Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Ironman Arizona finisher...


Here is Marit Fischer in her helix tst wetsuit the day before Ironman Arizona, held earlier this month. She raced on a hurt Achilles and still managed a great race - 12:41. Congratulations Marit!
Thanks to Matt from nuun for the pic.

Wanaka training for lucky Luke!


Luke Dragstra has a pretty good life. He gets to travel around the world, visiting beautiful places while having fun doing what he loves to do full time - triathlon.
Here is a picture of him in Wanaka, New Zealand where is he is based while he trains for his next pro race - the iron-distance Challenge Wanaka (sister race to Quelle Challenge Roth), held in January.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

nero comp smashes more records at the Ron Johnson meet in Arizona

Ande Rasmussen loves the nero comp. At the Ron Johnson meet held in Arizona just recently Ande had some fantastic results in his blueseventy swimskin.

He broke 2 USMS SCM 45 – 49 mens American master's records;
1) 50m free with a time of 24.18
2) 100m IM with a time of 1:00:32 but just missed out on breaking the world record by 0.03 seconds

He broke 2 mens 160 + masters world records;
1) master's world record in the 4 x 50m free relay with Mike Varozza, Todd Bartee & Tyler Blessing
2) master's world record in the 4 x 50m medley relay with Mike Varozza, Max Stinchcombe & Tyler Blessing

He broke the mens 160 + American master's record in the 4 x 100 medley relay with Mike Varozza, Todd Bartee & Tyler Blessing by 16 seconds AND the 50m back missed world record by 0.06 seconds.

Pictured above is Ande with his teammates, all in blueseventy! From left to right; Mike Varozza, Max Stinchcombe, Todd Bartee, Tyler Blessing and Ande Rasmussen

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Heddi Porter on training with a coach

I have been wanting to train with a swim coach for some time, but was looking for one that had experience with one-armed swimmers. I wanted someone that would understand my limitations and how to compensate for them, but as you can imagine, that's not an easy thing to find.

Well I recently had a really lucky break. I found out that one of the paralympic swim coaches lives in Seattle, and this Saturday I had the great fortune to have my first training session with Kiko VanZandt. We spent only about an hour together, but I can already tell that her work is going to completely change swimming for me.

The first thing she noticed was that I'm breathing too late in my stroke. When she had me practice breathing earlier, I noticed that I got a lot more twist out of my torso, and finally understood what other swimmers meant when they talked about the "snap" they feel as they rotate through the water. Kiko is gearing her coaching towards longer, open-water swims for me, because triathlon is my focus, so getting good rotation is important.

She also noticed that my arm position was off, so she gave me a drill to practice that has me extending my arm completely, both in and out of the water. I'm supposed to pretend I'm scraping the ceiling and the bottom of the pool. Although she said this isn't proper swim form, it will help teach me to reach in the water, and keep my elbow high out of the water.

Kiko also had me practicing flicking my hand down at the wrist right before it enters the water. I immediately felt more energy in my pull, with the extra burst that added.

Now I get to practice these changes and get good at them before our next session. I'm so excited to finally have someone with experience teaching physically challenged athletes working with me on my form.

I'll be doing my first Half Ironman next year, and although I'm confident in doing the distances separately without a problem, it will be key to come out of the water with energy to spare if I want a good race. I can't wait to see how I improve my swim time by then!

Heddi

Joanna Zeiger recaps superb racing season

Joanna Zeiger has had an amazing year. Here she explains the trials and tribulations she had to experience in order to come out on top.

The best laid plans

At the start of the year, I meticulously planned out my season. I laid out Plan A, Plan B and Plan C which were based on qualifying for the Olympics in Tuscaloosa, not qualifying but racing in Des Moines for the third slot, or going to Ironman Coeur D’Alene to qualify for Kona. I did not anticipate – who ever does? – Plan I. What, you may ask is Plan I? That is the extra special injury plan.

Going into the Olympic Trials, I felt primed, fit and ready. I had a great race, but as soon as it was over everything fell apart. My throat started to hurt as I watched the men’s race and by the next morning I had a full blown sinus incident that morphed into bronchitis. I had to pull out of my two favorite races, St. Anthony’s and St. Croix. During my convalescence, I somehow incurred a mystery injury in my foot. It occurred suddenly and rendered me unable to walk. I did what any normal person would do; I continued to swim, biked like I was training for the Tour de France and ellipticaled myself into insanity. Racing was on hold until uber-PT Bob Cranny gave me the green light. Somehow he allowed me to race Eagleman 70.3.

I ran 4 times in about 5 weeks, but I was confident in my swimming and cycling and I really wanted to race there and visit with Mark’s family and my friends. I figured that if my foot hurt during the run I could drop out. Luckily, things went off well, despite the 100 degree heat and 200 percent humidity. I won the race after an 11 year hiatus from winning there. It was very exciting. Unfortunately, I could not walk for two days and I had to take another week off running. It was during this time that I discovered acupuncture. At that point, I would have tried voodoo, so acupuncture seemed reasonable. It worked and I went from pain to no pain overnight.

