are simple and work. They are very well cushioned, they force you to run with a natural motion (i.e. slightly more forward with a fast toe roll off) and they sit super snug on your feet. They are not for heavy overpronators but if you are a neutral runner or need limited stability, looking for anything from 5 to 21km running shoes, these would be my bet for this year. After only 3 runs in them, I am going to be doing almost all my running (ex trail) in these for the year.

Whilst that is not my arm, I am highly excited by this product from Garmin, which I have ordered here. The older versions of the quick release were nice, but the reviews on this one are the bomb diggity. Racing triathlons just got that bit easier if you own a 310XT, as this strap is secure and fast so that you don’t have to raise your arms off the aerobars to check heart rate, power, etc.

There are a few new items I am playing with which I cannot give a comprehensive review on just yet, as the test period is not quite over yet but I will report on these soon. They include energy drinks, foam rollers, socks, tyres and awaiting my new kit to arrive any day now. It’s all so exciting.

Boys and their toys. In this case, I am in heaven….

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Victory doesn’t always come in the form of a winning drop goal or hitting a six. Sometimes, victory is just as simple as getting a phone number after a long night out on the town.  This December, sportlifestyle brand, PUMA^®, salutes these after-hours athletes with the launch of The PUMA Social Club, a place for the social games we play off the field with friends when the sun goes down.

From Wednesday 1 December to Saturday 4 December, PUMA is bringing the party to 120 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, for a weekend of late night competition and celebration. The launch night will be invite-only, but the public can attend PUMA Social Club from 2 Decemeber onwards.

Are you a master at darts?  Or a table tennis sensation?  If you prefer 5am taxis over 5am runs, then the PUMA Social Club was made for you. PUMA Social Club is a pop-up retail and nightlife venue that will bring the concept of “vintage” social sports to life.  Celebrating the notion of being social, not just online but in everyday life, the PUMA Social concept is about having fun and hanging out with friends.

PUMA Social Club Cape Town is modeled on the PUMA Social Clubs launched in Los Angeles, Berlin and London earlier this year. The Cape Town edition will host a variety of live entertainment each night, including surprise music acts. Guests can also enjoy pies, boerewors rolls and other late night snacks.

To better help these after hour athletes keep score, PUMA created Life Scoreboard, an online and mobile software application allowing you to keep a running score on any rivalry or contest you fancy. Whether it’s ping pong against your brother, a pizza-eating contest against your roommate or guessing which socialite will go to jail next, life’s always more fun when you’re keeping score. To get involved in your own challenge or to simply enjoy anyone else’s grudge match, players can sign up at www.lifescoreboard.com.

For more information about The PUMA Social Club, visit www.puma.com/social.  Become a fan on http://www.facebook.com/puma or follow the happenings via twitter at @thepumastore and use #pumasocial for any Tweets about PUMA Social.

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So much awesomeness, this new toy of mine, my 310XT. I have never been able to review any race as thoroughly as this. Here follows swim, bike, run as well as transitions.

Swim:

I clearly swam about double the distance. I was told to swim with it in my cap for a better reading, but this comes out pretty good. 1500m swim with a 100m beach run, more or less. Thanks to Conrad for the suit to swim in, after somehow forgetting my RS1 at home. I misread the rules and understood that like Ironman, where I swam in my Perform suit, we would not be allowed these speed suits in Maui.

You can see I was completely focused on the race at this point…

Transition 1:

T1 takes a while in Maui. It’s a run out the water, over the beach, through the golf course and into T1. Put on socks, mountain bike shoes & gloves, helmet and off you go up the hill to the exit.

Bike:

There are some ugly numbers in there up some of those climbs. I was digging SO deep and not really managing to get anywhere. Nice to see how to course runs with the mapping feature and the overlaying land.

Transition 2:

Short & Fast…

Run:

Spot the areas where I walked! hahaha. I was a broken man, surviving with a grimace and a shuffle by this point…

In the end, it was all purely to get to this point…

Again, a biggest thank you to Fairbairn Private Bank, Garmin, Puma, New Media Labs, Morewood, Orca, Biosport, Rockets, Whasp and the never ending support from everyone who reads this blog.

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Today I am leaving our wonderful accommodation in Kona for this place:

I am racing this weekend, just two weeks after Ironman Hawaii. A whole new experience, this training immediately after an Ironman. Will I do it again – hell yes. I feel way better than I ever have, two weeks after any previous Ironman. A combination of better preparation and better conditioning, sure, but also nice to have stayed active and kept moving. Exercise has been very light with only a few runs and lots of short bikes and swims. Feels pretty good.

Will upload some more Garmin stuff after the race, so you can see how that went. I am going to go all in with the Forerunner on Sunday, covering all 3 disciplines. It’s going to be very important to watch my top end heart rate as I would imagine I am going to have very little speed but a very solid sub maximal effort in me, so its going to be all about those last 5km on the run where I am either going to lose or gain 5minutes, which is podium in age group.

THBK Jnr did quite a cool interview for Xterra TV and you can catch that by clicking here…

Also, have a read at this, It’s what i`m going to be reading on the airplane to Maui. I need a break from my current book which I am slightly obsessed with. Thankfully its 1200 pages so lots to be obsessed about and much going on there, but a break is needed today.

Here is a great preview on the weekends race too…

I have new tires, new chainrings, new (well, have run in them to wear them in) shoes, new clothing, gear and all the energy inducing nutrition a dude could dream of. I am ready, set and hopefully, will save enough for the Spooky Forest and the last few hills home.

Have a great weekend out there…

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The emotion involved when it goes wrong is something you cannot account for. When we put it all on the line and something goes wrong, our emotions may, at times, get the better of us.

