Whirlwind!

Another whirlwind these last few months for Grasky Endurance, which included the ICTN Camp in January, the UA Tricats Camp in February, and the Tucson Base Training Camp and Trifest in March. Whew! Time for a break!

For the past few years, Brian and I have volunteered to help organize the International Christian Triathlon Network’s Annual Camp, which was held in Tucson this year. It’s a 3 day camp which brings in triathlete pastors along with several Christian pros, and regular ol’ triathletes looking for Christian fellowship. About half of the day is spent in small group settings learning about anything from bike maintenance to mental focus. There’s also some sort of worship service each day. Then, we train…(ok, not me since I’m STILL injured). Instead, this year I was the photographer. It’s a lot of fun and is great fellowship, and will be held again next year in Tucson. Check back in a few months for more information on our site (or ICTN’s site) about this great camp.

February brought the UA Tricats Camp up in Fountain Hills, AZ. I’d be dishonest if I said that I had anything to do with the organizing of this camp. This was all Brian and it went superb. He’s working with a pretty good group of athletes this year from the UA. The camp was situated around the Trisports.com Desert Classic Duathlon at McDowell Mountain Park. It was the first year I wasn’t able to go ride the trails all day. Instead, I went hiking to help strengthen my vastus medialus in my right leg. McDowell Mountain Park is seriously one of the most beautiful desert parks, especially in the spring. It’s so green everywhere. If you haven’t spent any time there, I highly recommend it. It’s amazing, and has a sweet mountain bike track.

The Tucson Training Camp just finished up with great success. We had 13 campers this year and their ability levels all meshed together well. We had two coaches at the camp, Brian (now a USAT Level II coach), and a coach from Connecticut, and then Bill, who is a Grasky Endurance coach and swim expert, came out for a couple of days. A HUGE thanks to Bill for his expertise! My job was to organize everything prior to the camp as well as take care of airport transport. Again, the annoying knee problem I’m dealing with prevented me from helping out with the rides this year…other than driving sag, which I usually do a great deal of anyway—luckily I really enjoy it! This year I had a helper along with me…our webmaster Brian…yes, another Brian. He was a huge help (and hilarious to hang out with) and took pictures along the way for our new website. A HUGE thanks to Brian as well. Thanks also to all of the campers who gave us feedback about the camp. It is our sincerest desire to provide a great camp, and Brian, Bill, and myself already have several ideas to make it much better for next year. More to come on that…

Lastly Tri-fest. Wow, Oley really worked hard at Trifest and did a fantastic job. Thanks to Oley and all of his work. Our Grasky Endurance booth went pretty well, but I think next year will be better. Each year we’re learning how to improve things and the booth is one of those.

Now that we have a break, Brian and I actually have Brian/Jill time scheduled for this weekend…possibly a hike in Sabino Canyon, or maybe the Titan Missile Museum. It’s nice to relax every once in a while. After 12 years of marriage sometimes we forget about “couple” time, but we’re really enjoying it this week. Again, a sincere thank you to everyone who supports Grasky Endurance. Be watching for some major changes to come about in the upcoming year with the business.

Trifest 2009

Well it has come and gone and needless to say Trifest 2009 was a great adventure for Grasky Endurance. It was a bit tiring for all of us (especially Brian and Jill) since we were coming off of a full week camp with Eric Hodska. However, somehow Jill managed to keep everything together and make sure that GEC was set up for a strong presence at Trifest. Unfortunately the Expo kept us plenty busy so we did not get much of a chance to participate in the conference but word was that several of the topics were outstanding.

The Expo was actually held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year and due to tremendous growth it was moved to the Tucson Convention Center. We were fortunate to be set up near our friends from the Tucson Tri Club as well as close to our favorite partner TriSports.com. However, Brian made sure to make his rounds throughout the entire Expo in an effort to network with all of our triathlon friends. We were also set up just across the way from Oasis pools who brought in an Endless pool for anyone to use. We took advantage of this offer by hosting a 2 hour swim analysis for free, on both Saturday and Sunday, for anyone who wanted to sign up at our booth. Oasis loved it because it brought some nice crowds over to their display and we had a great time working with several athletes. We are hoping to set up a Endless pool challenge next year along with Oasis pools so stay tuned for that adventure!!!

