SUGOI Community

SUGOI RENEWS COMMITMENT IN ITS QUEST TO COMBAT CANCER

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:16:03 +0000

Canadian bike apparel brand chosen as national technical apparel sponsor for annual Ride to Conquer Cancer fundraiser.

Burnaby, B.C. — March 28, 2013 — SUGOI Performance Apparel, a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), announced today that it has renewed its partnership with the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a series of annual charity fundraising bicycle rides held in four of Canada’s largest provinces. This will be SUGOI’s fourth year sponsoring the charity.

“For over 25 years, SUGOI has been recognized as one of the world’s renowned brands in cycling apparel thanks to our technical advancements and product designs,” said Kyle Weiner, President of SUGOI. “The Ride to Conquer Cancer is Canada’s largest cycling fundraiser, so we are thrilled to continue to help champion the sport of cycling in our home country, while continuing to support cancer research.”

Since 2010, SUGOI, an innovator in cycling apparel design, has proudly sponsored the Ride to Conquer Cancer. The brand is planning to expand its support of the fundraiser and its beneficiaries in 2013. For the first time, SUGOI is offering single riders access to a team – Team SUGOI. Team members will receive a Team SUGOI jersey upon reaching their fundraising goal. Members will also be provided with accessories such as R+R Compression Socks, gloves and tukes (beanies) as they reach certain milestones while raising money.

Team SUGOI will take part in each of the four rides. Participants who register for team benefits will enhance their overall riding experience and experience the benefits of a cohesive team. To date, Team SUGOI already has 60 members located across Canada.

“We are continuing to accept registrations for members to join Team SUGOI for each of the upcoming rides,” said Robert Fitzgerald, Director of Sponsorships for RTCC. “We encourage anyone interested in joining this great cause to visit www.conquercancer.ca and register today to secure a spot in your respective province.”

In six years, Ride to Conquer Cancer has raised over $175 million across Canada. Each of the four two-day ride events take participants 200 km (120 miles) throughout Ontario, B.C., Alberta and Quebec. Each ride attracts thousands of participants, bringing together communities of cancer survivors, cyclists and supporters, who train for months in order to participate.

This year’s Ride to Conquer Cancer benefit rides will take place in Toronto (June 8-9), Vancouver (June 15-16), Calgary (June 22-23) and Montreal (July 6-7). To register, make a donation or to find additional information, visit www.conquercancer.ca or call: 877.699.2453 (Toronto), 888.771.2453 (Vancouver), 866.624.2453 (Alberta) or 866.996.2453 (Quebec).

To learn more about SUGOI and its relationship with Ride to Conquer Cancer, follow the brand on Facebook at SUGOI Performance Apparel or on Twitter at SUGOI_Apparel.

ABOUT SUGOI
SUGOI is a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. Dorel has annual sales of US $2.5 billion and employs 5,400 people in facilities located in twenty-four countries worldwide. It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of world class cycling, run and triathlon apparel and outdoor gear. Since 1987, SUGOI has been focused on inspiring confidence through its highly technical athletic products, made using the finest materials available. For more information on SUGOI please visit www.sugoi.com.

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SUGOI Media Contact:
Kelly Aldinger
kaldinger@sugoi.com
604.637.8944

Geoff Kabush rockin' the new Sugoi Escape Velocity Spring Series Winner's jerseys

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:23:22 +0000

Geoff Kabush rockin' the new Sugoi Escape Velocity Spring Series Winner's jerseys

Moreno Moser wins, Peter Sagan second

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:08:00 +0000

The Strade Bianche is the first win for Moser in 2013 and is a meaningful win: “Yesterday I said that I liked this race and I thought I was suited for it," affirmed Moreno. “My tactic in this type of race is to race by instinct. When the group slowed, I attacked and I think the others expected the tactic that for sure, Peter was going to help me. He was the one everyone else had to keep an eye on and control, so I benefitted from this. Peter closed all the attacks from behind. Of course, other than Peter, the rest of the team was incredible because they took the situation in hand immediately. Everyone worked well, so I have to thank them as well because I wouldn't have won alone”.

“I think you saw that at a certain point I was a bit nervous, rightfully so, when nobody with me in front would give a hand. Of course, I can't blame them. And there of course I was a bitnervous but I couldn't up the pace by myself and give everything. To have done that and lose in the finale would have been dumb on my part. When I saw thegroup coming behind, I knew that was the time to go and give a bit more. Maybe you could say that I was given an opportunity to race calmly and calculating because I was pretty sure Peter behind could have won as well, even had they caught me. So I think it's a question of racing as a team. From the moment I was ahead, I couldn't push hard enough to risk being beaten by my breakawaycompanions. With one behind who can win, it's an advantage to race with Peter, and the same for him” added Moser.

Moser’s satisfaction was echoed by Sagan. “I think the team did a perfect performance. Our teammates made a lot of effort to lead the group and in the final we had double the chances to win. Moreno had the role of the joker and claimed a beautiful win. My second place? If a teammate wins I’m happy too” said Sagan.

SUGOI PERFORMANCE APPAREL NAMED OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE APPAREL OF IRONMAN IN NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:28:44 +0000

Burnaby, B.C. — February 28, 2013 — IRONMAN is proud to announce SUGOI Performance Apparel as the new official performance apparel of IRONMAN® triathlons in North America and Europe. For the next three years, SUGOI, a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), will offer athletes intuitive designs, extensive jersey customization and state-of-the-art materials.

“SUGOI is honored to be named the exclusive technical performance apparel partner for IRONMAN," says Kyle Weiner, SUGOI President. "The IRONMAN brand is internationally recognized as the pinnacle endurance event for athletes. It is a true testament of quality for SUGOI when elite athletes validate the superior performance and technical features of the brand’s products. With this new affiliation, SUGOI’s commitment to innovation and consumer relationships has never been stronger.”

In addition to building the official performance race apparel that is customized for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3® events in North America and Europe, SUGOI will also launch an exclusive line of “M-DOT” branded merchandise. The collection will include a range of men’s and women’s bike and run gear built to withstand all-season athlete training.

SUGOI will also outfit the elite IRONMAN Executive Challenge program that offers business leaders exclusive privileges to the world’s most challenging endurance event. As part of this sponsorship, every Executive Challenge participant will now receive SUGOI custom tri apparel.

“We are excited to add SUGOI to our strong family of official sponsors,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation (d/b/a IRONMAN). “SUGOI and its performance apparel have been of great benefit to our athletes over the years. This relationshipwith SUGOI is another important part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our athlete offerings.

” SUGOI’s new IRONMAN merchandise will launch at the 2013 Accenture IRONMAN 70.3 California, taking place in Oceanside, Calif. on March 30. To learn more about SUGOI and its relationship with IRONMAN, follow the brand on Facebook at SUGOI Performance Apparel or on Twitter at SUGOI_Apparel.

For more information on IRONMAN, please visit www.ironman.com. Media-related inquiries for IRONMAN should be directed to media@ironman.com.

ABOUT SUGOI

SUGOI is a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. Dorel has annual sales of US$2.4 billion and employs 5,000 people in facilities located in twenty-four countries worldwide. It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of world class cycling, run and triathlon apparel and outdoor gear. Since 1987, Sugoi has been focused on inspiring confidence through its highly technical athletic products, made using the finest materials available. For more information on SUGOI please visit www.sugoi.com.

About IRONMAN

The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Recognized for excellence through distinguished events, world-class athletes and quality products, World Triathlon Corporation (d/b/a IRONMAN), owner and operator of the IRONMAN® Series, has grown from owner of a single race to a global sensation with nearly 190 events across five unique brands: IRONMAN®, IRONMAN 70.3®, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl® and IronKids®.

For more information, visit www.ironman.com

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Media Contact, SUGOI US:

Bill Rudell bill.rudell@cyclingsportsgroup.com

805.553.9746

Media Contact, SUGOI Canada:

Kelly Aldinger phone: 604-637-8944

email:kaldinger@sugoi.com

Consumer Contact for SUGOI:

Email: consumer@sugoi.com

Phone: 800 432 1335

CENTURION CYCLING

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:50:53 +0000

Escape Velocity and Devo Youth Development

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:47:11 +0000

Sugoi Performance Apparel is a proud sponsor of the Escape Velocity Spring Series and Devo Youth Development program, hope to see you at the races.

For more details, click http://www.escapevelocity.bc.ca/spring

THE RIDE TO CONQUER CANCER

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 19:29:03 +0000

German newspaper Die Welt reviews Sugoi's RSX mountain bike short

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:12:45 +0000

German newspaper Die Welt reviewed Sugoi's RSX mountain bike short and loved that the lightweight outer shell can be adjusted easily via boa technology, even while riding. They also liked the removable liner–made out of Icefil material – lets you stay cool even in warmer temperatures.

I Run This Town - Motivational Quotes You Can Wear

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:28:04 +0000

FitBie has highlighted SUGOI’s I Run This Town short sleeve shirt in a roundup of motivational activewear. The piece showcases gear to get you inspired to hit the gym

Firewall 180 Jacket – successful test in aktiv radfahren

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:23:02 +0000

SUGOI’s famous winter training staple jacket - the Firewall 180 - just won more accolades from top German bike magazine aktiv Radfahren. The magazine tested the piece among avid cyclists and loved the technical detailing of the jacket, including the reflectivity, warm hood & high quality for the affordable price point. Have you tried the Firewall 180 yet? Tell us what you think!

Second win for Peter Sagan at Tour of Oman

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:13:42 +0000

This stage victory is a repeat performance for the Slovak champion, who won the stage in 2012. This year, Sagan beat his competitors thanks to a powerful attack on the last climb, arriving at the finish line alone (Van Avermaet was second, then Gallopin and Contador). In addition to the general classification, Sagan also leads the points and young rider’s classification.

“My teammates did a great job of supporting me and this win is the deserved award of their efforts,” said Sagan. “I remembered the last kilometres of the stage and my idea was to attack on the last ascent. What was unknown was what my competitors were thinking. Here at the Tour of Oman there are a lot of champions with different characteristics, each one could anticipate and try to attack. The high race rhythm of the final part of the stage didn’t give any freedom and this helped me. I’m really satisfied with this win, especially the way in which I got it.”

