Madcow's mentor group -CLOSED! (Page 7)

You guys are making me feel like a bum. I was planning on running, but am not feeling it right now. I might leave work early and just run around the hood.

I usually like to go into a shop to buy my stuff. I have been fortunate enough to get some sponsors over the years, so it has been a while since I have bought clothes, but I get my bikes at Nytro. They are in Encinitas which is on your way down here to the expo. Check them out. They can be a bit standoffish, so don't think they will fall over you when you walk in the door, but it's a good place to look around.

The other shop I like is B&L, just down the coast from Nytro. The people there are really cool, but their bike selection is limited to Specialized (I think). They have good clothing and other stuff.

HiTech bikes was a high end roadie shop that is starting to get into triathlons. You can check them out on your way home from the expo. The other good one and member of BT is Moment Cycle. They are in Point Loma which could be hard to get to if you are not familiar with the area. Of course, I bet all of those shops will be at the expo so you may not have to drive anywhere else!

I was first with the Degree Ironman team for 2 years...that is back when companies actually thought they could make money by advertising on triathletes. After 2 years, Degree gave up.
After that I got on with a buddy of mine who was starting an energy gel company. He thought that if he started with a tri team of pros and locals, that he could get in on the ground level and go from there. We got a ton of gear as the team had several sponsors (Rudy Project, Spinergy, Brave Soldier, Squadra, The Sock Guy and few other companies). That lasted for 2 years, until he realized his company was dead in the water and gave up the ghost.
After that I have gotten small sponorships with free or good discounts (Designer whey protein, Brooks shoes and Brave Soldier).

It seems like companies lately, have decided to sell their sponsorships to people (You pay $100 and get $250 worth of clothes and products). In my opinion this is the best thing for some of these companies as it gets people to buy their stuff and they have a ton of athletes stoked to wear their clothes at races. It is also a good deal for the athlete as they now have clothes that they got a good deal on, plus product.
Win, win.

I would have been happy with CarboPro as a sponsor. They were another sponsor with the enrgy company and I loved not having to buy that stuff. I go through it like water.

Brooks ID program is good if you like Brooks shoes. 40% - 60% off. I buy them 2 pairs at a time. That makes the wife happy

I think it depends on the clothes. If aevero is giving you tri shorts and a top, you shouldn't have a problem if you wear Brooks shoes and hat. The problem comes if Brooks gives you a tri top and Aevero gives you a tri top.

Last year Brooks gave me a running shirt. So I wore it during running races and just the shoes during triathlons.

Sounds like a good deal to me!

Yesterday I got ina 45 minute trainer ride. This morning I made it to the gym to get in some weights. It is rainy here, but my coworkers are all busy at lunch, so I will run, rain or shine

I am thinking next week we can try a run challenge. What do you guys think?

Concerning the energy drinks and training: Doing multiday events, I had to find things to stay awake during the race. In training I tried different energy drinks and found that while the caffeine boost was great, the crash sucked big time. I didn't crash the way I thought I would (getting tired or falling asleep), I crashed in a loss in power. I felt great, but my MPH kept dropping. I was pedaling nice and smooth and my cadence was up, but I had no power and had to keep shifting in order to push the pedals. Eventually I decided against any energy drinks. I brought them with me, but didn't use them. I opted for sleep instead

I had a really good run at lunch. It is 1 mile uphill, 3 miles flat (relatively) then 1 mile downhill. I did it in 44:58 or just under 9 min/mile. I felt like I was running in the 10's so I am happy with my pace. Maybe my fitness is coming back

OK guys, I am off to Santa Barbara for yet another soccer tournament. I am not even bringing any workout gear as there really won't be time for it.
You guys keep up the great work and keep inspiring and motivating each other during this cold off season

Have a great weekend.