One of the highlights of my weekend was finally getting a chance to swim in a Zoot Zenith 2.0 wetsuit. I have been sponsored by blueseventy for the past 2 years and the switch to Zoot was making me a little nervous due to my success with blueseventy. Well, my initial thought is I can't wait for the first tri of the season. The Zenith felt outstanding. It has tremendous flexibility through the shoulders but still provides the buoyancy that you expect from a full wetsuit. My swim was brief but if first impressions are worth anything then I think I am going to be super pleased with the switch to Zoot.

With these fast wetsuits and lightning fast Zoot racing shoes, we have no excuses but to be fast this year (now everyone will know it is because we were too lazy to train-or maybe we can just use the excuse that we were too busy training our athletes to have time to train ourselves!!).

For those of you who got a chance to drop by our booth, thanks for coming by and supporting GEC. For those of you who could not make it this year, put Trifest 2010 on your calendar because this is really an amazing event. We hope to see you soon and remember- Shift Up!!!

'nuff said...

Seen in the Cookie Cabin on top of Mt Lemmon...

AZ Camp Wrap Up

The tally:

6 full days.
16-18 hours of riding (based on the optional ride or run Friday am) including over 12,000 feet of climbing. My PowerTap showed about 250 miles.
6.5-7.5 hours running including over 3000 feet of climbing.
5 hours swimming. No climbing.

30 water bottles,
8 cans of HEED,
1 can of Sustained Energy,
a bit of Perpetuem,
3 cans of Recoverite,
5 boxes of Hammer Gel,
1/4 gallon of Dr Hoys natural pain relief gel,
a few Michelin tubes,
a few more Genuine Innovations CO2 canisters,
300 miles on the sag truck.

13 athletes, 3 coaches, 2 sag drivers. 18 people with experiences that will last for a long time.

I'm going to get a massage and take a nap.

Brian

AZ Camp Day 5

This is one for the books. I don't know about the athletes, but I'm fried.

Today was a great day: the weather cooled off a bit more and we even had some arm warmer sightings; the athletes showed they are getting stronger every day; and the attitudes are remaining infectious.

We woke today to cloud cover and more normal temps for this time of year. The rest of the week in the 90s was tough. We rode out to the west side of town to climb over Gates Pass and hit McCain Loop and Saguaro National Park West. This route was ripe with rolling hills, but also with Saguaro Cactus and desert flora. It’s a tough ride, but a great one. Grasky Elite Brian Barrett joined us for the ride, and GEC’s Brian Nath and Bill Daniell helped lead the groups. This allowed all riders to have locals along, eliminating any possibility of getting lost.

Over 80 miles of steep rollers and the steep Gates Pass the group stayed strong. We cruised out to the climb, then up the east side of Gates. Leo wanted nothing more than to beat Kerri up the climb, so we devised a plan where I hold Kerri back and Leo took off. It started to work, but when I got the brunt of Kerri’s temper (wow!) I let her go. Sorry Leo, but I thought for a minute I’d get a right hook. Brian got up the climb first. We crushed it through McCain Loop, Saguaro Park, and McCain again, stopping only to take in the views of the Saguaro forest and fill bottles. Up the back side of Gates the ascent is only 2 miles, but gets to over 20 percent. I don’t know how, but Eric big-ringed it, so I now owe him Jamba Juice. We cruised back home, took a break, and began the always sad chore of packing up after a great week. We did pause the packing job to take a sunset run in Saguaro Park East. Always a good time.

Leo and Kerri were stronger than normal today, and were two of the three MVPs (they didn’t write their required blogs, so if you’re reading, I’m waiting!). It was a pure joy riding with them…mainly because I had some trouble and they helped me! Jim was the final MVP. His attitude all week was phenomenal. He just enjoyed being here and it showed.