Tomorrow is the fourth stage, or queen stage, at the Tour of Oman, with the summit finish on Green Mountain. “The final ascent is a hard climb. I will wait for attacks from the GC riders, both for the stage win and overall leadership. I know it will be hard to keep the jersey, but above all, it will be a useful test to understand my resistance on these climbs,” said Sagan.

TOUR OF OMAN: PETER SAGAN BREAKS THE ICE FOR CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:55:38 +0000

For the Slovak champion, the decisive moment was 1.5 km from the finish line, on the last ascent, when he counter-attacked a late move. In addition to the stage win, Sagan now finds himself in first place in both the General Classification (Gallopin at 9” ) and the Young Riders’ Classification.

“I’m really happy about this first win because the team wanted it and waited for it,” said Sagan. “The fact that I took this win doesn’t count for very much: what is important is that Cannondale Pro Cycling won. Having broken the ice means a run without pressure. We’ll continue to work to achieve new successes at races throughout the year.”

Sagan also explained the difficulties during the final part of the stage: “10 km from the finish, only a small group of riders remained and no one took the initiative. Then Nibali, Gallopin and Elmiger decided to speed up. After one km, on the final ascent, I decided to attack and pursue the break. When I got close to them, I decided to continue solo until the finish line. Everything went perfectly, which means my condition is improving,” said Sagan.

Tomorrow’s stage at Tour of Oman could offer a new chance for Cannondale Pro Cycling. The finish line is in Wad Dayqah, where Sagan claimed his first success in Oman in 2012.

SUGOI & POLARTEC TO LAUNCH COLLECTION OF WINTER TRAINING APPAREL

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:45:16 +0000

SUGOI & POLARTEC TO LAUNCH COLLECTION OF WINTER TRAINING APPAREL
Introducing the world’s first Polartec Neoshell cycling jacket

Burnaby, BC, January 23 – Top Canadian bike & run apparel brand SUGOI is charging new terrain by partnering with performance fabric giant Polartec® on a collection of technical, extreme weather, winter training products - including the world’s first Polartec® Neoshell® cycling jacket. The launch of SUGOI’s Polartec Neoshell jacket makes it the most breathable waterproof cycling jacket on the market.
The partnership with Polartec, and introduction of the RSE Neoshell cycling jacket, is a natural evolution for SUGOI – renowned for building premium performance cycling apparel. This allows riders, who train year-round, to benefit from the combined expertise of a top cycling apparel brand and the world’s leader in advanced performance textiles.

“Together with Polartec, we aimed to design the world’s most breathable, waterproof cycling jacket - geared specifically towards elite level riders” says Rob Gill, SUGOI Senior Technical Designer. “The Neoshell fabric in our new RSE jacket makes a tangible & noticeable difference in your overall comfort. I have logged about 1000 kilometers in the jacket this winter, in some of the wettest weather imaginable, and it well exceeded my performance expectations.”

In addition to the Neoshell jacket, SUGOI is also introducing a line of Polartec Power Shield and Polartec Power Stretch products for both run & cycling devotees . Based on the belief that there is no such thing as off season, SUGOI aims to offer athletes who train just as hard in the winter as they do in the summer, a superior line of products that withstand the harshest weather conditions.

"We are excited to not only have SUGOI adopting one of our latest award-winning technologies, Polartec NeoShell, but also some of our most dependable and versatile fabrics like Polartec Power Shield and Polartec Power Stretch," adds Allon Cohne, Polartec Global Marketing Director. " SUGOI is stepping up the game with these top of the line fabrics. I think it boasts well for the cycling industry as whole as fabric innovation becomes a competitive edge.”
To ensure the apparel exceeded performance athlete expectations, all of SUGOI’s Polartec products were rigorously tested over months, by endurance athletes, in British Columbia’s variable climates & inclement conditions.

“This is our backyard” says Gill. “A product testing ground where the rain shows no mercy and the wind whips off the pacific. It is the testing ground that gives life and purpose to our products. We strategically chose Polartec as a technical partner because they offer the most versatile & reliable fabrics on the planet.”

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS
Polartec NeoShell: RSE & RSX Jacket product specs

100% waterproof
Easy access rear pockets can be operated with thick waterproof gloves
The lower drop tail keeps rain off your back
Tailored Pro Fit is great for performance athletes
Fully taped seams and zippers for full rain and wind protection
Offset front zipper for improved fit and
comfort on the neck opening
Strategic reflective detailing for winter’s dark
mornings provide excellent low light visibility
On the RSX Neoshell® jacket is a detachable hood with
magnets for east stow-away in the zippered back pocket

Polartec Power Shield: RSR Jacket, RSR Race Top, RSR Vest, RSR Jacket

Wind resistant
Two comfortable front hand pockets
Gusseted underarms for freedom of movement
Taped seams in critical areas for stretch

Polartec Power Stretch: RSR Race Top, RSR Vest, RSR Jacket, RSR Race Tight

Body-hugging, 4-way stretch
Spreads and evaporates moisture from skin
Enhanced mobility,warmth and comfort
Critical bonded seams with external taping for mobility and comfort
Pro-fitted

ABOUT SUGOI
SUGOI is a division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. Dorel has annual sales of US$2.4 billion and employs 5,000 people in facilities located in twenty-four countries worldwide. It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of world class cycling, run and triathlon apparel and outdoor gear. Since 1987, Sugoi has been focused on inspiring confidence through its highly technical athletic products, made using the finest materials available. For more information on SUGOI please visit www.sugoi.com.

Media Contact: Kelly Aldinger, kaldinger@sugoi.com, 604.637.8944

With an experienced in-house support team

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:57:36 +0000

Get started with your custom order today by downloading our informative Customer Info Pack to help you smoothly and confidently navigate the design and ordering process. At every step along the way, our in-house team is available to support you with expert guidance and consultation to ensure that your order completely satisfies your need for attractive, comfortable, high performance technical apparel for your club, team or event.

Order you Kit Now

It all started 25 years ago with a sewing machine, a cyclist, a fashion student..

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:37:48 +0000

It all started 25 years ago with a sewing machine, a cyclist, a fashion student, and a simple idea: to build a better bike short. From these humble beginnings, SUGOi was born. And while our garments have evolved, our core philosophy remains the same. We ride. We run. We make the gear that we want to wear. We are passionate about creating the best product for athletes by athletes- so you can look and perform your best.

Respect the Ironman Muskoka 70.3 course

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:38:31 +0000

Honestly, I was in the third category – racing under trained. Muskoka is one of the last triathlons of the season and my last chance of the year to validate my status as a ‘triathlete.’ Injuries and life commitments kept me out of events throughout the summer and it was just a tough year to maintain consistent training. I really needed to cross the finish line once before winter to help motivate me through winter training.

Race day started in chill and darkness. By the time the sun rose, I realized I had lost my bib number. Panic followed until the announcement was made that Racer 515 (me) needed to visit the announcer’s booth to get their number back.

Temperatures were still in the single digits when I made the long walk down to the swim. The mist rising off the lake as the sun rose was breathtaking. The water was perfect – warmer than the air and inviting, not intimidating.

While the pros started their race, I had the chance to get in a short warm up and then line up for my wave. The horn blew and we were racing. In fact, we were actually racing! I jumped onto some feet that looked faster than mine and drafted (hung on) for a swift 2 km. I exited the swim feeling fresh and smiling and more than happy to get an assist from the wetsuit ‘strippers.’

Wow, they are quick! In seconds my wetsuit was off and so was my timing chip! Gone! Before I could panic officials were pushing a new chip into my hand and I was running (walking) up the hill to T1 to get ready for the bike leg.

Friends did their best to warn me about this bike course. It is tough – a nearly constant series of short steep climbs that a Puncheur would be at home riding – not someone use to the gentle rolling hills around Toronto. Still, I planned my race around a tough bike ride and decided to hold back, spin the legs, stay fresh and hydrated to save something for the run – right. The bike course all but broke me. It’s the first time I’ve considered dropping out of a race. The last 23 kilometers were brutal – constant steep climbs and descents on rough road – the last 4 km featured two climbs that I saw people walking up.

Coming into T2, I was spent. I wanted to quit – I felt that the course had taken more out of me than I had to give. I racked my bike, took a look at my running shoes and half-heartedly decided to try to finish what I started. I was torn – I did not want to walk the course. I didn’t feel that I would be honoring the race if I didn’t run – so if I was going to finish, it would be with a run, not a walk.

Coming out of transition I saw my wife. No smiles from me, just a grim look and more determination than running style. For three kilometers it was a struggle but then my legs loosened up and I found some rhythm. The run course was also hilly – especially around the start and finish. The crowds of fans, family and even one particularly drill-sergeant like coach helped me keep my momentum going through the final kilometer. Crossing the finish line was such a relief and so satisfying.

I had wanted to quit but looking back now, I think that Muskoka is perhaps the race I cherish the most. I definitely had to deal with a lot of things going on that day – equipment problems, physical and mental distress and going into a race without the base I wanted. What makes it special is that I dug deeper than I have in my past races and found a way to keep going. I didn’t set any personal best; I didn’t finish anywhere near the top of my age group but I think I won a personal battle. That will make me stronger for the next time.

To my family and friends; to the Ironman community and to the town of Huntsville; thanks for sharing a very tough and special day. I’ll be back.

Ironman Canada and my gear

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:06:19 +0000

I once again had a great ironman experience in my Sugoi gear. I think my favorite has to be the tri top. I had so much crap in there including two mini flasks for my marathon, worked great and no issues!

Heres my write up…Now I’ll be sporting my Sugoi gear at Kona in 4 weeks!

http://www.nathanveldhoen.com/ironman-canada-magic-3/

My First IMC: Race Report

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:02:29 +0000

Ironman Canada 2012 (August 26) in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada was my first race at this distance. My goal heading into the event was completing in under 11 hours, I finished with time of 10 hours 31 minutes (1:07 skim, 5:21 bike, 3:56 run). The following is a raw recap of the experience leading up to and including my rookie appearance at IMC. There is some reflection of certain choices I’ve made which I hope will help others considering to one day complete an ironman.

