Hi Guys ,Well the lead up to Ironman Wisconsin has flown by but I could not be happier with how things have come along since Challenge Roth .I have been based back in boulder CO for the entire build towards the race in Madison and put in some great training. This past weekend I had my final hit out before the race at the Windsor Olympic distance triathlon . A cool rainy day greeted us race morning but nothing to miserable .I had a solid swim to come out of the water in 2nd place roughly 30 sec down . Once onto the bike I went about the job at hand and managed to take the lead at around the 15km and then push hard to build a lead of around 1 min on the chaser Eric bell , I took the extra time to put on a pair of socks in transition.... with IM only two weeks away I really didn't want any blisters .Onto the run now and I held the lead through about the 4-5km mark when eventual winner Eric came up on me. I even tried blocking the path with the wing span to stop the pass :-)I finished it up in 2nd place and was very happy with how the body felt after the last block of Ironman training .Now I look forward to a nice easy two weeks into Madison for the next Ironman.thanks for all your supportwww.twitter.com/bigsexymcdonald
http://www.trimacca.com/
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Pro Athlete Edith Niederfriniger reviews her Adamo!
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I received an e-mail from Edith Niederfriniger a few weeks ago. She was having some serious seat discomfort and had seen our Adamo saddles on several of her competitors bikes. She's an italian professional long distance triathlete and 2 x Ironman champion. I sent her a model and her are her initial thoughts:
Hello David,
yesterday I got the ISM saddles!
Today I did the set up (Adamo Racing) and before start my ride, I thought:".....strange thing this saddle...."
well, after a 2 hour ride I thought:"....good thing this saddle..." :-)
so, my first impressions were very good:
- in the upright position with hands on the handlebars I feel very comfortable in my lower back, really relaxed....my pelvis is kind of "fixed" in the right angle....
- in the aeroposition it doesn't hurt where it always hurts :-)
- when I get a hole on the street, it doesn't hurt :-)
Thank you very much for your help and I'm really looking forward to meet you in Kona :-)
ciao from Italy,
Edith
yesterday I got the ISM saddles!
Today I did the set up (Adamo Racing) and before start my ride, I thought:".....strange thing this saddle...."
well, after a 2 hour ride I thought:"....good thing this saddle..." :-)
so, my first impressions were very good:
- in the upright position with hands on the handlebars I feel very comfortable in my lower back, really relaxed....my pelvis is kind of "fixed" in the right angle....
- in the aeroposition it doesn't hurt where it always hurts :-)
- when I get a hole on the street, it doesn't hurt :-)
Thank you very much for your help and I'm really looking forward to meet you in Kona :-)
ciao from Italy,
Edith
And Edith, I very much look forward to meeting you in Hawaii.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
One retailer's perspective
An entry from Paul @ Helo Velo in Canada. www.hellovelo.ca
A small (or any size) retailer has many tough decisions. When stocking things to sell, there is stuff that is a sure fire sell and others that represent a high value to you as a professional in your particular industry, but may not move very quickly. For me, in cycling, the former are bicycle tubes and the latter are saddles. The high-value items align with an element of my passionate philosophy but are not clear winners on the surface (due to investment cost). Here is an example:
The ISM saddle. To some this is an ungainly piece of bike equipment that looks very non-traditional. Those who ride it look like they have a problem with their groin. And for anyone who has read a little Middle-English, groin issues are not good. However, the discerning customer, who is passionately involved in their sport, believes that love (for their bicycle) does not need to hurt (in spite of whatever the rock band Nazareth has to say).
I know this is the highest performing saddle in existence. It allows you optimal positioning and deals with many of the comfort issues associated with bicycles. I can position someone on this saddle fore or aft, female or male. Float over the saddle or stick to it. Here is the dilemma for me as a small retailer:
They are expensive: 1) Because of design exclusivity and 2) Because they are still not as popular as other brands. But I tell ya, this is the best saddle in existence. We can put you at a virtual seat tube angle of 82 degrees in your aerobars or slack at 72, nose up on your track pursuit bike. This saddle works, and the other application specific iterations are solid as well. Sure, some of them look like inflatable donuts you buy to relieve back-door issues but they are purpose built. When I first started in cycling in Canada, I was the only retailer stocking these saddles. It cost me a lot to do this (as of August 2009 the ISM Race retails for $240), but I knew their value and so I invested in the brand. And now I can barely keep them in stock. This is not just because they are the best saddle out there, but because I will always do the positioning work with someone to dial it in right. And I guess, that was the next lesson for me: #2) Products support services (TBC).