Brian

AZ Camp Day 4

Dan, distinguished MVP for day 4 (and Naval Officer), says it all. I can't add a thing...


Day Four brought a definitive, though subtle, change to Triathlon Camp.

After three full days of strong efforts, everybody was feeling and moving just a touch slower this morning. Nonetheless, we once again embraced the 0700 reveille call eager to begin our most daunting challenge of the day; a two-hour trail run up to, and beyond, Seven Falls.
Coach Eric would lead the faster “A” group out front, and using his local knowledge, would help mark the trail for those who followed with distinctive pink chalk markings. It didn’t take long for the usual suspects, Kerri and Gus, to bolt out with Eric, and the “B” group to settle into a pace behind me. I felt more “A-“ rather than “B+” today, and thus chose to stay in view of the leaders.

Aside from the Grand Canyon, this is the only place in Arizona to my knowledge where there is year-round, naturally running water. So, you have to imagine that the trail up the creek and the canyon was quite scenic. Our foursome ran, walked, and hopped over a number of beautiful creek crossings, passing many natural pools and scenic rock formations, and we were enjoying our adventure quite well…until we discovered the “B” group high on the canyon wall above moving steadily along. We were faced with a choice, and Eric boldly led the rest of us on an impromptu rock climbing expedition in order to ascend up to the trail from the bottom of the canyon. As dangerous as it looked (and it was!), I think Eric missed his calling as a mountaineer, and we successfully scaled the rocks to the trail above what will forever be known to future campers as “Eric’s Ravine.”

We were well beyond one hour on the clock after scaling Eric’s Ravine, and we needed to get our heart rates back up with a fast-paced climb up the switchbacks opposite the canyon from Seven Falls. After exchanging best wishes and Kodak Moments with the other campers, our foursome pressed on a little further, around the bend into the reaches of the upper canyon above the falls. The trail looked like it could go on forever, or at least to Colorado, and we decided to turn around and save that for next year.

The run back proved to be just as enjoyable as the run up. After spending much time toiling through the creek bed at low heart rates, Gus and Eric were eager to fire up the engines and speed back. Kerri and I turned out to be perfect partners on the return voyage…my longer legs navigated the trails a little better, and her speedy legs pulled me along once we left the canyon and turned for home. Everyone enjoyed the trail run; definitely one of the highlights of the camp so far.

After a late breakfast, we continued on to the day’s other workout at the nicest, largest pool so far. Curiously, Coach Brian started taking over as the pilot of the camp van, and since he normally pilots vehicles that seat only one or two persons, his transition to 15-passenger vehicles brought some immediate, though minor, logistical issues. Nonetheless, we all arrived safely at the pool without resorting to afterburners or breaking the sound barrier.

The recipe for the swim workout called for large portions of yardage, including pulling, kicking, and (surprise!) non-freestyle strokes. Those hungry for yardage were fed a good couple of miles worth, and Bill Daniell came back to shoot underwater videos until the camera batteries died. The campers successfully managed to avoid the dreaded post-swim planking torture by beating Bill in a 250 yard race (Bill doing 1x250 and 10 campers doing 10x25). Things were looking pretty dire for the campers at the outset until the sprinters pulled it out in the end. Bill was a good sport about it, although he spent a good few hours later in the afternoon telling each of us, one-by-one, that we had “interesting strokes” during one-on-one debriefings of our videotaped strokes.

This was the first day of camp without a bike ride. The substitute activity was a field trip to TriSports World Headquarters. For me, I didn’t buy much, but it was great to actually touch and feel all the great stuff that I had only seen before in online catalogues and magazine ads.
Dinner was in Guadalajara, in deference to the Mexican Food lobby that was the #2 choice behind the steak eaters the previous night. But, the food was worth the extra day’s wait…and weight.