Background Stats
Shawn Rempel: Name
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada: Hometown
32: Age on race day
3: Years of Triathlon
3: Half iron distance races completed prior to IMC
2: Half iron distance races completed in 2012
5: Triathlons completed in 2012 (including IMC)
I have never been a elite athlete, nor do I specialize in a specific triathlon discipline or any other sport for that matter. I once read a paragraph from a triathlete which has always stuck with me, paraphrased he said: “I am just an ordinary guy with an ordinary physical disposition, training to accomplish something extraordinary.”

Slightly different from most who register for IMC a year in advance, I qualified placing second place in my age group, to local Okanagan pro Luke Way, at the half iron distance event in Oliver BC the first weekend of June 2012. This left me 2.5 months to get my training milage in for the increased distance.

Furthermore, I was registered for another half iron event at the start of July in Stony Plain, AB and the annual Frank Dunn triathlon in Prince Albert National Park, two weeks prior to IMC, leaving some important training choices to be made.

I met with my coach of the last two seasons, Brad Spokes from Zone Multisport / Physiotherapy in Saskatoon, SK. We formulated a plan where it was agreed that there wouldn’t be time for tapering prior to these other events to maintain a focus on IMC.

Enlisting a coach has been one of the best choices I have made. The commitment to training I found to be as much mentally draining as it is physically, especially when working full-time in an event planning role that requires non-traditional hours of work. Having a coach simply allowed me to focus on the training and made me mentally accountable to someone other than myself.

The training program he developed worked very well. Both the Great White North triathlon and Frank Dunn events yielded great results. The biggest and most astounding results wasn’t completing these events with personal bests, which I did, rather it was finishing these events without any post race soreness. However, I still had a big question mark around what to expect from IMC and how my body would continue to respond to the training.

In late July I was able to specifically prepare for IMC with a week of training in Penticton with Coach Spokes and my dad, Reg, both whom would be competing in the 2012 running of IMC. During this training camp I experienced the majority ride and run courses. This really helped me to mentally prepare and visualize which would be important in the few weeks remaining until race day.

The six days spent in the area in July, plus being in attendance as a spectator for three previous IMC events, helped me to focus on the event when I arrived in Penticton four days prior to the race. I had seen enough of Penticton and the race expo that I could keep my focus on the event / task at hand, preparing to race.

Beginning Friday morning I put my pre-race game plan into effect, keeping things simple with a meal plan that was planned prior to departing Saskatoon and while staying hydrated and maintaining a consistent and sleep schedule with 8-9 hours a night.
Friday:
Breakfast: toast, granola cereal, juice, fruit
Lunch: soft tacos with chicken and brown rice, green salad
Supper: homemade spinach lasagna with beef, garlic toast
Saturday:
Breakfast: eggs, toast, milk, fruit
Lunch: left over lasagna, green salad
Supper: NY striploin steak, potatoes, green salad, garlic toast

Benefits of Barefoot

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 23:00:00 +0000

In the spring, I had numerous bouts with running injuries. I did physio, saw my RMT constantly, and stretched and rolled like a fiend. When I asked my podorthist why this was happening, he (as diplomatically as possible) suggested that my form sucks. I asked what he suggested I do, to which he replied “change the way you run”. Huh? Change the way I run? How?

Apparently the ticket is barefoot shoes. No, no…I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t just slap on a pair of fivefingers and do a 12k track workout. I almost did, but was again saved by the sage advice of my podorthist. He gave me a running program, and a few suggestions for shoes.

I promptly went to my favorite shoe store and tried on fivefingers. I then promptly took them off. I am confident, but not that confident. I then tried out some Merrells, and finally settled on the Trail Glove. Still confused, I took them home and did more research. Seems like I was in good company, as Merrell had already thought to develop a training program specific to their barefoot shoes – and there was an app for that! I followed the training program outlined on the app in combination with the program from my podorthist.

I then started wearing them everywhere. I walked around amusement parks, museums, Niagara Falls and more. Everywhere I went, so went the Trail Gloves. By the end of this summer I was up to running 1.5k in the shoes. I kept up my regular runs in my Mizuno Wave Alchemy (quite a contrast indeed) and did short sections with the Merrells. I was starting to feel like nothing was happening. During one run, one of my running friends noted that my form was looking great. I hadn’t really thought about it, but apprently, but running was getting better! How cool is that!

I am now 2 weeks from my fall race, the Army Run Half Marathon in Ottawa. I still run in the alchemy for now, but after this race, I am planning on jumping to a 4mm drop. Why not barefoot all the way? Too much, too soon. According to experts, it takes between 6 months and a year to completely change a running gait, even with constant work. In other words, I have a long way to go. I do, however, feel like I have made a great start.

Here is the great part – I am pain free. I can run 29k with NO foot issues at all. I am faster on my feet. My joints hurt less. The careful combination of barefoot shoes and my regular runners, coupled with the maintenance of my stretching routine and some very helpful Sugoi Piston calf sleeves, Piston Shorts and R+R full length socks for recovery have me stronger, faster and more confident on the asphalt than ever. The last remaining question is “how much faster am I?”

I guess we’ll know in two weeks.

Bike To Work Week 2012

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:44:35 +0000

Sugoi wins Best in Category Business for Vancouver's Bike to Work Week 2012

The littlest triathletes…

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:54:35 +0000

One of the reasons I stay active, besides the obvious benefits of health and fitness, is to set an example for my kids. I want them to be active. I want them to see being active as just what life is. I don’t want them to ever know a time in their life, when they are not active. And, since kids like to copy what they see, it was only natural, that all this triathlon training that has gone on in our house the last couple years, has my boys interested in triathlon as well. They have come out to various races and often in the yard, the oldest can be heard making statements like, “I’m doing the Ride To Conquer Cancer”, or “look mom, I’m doing ironman”.

To further encourage them, when there is an opportunity for them to do a race, we will offer that to them. Last year, my oldest got to experience his first kids of steel events. He loved it. And his little brother must have loved watching him, because this year, when the time came around for the Lake Chaparral Kids of Steel Triathlon, the oldest (who is six), was excited to do the race again, but also, little brother (who is three) asked to do it as well. And even though the little one is quite young, he will follow whatever his brother does, so who was I to stop him!!

So this past weekend, I set my training aside and helped my kids get ready for their event. My oldest worked hard all summer mastering his bike with no training wheels, and this would be his chance to shine. He also worked hard at swimming, getting all the way through whale despite needing to repeat a couple of the sea creatures more than once. And the little one made it through two more swim levels and he is a rock star on his run bike. And running, well, they are little boys, running is just a natural part of every day life.

We took the boys swimming. We took the boys biking. We set up mock transitions in the backyard so they could practice what they needed to do. They were ready. They went to package pickup. Oh the excitement over getting a swim cap, and a bag of samples. They were ready.

Saturday was an early morning. We got the boys packed up and headed off for our adventure. Body marking, race chips, pre-race meeting, and then a lot of hurry up and wait. They started with the oldest kids, and as each group came out of the water, the next group began. It was a long process. And by the time they got to the seven and under category, they waited until the previous group had cleared the bike course. So, three hours after we finally arrived, the race was about to begin, except that, because there were so many kids in the seven and under category, they further divided that race into boys and girls, so the boys had to wait even longer!!

My husband went into the water with the boys, and after the siren went, the were off, lifejackets and all. My little guy was not very excited for the water part at that point and quickly was quite cold. My husband worked his way through the water with the little one, while our oldest swam ahead. It was a slow swim and my little three year old, was the very last child out of the water. We helped them in transition and soon they were both off on the bike course. My husband was with our six year old, and we passed them coming in, as my three year old and I headed out on the bike. My little guy was on his run bike, and about halfway through the bike says to me, “I do this race again mom.” It was at that point, that I knew he was happy to be there. The volunteers were amazing and totally cheering on my little one. After getting the bike done, and heading out to the run, my six year old was there to show his little brother where to go for his run. The volunteers had a cup of water for him and told him to just throw his cup down like the big racers, and soon he was running through the finish to huge cheers from the crowd, and the announcer calling out his name. The smile on his face was incredible. And, the medal, well, they were both so proud.

Being active as a family really is fun. Watching my kids finish a race like this is truly amazing. And the energy surrounding races like this is incredible. After some snacks and playground visit, it was time to go. My little guy was in tears. He was so upset that the race was over. We told him he could do it again next year, and although this helped, he was still really sad that he couldn’t race again.

Helping shape these little ones into active kids who naturally want to be busy and moving is such a huge gift. They don’t realize it now, but someday, this will be the foundation for them to continue being active and racing as they grow and become adults. And maybe someday, we will all race a triathlon together. After all, that’s what it means to be an active family!!

But time to get back to my workouts, because Ironman Canada is now less than two weeks away!!

Injury Season

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:01:39 +0000

Sorry for not posting regularly, I haven’t been very attentive of my own blog either. The reason behind that is INJURY. Since May 13th I have been dealing with an ugly foot problem, that has finally (last week) been dianosed as a neuroma. My hypermobile feet are not such a blessing when I stick them in racing flats that are too big/wide… the end result of 2 weeks of running in those babys was a pinched/trapped nerve that gives me shooting pain up my 4th toe. No running for this girl, unless you dare to count up the endless laps I’ve doing water running in the pool. Boredom inducing, indeed.

I am trying not to sweat it, and instead focus on the “bigger picture” and think long term. I am young, only 20, and I can afford to take this summer off of racing. Yes, that means that I won’t get my elite card this year. But it is a good opportunity to crack down and work on other things like mobilizing my thoracic spine, strengthening my hips and improving my general alignment. Also, I am trying to become a beast in the pool and on the bike.

I’ve had physiotherapy treatment for 12 consecutive weeks and 5 days ago had a cotisone/steroid/freezing injection. No improvement from that, in fact it’s made the area more irritable and sore… but that could be due to the trauma of having two needles shoved into my nerves!! Looking into alcohol injections to sclerose the nerve. I don’t want to give up my place to go to World Championships at the end of October, so I am giving this 40 more days before all hell breaks loose and my sh*t hits the fan. For now, I am trying to maintain that “patience is a virtue.”

