How to mix up HoneyMaxx

Here is a simple and quick video on how to mix up HoneyMaxx.  This happens to be orange flavored but it also come in lemon-lime too. It's an all natural, high performance sports drink.  With warmer weather to arrive for summer, everyone can benefit from staying hydrated.

Udderly Smooth....the best way to fight dry skin

The summer heat and the constant getting in and out of the pool, dry skin is bound to happen.  The harsh chlorine in the public pool where I have been swimming this summer is pretty strong, as it should be to help keep the pool clean.  The chlorine is not so friendly with your skin.  The product line of Udderly Smooth's is where I turned adding hydration to my feet and all over my body.   From the lotion, body cream and the foot cream you are "totally covered", pun intended.  The greaseless Udderly Smooth products are great.  I am not sure how many out there follow my blog locally here in Arizona, but if you do, listen up.  I will bring a bunch of chamois cream samples to the Mesa Sprint that I am entered in next month. Swing by, introduce yourself and ask me for a sample, I would love to share.  I know too, nothing new on race day, so I am not saying you need to use it right then and there, but take it home and use during your training. It will be pretty easy to "spot" me, just look for the tall guy with the aero helmet with cow spots on it.  It's a sample, I mean, it's as simple as that. 

Checking in....

I feel I am getting stronger in the pool going at least 3 times a week.  I have set aside for a week the paddles and fins, but will get them out next week to work on some drills in the pool.  My rides this weekend, which were a little longer in awhile, were very hot and sticky.  Even though I was drinking a lot of water, I still was feeling a little dehydrated.  I was thinking for the next few weeks of getting out of the house even earlier than I do now to avoid the sun. Training is going great as I look forward to October.

Who left the oven open?

Temperatures outside during the middle of the day are in the one teens (113-119) the last week.  Of course I am not out training during that time of day, but even the lows are staying in the high 80's.  The workouts have been moved to pre daylight hours, even the pool.  These temperatures are normal for this time of year her in Arizona, and with it you just learn to hydrate more (stay away from caffeine), wear protective clothing from the sun and stay in the shade or indoors.  Kind of a reverse of a winter hibernation. Training is going well for my mid October sprint triathlon.

There is a day for everything

There is National Donut Day, Nation Running Day, National Coffee Day, Bike to Work Day you get the picture, there is a day for everything.  So you guessed it there is a National Flip Flop Day, which happens to be Friday, June 21, 2013 this year and I will be rocking my SOLE Sport Flips. (Well,  I always wear them, so the day really won't be that different for me.)

National Flip Flop Day

So while we are on the subject of flip flops and sandals, other sandals or flip flops may be comfortable for the first 20 minutes or so of wearing, but the SOLE Sport Flips are just what your feet and body are craving for.  I have enjoyed these arch supportive flip flops after long training rides or runs and of course wear them to and from the pool.  They mold to your foot, normally after wearing them for a few days. With the arch support and the contoured foot bed, you walk around in comfort.  I really like them after my feet have been cramped up in cycling shoes or just getting more air to my feet after running. Because SOLE Sport Flips are molded then to your feet, don't let others wear them.  The contour of the foot bed can help alleviate pain from plantar fasciitis.

Tropical Smoothie Café' honors those rocking flip flops with a FREE SMOOTHIE on June 21st, from 2pm - 7pm, by wearing your flip flops to one of our locations.  Look them up to see if they have a store near you.  

Feed Zone Portables recipe book

Feed Zone Portables is a new book of recipes out by Chef Biju and Dr. Lim with 75 ideas for cyclists, runners, triathletes, mountain bikers, climbers, hikers, and backpackers. The simple recipes are made with real food. I have tired a few of these easy to make recipes bringing them on my longer rides and lately on the way out the door to the pool to swim laps. On their website they offer free sample of some of the recipes at  www.feedzonecookbook.com 

My favorite recipe that I have made so far are Banana Waffles. I seem to get stuck in ruts of what I eat in the morning and out while on longer rides or runs. This book has helped open my eyes to what can be done.  Sure there are the energy bars and gels I take along but this is real food you prepare in your own kitchen. 