What I learned on Day Four:
(a) Never, ever follow pink arrows…even if you think they are right.
(b) You can have spectacular workouts, even if you only feel 95%.
(c) Pilots are deserving of your highest respect, even if they do occasionally try to kill you.

Storylines for Day Five (the LONG bike day):
(a) Kerri has been the superstar on the bike all week. She hasn’t cracked yet, and the smart money is that she’ll be the Queen of the Desert again.
(b) Gus is about to break out and do something ridiculously spectacular. He’s showed strength through the entire week as well. Whatever that something is, it may or may not happen tomorrow…but definitely in the next few months.
(c) We’ve had a mechanical on each camp ride so far (2 flats, one wheel and one chain). Can the campers break the chain of bad luck and make it through the big ride unscathed?
(d) Someone other than the one of the usual suspects will ride a smart ride, with a good pace and a good nutrition plan, and will have strength at the end to finish at the front. Who will it be?
(e) Is there a subtle battle of wills between the Air Force and the Navy? Is Brian getting irritated every time I wear a Navy jersey? Will he make me sing “Wild Blue Yonder” before he lets me into the van again?

Cheers,
- Dan

AZ Camp Photos

AZ Camp photos are up! Click here.

Zoot Shoes and the El Paso Marathon

This off-season I had set my goals to work on my run fitness and get in some great marathon training in an effort to run a sub-three hour marathon. Things were actually looking quite good at the Tucson Half-Marathon were I was able to run a sub 1:26. However, things started to unravel a few weeks later as I made the cardinal overtraining sin and tried to train like a 20 year old rather than someone who is knocking on the door of 40. However, even though my goal marathon at the P.F. Chang's Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoenix was a bit of a disaster I was able to redeem myself a bit this past weekend at the El Paso Marathon.

Heading into the El Paso Marathon I approached my training with the knowledge of the fact that I had a great base but needed to allow my legs to rest and it would be better to be undertrained rather than overtrained. I also knew that El Paso was probably the wrong course for running a sub three hour race. I grew up in El Paso and I remember the hills quite well. However, I was more concerned about running a strong marathon where my legs felt smooth and I would let the results come as they may. The El Paso Marathon is a fairly small event that is run with a half-marathon as well as a 5K. The half and the full marathon start together and follow the same course for the first 8 miles. This was nice because there were about 1000 runners in the half and only about 300 doing the full. So for the first 8 miles we had plenty of company. However, at times, the last 16 miles could get a bit lonely (thank god for the i-pod shuffle!). The first 4 miles of the course were the hilliest and then the course was downhill for 2 miles and slightly uphill to flat for the remainder of the course until the last 3-4 miles which were flat to slightly downhill. Overall a pretty nice course until I was greeted with the famous El Paso winds. Unfortunately, the last 10 miles was right smack in the face of a headwind. At times the gusts were so strong that it would nearly stop you dead in your tracks. Well, I already knew that a sub three hour race was long gone but decided a PR could be a possibility at the half way mark (3:09) however once we hit these winds I was really just hoping to finish strong. Ultimately a 3:18 on the day, not a great time but given the course and conditions a great effort. The results led to an 9th place overall and 1st place 35-39. Not bad for a swimmer!!

The other positive was I found myself a new great pair of marathon racing shoes. The Zoot Advantage running shoe performed amazing. I have always had a bit of a history with minor running injuries and have really never had any luck with running in light weight racing shoes. The Zoot Advantage has just enough stability for a marathon while still keeping the weight down so you feel like you are running in a pair of light weight racers. If you are like me and you struggle with the limited support of most light weight running shoes then give this shoe a try. They fit great, have nice support, and they feel nice and light on your feet.

Well, now I just have to take this run fitness and turn it into a great tri-season!!!

AZ Camp Day 3

What a day!