It was on to Lubbock next. I approached this race much the same as Eagleman – go for it on the swim and bike and hold on for the run. Despite the abysmal conditions on the day that included pouring rain and gusty wind, I felt good all around and posted a PR for myself on the course and came in second. Best of all, my foot felt great and there were no post-race repercussions.

After a week long training camp with coach Terry in Boulder, I had an upcoming tough double, Lifetime Fitness and Vineman 70.3. A 4th at Lifetime and a win at Vineman 70.3 capped off a great month of racing.

Plan I was unexpected, but it turned out to be quite liberating. It forced me to work on a weakness, my cycling, and it also forced me to approach my racing differently. My attitude changed completely from one of being overly concerned with the outcome to one of enjoyment of the process. I was forced to rethink my pre-race preparations and make some adjustments to a method that had been in place for years. I have gone back to races that I did many years ago that were always favorites due to the location or the course. I realize how awesome the 70.3 distance is, and I am once again reminded how much I enjoy this sport.

What does plan I include for the rest of the year? The beauty of Plan I is that the options are endless.

Race hard, have fun.

Monday, November 24, 2008

buy nuun and receive free blueseventy element goggles!


We're fans of making people faster so every now and then we see something that's rather good and we want to tell others about it. nuun has been about for a few years now but recently there's been a lot of talk about it. nuun is basically a sports drink in a tab that you add to your bottle - and it has no sugars. So when you train, you manage calories your way (bars, gels etc) and it means you're not having all those sugary drinks with calories you often don't need - especially at this time of year! With more of the best triathletes in the world using it and a growing contingent of age-groupers realizing that managing their hydration is critical to their performance and recovery - it's been quite the product to have in some circles. So blueseventy and nuun have joined forces to offer you the perfect opportunity to try this increasingly popular (and very tasty, might we add) nuun. Up to the end of November, you'll get 20% off the price of all nuun plus you'll have a nuun bottle thrown in for free. Plus - for every 9-pack of nuun, we'll ship a pair of the award winning blueseventy element goggles absolutely free. So that's $75 of product for only $40! Remember the offer is only available until November 30th, so don't miss out!
To purchase, head to http://shopping.netsuite.com/nuun and use the discount code - ilovemyrubbersuits
For more information about nuun in general, click on www.nuun.com


Friday, November 21, 2008

11 Masters World Records for the nero

In Tempe, Arizona, at the second annual Ron Johnson Invitational short course meters meet, seven swimmers
swam faster than 14 Masters world record times at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. Two relays also swam under existing world marks. 11 of these world records were broken by swimmer's wearing the nero comp swimskin.

blueseventy's very own Roque Santos, a 1992 Olympian in the 200 breast representing Walnut Creek Masters, walked away from the meet with four new swims under world record time in the 40-44 age group: 100 breast (1:03.54), 100 IM (58.94), 200 IM (2:07.94) and 400 IM (4:32.05). His times in the 100 breast, 100 IM and 200 IM dipped under the records by less than three tenths each.

On the other side of the coin, Santos, 40, was just two-hundredths of a second slower than Wolfgang Jarmer's world record of 29.49 in the 50 breast with a 29.51. He also missed Alberto Montini's 200 breast record of 2:18.16 when he swam a 2:18.59.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Staff Stache Selection

So now we're starting to see the results of some beautiful (hmmm?) grooming. As we head into the last half of Movember us girls wonder what styles the boys will be pulling out towards the end...
Remember if you want to donate then please go to http://us.movember.com/donate/donate-search.php?type=team and donate to our team called Rubbery Tablets.
To make things a little more interesting, we've decided that whoever donates the most amount of money to our team will WIN A FREE HELIX TST! (NB: please add your email address when you donate so we can contact you).

Shawn in Seattle, above, kicks back with The Avia-tache.

Above Roque in San Francisco mixes it up with his fangs (FYI they aren't real!)

Yay Guy gets some growth in New Zealand!

Steve seems to be ruling the roost at the moment, also in NZ, above.

Chris McDonald in Colorado supports the cause - but will he keep his mo for this weekend's race in Arizona?

Great Bevan Docherty commercial



A very stylishly shot commercial for Mizone featuring Bevan Docherty. Go Bevan!

Monday, November 17, 2008

blueseventy's world record tally upped to five!

