ZenTri 586 - Justin Metzler, Endless Pools, and Weight Vest Training

A photo posted by Justin Metzler (@justin_metzler) on Jan 24, 2015 at 9:00am PST

The amazing (and TALL!) Justin Metzler joins us to talk about being a pro, Team Maverick, and his latest training and camp.  

After that, we talk to Mark and Adam about Endless Pools! This commercial videodoes a great job showing one off.

We talk about how they work, what models are best for which type of customers, and what it's like swimming in one versus your local pool.  Thanks, guys!

I wrap up the show taking you training with me, a lot of which while I'm wearing a 25 lb. weight vest to run in.  It's good stuff for training for the Rocky Raccoon 50.

Enjoy and let Endless Pools and Maverick know you liked hearing about them on ZenTri!

ZenTri 550 - Hillary Biscay and Arshad Bahl

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Ultraman champion Hillary Biscay joins the show for an hour-long chat about triathlon, fueling, nutrition, and so much more!  She won the 2013 Ultraman, competes in the top level of the Ironman pro circuit, and also owns Smashfest Queen - an endurance clothing company.

I also interview Arshad Bahl of Amrita after we go trail running.  We review the food business, trail running, and lots of other fun stuff.  He also gives us a discount code ("Zen") worth 15% off!

I follow up the two interview with The Training Log. This week, I finish my peak training week for the Rocky Raccoon 100 by running 104.5 miles in seven days.  I document all the fun, pain, injuries, and other experiences that happen while trying to go big.

The music at the end is "Burning Beard" by Clutch.  Here's their video.  Buy all their stuff and enjoy the week!

ZenTri 549 - FLO Cycling

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It was great to sit down with Chris and Jon, the brothers behind FLO Cycling.  Their wheels have rocked the marketplace, bringing the best aerodynamics at an even better price.

We talk about the trials and tribulations of bringing a new product to market, how they work, and what is in store down the road.  Good times!

After that, I take you with me down the rabbit hole as I try to hit 82 running miles for the week.  Riding the edge of injury, I detail what it's like to go for such big mileage.

ZENTRI 548 - Christine Lynch and Paul Duncan, Jr.

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(Dirty shoes in the Xterra rooftop box after a muddy trail run)

I take you with me for 75 miles of running in one week, but only after we interview Christine Lynch and Paul Duncan, Jr.  Christine is our nutrition guru, talking about holiday health tricks.  Paul tells us about training and racing in Vegas, and he's a triathlon coach you should check out.

(Lord Vader's burrito saber at Freebirds)

During the Training Log segment, we cover how to run miles and miles without getting injured.  I'm doing this for the Rocky Racoon 100 on Feb. 1.  I'm gradually growing the distance with the 10% increase weekly rule. I also break up the runs into shorter distances to prevent injuries and fit the huge volume into my schedule.

(Check it out - I found that fiber optic light for bikes kit!)

This week was 75 miles of running. Next week is 82.  We will eventually hit 100 a couple weeks out from race day. Sh*t is about to get really real around here.

And finally, Amrita is holding a Holiday special - 4 BOXES of bars for only $99!

I snack on Amrita bars constantly. They can't be beat for super healthy nutrition!

More updates soon. :)

ZenTri Podcast 535 - Rollin' Dirty

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On this episode of ZenTri, I take you with me mountain biking, open water swimming, cover some tri news, and answer a few important questions.  Namely, "How do I know when I'm a triathlete?"

On the mountain biking front, above is a picture of how dirty my legs got after three hours of riding on the trails at Lake Bryan.  Look closely and you'll also see a trickle of blood running down my right shin.  Nearly killing yourself is what makes you feel really alive.

Below is a photo of my Jamis Durango 29er.  It's slowly falling apart with the abuse.  The seat comes loose after 30 minutes and the shifting is more like a game of Russian roullette than choosing gears.

I mention on the show how much Kai is kicking ass on the bike.  I shot this while on our father-son ride.

I'm thinking that pretty soon these will be son-father rides where I'm shouting at him to slow down and reminding him how I changed his diapers so he better respect all I've done for him.  He probably will be so far ahead, he can't hear me and I'm really just mumbling to myself.  

My good buddy Marty Weiner dropped by on his cross-country motorcycle tour and stayed with us for a couple of days.  ZenTriNurse (A.K.A. Emily) got a ride on his Honda 1300.  That thing is quite a bike!  

As you can see, ZenTriNurse is easy pickins' for guys on motorcycles.  If Marty had lots of tattoos, she'd probably be gone forever.  

Marty mentioned on the show this NPR special about training response, genes, and environment. I enjoyed it a lot.  Give it a listen when you can.  Lots of good stuff in there.

I also went on a rant about how somebody (SUUNTO!) needs to make a single-side pedal power meter and charge half as much as Garmin does for the Vector.  You can check out the Vector power meter news here. 

To help explain my point about how you only need one side, here is DCRainmakers review of the Stages single crank-arm power meter that works just fine.

Lastly, here is the article about PowerTap dropping it's price by $500.

Enough with the gear and tech news!  Let's wrap this up with a nice jog with Kona, our black lab. 

Ahhh... happiness!

Stay safe out there.