Everyone was a bit tired off of yesterday's 65 miler including over 7000' of climbing, so we took it easy on them. We went directly to the pool and did a nice set of drills, endurance work and relays while my associate coach Bill Daniell took some aside with the video camera. The water was murky so we didn’t get much video work done, but we got the workout in and did some verbal stroke analysis. After breakfast we grabbed the wheels for a nice tempo ride out to Colossal Cave. The climb up the cave is on somewhat nasty roads, but no traffic and the views from the top are well worth it. After a short brick run we sat in the 50 degree natural running creek in Sabino Canyon and iced down while talking about mental prep and nutrition. Good stuff. Good times.

MVPs were Carla for just having a great attitude and enjoying the day, and Jeff M for rebounding well off a tough day yesterday. Jeff was walking around a bit stiff, but still got it all in. He’s a tough guy.

Brian

It was another amazing day in Tucson! With the weather in the low 90s it's been quite an adjustment for a girl who left Calgary, Alberta with a temperature of minus 5. Today was a 'brick' workout which was a recovery day from Mt Lemmon. Seriously since when is a day that starts off with a 1.5 hour swim, followed by a 3 hour bike, and finishes with a 30 min run considered a REST day. It really was an awesome day though. The coaches, Brian and Eric, are so knowledgeable and encouraging it makes you want to put in that extra effort. Following the swim, Eric took the time to fit me better on my bike. During the ride I was riding along with Rick from Alaska just enjoying the fact we were riding outside in such a beautiful place as Brian Grasky rode up to us providing encouragement and tips. Again it makes me want to try just a little bit harder! We made it to a beautiful spot with breathtaking views for a quick group photo and water bottle refill. Once returning to town, Eric and Brian give us 10 minutes to grab our run gear and off we went to Sabino Canyon for a short run. The run was only 30 minutes but with the heat and sun, it felt like an hour to me. I was ecstatic when I came down a hill and around the corner to see the group soaking their tired legs in the creek! Man did that feel good! It has been a great first 3 days and I'm looking forward to what tomorrow brings. This camp has been challenging which is exactly what I need to take my fitness to the next level, but besides that the people here have made it more than 'just training'. It is inspiring to be training with such a strong and accomplished group of athletes!

Carla

Jeff’s coming soon…

AZ Camp Day 2

Day 2 was fantastic. The athletes did great on a tough day. It as hot and a bit windy, but the climb up Lemmon was wonderful. Kerri flew up the mountain, Leo ripped my legs off, Steve was his fast-but-humble self, and Carla has her ever-present smile. The clan was a bit toasted from the am run and the afternoon on the Col du Lemmon so we opted for some rest before dinnner rather than the planned core strength session. The athletes found the hotel happy hour during their "rest" time!





Jeff was one of the two daily MVPs for his effort today. He had a tough climb coming from MO, but he held tough. Here's his story...







Day 2 Arizona Tri camp

What a day!!!!!! We started out the day at 7 am with a 1 hr run through one of the local parks. The run was a combination of road and trail. The trail took us across the desert terrain. It was a great way to loosen up the legs from yesterday.

Our big workout for the day was to ride up MT LEMMON. I believed this was planned for later in the week but due to the good weather the ride was moved to today. The temp hit mid 90's. The ride from the base to the top is approximately 28 miles, round trip was 65 miles. It took me almost 3 hours to hit the top with a lot of help from Brian Grasky. It was an incredible ride with fantastic scenery! This was a big treat for me coming from Missouri. This ranks high as one of the most memorable bike rides I have ever had. I have been riding indoors all winter and not acclimated to the heat so I hurt a bit but all I had to do to forget about it was to look at my surroundings.

We arrived back to the hotel and took it easy for awhile and headed out to dinner.

So far the camp has been excellent. We have been blessed with fantastic weather. Our group really seems to get along well and is very supportive of each other. Brian and Eric have been fantastic. I really appreciate their knowledge and support.

Time to get to rested up and see what tomorrow brings.

Jeff



MVP #2 was Rick. He climbed very well despite a bum knee--he not only made the climb, but beat everyone to the bottom afterwards!



Day 2 started off gently enough. Jogging through the Saguaro Park my wife and I, the bad knees pair, were enjoying the wildlife. Obviously, our speed did not startle the family of javelina or the bunnies or the roadrunners. It was a cool morning for Arizona and a mid-summer heat wave to those of us from Alaska.

