First, I’d like to apologize for the length of time that has passed since the last issue of This Week in Triathlon.  Events of real life have conspired to put this column on the bottom of the priority pile. However, here we are, back in business, a little poorer after shelling out some legal fees.  Welcome to the 21^st century…

As I write this, I’m in Loomis, CA watching Greg Bomhoff who just finished running 128.75 miles.  He ran continuously for 24 hours, 2 minutes and 28 seconds on his Go The Distance Run to raise money to support fitness programs at Franklin School on Loomis, California.  For those who don’t live in California, you may not know that the financial crisis has hit our schools hard.  20,000 teachers have received pink slips this year in the state, and sports and fitness programs have been hit hard over the last few years, virtually being eliminated from the curriculum.

As I did in the last webisode, when I someone who is trying to make social change through sport, I am going to bring it to your attention.  That is one of the best ways to use this passion we have for endurance athletics.  If you want more information on Greg’s feat, you can go to his website http://www.gothedistancerun.com/ and you can follow him on twitter at http://twitter.com/24hourrun4kids

BTW, as he is addressing the crowd at the finish line, he looks a little tired…

Lastly, I’d like to congratulate my wife, Tatjana for wining her age group at the XTERRA Redwood Peak 17k Trail Run and taking the lead in the XTERRA NorCal Trail Run Series.  Here we come XTERRA Nationals and Worlds!

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The News

Record Breaking Day At XTERRA Redwood Peak

Kahuna Dave On The XTERRA Pro Race In NV

USAT Previews New Duathlon Video

USAT Takes 6 top 10 finishes in Monetrrey

Findlay Wins Monterrey World Cup

Potts and Warriner Rule NOLA

CU Bolder Takes Men’s, Coed Team Crowns

Stehula, Kelleher Take Collegiate National

USAT National Duathlon Festival Features Top-Notch Field

Duathlon Popularity On The Rise

Q&A With USAT President, Brian Harrington

Fernandes Returns To Racing With Win In Quarteira

Emma Jackson And Josh Maeder Win Gold Coast Triathlon

Collegiate Competitor Puts Country First

Docherty Takes World Championship Series Opener In Sidney

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Training Tips

New York City Marathon Training Plans Available Now

Drinking Alcohol In The Week Before Racing: Ok Or Not?

Mark Allen Discusses World Championships, Winning And Chocolate

Tim Beardall On How To Survive An Ironman

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Product Review

XTERRA  XR1.0 Trail Runner

Mrs. TWiT and I have been testing the XTERRA XR1.0 Trail Runner.  XTERRA describes by saying “Support and stability doesn’t have to mean “overbuilt”, and these shoes are definitely not overbuilt.  They are a dead-on neutral shoe, but they are not racing flats.

They are true lightweight trail shoes that feature a cushiony EVA midsole, blown rubber outsole (lighter) with carbon rubber toe that better digs in to the trail. To protect you on the trail, the shoes have a forefoot  rock plate and an I-beam arch shank.

They call their outsole WildTread, which is designed to provide traction on all surfaces.  The upper uses their XHale mesh, a three layer construction that features an external web frame for breathability and abrasion protection, an ultra suede core  for support and an ultralight mesh liner for comfort and to keep debris out.

Compared to your average trail shoe, they come in some wild colors.  I’ve been sporting the Slime (green)/Black models, the faster family member has been sporting the Pink/White women’s model.  It’s kind of a shame to get them muddy, but they worked pretty well in wet conditions as well as dry, so we had to go for it!  The Men’s XR1.0 weighs 11.5 oz (size 9) and the women’s weighs 9.5 oz (size 7).