http://www.ismseat.com/
A small (or any size) retailer has many tough decisions. When stocking things to sell, there is stuff that is a sure fire sell and others that represent a high value to you as a professional in your particular industry, but may not move very quickly. For me, in cycling, the former are bicycle tubes and the latter are saddles. The high-value items align with an element of my passionate philosophy but are not clear winners on the surface (due to investment cost). Here is an example:
The ISM saddle. To some this is an ungainly piece of bike equipment that looks very non-traditional. Those who ride it look like they have a problem with their groin. And for anyone who has read a little Middle-English, groin issues are not good. However, the discerning customer, who is passionately involved in their sport, believes that love (for their bicycle) does not need to hurt (in spite of whatever the rock band Nazareth has to say).
I know this is the highest performing saddle in existence. It allows you optimal positioning and deals with many of the comfort issues associated with bicycles. I can position someone on this saddle fore or aft, female or male. Float over the saddle or stick to it. Here is the dilemma for me as a small retailer:
They are expensive: 1) Because of design exclusivity and 2) Because they are still not as popular as other brands. But I tell ya, this is the best saddle in existence. We can put you at a virtual seat tube angle of 82 degrees in your aerobars or slack at 72, nose up on your track pursuit bike. This saddle works, and the other application specific iterations are solid as well. Sure, some of them look like inflatable donuts you buy to relieve back-door issues but they are purpose built. When I first started in cycling in Canada, I was the only retailer stocking these saddles. It cost me a lot to do this (as of August 2009 the ISM Race retails for $240), but I knew their value and so I invested in the brand. And now I can barely keep them in stock. This is not just because they are the best saddle out there, but because I will always do the positioning work with someone to dial it in right. And I guess, that was the next lesson for me: #2) Products support services (TBC).
http://www.ismseat.com/
Monday, August 24, 2009
Eric Limkemann Nationals Race Report
USAT National Championships
8/22/2009
www.usatriathlon.org
You win some, you lose some! This weekend I drove down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for my first triathlon national championship. I’ve never done the race as an amateur or a professional, so I was excited to participate and do another draft-legal race. Thunderstorms dominated the two days leading up to the race and I spent the time relaxing and recovering from a good 70.3 race less than a week ago. Race morning came and I drove to the race course to cheer on the age group athletes competing including Charlie Clark, Dennis Dale, and Beth Shutt. I helped pass out water at an aid station and was inspired by the tremendous athletes that came through that were well into their 60’s! I hope that I’m that healthy in 40 years! After a while, I headed back to the hotel to relax and prepare. After a light lunch, I headed down to transition for the 2:15 start. Due to the heavy rain, they had to open the flood gates in the river and the current was strong. Perfect for a strong swimmer! That is unless you make a bad decision to swim in the middle of the current instead of along the shore where the water is slower… To make a long, painful story short, I felt excellent in the water and came out well back of the leaders and with a pack of much weaker swimmers. Matt Reed and Cameron Dye made the same poor decision and I believe that this cost Matt the win and Cameron a chance of scoring ITU points. I guess we’re all the wiser for next time!
Heading onto the bike, I was in the third chase pack with 3 other guys. My legs were not prepared for the constant accelerations of draft legal racing and I had trouble keeping the pace up the hill each of the 6 laps. I made it into transition with the group, but we were 3-4 minutes behind the leaders and I was cooked! I took off on the run and gave it my all for the first of the 4 lap course. I honestly believe my first miles were slower than my half marathon last weekend. My body threw up the white flag and started to cramp. I knew I was out of the points and losing ground so I put it into cruise control and just worked to cross the finish line. I hate when pros drop out when they aren’t feeling good and I wasn’t about to stop given my experience in the morning watching the age groupers! I finished the race and felt like I had just been run over by a truck!
