Is US cycling back, Ironman rule changes, and more endurance news from the week of March 11
👋 Good morning and happy Friday, friends. Click here for the web edition.
Anyone catch Nyad on Netflix? It was up for an Oscar and is a true story about athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Key West, Florida. It’s worth a watch.
Stay moving…✌🏼 – Scott
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Headlines
🏊🚴🏃 Worth the Wait! – Triathlon season officially made its US debut in Miami last week and it did. not. disappoint. Though eventual champs Magnus Ditlev (DEN) and darkhorse pro India Lee (UK) secured the win, I was most impressed with Sam Long (USA). After coming out of the swim 80 seconds behind and only 22 seconds away from being lapped on the bike, Sam showed what an absolute unit he can be, fighting his way all the way back, picking off competitor after competitor to steal 2nd place. [Reuters]
🚴 No Tears in Texas – After winning the Arizona Belgian Waffle Ride just a week ago, both Keegan Swenson and Sofia Gomez Villafane took their RV to Turkey, TX and came out on top of the inaugural ‘Valley of Tears’ event. With a $20 registration fee that included a meal and beer at the finish line, everyone from the pros to regular Joe’s were highlighting what a classic gravel ride it was. Bravo! [Cycling News]
Party in Miami
The 2024 Triathlon season is officially upon us after a solid Saturday of T100 racing in Miami. But was it a success? I’ve read all the reviews so sorry to tack on here but here are my thoughts as a triathlon fan first, and a critic second.
It was Fun
Maybe it was me just being excited about the first race of the season, a new format, or the unbelievable talent, but admit, that was pure enjoyment for a Saturday afternoon. Were there broadcast bugs the PTO needs to figure out, sure. But if you focus just on the race, it was dramatic from start to finish and filled with excitement.
Anyone Can Win
The beauty of triathlon is that anyone really can win on any given day. Did you see India Lee’s trisuit? She had what, 2 sponsors on it? Then look at Lucy Charles-Barclay. The last time we saw her, she was winning the Ironman World Championships in Kona and she’s got a whole chest full of sponsors. Same for Sam Laidlow. Off the bike and through T2, you thought he was going to continue his winning ways but later admitted he bonked like an amateur. Unlike F1, it’s refreshing to see such high end talent capable of ripping off a win regardless of your Instagram or YouTube following.
The PTO Sucks You In
With the tagline of #RedefiningTriathlon, the PTO is redefining what it’s like to capture a sport in a social media world. They do an excellent job at building buzz through content creation to hype the sport. Some individual athletes already excel at this with their own channels but starting with the PTO Instagram and YouTube channels, T100 trumps Ironman at bringing the everyday triathlon fan closer to their favorite athletes. Much like F1 and the Drive to Survive series, the PTO gets you invested in the athletes and their lives just as much as the race itself. They suck you in. Tip of the hat to all those behind-the-scenes filming and editing.
Expect More
Following Saturday’s race, they said it themselves – the broadcast of the T100 Miami race was not up to their expectations. Admitting that is tough and I’m willing to give them a season to figure this thing out. Triathlon is unlike any other sport; it’s still fighting for eyes and attendance, meaning it does not have the revenue to afford an NFL style broadcast. Testing new technologies will be important for success but that comes at a cost to the viewer. Of course, there’s no excuse for the lights not turning on during the women’s race or there being an almost hour long stream of silence, but I’m confident they’ll figure it out and learn from these mishaps.
Tell me what you thought about the Miami race.
More Top Stories
🏃 Imagine running for 6-days: The U.S.’s Camille Herron set another world record, this time by running 560.330 miles to set a new women’s 6-day world record at the 2024 lululemon FURTHER event in La Quinta, California. Held on a 2.55-mile loop, her effort comes out to an average pace 15:22 per mile over the entire 6 days. [GearJunkie]
🏊🚴🏃 Ironman changes important rules: In particular, the company cracked down on some of the aerodynamic “shortcuts” that were widely implemented last season, including the trend of putting a bottle down the front of your trisuit. See the full rule changes here —>. [tri247]
🚴 Dissecting the win as Americans take 1st and 3rd in Paris: A proud moment overseas, as Matteo Jorgenson and Brandon McNulty stood atop Paris-Nice. So what did it take to get there? A look inside their power numbers. [velo]
🏊🚴🏃5 Avoidable Rehydration Mistakes: Nutritionist Matthew Kadey highlights five hydration changes to help bounce back faster and get more out of your training sessions. [Triathlon]
Deals and Steals
💸💸💸 Garmin Forerunner 945 GPS Running Smartwatch – Looking to purchase a new smartwatch ahead of your season, check out the highly regarded (4.5/5 stars) Forerunner 945, currently on sale for $386 (originally $600).
💸💸 Nike Pegasus 40 “Eliud Kipchoge” – These are currently 30% off their regular price making them a stomach-able $90. With more than 500+ 5-star reviews, grab them for logging long marathon miles, or squeezing in a speed session.
💸 50 22oz. Replaceable Water Bottles – Don’t be a moron and bring your expensive water bottles to your upcoming triathlon races. Purchase cheap ones you can disregard at aid stations that will get recycled. I used to always get so mad when I lost a $15 insulated Polar bottle, so I started buying in bulk.
💸 💸 S-Works Recon Lace Gravel Shoes – Built with their stiffest and lightest XC FACT carbon plate that maximizes power transfer, these 4.2/5 star (50 reviews) gravel shoes are rarely on sale.
The Rewatchables
Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.
An Unlikely Duo starring Lachlan Morton and Keegan Swenson – Lachlan and Keegan head to Cape Epic – the “Tour de France of mountain biking” — looking for a top 10 among the world’s best.
2024 Miami T100 Race Highlights: Men’s & Women’s Races – The Miami T100, saw the world’s best go head-to-head in brutally hot conditions on a track built for speed. Who would come out on top and go down in history as the first winners of this new, redefining T100 series?
Tadej Pogacar Vs Mathieu Van Der Poel: Milano-Sanremo 2024 Preview – It’s Tadej Pogacar versus Mathieu van der Poel in a 2024 Milano-Sanremo showdown this Saturday. Plus many other favorites in this race preview.
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