They run “true to size”.  I wear a 11 1/2 in other brands, and that’s the size that fits me here.  Retail is $95, which make them a good value.  You can check them out at http://www.xterrafootwear.com/Trail-Running-Shoes-Best-Running-Shoes-s/33.htm

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Tweets of the Week

Mirindacarfrae @desfick yay – go desi go!!!

amandalovato have a stye in my eye that is blinding me and my legs are FUBAR…fun times…

joannazeiger Went through security like a rookie: left water in my bottle and liquid in my purse.

terenzo1 Love swimming in a hot indoor pool with a wetsuit on. Good way to get your sweat on

juliedibens wishes she was in St Pete getting ready for St Anthonys triathlon with everyone else. Such a fun race. Hopefully next year.

lukemckenzie mmm … baldo makes a delicious pad thai!

hunterkemper Tim Tebow goes to Denver!!! Ya baby! Go Broncos

racergirlmel okay so some people might be surprised that the vegas ‘road’ course requires some skillz. giant marbles on vertical hardpack … good luck!

jarrodshoemaker so much for Red Sox good defense!

michaellovato Out for an evening gym session & Whole Foods shopping session. Missing my partner in crime, who is currently glued to the couch. Elmer’s.

juliedibens running makes me tired.

chrislieto Busy day. Swim, track, pack, gave Kaiden “the lieto”, heading to SF to keynote to Insurance Forum. Then off to TX in am.

michaellovato had half of a dry bike ride, and half of a wet bike ride.

leandacave Just thought y’all should know….Im not racing Lonestar 70.3 this wkend. Ive got bigger fish to fry in Escape frm Alcatraz one week l8r!!

desfick Roaches can’t be counted as one of God’s lovely creatures, they just can’t be

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20 Questions with Sarah Groff

Professional Triathlete Sarah Groff is from Cooperstown, New York, and until recently, has been lliving and training in Colorado Springs CO.  Sarah has been a pro for only 4 years, but has become the top ranked American in ITU Olympic Distance Triathlons.  She has become a common site on ITU podiums.  She has set her sights on the 2012 London Olympics, but she has also recently stepped out and competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. You can get more info on Sarah at her website: http://www.sarahgroff.com/?display=home

(TWiT)  In November you broke out of the grip the ITU has on you and showed up for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.  Who told you that was a non drafting race? (it’s gotten a reputation for it?)

(SG)  I viewed the race as a bit of a reconnaisance mission and as a chance to spend time with family and friends.  When I’m done with ITU, I’ll probably end up concentrating on long-course for a few years.  Racing at Clearwater was a good way to preview what awaits me.

FYI- Some people might argue with you on the non-drafting bit.

(TWiT)  A 7th place finish is great for your first Half IM!  Did you have a chance to train specifically for the race? (the hardest part to transition between ITU and IM is not the distance, but the difference between riding in a surging pack and time trialing….and in the case of the 70.3 WC is the fact that they can’t stop the cheating.)

(SG) Thanks!  It was actually my second 70.3 of the year (I had to qualify!), after narrowly finishing 2nd to Mirinda Carfrae at Oceanside, a race that I decided to jump into after a base training block.  In regards to training for 70.3 Worlds, I had a few weeks of specific training in Clermont, FL prior to the race.  At that point in the season, however, my base fitness was a bit too degraded to be able to do any real work.  About 15k into the run, when I had to do a bit of walking, this was painfully apparent to me! Someone like Julie Dibens prepared for that race all year (as evidenced by her dominant performance) and, in order to race the distance properly, I now know that you need to treat the preparation with the respect that it deserves.

(TWiT)  Entities in the sport want to take away the ability of athletes to make a living wage by putting advertisers on their uniforms.  If that happens, would that be another good reason to go IM?

(SG)  Personally, I race short-course because I am more passionate about the format.  While I understand that other athletes might be compelled to switch to long-course racing for business reasons, I would rather be a poor ITU racer than make a bit more sponsorship bucks doing IM.

(TWiT)  With a racing schedule that rivals a Nascar team, ITU athletes get a lot of frequent flyer miles.  What is your top travel tip?

(SG)  Learn to channel your inner Zen Buddhist.  Be at peace with waiting in lines, inevitable delays and cancelled flights, and with cranky fellow passengers and airport employees. Triathetes tend to be control freaks, but we have to let go of that part of our personalities when traveling in order to retain our sanity.