The race was painful, but I’m hoping it was a good speed workout for this weekend’s race in Chicago. I already feel better and hopefully a more predictable swim along with a steady effort on the bike will lead to a better race! After that, I’ll be focusing the next 11 weeks to preparing for 70.3 world championships. Thanks to everyone for their support and congratulations to everyone who competed this weekend.
Please support the sponsors: Kiwami Triathlon, ISM Saddles, BlueSeventy Wetsuits, Veritas Cycles, Hed Wheels, Newton Running, and Great Clips.
My remaining race schedule:
Sept. 27 Augusta 70.3
Oct. 4 LA Triathlon
Oct. 11 US Open Triathlon
Nov. 14 70.3 World Championships
Eric Limkemann
8/22/2009
www.usatriathlon.org
You win some, you lose some! This weekend I drove down to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for my first triathlon national championship. I’ve never done the race as an amateur or a professional, so I was excited to participate and do another draft-legal race. Thunderstorms dominated the two days leading up to the race and I spent the time relaxing and recovering from a good 70.3 race less than a week ago. Race morning came and I drove to the race course to cheer on the age group athletes competing including Charlie Clark, Dennis Dale, and Beth Shutt. I helped pass out water at an aid station and was inspired by the tremendous athletes that came through that were well into their 60’s! I hope that I’m that healthy in 40 years! After a while, I headed back to the hotel to relax and prepare. After a light lunch, I headed down to transition for the 2:15 start. Due to the heavy rain, they had to open the flood gates in the river and the current was strong. Perfect for a strong swimmer! That is unless you make a bad decision to swim in the middle of the current instead of along the shore where the water is slower… To make a long, painful story short, I felt excellent in the water and came out well back of the leaders and with a pack of much weaker swimmers. Matt Reed and Cameron Dye made the same poor decision and I believe that this cost Matt the win and Cameron a chance of scoring ITU points. I guess we’re all the wiser for next time!
Heading onto the bike, I was in the third chase pack with 3 other guys. My legs were not prepared for the constant accelerations of draft legal racing and I had trouble keeping the pace up the hill each of the 6 laps. I made it into transition with the group, but we were 3-4 minutes behind the leaders and I was cooked! I took off on the run and gave it my all for the first of the 4 lap course. I honestly believe my first miles were slower than my half marathon last weekend. My body threw up the white flag and started to cramp. I knew I was out of the points and losing ground so I put it into cruise control and just worked to cross the finish line. I hate when pros drop out when they aren’t feeling good and I wasn’t about to stop given my experience in the morning watching the age groupers! I finished the race and felt like I had just been run over by a truck!
The race was painful, but I’m hoping it was a good speed workout for this weekend’s race in Chicago. I already feel better and hopefully a more predictable swim along with a steady effort on the bike will lead to a better race! After that, I’ll be focusing the next 11 weeks to preparing for 70.3 world championships. Thanks to everyone for their support and congratulations to everyone who competed this weekend.
Please support the sponsors: Kiwami Triathlon, ISM Saddles, BlueSeventy Wetsuits, Veritas Cycles, Hed Wheels, Newton Running, and Great Clips.
My remaining race schedule:
Sept. 27 Augusta 70.3
Oct. 4 LA Triathlon
Oct. 11 US Open Triathlon
Nov. 14 70.3 World Championships
Eric Limkemann
Thunder from Down Under and other racing news
Here is a race report from Kat Baker. She and boyfriend Mick are professional triathletes from OZ living and training in Boulder for Ironman Canada. I haven't met them in person yet, but they seem like very nice folks on the phone. Both contacted ISM as they were having saddle woes. Well, not any more! Glad to help Kat and Mick. Rip it up in Canada! Hope to see you in Kona.
Boulder 5430- 9th August 2009
Finally, a race i was tapered for! I was getting very frustrated training through races and being just out of the money...
So after the 6week ironman block Mick and I had an easy week. I felt good and ready to race, unfortunately (or fortunately) it was a jam packed field and for once there were about 3x the amount of women in the race as men. There were 3x world champions in the women’s field alone.
The swim was excellent for me. Non wetsuit and we started with the men. I have decided i love starting with the guys because they are way easier to draft off- they kick more and they are bigger. Anyway i think it had to have been the easiest swim of my career. And i was out just over 1.30 behind the male leaders!! Finally the swim has come together.