But there is really no need to resort to violence, like these two, especially when in cleats.

I realise I owe you all a bit of a breakdown of the week as well as something I want to offer up for a bit more help with the Hawaii Project. So let’s go back a week and look at totals and how it all panned out.

I needed to do a big week. I had to do it WHILE doing a full work week. Contrary to many an opinion, I worked 9am to 4pm every day last week. Some days were less attentive than others, but there was no sleeping all day from home. I apologise in particular for the Wednesday at work, when I was struggling to remember my own name. Day 3 is always the worst. Thankfully, you wake up day 4, fully into the groove.

31 Hours of riding, all below AeT. At times I simply had to drop off the group to maintain the lower intensity if I was riding with others, but for the most part I rode on my own anyway. I rode twice a day on Tuesday through Thursday and rode the mountain bike 4 times during the week as well. I would imagine I could average it out at 30km/h so call it 930km I rode in the week, total, if it had all been on road. Very happy with that. Add to that 5 hours of running, all around 4min-4:20 per kilometer, all around 150HR. I ran every day, in small chunks at lunchtime. On the weekend I upped it a little to run 60min and managed to maintain form, pace and heart rate throughout the week with my running. Total run time was 5 hours, around 70km in total. Swam 3 hours in 4 swims, which equates to about 12km for me.

That was my 39 hours. I had 2 massages and cannot tell you how much I ate, all I can tell you is that it was alot. I dropped 1.5kg it seems, but none of this happened during the actual camp. It has all happened this week. I was 76.5kg going into it and this morning I weighed in at 75kg, which means 1kg left to go before the race, more or less (I don’t get too technical on these things anymore as my body shape is in constant change in the last 18 months and I am just letting it do what it has to do), in order to be where I was in PE in April at 74kg. Any lighter and I may have issues with travel and health and it leaves me with a bit of weight to lose on the day as well, which is allowed.

I wanted to offer a package to someone around my size, shoe size as well (what with extra product lying around) who enjoyed wine and may want to be coached by me for a year. Sounds like a garage sale and it is, of sorts. In total, the entire “lot” is worth R15 000.00 and it includes:

Urban Ninja Bike Kit x 1 (medium bibs + top)
Urban Ninja Tri Kit x 1 (hope you like white – medium)
Kleinhoekkloof Sauvignon Blanc 2009 x 6 – think gooseberries & fresh cut grass over khakibos with a hint of passionfruit
Kleinhoekkloof Merlot Rose 2009 x 6 – turkish delight, cherries and a honey-ish linger on the pallet
Puma Complete Road Racer III size uk 10 (orange baby!)
Puma casual run gear (medium top + shorts)
Rockets Compression Vest size medium
Urban Ninja Cap
Urban Ninja t-shirt
2 tubs of Whasp AminoPro Naartjie
1 bottle of Whasp Gel Blueberry
1 Case of the World’s finest craft beer, Jack Black Beer

Then Jason from Olympic Cycles has come forward to help with an amazing prize, in the form of a full Body Geometry Ergofit worth R800 as well.

Here is an overview:

The full fit manual is available here as well. Thank you Jason.

It’s not all though. I wanted to offer someone my coaching services for an entire year for 2011. This would ideally be for something endurance related, but perhaps the challenge comes for something else. It includes training programs, mental coaching as well as coffee, muffins and the occasional tequila after races. Essentially though, its a slot in the limited slots I have, which are pretty much FULL at the moment, in addition to all that’s offered above.

In total all these items are worth R15 230.00 in total. If I could get R8000.00 – R10 000.00 for all of it, then that would be amazing, which would mean you pay for the coaching and basically the rest is free. I realise this is specific to size 10 shoes and medium kit, but hey, that’s what I have and really its about the Ergofit Fitting, the Coaching and the Booze, right? I am hoping someone will find the value in there and the continued effort that goes into maintaining this platform and come to the party and help me be the fastest age grouper across the double (Ironman Hawaii + Maui Xterra) in 2010.

If you may know someone who would want this sort of package, or who want the cool stuff and you may be a size 10 and medium and they want to give you the gear, then pass along the link on the page.

I really do NOT want this to come across as charity, I believe there is fair value in there and I am not asking for R500.00 for a pasta party or overpriced t-shirts. If you need a breakdown on the value, fill in the contact form on the site and I will mail it to you. If you are interested in buying this package from me, please do the same. I will be most grateful for the contribution to the cause.

Have a superb weekend. I am running the first leg of the Table Mountain Challenge tomorrow for a bit of a lung busting workout the the real 3 week taper starts tomorrow. I am suitably excited and finally starting to feel a bit rested from the 39 hour week. Remember, Assume Nothing, Pursue Everything, Experience Now…

Lastly, Click the SA Blog Awards button, one more time…

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Internationally acclaimed artist, Kehinde Wiley, has partnered with PUMA to create four original works of art inspired by three of football’s most decorated players, Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon, John Mensah of Ghana and Emmanuel Eboué of Ivory Coast. Wiley painted three individual portraits of each player wearing the Africa Unity Kit, and then a fourth ‘Unity’ Portrait was painted with all three players together, symbolizing the united countries of Africa.

These individual portraits, measuring 5 feet by 6 feet and the ‘Unity’ portrait measuring 9 feet by 12 feet, were unveiled in Berlin in January 2010 and have been travelling as an exhibition beginning in Paris, and will finally end up in South Africa in June.

The Kehinde Wiley exhibition will be held at Studio One, 186 Bree Street, Cape Town, from 24 June – 3 July 2010. Viewing will be open to the public from 10am – 6pm daily. Join in celebrating Africa’s heritage and unity by coming to view this exclusive exhibition. For further information please contact Splash PR on 021 790 9911.

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