I wish I was making this up, but I have been known to wear my wet suit in the pool.  I hate cold water, hate it, hate it, hate it.
So as I headed to Chicago Endurance Sports open water swim clinic, this afternoon, I was not in a good mood.  Today( Wednesday) was a dark, cold, rainy day and the last thing I wanted to do was get into Lake Michigan.  

My experience with wet suits to this point is they do keep you warmer than not having one on, but when it's cold, you are S.O.L.   I was hoping that my brand new, still with the tags on it Rocket Science wet suit, would provide some comfort as we trudged into the icy depths.

The Rocket Science web sites says- "The Rocket wetsuit line introduces the ultimate wetsuit in the triathlon market designed for the athlete who seeks to maximize his/her performance by taking advantage of exclusive proprietary designs and materials like BLT™ (Buoyancy Laminated Technology), VT™ (Vortex Technology) and no H20™ Technology to make you faster and more efficient with every stroke. RSS also pioneered the first seamless wetsuit in the triathlon industry in 2005 to maximize comfort and durability."

Which sounds cool, but all I was hoping that it would keep my "junk" from freezing off. 

As I jumped in, my head froze and I let out my usual under water expletives, but as I started to swim North, I did a mental inventory and noticed that I was in fact not cold.  It freaked me out to the point that I stopped to double check, "nope not cold, weird." So I swam and it felt great.

As the evening progressed and the temperature dropped,  I noticed that a majority of our class was completely miserable, shivering, with their arms crossed, waiting to get out.  More than half were wearing the same brand suit, I don't want to mention names but it rhymes with "toot."

I on the other hand was great.  I was warm in Lake Michigan, actually having fun in the water.  Madness!

So, maybe there is a bit of a placebo effect, maybe it's the 30-something pounds I need to lose, but after day one, I have to say if you hate cold water as much as I do, Rocket Science may be for you.
I have a lot more testing and beating up to do to this suit, so stay tuned for more.

Delly Carr caught this amazing finish at the Hy-Vee Triathlon.  Unbelieveable!

Full TV coverage of the Hy-Vee Triathlon on NBC.  Sunday, July 11th 12-1:30Pm- EST.

Blood, Sweat & Gears- In response to the doping scandals that tarnished the reputation of professional cycling, former racing cyclist Jonathan "JV" Vaughters formed Slipstream, a team whose members agree to compete without the aid of any performance-enhancing drugs. Documentary filmmaker Nick Davis chronicles the dramatic story of "the clean team" throughout 2008, a year in which the team leader was superstar David Millar -- making a comeback after a doping scandal sidelined his career -- and sees Slipstream win their first invitation to the Tour de France.

This is an amazing inside look at these World class athletes, getting ready for the challenge of a lifetime.  The story is great, the images memorable, it's a great way to get pumped for the month of action ahead. 

Monday, June 29, at 10:30 PM on the Sundance Channel

My phone rang.  It was the PR person from SRAM.  "Mr. Wallach, we would like to take you to lunch and tell you about SRAM," the voice on the other end of the line said in a very friendly tone.

"I'm sorry.  You must be looking for Lance Armstrong.  I think I have his number here someplace.  People are always confusing us.  It's an honest mistake," I replied, confused.

"No mistake, "said the voice.  "If you had some time, we would love to show you around."  Before they realized their mistake, I raced off to take a peek behind the 'velvet rope' of SRAM.

There are a lot of companies that are pushing the green initiative, offering special incentives to employees who bike or car pool to work, and that's great, every little bit helps.  When you walk in the doors of SRAM, you quickly realize that a healthy, environmentally friendly lifestyle isn't something that is gently pushed on the employees, it is a standard practice that starts from the top and spills down to every level of this forward thinking company.

This place is the bike version of Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory...wonders and mysteries everywhere you look.  As I hit the elevator button  to go up to the reception floor, several employees spilled out for lunch, all tricked out in cycling gear,their bikes at their side, and smiles on their faces like kids headed off to recess!  Group rides are a part of the culture at this biking super power that consists of SRAM, RockShox, Avid, Truvativ, Zipp, and World Bicycle Relief.

If you are one of the lucky few to make it past the reception area, you quickly realize this is no ordinary place of business.  Look up...there are dozens of signed jerseys from champions all over the walls.  Across the way...bikes hanging from the ceiling, components, gadgets, and doo dads everywhere.  The lunch room...a flat screen set up for employees to watch various races.

 
Did I mention the test track yet? There is a test track that circles the main floor lined with bikes for the employees to ride and evaluate!  We are lucky to get two-ply toilet paper at my office, while they have a test track! 

But SRAM is more than amped up bike geeks having the time of their lives, it's a multi-national corporation started right here in Chicago by Stan Day 22 years ago.  Today SRAM has 2700 employees in 13 countries, but the HQ remains right here, where they employee more than 100 people.

The culture at SRAM is what I would imagine it would be at Apple, creative, energetic, people who love the idea of their job.  Except at Apple where you might find doughy sun deprived computer nerds (my apologies to all of our staff), at SRAM the employees are shaved down, great looking hard bodies giddy with endorphins.  It reminds me a lot of my visit to the Playboy Mansion, but the hard bodies at SRAM are all natural and clothed (mostly).

The SRAM building is a multi-floored complex that promotes healthy living, in a healthy work environment.  The business turns a profit and donates more than 2 million to charitable causes a year!  If he's not careful Stan Day may end up in Washington working for President Armstrong...someday.

For now Day and the folks at SRAM are happy producing products and building on a work culture that truly practices what it preaches.  As I headed to the lowest level where they store all the goodies (RED, X.0, RockShox), we had to walk through the company bike room.  Dozens of bikes hung on the wall from commuting employees, including Day's.  One employee laughed, "I have never seen the guy drive a car.  I'm not sure if he even owns a car?"  

Saris is quielty taking over the cycling world and we think it's about time.  No they don't make bikes, but everything else you need to go with your bike, the best racks, the Powertap, trainers and spin bikes to list a few.  When it has the Saris name on it, you know it's going to be high quality and deliver what it promises.

We are happy to have Saris as our Friend of the Week.  If you want to find out more about their great racks, the Powertap or even great coaching tips, click on the logo above or right here .

Dan Plyter

“The training is the best part of the journey.” That’s the attitude that helped Dan accomplish his first Ironman Wisconsin with a finishing time of 10:29:49. Dan has been a competitive endurance athlete for the past 15 years with a history in HS swimming, multiple marathons and has been competing in triathlon for the last 4 years. Wanting to increase his competitive edge and improve his only weakness, the bike, he sought out a professional coach. His partnership with Christine Palmquist gave him the boost he needed to pace himself perfectly to finish strong at IMWI.

Dan also attributes his success partly to his totally supportive fiancé Susan Skilton, who pushed him out the door on those tough mornings (we've all experienced) to get his training in. Balancing career and family is a tough part of Ironman training.

Dan's favorite thing about being an endurance athlete, is the lasting friendships he has formed with training partners. "It's the lifestyle, not just the race that makes this sport so much fun -- we all share that same feeling."

To nominate an athlete for Athlete of the Month send us a note and to find out more about Training Bible click here or on the Training Bible Logo.