Not too fooled by the innocent start, I stuffed myself at breakfast, downed some electrolytes, ibuprofen and whatever else I could think of in preparation for Mount Lemmon. I needed it all and some more.

When we got to the base of the mountain there was no fanfare, fans or music. We just started going up.

Cyndie and I paced ourselves and slogged along together, knowing that a 25 mile climb was more than we were used to in our training. We climbed and climbed, were passed by the speedy group and pressed on. I was truly grateful for the break, refuel and recharge at mile 14, the Palisades and even happier to see my fellow campers at the Cookie stop in Summerhaven.

What goes up must come down. In my case what goes up slowly, must come down quickly. Riding that demo Cannondale, a great climber, was a lot of fun on the ride down. I let it out on the long decent and felt great - sweet reward for the trip up.

A group of us met at the bottom and hammered home like a peloton in the tour.

Rick

AZ Camp Day 1

As we do each camp, a certain individual proves themselves in one way or another and stands out among the group. Today we had two standouts: Steve is a 64-year-old stud who whips up on most people 1/3 his age. Steve earned the Daily MVP Award for not only driving solo from Penticton, Canada, for the camp, but for having a great attitude and solid performance on day 1 and teaching all us youngsters a thing or two… For this, Steve won a gift certificate to Trisports.com…and the honor of the daily blog.

Brian


Day 1 Arizona Camp

The day started at 0700hrs with a nice relaxing drive up to Sabino Canyon for a the start of run. The run in spots required the skill of a mountain goat as the trial wound its way up the side of the mountain. The entire group was moving up the mountain at an impressive pace, some appearing more like gazelles than goats. Reaching the top provided an excellent view of the valley. The stay was brief and the descent was swift making the quads wonder if they had ever done any training.

After a pause for food we were off on the bike and headed for Saguaro National Park. The ride up was again a steady climb and the quality of the riders was impressive. The ride through the Park was awesome with quick downhils and corners. Unfortunately what goes down must go up and we the climbed back up to the Park entrance. A quick discussion and some opted for a second loop while the rest of us wisely decided to return to the hotel for rest and recovery before we headed off for a swim. Rick's dive off his bike was particularly impressive. Fortunately there was not any significant injury.

The swim: Great outdoor pool. Lots of cramping around the pool with some very good tips from the coaches. Wait until they get my age and try and make the suggested adjustments. Post swim was treated with some relaxing stretching and a great food.

Tomorrow brings another hot sunny day and another blogger.--steve

Well the day started off as usual venti Starbucks red eye then we headed for the phone Line to run the trail or should I say run up the side of a mountain. The first rule of camp is no whining ...oh no! I thought to myself as we started to run and I just took one peak to my left and realized that it was a pretty big drop down. I did not want to complain but I was scared and I really didn’t want to have an anxiety attack the first workout of the week so I just keep my head down and focused on the ground not what was around me but as we got into a rhythm I slowly became more relaxed and oh man how beautiful it was. Then we headed back to eat and change and off on the bikes we went for an easy ride. When I ride easy I refer to it as the tea party ride which is very easy - I'm quickly learning that everyone has their own definition of what easy is.... With that said after today’s ride thanks to Eric for letting me ride his wheel I now have a new definition of what an easy ride is and going forward there will be no cookies and tea served on my easy ride.
Thanks for a great day of training and I’m looking forward to the easy run in the am :) followed by MT LEMMON which is not easy!!!--AMM

Arizona--Escape the Cold--Training Camp, 2009

March always brings my training camp for those in colder climates, where I partner with accomplished athlete and coach Eric Hodska from Connecticut. Eric brings a few of his athletes, we bring some of ours, and a few find us online. It’s always a good mix of great weather, beautiful scenery, and challenging training.

This year’s camp brings a few veterans and a nice share of rookies.