Nan’s Grand Fondo 180km Ride August 6, 2012

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:57:32 +0000

The weather here in Ontario has been extremely hot and very humid with little to no rain. This ride has always run on the Sunday of the August holiday weekend (rain or shine). This year the ride was moved to the Monday due to sever thunder storms, heavy rain and strong winds. The weather on Monday was perfect. No humidity, 26 degrees Celsius and a 15 km/h wind that was blowing from the South East (a nice push on the way home).

There was 20 riders consisting of all ages and mostly great fitness levels. The route took us through some small towns and alone a lot of scenic country roads, from Stoney Creek down to Niagara Falls – continued along Niagara Blvd to Niagara On The Lake. From there we turned North back to the start for what is now the typical after ride BBQ (more food than I have ever seen in one place). The entire ride time came in at 6 hours and 4 minutes – my personal best on the ride.

Last year I was recovering from cancer and had to stop at the 120 km mark. I was fighting a couple of demons this year and not finishing the ride was not an option. This was a ride that I seemed to come to terms with a lot. The good news is that I seem to be over all the effects from radiation and getting fully back on track.

Thanks again to Sugoi for making the ride the best it can be by making clothing that will not break down under any condition. The BSE bib short is the best I have ever ridden.

Until next time - ride safe!

It’s taper time!!

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:54:11 +0000

Life around our house is busy. As a mom of two young boys aged 6 and 3, who also works fulltime, and is training for my first Ironman, time is precious. I try hard to get the workouts in, and I’m fairly successful. These past couple months, I’ve spent more time in a saddle than ever before. As well, my wetsuit and I have become well acquainted on several open water swims. And then of course, there is the running. But alas, the big training is over. The longest rides, finished. The longest swims, over. And the longest runs, they are done too. Truly, the biggest work is done.

Could I have done more? For sure. But sometimes, I chose to put my kids first. It’s a balancing act, and certainly not an easy one. But in between some of the training, I got to visit spray parks, and hike, and enjoy cool summer activities like setting off rockets, flying kites, checking out a brand new ice cream shop, water fights, and teaching my oldest to ride a bike. Did I do enough? Yes. Including a camp out in Penticton where I got to bike on the actual course, run on the actual course, and swim in the actual water. I have put the time in, to know that I can do this. Now, I have to trust in my nutrition, gear, mental preparation and hope for the best on race day!!

Through it all, I’ve been trying various kinds of gear and nutrition. For the most part, most of the clothes are SUGOI, mostly because they really are just awesome clothes. I love the science and thought process that goes into the gear. And I love my jerseys!! For running too, those pockets are incredibly handy.

But now, I slow down. There are still workouts to be done. And they will get done, but now there is a little more time to work on the family’s Summer Bucket List too!! We are halfway done, and with only a few weeks left, we have more to do!! So, the balancing act continues, but I love it!! Training, being an active family and just working to get the most out of every single day this life has to offer!!

Catching Up

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:44:09 +0000

Since we are well into the 2012 racing season, I thought it would be a good time to post my first Brand Champions blog entry! I was proud to be selected as a Brand Champion in 2012 and have been working hard all year both in preparing for my own goals and supporting my partner and fellow Brand Champion, Kimberly, in her own objectives – including posting a 46 minute personal best time at Ironman Coeur D’Alene!

My big goal for the season is coming up in less than two weeks – Ironman 70.3 Timberman. Everything I have done so far this year has been with the intention of preparing myself for this event. It will be my first foray into long distance racing so I have been taking my preparations seriously. I’ll try for a quick summary…

As a spinning instructor, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lead a 2-hour endurance cycling class from September through April. This not only gave me the opportunity to help others reach their fitness and athletic goals, but it also added some consistency into my own winter training. In April, I participated in my favourite bike race – the Calabogie Classic, in Calabogie, ON. I come from a bike racing background, and this has been a staple on my calendar since moving to Ottawa in 2006. While in the past, my objective was a podium placing, this year I just wanted to get a bike race into my legs to really give my training a good kick start after a winter of riding inside. For me, it was a race of survival. I wasn’t able to participate in any attacks but I did finish with the main peloton and felt the exhileration of riding in a fast moving, dynamic peloton. I survived, so mission accomplished.

In May, I did the National Capital half-marathon in Ottawa. This would be my third ever half-marathon and I thought it would be important to do this ahead of my half-iron for confidence, experience and also to improve my running fitness. My goal was to achieve a PB. I got excited at the beginning and ran much too quickly. I have since learned that when you start a running race too quickly you can’t sit at the back of the peloton and draft and recover… no, you suffer like a dog and finish cursing yourself and wondering what ever possessed you to do what you did. But, I got another half-marathon into my legs before my goal race – check!

Next up, I did two short distance triathlons on back-to-back weekends. The Barry’s Bay triathlon was only a few days after returning from vacation where Kimberly smashed her Ironman PB in Coeur d’Alene, and I was a bit under prepared for it. Viewing it as a training race, I gave it my best effort and while it was far from a personal best, it was a fun day. Barry’s Bay is a really nice little town that puts on a top-notch event for great value. I highly recommend it to anyone in eastern Ontario (or elsewhere, for that matter!). The following weekend was a race in my own backyard – the Meech Lake triathlon in Gatineau park. Having very limited swimming experience, I was most nervous about the 1,200m swim, but also knew that it would be a good confidence builder for my half-ironman in August. The swim ended up going amazingly! I discovered that I am pretty good at swimming in a straight line. I started out sighting every 4 strokes, then every 8, then whenever I felt like I should take a look. Every time, I was pointed almost exactly at the next buoy. I finished the swim much more quickly than I expected as well, which was a HUGE (double-capitalize that in your minds) confidence builder for me. The bike was a very hilly one, but a course that I train on a lot. Unfortunately my bike fitness was not quite where I would have liked it to be but nevertheless, I had a pretty respectable bike split. Wrap things up with a 6.4km run that felt pretty good and I placed 3rd in my age group. The Meech Lake tri was a challenging course, and really went a long way in terms of building my confidence and my fitness with just over a month to go before the big one.

Now here I am, less than two weeks before my first half-ironman. I’ve done a few big brick workouts since my last race, a few early morning long runs and masters swimming practices. I never thought I would feel confident about the 1.9km swim, but I do! I give much of the credit to my B-Train masters swimming club for that feat! I am really excited to do this race and punch my long-distance racing card for the first time.

I can’t finish without saying how much I am enjoying being a part of the Sugoi Brand Champions program. With all of the difficulties we need to overcome to do our training, we often overlook the “small things”, like our clothing. When it comes down to it though, Sugoi makes sure we don’t need to worry about that because their gear just works for us athletes. My Piston 220 shorts and Sonic tri tank have allowed me to do what I do while being comfortable, not having to worry about things like chafing or adjusting, and of course looking good ;) Thanks, Sugoi!

-Chris

Toughin’ it out this season

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:40:32 +0000

The running and long-distance Triathlon season has been a mixed bag for me. Lots of spring injuries kept my run from being in top form. Each of my Half-Ironman races (Shawnigan Lake and Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens) have had their own issues as well; I was sick as a dog for Shawnigan (still PBed, though) and crashed mid-way through the bike segment at Lake Stevens.

Despite having tough days out there on the race course, I’m proud to say…. I’ve been selected to the Canadian National Long-Course Triathlon Team for 2013. I’ll be competing in the Men’s 35-39 Age Group category in Belfort, France on June 2/3, 2013. Needless to say I’m extremely excited.

And although I missed my goal of qualifying for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships for this year, due to my fall at Lake Stevens, I am extremely happy with this picture from the race. Being a champion means sometimes you won’t win the race, but you can still try… …even when bloodied, battered, and bruised.

Vanity Fair's Michael Carl Went on a Mission to Work Out Like an Olympian

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:54:04 +0000

It's full blown Olympic talk here at Sugoi, and we hope this article from VANITY FAIR will help you find your inner Olympian. Reporter, Michael Carl went on a mission to work out like an Olympian around NYC. It is a funny piece highlighting his experiences "training" and during his spin adventure he is wearing his Sugoi short and jersey!

Check out the story!

Runner's World Online - Compression Fit Guide Video

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 18:00:02 +0000

Runner’s World Online has featured the SUGOI’s Piston 200 Knicker in a Compression Fit Guide Video, “Compress to Impress.” See if you can spot them in this video! (Hint: they appear twice)

Sugoi apparel spotted in RoadBIKE and VeloTOTAL

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:29:52 +0000

RoadBIKE has features our Silver Edition:

This hard core rider in VeloTOTAL wears the Team Bib, Samurai Jersey, and Arm Cooler

Weight Watchers features the Shift Jacket!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:14:22 +0000

Weight Watchers features the Shift Jacket within a special about cycling gear!

Sportfachhandel features our Arm Cooler!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:07:54 +0000

Sportfachhandel features our Arm Cooler in their S13/EB Previews!

RSX and RSE Jersey in Cyclinfo

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:04:49 +0000

Cylinfo features the RSX and the RSE Jersey in it's S13 reviews

Aktiv Training tests our Arm Cooler!

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 17:01:00 +0000

Aktiv Training tests our Arm Cooler. The result; 5 stars out of 6!

The (Weather) Gods Must be Crazy

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:08:03 +0000

I want to emphasize at the start of this blog that I have raced in 13 sunny and dry triathlons prior to Musselman. I don’t typically even ride my tri bike in the rain (it’s too pretty) let alone race in the wet. I figured that if there was no rain during lucky number 13, what chance was there for this one? Cue ironic laughter.

I signed up for the Musselman Half-Iron late last year and have looked forward to racing there ever since. I was a bit gutted when a shin issue came up a few weeks before the race and forced me to take some time off running. Fortunately, race director Jeff Henderson was more than happy to pencil me into the Aqua-Bike and let me swim the 1.2 mile course and bike the 56 miles through New York wine country.

Race morning started in darkness at 4:45 am with a hearty breakfast and a cup of joe. The lines for body marking and porta-potties were efficient and thankfully short! I found my bike rack and written under my number was the following message:

“Be Chrissie Wellington’s hero today.”