Wearing a blueseventy nero, Randall Bal (pictured below) of the United States set a world record in the 50-meter backstroke on the last day of a short-course swimming FINA World Cup meet in Berlin.
Bal broke the four-day-old record with a time of 22.87 seconds, beating Peter Marshall by 0.03. Marshall, also from the United States, set the record of 23.05 on Wednesday in Stockholm.
Watch Bal's miraculous race at right here


Also unsponsored by blueseventy, but wearing a nero comp for the first time, Australia’s Marieke Guehrer (below) ended her 2008 FINA World Cup series with a bang as she clipped the women’s 50 fly world record at the Berlin stop.Guehrer registered a global standard time of 24.99, eclipsing the 25.31 set by Sweden’s Therese Alshammar at the Stockholm stop earlier this week.


The two world records achieved in Berlin brings blueseventy’s world record tally to a total of five!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Yep, you can tell its Movember now...

By the looks of some of the faces below, The Scratch has started....
If you take pity on these guys below, you could always donate to help raise money for Prostate Cancer. So far the team, called Rubbery Tablets have raised over USD$700! Grow you good things!
visit http://us.movember.com/mospace/1851971 and click through the pages to find your favourite 'stache and pledge some pingers for a good cause!

Guy in New Zealand above, does his best to convince the gang to shave. It doesn't work.


Deano from the UK above doesn't know what to think!


Steve in New Zealand is dreaming of the Glory Mo...


Shawn from the Seattle office has it grow-ing on!!

And Trevor is getting his 35 year old mo back, much to his wife, Lee's distaste!

Sam Warriner featured on slowtwitch



A tough sprint at the World Championships in Vancouver gave Kiwi Sam Warriner the final podium spot, but she ended up as the overall champion of the ITU World Cup series this year. She talked to Slowtwitch.


ST: You've had a very solid season this year. Did it go as you expected?

Sam: I did a huge block of base training at the beginning of the year in New Zealand to set myself up for a good season. I worked for four months building up to around 150 km's of running per week, this combined with lots of cycling and swimming has enabled me to be consistent for a longer period this year. I also worked hard on the mental side of my training with my sport psychologist so I could be more consistent on race day. I always knew the Olympics would be a huge gamble that’s why I still raced World Cup’s, as my plan B. Getting 3rd in Vancouver really set me up for a good tilt at the World Cup.

For the complete interview go to slowtwitch.com

Another day, ANOTHER WORLD RECORD for van der Burgh and blueseventy!!


Cameron van der Burgh was once more the swimmer to watch in this FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup. On the first day of the sixth leg competition, in Stockholm, Sweden, the South African star in none other than a blueseventy nero comp swimskin, bettered his own 50m breaststroke world record, touching in 25.94 seconds. On Nov. 8 in Moscow (the previous meet of the circuit), Burgh had clocked in at 26.08 and now becomes the first swimmer ever to swim the event in under 26 seconds. It was the fifth world record of this World Cup, and the third for van der Burgh (he also set the 100m breaststroke world record in Moscow). Furthermore, this performance gave him 1073 points, the best men’s total of the first day of competition.

Monday, November 10, 2008

New Zealand's Buoyant Politician


New Zealand's ACT Party leader Rodney Hide gets some help from his mum as he kits up in a blueseventy helix to swim from Rangitoto to Takapuna Beach promoting the Ocean Swim series.

World records smashed in the nero comp!


South Africa's Cameron Van der Burgh above, reacts after setting a World Record 26,08 in the Men's 50m Breaststroke heat at the FINA swimming World Cup series in Moscow, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008.

But he didn't stop there! A day after taking down the 50 breast record in his blueseventy nero, Van der Burgh etched his name in the 100 breast world record column. van der Burgh posted a swift time of 56.88 in the 100 breast to crush the 57.47 set by Ed Moses during the Stockholm stop of the 2002 World Cup.







Saturday, November 8, 2008

Zeiger and Bozzone fantastic in Clearwater

blueseventy athletes Joanna Zeiger and Terenzo Bozzone won the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater, Florida in course record times. Andy Potts rocked the swim in a time 21.44 (first out of the water) in his HFS TST and the defending 70.3 champion eventually finished 6th. Actually 6 of the top 10 men, and 6 of the top 10 women were swimming in blueseventy wetsuits. Thank you for representing.

Top 10 pro men

1. Terenzo Bozzone (NZL) 3:40:10 blueseventy
2. Andreas Raelert (GER) 3:40:42 blueseventy
3. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:41:47 blueseventy
4. Oscar Galindez (ARG) 3:42:28 blueseventy
5. Reinaldo Colucci (BRA) 3:43:22
6. Andy Potts (USA) 3:44:30 blueseventy
7. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 3:45:11 blueseventy
8. Brent McMahon (CAN) 3:45:43
9. Joe Gambles (AUS) 3:46:23
10. Fraser Cartmell (GBR) 3:46:34

