Taylor Knibb is Undefeated

5 days of running, changes at Specialized, Gustav Iden stumbles in return, and more

May 17, 2024

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Stay moving…✌🏼 - Scott

Headlines

🏃 5 Days of Insanity: That’s where my brain goes when I read about the Cocodona 250. A 250 mile ultra trail running race that links together some of the most iconic trails and towns in Arizona; is it picturesque, yes. Is it brutal? Absolutely. Overall, there are roughly 40,000 feet of climbing and 35,000 feet of descending. I for one wouldn’t know but congrats to Rachel Entrekin and Harry Subertas, winners of the women’s and men’s races. Read more…

🏊🚴🏃 DNF in Spain: What was supposed to be the start of his 2024 comeback, Gustav Iden was unable to finish IRONMAN 70.3 Mallorca dropping out of the race on the bike. But, Youri Keulen also dropped out on the bike and he most recently won the Singapore T100 Series race. No word on why either DNF’d but its unfortunate to see Iden, the 2022 IRONMAN world champion continue to struggle. As for who did win, it was Nicolas Mann and Emma Pallant-Browne. After a DNF earlier in the season, Pallant-Browne has now strung together two podium finishes. Read more…

🚴 Going for 2: Taylor Knibb is the fastest women’s triathlete on the planet. Facts. She might also just be the fastest cyclist too. At the US Women’s National TT Championship, Knibb beat the 2nd place finisher by 11 seconds, and the 3rd place finisher by 50 seconds. Yes, Knibb intends to compete in both cycling and triathlon in the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Cycling TT takes place several days before her first triathlon (assuming she races both the individual triathlon and team relay). The schedule is - Women's Cycling TT on July 27th, Women's Individual Triathlon on July 31st, and Mixed Team Relay on August 5th. Read more…

Meanwhile

🚴 Unbound 200 News and Notes: Considered one of the most difficult yet prestigious gravel races in the world, Unbound will see 5,000 overall participants this year. With it comes a few changes. The 2024 Unbound Gravel 200 will see the elite women start 5 minutes after the elite men (6:05 a.m.). Then the amateur riders will depart 25 minutes later (6:30 a.m.). As for the course, the 200 is 2.6 miles shorter than last year but packs 2,750 more feet of elevation gain. Other news and notes you should check out included. The North Course certainly looks to challenge everyone this year. Read more…

🏃 2014 Boston Marathon Winner finally gets paid: Yes, 2014. I thought that had to be a typo but it’s not. The 2014 Boston Marathon champion was finally paid the $100K she was owed. And it wasn’t The Boston Athletic Association that paid her, but a running fan. It’s a bizarre story but as the running fan says, “Just do the right thing.” Read more…

🚴 Changes at Specialized: Armin Landgraf has been named CEO, leading the brand’s new innovation and technology division. At Specialized since 2022, Landgraf was previously at Canyon Bicycle as their CEO from 2019 - 2021. Read more…

🏃 What You Can Learn from a Single Mom of Three who runs a half-marathon a day: For Helen Ryvar, routine is key in keeping her sanity. And that routine starts at 4:30 a.m. The world record holder for consecutive half-marathons gives her keys to keeping accountable and healthy. Read more…

🚴 Long…but OK: If you thought a 7 hour bike ride was long, what are your thoughts on 7 years? For Indiana Schulz, that’s exactly what he is doing. Starting May 15th, Schulz just started his journey that will take him from, Fairbanks, Anchorage and beyond. Follow his journey at Cycling Kindness, which is his mantra to helping others & sharing kindness. Read more…

🚴 SRAM Launches All-New Red AXS Groupset [A Review]: At a hefty $4,600, the 2024 SRAM Red AXS Groupset is not for everyone but for those that can afford it, expect improved shift and braking performance. SRAM has added some cool and useful Bonus Buttons, braking takes 80% less effort from the hoods, and shifting at the front derailleur is more narrow, equaling faster shifting between the chainrings. And for every purchase, users will get a newly-updated Hammerhead Karoo computer. So is all of this worth an upgrade over previous Red groupsets? The experts at Velo say, no unless you’re upgrading from a rather archaic setup. Read more…

Deals & Steals

💸 The Best Running Watches of 2024: After reviewing 10 running watches, including Coros, Garmin, Fitbit, Apple and others, there can be only 1 champion! And that is the Coros Pace 3. Applauded for its longer-lasting battery, great GPS and increased activity tracking, it was crowned the best-of-the-best. Read more…

Amazon

💸💸 ‘We Made Too Much’ Sale: If you’re a big fan of Lululemon, now is the chance to grab some great deals. The company is having their, I admit pretty creative, ‘We Made Too Much’ sale.

Lululemon

💸💸 Specialized Men’s SL Race Bib Shorts: I’m a big fan of these bibs. High quality, tight fitting, great padding. Originally $150, now $90. That’s a good deal on any bibs these days.

Specialized

Training Tips

Because training is life.

How To Beat The Heat | Prepare For Your Triathlon Race Day: Let’s face it, triathlon is a summer sport and things are starting to heat up. So how should we change our mindset when racing in 100 degree temps?

Joe Friel Reveals Why Some Triathletes Get Faster: Sit down with legendary coach Joe Friel as he talks about triathletes and swimming, how they can improve, ways to transition from the pool to open water, and more.

Rewatchables

Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.

Inaugural Year | A story about the first ever Cocodona 250: Highlighted above, wanted to shed more light on the Cocodona 250. This is the story of the first event in 2021.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai: Join a group of 5 strangers on a 24-hour quest to ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in less than 24 hours.

Unbound Gravel 2024 - 100 Mile Route Recon: Adding this one because I’m doing the 100 mile route here in 3 weeks and maybe you are too. One thing about Kansas, looks beautiful but man, you are not getting much shade.

We Are Rock n Roll: The American Criterium Cup 2024: A true Americana story, the world of American Crit is a fascinating one playing out in small towns across the country. It’s a beautiful thing.