Gus, Jim, Jeff M., and Chicago Mike are a few of Eric’s boys and are veterans of at least one Tucson case camp. Mike brings colorful stories, Jim is good for at least a couple of good, solid bonks, and Jeff is just steady from day 1 through day 7. Gus is fun to poke fun at, mainly due to his innate ability to eat about everything in sight. Eric also brought Ann Marie, a relatively new but powerful athlete from New England, and Dan, a Navy man from Cali. Dan and I have a lot in common. It takes a lot for me to say that about a Navy guy!

Then we have the northern contingent: Cyndie and Rick are in from Anchorage enjoying the 90 degree temps we are having (yes, in March). They are a very cool couple—I caught them holding hands while stretching. Very cool. Carla and Steve come from Canada--Steve from Penticton, home of Ironman Canada, and Carla from Calgary—home of more rodeo than triathlon.

Jeff D.V. is here from Missouri. Jeff’s enjoying this weather immensely—he’s just happy to not be on his trainer. I don’t blame him…that’s why I live in Tucson. Kerri is from Maryland and is a duathlon studette moving into the IM distance game and is as strong as I’ve seen. Huge potential in her. Lastly, Leo is one of my athletes and is enjoying a camp in his hometown. Leo is bumming with Plantar Fasciitis but his attitude so far and not being able to run with the group is commendable.

With weather nearing perfect, a great group of athletes, and workouts planned on Mt Lemmon and Saguaro National Park, this is going to be a great camp. Stay tuned for daily briefs by the daily MVPs as well as by Eric and me.

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition, Trisports.com, Genuine Innovations, Michelin, CycleOps, and Zoot for making this camp World Class!

New ZOOT cycling kit!

A couple of weeks ago I received my order of ZOOT’s new ULTRA cycling kit. I got the ZOOT ULTRA Cycle Full jersey and the ZOOT ULTRA Cycle short.

Upon first inspection, it’s, well, different. The jersey is a great material with longer sleeves and torso. It’s got a nice low neck in the front, but is tall enough to keep the sun off the back. There’s no bunching of the arms thanks to the clean finish and longer cut. The shorts look completely different than anything else I’ve worn. The pad is not sewn into the short, but is part of the short’s construction. The ULTRA cycling pad feels stout enough to hold up for a nice long ride to Sonoita, but it feels like it’ll move with you unlike the “diaper” pads of some brands. I can’t wait to try them out. I like riding in good quality stuff, so this gear has its work cut out for it.

First ride: wow. The kit is nice, light, very comfortable and wicks sweat very well. I didn’t feel dirty, stinky, or sticky afterwards like with some clothing. In fact, I had the gear on for a good hour plus after the ride, until Jill made me shower. The jersey fit well but tight, so if you’re a loose-cut aficionado then you’ll want to size up. I like the slim racer fit so it worked well for me. There are 5 pockets in the back (2 overlapping on each side, one large pocket in the middle). This worked well to keep my open gel packs off my car keys, and my iPod away from my body separated by one more layer of lycra. The ventilator mesh was great in making me feel fresh all ride, evening the mildly cool temps today. A bargain at $85.

The ULTRA short was AMAZING. Truly. The integrated pad felt like it wasn’t a pad at all. I felt like I was wearing a comfortable short was not a cycling short. The material they used was very nice—comparable to shorts at a much higher price point than the $130 for these shorts. The pad itself felt a bit different than other pads I’ve used. In feeling the pad prior to the ride, it felt like the stiff part of Velcro, but putting on the short it felt nice. It was a stiffer pad that I’m used to, but this means it takes up the pressure of the saddle very well. Even after a couple of hours I wasn’t feeling anything but love. It’s like the difference between the seats in my Subaru (very nice) and those in my friend’s Porsche (ooohhhhhh). These shorts are oooohhhhhhh.

Bottom line: Get some before everyone realizes that these are $250 shorts with a $130 price tag. Go to Trisports.com and get 10% off them using code BGRAS-S. Then go ride.

Brian