As you might imagine I spend considerable time reading blogs, listening to podcasts, deciphering tweets and looking at YouTube videos in an effort to up my game in all aspects of endurance sports and to find topics for the blog. I thought it might be helpful to share some of the most informative or most entertaining items I come across on a monthly basis. Welcome to the SBS February 2014 edition of Outstanding Blogs and Podcasts. These represent some of my favorite blog posts, podcasts, YouTube videos or tweets from the past month.
Triathlete Training Podcast
This is one of my favorite podcasts. It provides tons of useful information and some great interviews. The host is Eric Schwartz who has 16 years experience in duathlons and triathlons. In 2004 he was the US Duathlon National Champion and finished 8th at Ironman Wisconsin.
You have to listen to this podcast! Susan McNamee, is a 61-year-old woman, who in one year went from learning how to swim across the pool to attempting her first Ironman. In this podcast she takes us through her race day at Ironman Wisconsin 2013 where she beat the swim cutoff by 15 seconds, ignored what her coach told her about monitoring her power meter on the bike and finally …
TT024: First Time Ironman Experience
The Science of Sport
This blog came to my attention after I followed Tim Noakes, @ProfTimNoakes, on twitter. Twitter suggested following Ross Tucker, @Scienceofsport. Following Ross lead me to his blog which is chock full of science-based analysis of many fascinating topics from barefoot running to doping.
This post is a twofer. It’s a blog post about how trying to disprove your favorite training theories will get you further than trying to confirm them. There is also an entertaining video that illustrates the author’s point.
The Scientific Process Disprove It
The Complex Triathlete
I was doing some research on off-season training when I happened upon the Complex Triathlete blog. His post on on off-season training was so good and his blog looked so sharp that I immediately added him to my RSS feed.
In this post he discusses his strategies for getting through a difficult workout. I’ll let him explain your options and the 20 minute rule.
When to Call An Audible for Your Workout
DC Rainmaker
I read Ray’s blog for several reasons. Mainly I read to get the very latest, most detailed information about sports related gadgets. But there is so much more here: mini-travelogues, industry trends, excellent photos and links to cool videos. Finally the blog design is just stunning. In my opinion, this is the gold standard of blogging.
This post examines Samsung’s new fitness devices.
Hands on with Samsung’s new waterproof S5, activity tracker and Gear watches
IronHolgs
IronHolgs is the author of one of my favorite inspirational triathlon books: Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run. You can read my review of the book in this post. He is an ordinary guy who works hard to do extraordinary things, and therefore a member of my tribe.
In this post Holgs address a concern that a lot of back-of-the-pack runners have. Do I get to call myself a runner? Given that I run marathons at a walking pace, I can definitely relate. Just as he used to run from lamppost to lamppost, I used to run from mailbox to mailbox. He nails it in this post. It’s not about how fast or how far. It’s about getting out there.
Newfangled Dad
I’m not sure exactly how I found Newfangled Dad. I think he followed my blog or followed me on twitter and I followed him back. I could be wrong. He writes about a variety of topics ranging from kids to bikes to farming to being a stay-at-home dad to triathlon. He strikes me as a man constantly finding his footing in an ever-changing world. I find his posts interesting and thought provoking.
This post caught my eye because I struggle between a go-it-alone approach and the obvious advantages of training with and learning from my local triathlon community. To be honest it’s not just mental or that I’m mental, speed is a factor as well. I’m too slow for many rides and runs. I am a terrible open water swimmer but that may be changing. My swim coach has me moving through the water more like swimmer than a flailing toddler. More on that later.
The Solitary Triathlon Creature
100 Days of Real Food
I read this blog mostly for whole food recipes but I also find the occasional post about nutrition and food preparation interesting. For the record when I read nutrition labels I focus on total calories first. Carbs, sugars and fiber second. Protein third. Finally I scan through the ingredients and total number ingredients. Fewer is better, and I avoid MSG.
This post talks about food labeling and why reading the ingredients is important because not all calories or fat grams are equal. It also discusses new food labeling which will have information about added sugars.
Why I Don’t Read Nutrition Facts Labels (with one exception)
Please feel free to comment or let me know about other blogs, podcasts, videos or information sources I should be checking out. Stumble on.