Okay, this is really just in the idea phase at this point. But we're thinking about making our own brand of peanut butter. Thys (pronounced tice), our Director of Events, eats so many PB&J's we think he is secretly sponsored by Smuckers. But don't be fooled, we are serious endurance athletes as evidenced by the community jar of peanut butter here in the office. You know a company is comprised of real endurance athletes when rather than having a coffee pot, we have a community peanut butter jar. Jelly varies. Clearly, this picture is not of the All Natural peanut butter, organic jelly and 100% Whole Wheat Bread we use... but you get the idea.

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All Ramblin' Rose Charlotte participants can now go online to see their official swim start time. Please remember that even though your swim time may not be until well after the first (and fastest) swimmers jump into the pool at 8:00 AM, the transition area will be CLOSED at 7:45 AM! Please have your transition area organized, bike racked, timing chip picked up, and your body marked well before then.

Good luck to everyone, and remember to smile during the race!

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Stopped by the Bicycle Chain the other day and picked up the Specialized Future Shock Pump for my bike. If you don't already do so, you should check your shock pressure at least once a week (if you're riding 3-4 days like me). Your front shock should be 50% of your body weight and your rear shock should be 100%.

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After two back to back days of 40+ miles each, I can safely say I know the trails at Umstead Park like the back of my hand. I rode mostly the Reedy Creek and N/S Turkey Loop trails on Friday, and more of the same on Saturday except that I threw in five climbs on Cedar Ridge, a more gravelly and steeper climb than other parts of the park. It's a great beginner's ride. Unfortunately, I probably won't ride it again until after La Ruta as I will be searching out more technical trails.

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Just like everyone else, I am swamped. All the time. And squeezing in time to train for upcoming races has been getting tricky lately.

Earlier this month, I had a limited window to get in a long swim and then a quick bike ride. I didn’t really have much time to spare, so when I got into the pool and realized my goggles had warped in the heat of my car, my immediate stress was quickly replaced by a need to keep moving. The ‘extras’ that were hanging on the hooks at the pool had Nemo and Ariel on them (I passed), and I fearfully realized the clock was ticking. So I brilliantly decided to swim my set without goggles. I could see pretty well underwater, and I figured it would be good practice in case something ever went wrong at a race. Plus it made me feel tough since all the other sissies in the pool had to wear goggles.

The first hundred yards went well. No problems. I felt smooth. Thoughts going through included the following: “Wow, I really can swim without goggles”, “Think of the time I can save by not having to take off my goggles in a race!”, “That lifeguard must think I’m Aquaman”, “I wonder if I am actually MORE aerodynamic without the drag of the goggles”, “I’ll be the fastest swimmer alive!”

After 35 minutes and 2100 yards, I got out of the pool and was ready to sprint over to my bike, feeling great…except for one small problem. That cloudy view I had under water wasn’t going away. Apparently, the pool water had been slowly melting away my contact lenses. I’m pretty sure that’s not recommended. Worse, now that I was out of the pool, I started feeling a slight burning sensation across my entire forehead. The headache that ensued was miserable and, 45 minutes into my bike ride, my unusual level of fatigue was magnified by … how to best describe? … a specific eye-disintegration-type feeling. In stereo. On repeat.

I was pretty worthless for the next few hours. It lasted through the night and my eyes actually took about a full day to recover.

The moral: Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean that you SHOULD. If you need to take a few extra minutes to take care of yourself before/during/after a workout (or race), go ahead and take them.

More on that in our coming issues, but it’s finally Fall, and there’s a ton of stuff out there that you CAN and SHOULD do. Check out our printed calendar in the back for a taste and then go online to www.activezach.com to see what experiences are out there waiting for you. Sure it may not seem like it, but we all really do have the time.

Inspire. Perform. Endure.

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