The ride was a reasonably flat 2 lap course. I felt pretty good however i took awhile to warm up. Probably still a bit fatigued after the Ironman block. I was riding well however and was able to stick with Chrissie Wellington for awhile, when she came past me (i had beaten her out of the swim!). I especially loved the new saddle i had, ISM- Adamo racing, it pushed me right forward and Time Trialling had never been so comfortable! I guess i wasn’t used to being up with all the champions and i wasn’t quite sure what to do up the front end of the race...i guess a lot of people particularly the guys sit a legal distance behind each other, legally swapping off. I wasn’t quite ready for this and seemed to just drop away slowly. Anyway i was onto the run in 5th place.
The run seemed ok to me, not super fast but comfortable. I figured i was ready for ironman. I managed to hold my own and finish in 5th. It didn’t feel too bad and i was pleased to see that my run time is only 7min off 2x Hawaii world champ, Chrissie wellington. I am happy with that and can’t wait to assault my second ironman, Ironman Canada Aug 30. Bring it on! Julie Dibbons finished 1st, Chrissie Wellington 2nd ,Brooke Davidson, local hero 3rd and Amanda Stevens 4th.
Finally, a race i was tapered for! I was getting very frustrated training through races and being just out of the money...
So after the 6week ironman block Mick and I had an easy week. I felt good and ready to race, unfortunately (or fortunately) it was a jam packed field and for once there were about 3x the amount of women in the race as men. There were 3x world champions in the women’s field alone.
The swim was excellent for me. Non wetsuit and we started with the men. I have decided i love starting with the guys because they are way easier to draft off- they kick more and they are bigger. Anyway i think it had to have been the easiest swim of my career. And i was out just over 1.30 behind the male leaders!! Finally the swim has come together.
The ride was a reasonably flat 2 lap course. I felt pretty good however i took awhile to warm up. Probably still a bit fatigued after the Ironman block. I was riding well however and was able to stick with Chrissie Wellington for awhile, when she came past me (i had beaten her out of the swim!). I especially loved the new saddle i had, ISM- Adamo racing, it pushed me right forward and Time Trialling had never been so comfortable! I guess i wasn’t used to being up with all the champions and i wasn’t quite sure what to do up the front end of the race...i guess a lot of people particularly the guys sit a legal distance behind each other, legally swapping off. I wasn’t quite ready for this and seemed to just drop away slowly. Anyway i was onto the run in 5th place.
The run seemed ok to me, not super fast but comfortable. I figured i was ready for ironman. I managed to hold my own and finish in 5th. It didn’t feel too bad and i was pleased to see that my run time is only 7min off 2x Hawaii world champ, Chrissie wellington. I am happy with that and can’t wait to assault my second ironman, Ironman Canada Aug 30. Bring it on! Julie Dibbons finished 1st, Chrissie Wellington 2nd ,Brooke Davidson, local hero 3rd and Amanda Stevens 4th.
-Kat
I also competed in the Austin XTERRA event on Sunday. All I can say is WOW. Mike, you should be shot for designing that course. :) Very extreme and I'm glad I walked away with no broken bones. Great support and great event. Definitely a tough day. I was intimidated by several of the rocky decents as my mountain bike skills have failed me (as I haven't ridden a real trail in YEARS). Fun day.
Also, our very own Laura Toll went to Age Group Nationals this past weekend and qualified for worlds. Budapest, here we come. Proud of you Laura.
And Andy Potts won ANOTHER race this weekend. Go Andy. Glad you enjoy that Adamo Road saddle my man. You are on fire. Save some of that spark for Kona baby.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ironman 70.3 Lake Stephens, WA
Here's a race report from ISM athlete and winner Becky Lavelle. ISM athletes took 1,3, and 4 overall.