(TWiT)  A couple of months ago, you have packed, left Colorado Springs and dropped your stuff of in New Hampshire on your way to train in Australia and then Switzerland.  Big scary commitment to your training or an exciting new chapter in your push to London in 2012?

(SG) Both.  I felt as though I was at a crossroads where I could stay the course and be a good, but not great, triathlete or I could take a risk, travel the world to follow a great coach and see if, with the right program, I could race at the next level.  I can only race for so many years- why not make the most out of the remaining years, even if it requires some sacrifice on my part?

(TWiT)  I am the Ghost of Triathlon Future.  I take you 10 years into the future.  What is Sarah up to?

(SG)  The Ghost of Triathlon Future may be a bit disappointed.  I’ll probably have hung up the race shoes and will be living a wonderfully dull life in New England with a small farm, some chickens and pursuing my next, non-triathlon related career.

(TWiT)  You have the chance to create the next big race from scratch. Please answer the following questions:

(TWiT)  What are the Distances?

(SG)  3k/40k/8k

(TWiT)  What is the Format? (Drafting, non-drafting, Mountain Biking, a fourth leg, it’s your race!)

(SG)  Hmm… Choppy swim, hilly bike and uphill trail run, followed by a cake eating contest. Style points will be awarded for all disciplines.   Furthermore, competition must be conducted within one’s weight class.

(TWiT)  When do you make your move?

(SG)  I think that I’d probably use tactics until the second half of the run.  I’d then build through to the finish, relying on my speed eating skills to be able to clinch the win. As long as I have adequate hydration leading into final leg, I should be fine.

(TWiT)  Who do you hope takes the weekend off?

(SG)  No one.  Bring on the competition.

(TWiT)  What does the winner get?

(SG)  1 leg of jamon iberico and serious bragging rights.

(TWiT)  You are a comic book superhero named Sneaky Sausage (be careful what you write in your blogs), what is your super skill?

(SG)  First, I would like to explain the nickname, as it could be easily misinterpreted.  While training on the Gold Coast a few few years ago, I lived with Mirinda Carfrae and Lauren Groves.  They noticed that large, wet footprints resembling kielbasas would mysteriously appear in the kitchen and easily deduced that I was the culprit (I have big feet).  And thus “Sausage” Groff was born.

(TWiT)  Sizzling meat smells? Can Sneaky Sausage cook?

(SG) Oh yeah.

(TWiT)  What is the one thing you could eat at any time that you can’t eat anytime?

(SG)  Any fresh-picked seasonal fruit.

(TWiT)  If Sneaky Sausage had a super skill, it would probably be something unexceptional like the ability to produce sizzling meat smells as will.

(SG)  If I had a more exciting super hero alter-ego, however, I wouldn’t mind being able to regenerate like Wolverine (great for post-workout recovery) and to teleport.

(TWiT)  You are currently training in Australia.  Have you had some Vegimite? (I was told in a previous interview it was either that or the sharks that make aussie triathletes faster. Probably not worth it in either case.)

(SG)  Vegemite is salty, B vitamin-laden deliciousness.  I really like it after a training session on a hot day on buttered toast with some tomato.  Just don’t put too much on! I made that mistake the first time that I had it, thinking that it was like jam, and it turned me off the stuff for a while.

(TWiT)  What has been your biggest challenge outside of triathlon?

(SG)  Finding a really good cup of coffee in the Hanover, NH area.  And the future Mr. Groff (okay, I won’t make him take my name).

(TWiT)  Please finish this sentence:  If I weren’t a triathlete, I would ….

(SG)  …have to grow up

(TWiT)  When you are not swimming, biking or running, where can we find you?

(SG)  Napping, eating, in the kitchen, playing with kids or at a coffee shop

(TWiT)  You decide to try your luck at the Big Kahouna, the Ironman World Championships in Kona.  The Thursday before the big race, you are invited to the Underpants Run.  Boxers or Briefs?

(SG)  I didn’t think that girls typically wore either, but I’ll say boxer briefs.  Way more flattering.

(TWiT)  What measures do you take to insure your sanity?

(SG)  Sanity?  I believe that this interview will dispel any notions that I am actually sane.