Top 10 pro women

1. Joanna Zeiger (USA) 4:02:49 blueseventy
2. Mary Beth Ellis (USA) 4:04:07
3. Becky Lavelle (USA) 4:07:32
4. Julie Dibens (GBR) 4:09:10 blueseventy
5. Nina Kraft (GER) 4:15:32 blueseventy
6. Erika Csomor (HUN) 4:16:00
7. Catriona Morrison (GBR) 4:16:28 blueseventy
8. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:16:50 blueseventy
9. Leanda Cave (GBR) 4:18:50 blueseventy
10. Amanda Stevens (USA) 4:20:28

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Mo update

2008 Movember is shaping up to be a goodie! With all the men in the blueseventy offices around the world trying to exploit their manliness, the pictures can only get better, right? Ah...sure....
For any donations, please click on this link and then click on your fave Mo Bro http://us.movember.com/mospace/1851971

Deano in UK sits on day 5 (above) while Steve and Guy in NZ (below) are a day ahead. What's it going to be boys??


Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Guy's mo on the go!


And then we have Guy's mo today....

blueseventy "Top of the South" New Zealand Adventure Swim Group

Norman Coldicott sent us this picture of his adventurous group of swimmers who have been all over New Zealand to swim in some amazing bodies of water - of course in their helix wetsuits and skull caps to keep them warm in the icy temperature.
He says "We really appreciated the support that blueseventy provide our group. It was a great summer [last year] & some of us visited some amazing locations."

Mo-Moxey has competition!


Here is a snap of one of the owners of blueseventy, Trevor, growing his mo for Movember. This is taken on day 2 and it looks like he will give Tim Moxey a run for his charity money...(see below post).
If anyone wants to donate, please visit http://us.movember.com/mospace/1348121 - thanks!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Nero popularity stems to Brazil!


Gilberto, our distributor from Brazil emailed us the following results from the International Swimming Youth Championships.

The countries who raced against each other were Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Panama and Kuwait.

More than 50% of swimmers who wore the nero swimskin came in first place.
All finals were on TV Live, by SPORTV (like an ESPN in Brazil), for more 15 million watchers! blueseventy had one, two, three, and sometimes even four swimmers in each finals.
The sound is magic in the swimming competitive.
The feedback from the athletes:
“ 3 seconds in 100 meters free!”
“ Uauhhh !! This swimsuit is fantastic, in 400 meters free, I had 10 seconds off !”
“ I make the best time of my life with Blueseventy, in 200 meters free, I swim 7 seconds better.”

MOVEMBER!

Righto, blueseventy and nuun have teamed up to raise money for Movember - the charity that supports awareness of men's health. We've been getting into this for a few years now and have a great time doing it! So what is it? To be put simply, it's a competition of male hormones! Male team members grow a moustache for the entire month of Movember (whoops, I mean November) and track their progress by taking sporadic pictures of their growth, and submitting it to Mo Space on the Movember website. We even have pro triathlete Chris McDonald taking part.
If you would like to track the success of the facial metamorphosis and support our team 'Rubbery Tablets' by donating for this important cause then please click on the link below:
http://us.movember.com/mospace/1348121


Tim Moxey, director of nuun on Day One. Watch this one morph!

ITU World Cup Champion Sam Warriner checks in...


We asked Sam to send us a picture of herself in her super quick helix so here she is kicking back with her dog in the bath!
Sam says after her massive '08 season which ended just recently when she became the 2008 ITU World Cup Champion;
"I am enjoying my break, just sitting on the couch and drinking cups of tea!"
Sam begins racing again soon in New Zealand for the local season.
Thanks for the pic, Sam - you and Bow Wow Warriner rock!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Tom Evans and Bella Comerford win 2008 IM Florida

The weather conditions in Panama City Beach were nearly perfect and Canadian Tom Evans took full advantage of the situation. He had a perfect day himself, beat a stellar field and stormed to a new course record at the 2008 Ironman Florida. Tom's time of 8:07:59 might quite possibly be the fastest Ironman time recorded by a guy who is 40 years old.

Bella Comerford now has won the race 5 times, and her win this year came only 3 weeks after her 7th place at the Ironman World Championships in Kona. Bella also won Ironman South Africa, Ironman Lanzarote, Ironman UK and Ironman 70.3 UK.

Congratulations to these 2 blueseventy athletes and all other athletes who competed in Florida.


Top 5 men

1. Tom Evans (CAN) 8:07:59 *
2. Torbjorn Sindballe (DEN) 8:17:51 *
3. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 8:23:00
4. Christophe Bastie (FRA) 8:24:41
5. Uwe Widmann (GER) 8:25:34


Top 5 women

1. Bella Comerford (GBR) 9:07:49
2. Tamara Kozulina (UKR) 9:14:15
3. Jessica Jacobs (USA) 9:17:51
4. Bree Wee (USA) 9:26:46
5. Rachel Joyce (GBR) 9:37:50

* = Evans and Sindballe both went under the previous course record