Becky Lavelle 1st on Adamo Racing
Michellie Jones 3rd on Adamo Racing
Eric Limkemann 4th on Adamo Racing
august 16 . 2009Lake Stevens 70.3 ~ 1stComing into this racing season I wanted to do a few more half ironmans since I was stepping away from world cup racing. I had a few in mind for the year but wasn't able to squeeze one into my schedule until this month. Washington is one of my favorite states, the Seattle area in particular, so Lake Stevens seemed like a perfect first 70.3 race of the year. It was a chilly morning, low 50's and overcast, and they actually had to delay the start because of fog over the lake. Once we started I settled into the lead on the swim and thankfully the course was marked by a rowing line that we could follow underwater so we didn't have to sight too much. I exited the water a little over a minute up on the next woman.I have to say I was pretty 'numb' the first loop of the 2 loop bike course... I could barely feel my hands, my toes or my quads! I gradually warmed up and felt better as I went but my lead slipped away as I came into T2 about :15 down from the leader. I left T2 on her heels and took the lead back within the first mile of the run. She stayed right with me though for the next 6 miles or so. At around 7 miles I was feeling pretty good so I decided to start picking up the pace. In the past those last 3-4 miles in a half marathon have hurt pretty bad so I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up my speed but I was amazed at how strong I felt as the race went on. I definitely didn't want a sprint finish so I just kept the pressure on and felt great all the way to the end, crossing in 1st, about 1:10 up from second place. I ended up running my fastest 13.1 miles in a half ironman, 1:24.29.What a fun race to win... the crowd support was great and the venue was beautiful!Next up is LTF- Chicago on August 30th.
Becky Lavelle 1st on Adamo Racing
Michellie Jones 3rd on Adamo Racing
Eric Limkemann 4th on Adamo Racing
august 16 . 2009Lake Stevens 70.3 ~ 1stComing into this racing season I wanted to do a few more half ironmans since I was stepping away from world cup racing. I had a few in mind for the year but wasn't able to squeeze one into my schedule until this month. Washington is one of my favorite states, the Seattle area in particular, so Lake Stevens seemed like a perfect first 70.3 race of the year. It was a chilly morning, low 50's and overcast, and they actually had to delay the start because of fog over the lake. Once we started I settled into the lead on the swim and thankfully the course was marked by a rowing line that we could follow underwater so we didn't have to sight too much. I exited the water a little over a minute up on the next woman.I have to say I was pretty 'numb' the first loop of the 2 loop bike course... I could barely feel my hands, my toes or my quads! I gradually warmed up and felt better as I went but my lead slipped away as I came into T2 about :15 down from the leader. I left T2 on her heels and took the lead back within the first mile of the run. She stayed right with me though for the next 6 miles or so. At around 7 miles I was feeling pretty good so I decided to start picking up the pace. In the past those last 3-4 miles in a half marathon have hurt pretty bad so I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up my speed but I was amazed at how strong I felt as the race went on. I definitely didn't want a sprint finish so I just kept the pressure on and felt great all the way to the end, crossing in 1st, about 1:10 up from second place. I ended up running my fastest 13.1 miles in a half ironman, 1:24.29.What a fun race to win... the crowd support was great and the venue was beautiful!Next up is LTF- Chicago on August 30th.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Speedfil Hydration and ISM Saddles
Owner of Inviscid Design, Dave Dietterle, has been a longtime fan of his Adamo Racing saddle. In fact, if you live in SoCal you've probably heard his ISM sales pitch. Thanks Dave!! Inviscid Design manufactures and sells the Speedfil Aero Hydration bottle. Here's a pic of Dave's pimped out Kestrel Airfoil (same bike I ride and choice of champions). Check out the product at http://www.speedfil.com/
Monday, August 3, 2009
More Results
"I love riding my ISM Adamo Road saddle. Since I made the switch to ISM, I have no more numbness and a lot more comfort. I can stay down in my aero position longer and maintain intensity all because I'm more comfortable in my bike. Thanks to ISM I am riding better than ever!" -Andy PottsDespite being in bed all weekend with Strep and not able to race, other ISM athletes kicked some major butt!! Check it:
August 1, 2009 Steelhead Ironman 70.3 Michigan Andy Potts WINS and Nina Kraft 3rd! Both athletes use ISM Adamo Road saddles.
August 1, 2009 Ironman UK Bella Bayliss WINS again on her Adamo Road saddle.
August 2, 2009 Danskin Philadelphia Sisters Rebeccah and Laurel Wassner give the 1-2 punch on their Adamo Racing saddles.
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