I love Wellington and get inspired every time I watch her race. I met her at Timberman last year and thought that the message was a good omen. I was going to have a great race!

My wave made its way to the starting buoys with the sweet sounds of a lone bag-piper playing on the beach. It almost brought a tear to my Scottish eyes. And then we were racing. The swim in Seneca Lake was a challenge with some chop and wind but as they say, if triathlon was easy, they’d call it hockey! I scrambled up the boat ramp and crossed the mat with a new personal best swim and went off to find my bike.

One. Thousand. Bicycles. Mine is definitely the prettiest, but that didn’t make it any easier to find. Clearly there was some racing rust on me and I ended up one rack over from my bike on attempt number one to find it. Soon we were reunited and on our way into the hills around Geneva.

On any other day I would describe the Musselman bike course as fair (unless you’re from Kansas) with lots of false flats, steady climbs and rollers but nothing that would be soul crushing or leg-destroying. This day however, included near biblical like precipitation. Pelting rain, lightning and crashing thunder greeted riders just before the halfway point of the bike. I can be honest and say, there was some nervousness the first time I touched the brakes descending toward Cayuga Lake and a little more when my sunglasses fogged up completely. Remember, thirteen dry triathlons under my belt – this was something new.

Still, we rise to the challenges that are set before us and I pedaled on. After maybe an hour or so of expecting to see animals of every description marching in two’s beside the road in search of an ark, there was some clearing and the final 15 miles were calm. Even if I was a bit wet and feeling chaffed a glance at my watch indicated there was a chance to break 3 hours on the bike. Hey, I was supposed to be Chrissie Wellington’s hero on this day so what was I waiting for?

The final miles were not my fastest, they were not my hardest but they were my best. I dug in and pulled them out of myself. Maybe for the first time in a while, I latched on to a goal and suffered a little bit for it. My bike split was 2 hours 59 minutes and 42 seconds – time (but not too damn much) to spare.

For me the race ended at T2. Even now I wish I could have jumped onto that run course and laid down everything I had. Instead, I headed over to the finish line and picked up the coolest finisher’s medal ever – made from recycled bike gears.

I’m really thankful to the volunteers and organizers who made Musselman possible. It’s a fine race and it did something very special for me – it lit that competitive fire in my belly and I’m hitting my training with more determination than ever and I’m hungry for my next race.

So far this year it’s been Swim, then Swim-Bike and next up will be Swim-Bike-Run. I can’t wait!

Back-to-Back XTERRA Pocono Trail Run Series Regional Champion!

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:54:23 +0000

Despite missing the final race of the series, I’ve successfully defended the Poconos, and won my fourth consecutive XTERRA Trail Running Regional Championship title!

What an absolutely amazing and thrilling series – great job to all! Thanks to my SUGOI Mobil XT Trail Shorts, I was able to enjoy incredible comfort and performance. My XTERRA titles to date include: 2012 Poconos, 2011 Poconos, 2011 Northern Ohio, and 2009 New England. See you in Utah at the 2012 XTERRA Trail Running National Championship !

ScotiaBank Halfer and everything inbetween

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:46:47 +0000

Fresh off my recent race in Vancouver BC in the Scotiabank half marathon rippin out in my brand champion set up. I have raced three races since getting my Sugoi gear and I am super impressed. I think my favorite has to be the tri top with the extra pockets on the back, perfect for my gels and mini water bottles.

Read a bit more here

Early summer season kicks off with a chilly swim!

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:43:15 +0000

After enjoying a freakishly warm winter in Toronto and a downright hot spring, my competitive season finally kicked off with a chilly open water swim. Cue irony!

I like to start my season every year with the Zoot Open Water Swim (celebrating its fifth season!) at Sandy Lake, North of Peterborough, Ontario. Clear, clean water, no weeds and no pressure – last year I placed 3rd and won a water bottle! This is a fun, fun, fun event that’s perfect in its simplicity-if we could just have a little sunshine….please?

The race is a one, two or four loop journey of the precisely marked (debatable!) 1km course. I opted for the 2K event so I could at least have the chance to redeem myself if the first lap went badly – who remembers their sighting skills from last season? There are other benefits with the 2K swim – I could spend some time cheering on my friends swimming the 4K event and I got to the chocolate chip cookies at the refreshment table earlier.

Did I mention the water was cold? So my game plan was: embrace the cold water, try to hold a consistent breathing pattern, vigorously move arms, kick a little and avoid the many pairs of thrashing legs should I feel brave and choose to draft. Verdict: mostly successful. The cold water left me feeling tighter than I expected and this being my longest swim of the season so far, the arms and legs were expecting a break at pool side which never arrived.

Importantly, I finished happy and close enough to last year’s time to not be disappointed but also just that much slower to vow to find some improvements over the season. That’s really the point of any race for me – finding ways to inspire myself to achieve more and redefine what I’m capable of.

Next, it’s on to a Swim/Bike in New York which promises a ton of fun.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene Race Report

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:40:22 +0000

I just got back from completing my third Ironman, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 24. Here’s my race report – I’ve tried to keep it as short as possible!

Pre-Race

I enjoyed a few days of relaxation in Kelowna at my parent’s house before Chris arrived and our adventures really began. Chris and I went to Vancouver for two days, ignoring the cardinal “stay off your feet as much as possible” rule. We had a fabulous time exploring Vancouver and cycling around the seawall. On Wednesday, we drove from Kelowna to Coeur d’Alene (approx. a 6 hour drive). We did the usual pre-race activities – swam, checked out the expo, registered, went to the athletes banquet, bike check-in, etc… The three days in CdA went by quickly and before I knew it, it was time to get in my wetsuit for the main event!

Swim

The water was 57F (i.e. freaking cold) and bootie-legal (wish I had a pair!). After getting in my wetsuit I was relaxed and ready to go.

In the weeks prior, I had been having problems with my goggles fogging up. I was told to try rubbing a very thin film of dish soap on the inside, so I tested this out during the two weeks prior to the race, and had no problems. What a mistake this ended up being! By the time I hit the first buoy I had soap in both my eyes and had to stop four times on the first lap and rinse my eyes and goggles with lake water. My eyes were screaming bloody murder! Despite having this problem, I finished the first lap in 37:59mins. I’ve since been advised that using tear free baby shampoo is much less painful than dish soap!

The second lap went better, although I was now with slightly slower swimmers and it was hard with the congestion to swim my usual pace. My goggle problem went away and the only issues were when I was hit in the head and the goggles ended up on my forehead (it was a hard enough hit that the offender stopped swimming to apologize) and how cold and choppy the water became. I had better sight lines and didn’t have to stop on the second lap to fix my goggles, but because of the choppiness my time was slower. My second lap ended up being 40:25min, for a total swim time of 1:18hrs. This was slightly slower than my 1:10-1:15hr expectations, but I was determined to not let it throw me off my game.

Here’s a video that my Mom took of the mass swim start.

Unfortunately in the days after the race I learned that 20 minutes into the swim, they pulled out a 44 year old man who was in distress and subsequently died. This really saddened me. Standing on the beach awaiting the cannon going off, every athlete fully expects this to be one of the best days of your life, and sadly for this man, this was not the case. A reminder to make the best of every moment you have in life, you just never know what might happen.

T1 – 8:11 mins.

Okay, so this is pretty slow, but I was freezing. FREEZING. Socks don’t go on cold, numb feet very well. I struggled to pull my arm warmers up on my wet arms, and by the time I got them up, I realized I forgot sunscreen underneath. I would pay for this in a few hours time…

Climbing “The Nose” of El Capitan

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:30:04 +0000

“Oh, you want to hear something with beats?” Bill Wright says to me as he fiddles with the car stereo. Four twenty seven on Sunday, June 10th, Jes and I were carpooling all of 500 yards—from the Manure Pile pull out to El Capitan Meadow with Bill Wright and Hans Florine. After climbing the Nose and descending the East Ledges we new we would be pretty excited to have an extra car stashed –shortening our hike.

Roughly 10 hours and 19 minutes later, “I got the moves like Jagger” floated– fully orchestrated– back into my head as I clipped up the bolt ladder on the last pitch of the Nose. ”Yes, yes I do” I thought, as I stomped on a bolt for a foot hold. Aid climbing!!

Jes reached the top anchors minutes after me. Simultaneous with her finish and clicking stop on the timer, she was handed a Murphy’s Stout. Strange order of events.

Piton Pete, a valley legend, cracked and passed one in our direction. He, his partner, and another gal from Joshua tree (whose 2 partners were still down below) were all at the last anchor of the Nose. The giant gong show included but was not limited to; 2 strewn single portaledges–both fully inflated, 5 ropes all in full use, wafts and visuals of well traveled poop bags, and a lottery winnings worth of climbing hardware. It was like a where’s waldo game of climbing paraphernalia.

Jes stuck the King Swing first try, pulled me over with our short tag line and I took over the lead again off of Eagle Ledge. The last time we were here on a practice run Piton Pete was living on Eagle Ledge. We had to crawl through his nest after the King Swing. He even offered and made Jes coffee!Aside from the over populated top pitch, the climbing day went pretty much without a hitch. I started climbing slowly, reaching the top of the first pitch in 18 minutes. I gradually increased my pace, finding a nice solid rhythm and reached Dolt Tower (top of Pitch 11) in 2 hours 40 minutes. Jes and I switched leads here. She took off up to El Cap Tower. We simul-climbed up through the bolt ladder and the Boot Flake. A party of 3 young men from Michigan let us pass, seeing us coming from a few pitches off. Thanks boys!

At Camp 4, Jes and I swapped leads once more. She approached the Great Roof quickly, as well as another party of two.

These gentleman were awesome, full of enthusiasm given their previous epic evening. They didn’t sleep much, having to work well into the night trying to free their haul bag, it snagged somewhere along the grey bands. Dave, from Colorado, was hollering with excitement the whole time Jes and I approached and passed! Thanks guys!

From there Jes and I just kept plugging and chugging. Somewhere around Camp V I realized that if we were off in less than 3 hours we would break the record. Somehow we had cut 4 hours off our previous attempt and were still feeling strong.