Swimming is taking shape

I am excited to say I ditched the gym pool and scored a great deal on the local aquatics facility.  The facility was used this last spring for Olympic trials.  Anyway, the pool at the gym I belong to is 14 meters long so just as I was getting up speed and getting into the groove the wall was there. The lanes here are set up for 25 yard lengths.  I get there for my early morning workout at 5am and am either the only one there or one of four others swimming at that time.  I plug into my X-1 audio underwater headphones on my workout is done before I know it.  I have been working on my form and arm position for now and will focus on speed in a couple of weeks.  Feels great to be working out in such a great facility.

SOLE Footbeds a cure for "hot feet"

 I use SOLE footbeds to replace, literally, "the liners" shoe companies put inside their shoes. The liners in both running shoes and everyday walking shoes really provide no support I have found.  However, replacing them with SOLE footbeds provides the comfort and support your foot needs.  I replace even my cycling shoes (both road and mountain bike) with SOLE footbeds.  I used to suffer from what cyclist call "hot foot".  It was a burning pain in the ball of my foot moving towards my toes. To me it occurred on long rides or rides with a lot of climbing. The burning is really not heat but rather pressure on nerves in the foot that create a burning like sensation. Dumping or squirting water on your feet will not put the "fire" out. The sensation is caused from wearing too tight of shoe. Here are a few tips of how you can remedy the "hot foot" burning pain.
    1. Use a Thin Sport SOLE custom footbeds and/or thinner socks such as the Lightweight Sport SOLE sock.  This will give your foot more room to swell with out restriction. 
    2. Adjust your shoe straps. Keep the straps closest to your toes (near the bottom of the shoe) the loosest for more room.
    3. Sometimes re-focusing the pressure helps.  Do this by moving your cleats to the rear by as much as 8 mm which sometimes means drilling new holes in the bottom of your cycling shoe. You will want to lower your saddle about the same distance you have moved the cleat back. 
    4. With shoes coming from European manufacturers, sometimes the toe box runs small.  Look for a pair with a wide toe box and a stiff sole.

2013 is going

I started off the year with a 20.14 mile road ride, yes it was .01 over my projected 20.13, but I'm not complaining.  The New Year is off to a great start feeling healthy and injury free.  Not as much time for training as I had hoped for, but that will come along.  The first weekend into the year I was able to get out and ride with the tri group and log a 50 mile ride.  The weather was a little chilly even in the daylight sun.  I have put the slicks back on the mountain bike to get more indoor roller rides going.  2013 is going to be a great year both training and racing, I can tell. 

Giving Cyclocross a Spin

This past weekend I competed and found out what cyclocross is all about, or at least three laps of a course is like.  I took part in the second-class citizen race.  The race was myself and two other costumed riders.  The course was full of hairpin turns, trees, and a few hill climbs.  It was set up on a local working farm in town.   The hill on the course had both packed dirt and loose, which was easier to dismount and run the bike up.  Also the one direction you entered the hill on, it was both soft dirt on the way up and on the way down making it much easier once again just to run with the bike.  I attempted to ride my bike down on my second lap, but only was slowed up and lost some time.  With the race starting at 10pm, when most folks are tucked in bed, I was pumped and ready to test out the course. The weather was rainy the day before, as well as off and on the morning of the race. The course was pretty dry and some parts had some sandy areas.  My oldest brother came out to support me and wanted to see what it was all about too.  The organizers set up lighting around the route but  while riding in some parts of the course it got pretty dark.  I was really glad I packed my Lupine Wilma X Pro to light the way for me.  I opted to wear it mounted on my helmet so what ever way I looked the light revealed what was there.  A fun race and a kick-butt workout.
For those wondering about the 24 Hour race I was to be in, two of the four team members pulled out leaving us unable to continue.  I however have been looking into a 12 Hour race coming up in January 2013.  

Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream

While out riding the use of a chamois cream will keep you comfortable. I have been using Udderly Smooth foot cream for ever it seems like.
Now, I use Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream for use on the nether regions as a lubricant for long and short rides. Depending also the length of an indoor roller workout, I will apply it then too. The cream is used to prevent chafing and irritation sometimes created by sweat.
If your bicycle is set up correctly, and you've got a good saddle and sitting on the saddle properly ... you'll greatly reduce the chances of saddle sores.
Chamois cream was originally created for cycling shorts pads were made of real chamois. After washing over and over the chamois would dry out and become stiff over time similar to leather. The cream was used to recondition the chamois. There is talk out there that says the cream is totally unneeded with modern synthetic chamois.
Lube up directly on the skin with Udderly Smooth Chamois Cream and protect your under carriage. When putting in all those training miles your butt will thank you. 

Order your own at
http://www.udderlysmooth.com

So my first ride of the weekend was great.  Did 20 miles out by myself and met up with the tri group to hit another 18.  The weather was perfect.  A little chill to the air first out. The ride was fairly flat with a few rolling hills.  The second was a quick ride on the rollers, nothing special there.  Next weekend I plan to hit both weekend days with some long rides.  My recovery time is still pretty fast, yet was still bothered by a little hip pain.  Two bottles on the bike were enough and with the temperatures rising next weekend might need to bring an extra water bottle.  Feeling very good about El Tour de Mesa ride in a few weeks.

SOLE footbeds

**********UPDATE: April 2015**************

If you reading this, drop me an e-mail (timhakr @gmail.com) as to why you are interested in footbeds and what brought you here to this page.  Are you looking for comfort while running or cycling? Do you suffer from foot pain?

This blog post is from March 2012

SOLE footbeds are quick and easy to mold to your custom foot shape. They come with easy to follow instructions. SOLE footbeds are used to help with muscles on the bottom of your feet to avoid pain in the Plantar Fascia.  SOLE also makes sandals and flip-flops that are custom fit to your foots bottom profile.  

My walking shoe size and cycling shoe size are 13, while my running shoes I buy size larger 14, to avoid troubles with my toe nails. When preparing my footbeds, I used the insole inside my cycling shoe to match the SOLE footbed for size and cut them to fit.  For my running shoes the SOLE footbeds came in my running shoe size. Also with the seven different types of footbeds, SOLE offers just what you are looking for. 

Not know what SOLE footbed would be suit you? There is an easy questionnaire on their website   www.yoursole.com , answer some questions about your arches in your feet what type of activity will you be wearing the footbeds for and the site lets you know what would work best for your situation.

The Lazer Tardiz

The Lazer Tardiz is an impressive helmet all around. The aerodynamic helmet has some great features built into it.  The fit is very nice and easy to slip on.  With it's Rollsys a wheel on the top of the helmet can adjust the size easily and comfortably.  Adjustments can be made while riding. The air channels at the front of the helmet allow for great airflow.  Aerodynamic helmets can often be hot without proper air flow.  To help with keeping cool, the Tardiz has an Aquavent at the top of the helmet too. This is a great feature, and one I have used a lot living in Arizona. The Aquavent work along with the Perfopad to help distribute the water all over the the top of the head and not in just one spot. The buckle is magnetic and goes together really easy.  It takes a little getting used to when removing, but is a great feature of this helmet.  The weight of the helmet is about 395g.  

RecoFit Compression sleeves

I am very impressed with an would highly recommend RecoFit Compression sleeves for both your calves and arms.  Let me begin with the calf sleeve.  I trained with and used them during the second half of last season.  They helped my legs during training keep up with the numerous running miles I was putting in.  I was super impressed with how I was able to wear them under my wetsuit on race day and they stayed in place and caused no issues during the swim or bike segments.  Each calf sleeve is marked either right or left leg as they are leg specific for the proper fit.  Next on to the arm sleeves with Icefil fabric.  On race day the temperature was in the high 90's with the sun out in full force, I was glad I had these on.  For one to block the sun, not putting any sunscreen on and second was the feeling when they were wet, each one was it's own evaporative cooler. They have a 50-plus UV protection factor and are white. The elastic on both ends kept them in place and didn't have to worry about them slipping up or down.
To help my recovery after the race I wore the calf sleeves around under my clothes for a few days afterword to help with circulation.  Of course I washed them and hung them to dry before doing so. If you are in the market for compression gear RecoFit will not let you down.