Moxie Run Skirt on Life2PointOh!

Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:43:05 +0000

Life2PointOh! a blog dedicated to the woman in their twenties – has included the SUGOI Moxie Run Skirt in a recent post call “Summer Sweat Survival: What to Wear When Working Out!” The piece touts the skirts functionality while calling out its fashion forward look.

Women’s Piston 200 Short Can Help You Be “Sore No More.”

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 18:33:31 +0000

Fitness Magazine’s June issue has featured SUGOI’s Women’s Piston 200 Short in “Sore No More.” The piece calls out compression technology to help circulation.

Pace 7" Short for Dad

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:04:45 +0000

OpenAirLife.com has featured SUGOI’s Pace 7” Short in a Father’s Day Gift Guide featuring the latest gear for the outdoorsy dad. All items included in the roundup are under $50. The post calls out that the shorts are lightweight and also notes their reflectivity for added visibility.

Check it out here.

O2 Bikers Features "Around the Bend"

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:44:22 +0000

O2 Bikers has featured the 25th anniversary Jersey, "Around the Bend," within their Jersey Special

Menshealth.com Recommends Sugoi R+R Knee High to Speed Up Recovery!

Thu, 31 May 2012 17:40:16 +0000

MensHealth.com has featured the SUGOI R+R Knee High to speed up recovery time after a long day on your feet. The socks are included in “The Best Double-Duty Workout Gear.”

Check out the article!

Check out X-Aces and SOQ for your chance to win a 25th Anniversary Jersey!

Thu, 31 May 2012 17:22:37 +0000

The outdoor online magazine X-Aces, as well as the online magazine Soq are raffeling off some silver anniversary jerseys!

Check out X-Aces raffle here!

Check out Soq's raffle here!

Sugoi Verve Hoodie: Perfect for Mom

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:28:31 +0000

OpenAirLife.com has featured the SUGOI Verve Hoodie in their Mother’s Day Gift Guide featuring outdoor apparel and gear for $100 and under. The post highlights the Verve Hoodie calling out it’s functionality (thumb holes and reflectivity) as well as how stylish it is. Check out the story here.

FEATURED PRINTS BY SUGOI :We're celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2012 by getting back to our roots

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:47:33 +0000

We're celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2012 by getting back to our roots – creating original print jerseys, each with their own personality to suit every cyclist's taste and style.

"Around the Bend" is the featured jersey of this collection. Behind this jersey's poignant design is a heartfelt story - a memorial of a life lost to cancer and a tribute to the powerful support of the cycling community.

The jersey design is inspired by a painting by Canadian artist Peter Wyse. Around the Bend is dedicated to all people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Partial proceeds from the sale of each "Around the Bend' jersey will be donated to support cancer research.

SUGOI has designed 11 striking women's and men's print jerseys - click on the collage below to see each of these unique designs.

Note - these jerseys will be available in stores starting May 15, 2012. Find a retailer near you.

SUGOI’s Versa Jacket is included in a roundup of men’s jackets highlighting the best way to find “Your Perfect Spring Coat in MensHealth.com

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:05:59 +0000

Toss the sweatshirt you’ve been biking in, because this is just as comfortable, and way cooler. (Its sleeves are attached by magnets!) And since it’s longer in the back, it scores bonus points for functionality. Catch her eye with Chili Red, since women can’t resist the color. Note: Best for lean frames. Raglan seams can accentuate your shoulders if you’re broad, making you look extra-Hulk-like, says Julian

The Versa Jacket is "Your Perfect Spring Coat," according to Menshealth.com!

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:44:57 +0000

SUGOI’s Versa Jacket is included in a roundup of men’s jackets highlighting the best way to find “Your Perfect Spring Coat.” The Versa is touted by being as comfortable as a sweatshirt, but cooler and much more functional.

See what Mens Healthe had to say!

More.com Says our Jackie Singlet can Take off 10 Pounds!

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:23:03 +0000

More.com has featured the SUGOI Jackie Singlet online as a great way to kick off the weekend! In a slideshow of “Slimming Gym Clothes That Take Off 10 Pounds.” The singlet is included in a roundup of stylish gear for body-conscious women (see page 18). The slideshow calls out that the top’s simple pink seams are all it takes to taper an unwanted tummy. See it for yourself here.

Versa Jacket featured on Shape Online

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:42:44 +0000

Germany's Shape online is featuring the Versa Jacket within a special about running wear:

Read it here

Shape.de Features the Piston 140 L/S and 200 Tight

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:48:12 +0000

Germany's biggest Women's Sports Magazine features the Piston 140 L/S and 200 Tight

Look at the review on shape.de here

News: Bike Magazine Gustov Shorts

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:31:09 +0000

News: Men's Fitness

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:12:14 +0000

News: Military Times Bra Review

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:09:49 +0000

News: Outside Buyer's Guide Winter Edition

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:48:04 +0000

News: Ultrarunning Magazine - Winter Gloves

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:36:59 +0000

No matter what else you’re wearing, all it takes is soggy hands or frosty fingertips to make an otherwise pleasant cold-weather run completely miserable. However, even though they’re a little thing, there actually is a fair amount of complexity when it comes to picking the ideal winter glove. Choosing the best one for your individual needs requires some thought – so let’s run down a list of aspects to consider, and throw in a few product suggestions along the way. Gender Our first question is fairly easy: What gender are you? If you’re a woman who thinks you can just wear smaller-sized men’s gloves, think again. Proper fit is an integral part of insulation and comfort, and women are often overlooked when it comes to glove sizing – particularly if something is marketed as unisex. In most cases, anatomic dimensions of women’s hands are quite different from men’s. Females typically have thinner wrists, narrower palms, and more slender fingers than males with the same hand length. Therefore, unisex gloves often fit poorly, and will be less effective at trapping heat or wicking moisture from the skin. Consequently, it’s important to buy genderspecific models whenever possible. Fortunately, many manufacturers, including almost all of the ones mentioned in this review, offer separate male and female versions of their best gloves.

Body type
Now that you’ve identified your gender, the questions get a little trickier. How does your body – specifically, your hands – typically react to being cold? Some people lose heat in their extremities much more quickly than others while running. If you tend to “run hot,” you can stay comfortable with thinner, more breathable materials, but if you lose circulation in your fingertips easily, you’ll need extra insulation and weather protection. Runner, know thyself.

Function
What else do you need to do with your hands while on the move? Most trail runners have to at least operate zippers or headlamp buttons, while others need to manipulate pouches, cameras, Ziploc bags, or small bungee straps. The thinner the material, the better your fine motor skills – so if you need to operate a bunch of stuff without repeatedly taking the gloves off, look for thinner synthetic fabrics with optimal warmth-to-thickness ratios. Also look for sticky rubber or silicone overlays on the palm or fingers to help improve your grip when handling small items.
And if you just can’t bear to leave technology behind (Heaven help you), some gloves will even help enable your addiction. Mountain Hardwear’s Momentum glove has an index finger “trap door” to free your fingertip as needed, and Manzella makes three styles of gloves with TouchTip pads on the index finger and thumb that allow you to operate smartphones or any other touch screen device without removing your gloves.

Weather conditions
So, where do you live? Does your winter climate have bitter cold or freezing wind? Is it common for you to run in sleet or driving snow? Does winterprimarily mean long periods of steady rain? Or do you need to be prepared for everything? The answers will help determine what kind of materials you should look for. (See below.) Material construction Here’s where the choices get more involved. There are several different materials out there: wool, fleece, polyester, or any combination of fabrics. Wool (especially merino wool) and fleece are warm, but have very minimal resistance to wind or water. Many polyester fabrics are highly effective wind blockers, but don’t provide water resistance. Others are waterproof but don’t breathe particularly well. Some fabrics have stretch components to aid the fit, while others don’t. The most common material construction usually incorporates some combination of wind and water resistance – but the way this is accomplished varies from one brand to another.Mountain Hardwear’s Momentum gloveplaces a windproof, breathable barrier fabric onthe outer surface of the hand, but has a softer insulating layer along the palm. Sugoi’s updated Firewall LT uses a triple-layer fabric on both surfaces of the hand: the interior layer is breathable and moisture-wicking, while the outer layer blocks wind and has a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish to enhance water resistance. The North Face’s Winter Runner gloves use weatherresistant, DWR-coated Apex ClimateBlock fabric on the fingers and palm surface, with a breathablefleece at the palm and wrist. Some fabrics are built to be 100-percent waterproof,but even this claim can be misleading, because simply having a fabric that is completely impervious isn’t always enough to keep your fingers dry. If the seams aren’t fully bonded, water will eventually seep in and potentially cause some discomfort. One good example is Seirus, famous for its waterproof fabric – but only its Xtreme All-Weatherglove is completely sealed at the seams. Other models from the same fabric, such as their standard All-Weather glove, aren’t seam-sealed and are slightly vulnerable to seeping.

Mittens? Gloves? Or both?Most of us are aware of the functional differences between mittens and gloves: mittens keep the fingers warmer but are nearly impossible when it comes to manipulating zippers or headlamps, while gloves are generally colder but better for dexterity. Over the past few years, a new breed of handwear has emerged: the convertible glove/mitten.
Basically, a convertible is a thin fleece or polyester glove with a lightweight hood over the top of the fingers that can be removed if the morning gets warmer, or if you need to reach into your electrolyte bag. The Pearl Izumi Wind Shine, Manzella Hatchback, and The North Face Winter Runner gloves are all examples of convertibles that provide the best of both worlds. (Note:
the Pearl Izumi model is available in unisex sizing only.)

Texture
The most effective moisture-wicking and weather-resistant fabric in the world won’t do you a lot of good if it’s itchy against your palms, or has a rough texture when wiping your nose or sweeping sweat off your forehead. This is one area when it’s really beneficial to try some gloves on to see how comfortable they feel. Soft fleece, such as that used for the North Face model, is usually the softest against your skin, although many gloves (including the Sugoi and Mountain Hardwear models mentioned) have a soft terrycloth panel on the thumb that’s pretty plush as well. The more weather-resistant polyester fabrics tend to be more coarse against the skin.

Fit
Of course, none of the technical aspects of glove construction will be very helpful if the gloves don’t fit well. The fabric should contact every square inch of your hand, without gaps or scrunching, to allow the moisture-wicking capability to work properly. The cuff should stay comfortably secure around your wrist for optimal wind protection and temperature regulation.
Proper sizing of gloves can be somewhat tricky, as each manufacturer has slightly different parameters for its size ranges. Some base their sizing on the circumference of the hand, and others use just the width of the palm; sometimes the thumb is included in the measurement, sometimes not. Even though it’s a bit of a hassle, if you can’t personally try on a pair of gloves in the store, it’s definitely worth it to take the extra time to actually measure your hand in whatever manner the company specifies – usually indicated on the webpage – rather than just guessing at the proper size.

News: Switchback Magazine review Gustov Shorts

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:32:17 +0000

News: SUGOI Featured in ESPN High School

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:20:49 +0000

News: Cycling Jackets; The Ins and Outs of These Essential Outer Layers (+ Sugoi Jacket GIVEAWAY) | Cycle and Style

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:31:52 +0000

Lightweight, breathable, packable, waterproof, windproof, heavy duty, etc… What do all of these descriptions mean and what are they actually going to do for us? Get some answers about the world of jackets in this buying guide, hopefully it helps you match your needs so you can exactly what you want.

SUGOI's Hot Shot Jersey is a well-fitting winter softshell with dense warmth.

Reflective piping. This is the metallic looking strips that are usually stitched into the seams of cycling jackets. You will notice that as soon as the surrounding area becomes dark, if light is directed at these strips they actually put off a surprising glow that is attention grabbing. Reflective piping can help keep you safe when riding on the road at night.

Pockets. Cycling jackets should definitely have pockets, but don’t be alarmed if you find them in different places than your typical ski jacket. Back pockets are great for road and commuting storage (either top access or side access with a zipper). A breast pocket is a plus, you might find they are good for smaller items such as keys and cell phones. And regular front pockets are great for hands when off the bike (be careful not to put anything in them if they do not have zippers, things might go bouncing out!)

Waist cord and wrist cuffs. Make sure there is some way of tightening the jacket round the waist and at the sleeves to prevent, minimize the airflow under the jacket while on your ride. Of course there are many different options for this; velcro, elastic or zippers. Choose what you like, but make sure this is a feature; you will be grateful for it when temperatures drop suddenly. Conversely, the loosening of the waist cord or wrist cuffs can help cool you, if you are too warm.

Novara Headwind Bike Jacket: this soft-shell bike jacket blocks wind and resists water, making it ideal for a mixed bag of riding weather.

So what does all the jacket ‘jargon’ mean? After you understand the basic fit of a cycling jacket, you then move on to the catch words of certain jackets…

Waterproof vs. Water Resistent: Plan and simply, waterproof means the jacket should be able to withstand a downpour, keeping you dry. Water resistant means the jacket can withstand the effects of rain, snow or sleet, but is not going to keep you dry in these conditions for an extended period of time.
Windproof: Impervious to wind.

Packable: The ability for the jacket to fold or bunch into a very small size so that you may ‘pack’ it along where ever you go. Usually jackets are labeled ‘packable’ of they have a small pocket that they can actually be packed into.

Breathable: The way the jacket transfers your body heat away from you. This is seen in a couple of different ways; zippered vents, sleeves of the jackets actually zipping off, and certain materials that are actually designed to let your body out while still keeping the elements out. Breathability is very important! If you don’t find something that is breathable you will feel like you are wrapped in plastic wrap and will be dripping with sweat by the end of your ride.

SUGOI Women's Versa Jacket in Cherry color.

Sugoi a British Columbia based company has worked within the running, biking and triathlon industry for over twenty years and has been mastering the art of quality, performing clothing that is designed to make your sports enjoyable no matter the weather. They are offering to give away one of their outer layers, the Sugoi Versa jacket. (MSRP: $120). It’s a great convertible jacket with easily removable magnet attached sleeves and 3M Reflective piping on front, side and back for added visibility.
Other features of SUGOI’s Versa Jacket:
Mesh ventilation for maximum airflow
Removable sleeves with magnetic attachments
Reverse coil separating zip with guard
2 comfortable front zip pockets
1 zip back pocket
Dual adjustable shockcord
Contrast elastic bound armhole

News: Keep your heart pumping into winter with cool-weather workout gear

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:34:48 +0000

Hat
Headsweats' snowflake performance beanie ($22) is made from super-warm yet lightweight fleece, so it keeps your head cozy without feeling cumbersome. The beanie can be worn under a bike helmet, and there's a ponytail opening in the back.

www.headsweats.com

Shirt
The women's compression long-sleeve crew top ($16.99) from C9 by Champion for Target uses PowerCore technology, which offers a fitted, supportive and comfortable fit.
See it at www.target.com.

Arm warmers
If you have a short-sleeve shirt that you are partial to, make it cool-weather-ready with the Sugoi
Sakura arm warmers ($39.95) with a cherry-blossom design. Find them at RealCyclist,
www.realcyclist.com, or locally at Luke's Locker in Fort Worth and Colleyville.

Tights
The C9 straight-leg fitted running pants ($27.99) at Target have moisture-wicking technology and
feature a tie at the waistband and small zippers at the ankles for a secure fit.

See it at www.target.com.

-- Trae Bodge, RetailMeNot.com (MCT)

-

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:24:51 +0000

The eagerly anticipated 2011 Brand Champions kit is here!

Created by one of SUGOI’s talented in-house artists, this kit was designed with the word champion in mind. The bold new design represents athletes striving to achieve personal bests, with the vertical stripes symbolising the speed and movement of every champion. SUGOI encourages all athletes to go beyond and we are honoured to partner with such an inspirational group of individuals.

Be one of the first to be seen in SUGOI’s new 2011 Brand Champions kit!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news and updates.

About The Brand Champions Program

SUGOI’s Brand Champions are everyday heroes who inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle. This program celebrates and encourages outstanding people who differ from the average athlete - those who set themselves apart from other athletes by their passion and commitment to push themselves to inspire others and to embody a motivating attitude, wherever they go.

Many SUGOI Brand Champions are podium finishers in major international events; many others are everyday athletes whose personal bests come in different forms other than winning. Entry to the program is not dependent on speed or podium finishes - all accepted athletes are successful at what is important to SUGOI: the ability to be inspirational and to make a difference.

SUGOI Brand Champions benefit from limited time discount deals and special access to limited edition product for both training and racing...and the knowledge that they are a part of a unique team of athletes, joined by their love of excellent apparel.

SUGOI is now accepting applications for new participants based in the US to enter the program. The program is currently full in Canada.

Subscribe to our Sugoi newsletter for news, updates, specials and promotions.

Be inspired!

Review of the Sugoi RSE Bib Short by Twisted Spoke

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:50:24 +0000

Maybe you just didn't realize there was a war on. The high tech chamois battle being fought by companies like Sugoi, Pearl Izumi, Craft and Assos.

Somehow in your busy routine you missed the latest developments in sculpted, multi-thickness pads, air conditioning channels, vibration dampening zones and yes, the intricacies of the mesh butt vent.

The new Sugoi RSE bib short promises all that and loads more innovation for your gluteus maximus. Itâ€™s a high-end bib geared to serious riders doing a good chunk of miles.

We talked with Sugoiâ€™s head designer Rob Blair about the RSE. The main story is the beautifully contoured and crafted FXE chamois. First off, itâ€™s a mix of open cell and closed cell foam padding.

That immediate feeling of plush comfort is the old school open cell, while Sugoi runs closed cell sections down on either side of the center channel for vibration damping. Nothing better than a happy perineum.

The pad is worthy of some Museum of Modern Chamois award for 3d sculpting. There are three thickness levels which, as you ride, are designed to compress at the same rate. The obvious benefit is the contouring fit but the real advantages are reducing the pressure points and heat spots that lead to chafing. (By the way, with a pad this high quality, you should never need chamois cream unless youâ€™re doing the Race Across America or some such lunacy.

The RSE stays in position, no sliding, rubbing, irritation. According to Blair, youâ€™ll really feel the difference after 60 miles in the saddle. While not naming names, Blair put it this way: â€œYou start getting chafed in spots you didnâ€™t think youâ€™d chafe.â€ Thatâ€™s almost as distressing as getting dropped on a climb by an old lady on a pink Schwinn Paramount.

Ventilation is the other talk point for the Sugoi RSE. There are mesh vents front and rear â€” what we prefer to call the butt vent â€” and a grooved cut down the center â€” that work together to bring air in, through and out. (Itâ€™s also worth noting that the previous Sugoi RS bib won rave reviews and the RSE is the 2011 upgrade.)

You might be wondering how exactly they test things like pad sculpting, vibration damping and venting ideas. At Sugoi, itâ€™s an extensive process with a half dozen test riders logging 500 to 1000 miles in all weather conditions.

Weâ€™ve had the RSE for a month and weâ€™ve been pretty excited by the ride experience. We put in 5 two hour rides here in Northern California plus a long final exam at Levi Leipheimerâ€™s Gran Fondo.

Immediate impressions: the look, feel and finish of the RSE are excellent. Itâ€™s the kind of bib that gives you the instant illusion of speed and power just slipping them on. A good feeling.

On the bike, we noticed whenever we hit a pothole or beat-up section of road, the Sugoi felt like it wasnâ€™t sliding around. Every rider knows about reaching down the bib front to make adjustments. The RSE always felt set in position â€” which speaks to the contoured fit.

We did the 60 mile distance of the Leviâ€™s gran fondo and that was the kind of test where Blair said good chamois dies and the RSE shines. True dat. On the long, nasty climb up from the coast we were able to stick with our buddy whoâ€™s 10 years younger.

Near the top we even got out of the saddle for one last defiant acceleration. That doesnâ€™t happen often and we have to think several of the high end features of the RSE were working in our favor. Sugoi calls their system Moisture Acquisition and weâ€™ll call it a definite success.

We didnâ€™t cramp up which is also rare on a long, hard ride â€” at least some of the credit goes to the compression fabric. Itâ€™s good to enjoy the beauty of suffering on a bike when youâ€™re not suffering on the saddle.

Interesting word to throw out on group rides: proprioception. Definition: â€œthe ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts.â€ The RSE fabric construction and zig-zag stitching help create that intuitive ability.

The question still up for debate is whether the butt vent exhaust port allowed us to punish riders who were hanging on our rear wheel too long. Weâ€™d like to think so.

All in all, weâ€™re highly impressed with the Sugoi RSE bib short. The tag says Sugoi is Japanese for â€œincredible.â€ Well, as the French like to say, â€œchapeau.â€ Which means nice hat, damn fine job.

SUGOI Piston 200 Compression Tights win Editor's Choice Award

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:49:38 +0000

"220 Triathlon, the UK's biggest and best-selling triathlon magazine, tested SUGOI's new Piston 200 Compression Tight in their January edition. The compression tights won the ""EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD"" - a highly sought after award from the 20-year-old publication.

""If you've never ventured into recovery garments or tried SUGOI clothing, this is a great garment to do both in one leap,"" the article states.

The Piston 200 tights were described as ""brilliantly ergonomic"" and the writer noted that the tight ""makes the wearer feel like their muscles are warm and protected.""

Check out our SUGOI compression collection here.

Also featured in the article was the SUGOI RS Zero, which is said to permit ""great flexibility on and off the bike"". Noted too was the RS Zero's ""superb fit for the most dynamic of riders!""

Preview of 2011 Sugoi Cycling Apparel

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:48:54 +0000

The RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) short is made from a new material called P3. It is treated with wicking finish to keep the short snug yet still comfortable. It provides excellent moisture transfer (AS.100 chamois) to keep you dry and supports your muscles with its stretchy fabric with welded ventilation molds. Light and easy to move in, the RPM short is available in 7 various logo designs.

For its Spring/Summer 2011 Collection, Sugoi takes inspiration from a Spanish cycle club and an Italian Liqueur. New jerseys called El Toro for men and Limocello for women are part of the line. Made from Fino Tech fabric, the artistic design will surely attract envious stares.

Sugoi also introduces a new collection of (Race+Recovery) clothing compression with a fabric named Piston. It is a material tightly woven with the use of the PowerKnit process, 3D ergo fit panel Zone Constructionâ„¢ and an ultrafine 36-gauge knitting process to give you a quality made compression fabric.

The new series has the Piston 200 Knickers for 74.90 EUR, Piston Calf Sleeves for 44.90 EUR and R+R Knee High Socks for 29.90 EUR. To keep you looking fit and good, it also has the Piston 200 Long Sleeves for 79.90 EUR and the Piston 140 Short Sleeves for 69.90 EUR.

SUGOI Chosen as Official Cycling Apparel Sponsor for Ride to Conquer Cancer

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:48:13 +0000

"SUGOI Performance Apparel, a division of Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A), is pleased to announce being named the Official Cycling Apparel Sponsor for Ride to Conquer Cancer â€“ Canadaâ€™s premier and most successful cycling event.

SUGOI is the exclusive Official Cycling Apparel Sponsor for Ride to Conquer Cancer as part of a multi-year partnership. The Ride to Conquer Cancer holds four epic two-day rides that clock over 200 kilometers, starting in four Canadian provinces to raise money for cancer research. In its third year, the Ride to Conquer Cancer expects to exceed the 12,000 riders and $34 million raised in 2009.

There are four rides starting in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Each unique, two-day cycling event covers over 200 kilometers, and the money raised from each ride goes to each provinceâ€™s respective cancer research associations.

â€œSUGOI is a proud Canadian company, and to be involved in grassroots events is a vital part of who we are,â€ says Chris Fuentes, President of SUGOI. â€œWe are honored and excited to partner with the Ride to Conquer Cancer, to help raise money for cancer research in our own backyard, and to provide the riders who participate in the event with the best quality of apparel, as well as offering clinics to prepare for the event.â€

SUGOI will also be partnering with Sport Chek to promote the event. Thirty two Sport Chek locations will hold eight clinics in each Ride to Conquer Cancer region. Additionally, for any Ride to Conquer Cancer team that orders SUGOI Custom, SUGOI will donate $50 per team to the cause.

SUGOI is proud to be named the Official Cycling Apparel Sponsor for the Ride to Conquer Cancer - four epic two day cycling rides starting in four different provinces of distances over 200 kilometers.

More news to come from our end soon. For more about the Ride to Conquer Cancer, visit their website at http://www.conquercancer.ca

Cannondale Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Limited Edition Liquigas-Cannondale Team Kit

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:47:39 +0000

"The Philadelphia International Championship is the longest running and most important single-day cycling road race in the United States. For this race only, fans will get a chance to see the Liquigas-Cannondale Pro-Cycling team ride in slick black, green and white kits, mirroring Cannondaleâ€™s company colors.

Key Liquigas-Cannondale riders in Philadelphia will be Peter Sagan, Jurai Sagan, Ted King and Tim Duggan. Sagan is fresh off a strong performance at the Tour of California, where he dominated various sprints each day and won the longest stage, ultimately taking the coveted green Herbalife Sprint Points Jersey. King and Duggan also showed their strength with strong showings at the USPro Championships in Greenville, SC.

â€œFor forty years, Cannondale has been dedicated to creating the perfect ride. Our partnership with the Liquigas-Cannondale team brings this focus to life, and weâ€™re thrilled to be able to celebrate it with a limited edition team kit,â€ said Bob Burbank, General Manager, Cannondale.
SUGOI Performance Apparel is the teamâ€™s 2011 technical apparel sponsor. SUGOIâ€™s Pascal Wehr works in close consultation with the Liquigas-Cannondale Pro-Cycling team to perfect the kits.

Wehr said â€œThe 2011 kits feature anatomically correct construction and purposely fitted stretch and ventilation panels, all designed to support the fastest ride possible. SUGOI is excited to have the opportunity to field test new innovations, making sure the riders get the best possible product and technology. Plus it is a simply beautiful looking kit.â€

The consumer version of the kit is available to consumers both as an authentic kit and as a replica in black. It is available now in stores that carry SUGOI or Cannondale as well as online at sugoi.com.

ABOUT CANNONDALE
Cannondale is a premium brand of Cycling Sports Group, part of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). Founded in 1971, Cannondale is a global industry leader with a strong heritage in design, development and manufacturing of high performance bicycles, apparel and accessories. With a reputation for continuous innovation and quality, Cannondale corporate headquarters is located in Bethel, Connecticut, USA, with offices in Canada, Holland, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, United Kingdom, Taiwan and an assembly/manufacturing facility in Bedford, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.cannondale.com.

ABOUT SUGOI
SUGOI is a premium brand within the Apparel Footwear Group division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of world class cycling, run and triathlon apparel and outdoor gear. Since 1987, Sugoi has been focused on inspiring confidence through its highly technical athletic products, made using the finest materials available. Sugoi employs over 250 team members at its location in Burnaby, British Columbia. For more information on SUGOI please visit www.sugoi.com.

ABOUT LIQUIGAS SPORT S.p.A Liquigas Sport S.p.A is a limited company designed to manage a team of professional riders. It was established on July 13, 2004 with its head office in Brescia and a secondary administrative headquarters in Milan. While Liquigas is committed to excelling on the roads of the grand tours and the classics, above all it is fuelled by fundamental values like honesty and sportsmanship, sponsoring programs such as Liquigas Camp, a proper cycling school for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. This initiative is now in its third year and brings together budding young cyclists with riders from the Pro Team.

###

SUGOI Media Contact:
Sarah Cantrill
Sugoi PR & Communications Manager
C: 360.878.2859 II E: scantrill@sugoi.com "

Liquigas-Cannondale Pro-Cycling Team and SUGOI Performance Apparel

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:47:07 +0000

"As the technical apparel sponsor, SUGOI provides the team with a complete range of technically superior performance apparel, from jerseys to bib shorts, vests, arm warmers, gloves and caps.
Designed in close consultation with the team, the new kit features the latest in SUGOIâ€™s technically advanced apparel solutions. Important changes made to the 2011 kit include:

    * New team graphics and design with fully sublimated arm, leg, and knee warmers, for a clean overall appearance
    * RC Pro Chamois, with V-notch for ventilation and flexibility, advanced ergonomically correct articulation, and 4-way stretch side panels to mold to the bodyâ€™s contours
    * Ultra high-tech skin suits designed to help riders shed valuable seconds during time trial.

The consumer version of the kit is now available to consumers both as an authentic kit and as replicas in black. It is available in stores that carry SUGOI or Cannondale as well as online at sugoi.com.

"

SUGOI in the News: Award Winning Shorts

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:46:32 +0000

"
"

Sugoi Versa Jacket featured in Outside Buyer's Guide Summer 2011

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:46:01 +0000

See-Through Jackets by runningtimes.com

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:45:27 +0000

"
Nikeâ€™s Cyclone Vapor Jacket ($100) is extremely lightweight with a flocking pattern of black dots. The flocking is supposed to reduce static cling between the thin fabric and your skin so the jacket doesnâ€™t stick to you and to create airspace. There is a pocket in the lower back that can be used to store anything from gels and salt tablets to the jacket itself.

In the same class of apparel, Sugoi ($120) offers the Hydrolite Jacket. No flocking pattern on this jacket, but the fabric, if you can call these synthetic materials fabric, seems a bit more substantial. There is a patch of vented material under the arms and reflective taping along the shoulders. The areas of the zipper that receive the most stress have reinforced seams. Solid construction overall gives one a sense that this jacket, despite its see-through nature, is quite durable.

"

Sugoi Versa jacket review by BikeRadar

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:44:50 +0000

"The Sugoi Versa is a lightweight water resistant jacket that converts to a gilet. The two raglan sleeves are actually made as one piece, and attach to the body of the jacket using 10 magnets situated around the neck and armpits. This makes them very quick to remove, and after a little practice weâ€™ve even managed to learn how to detach them on the bike without having to stop.

Itâ€™s much quicker than having to faff about with zip-off arms and you donâ€™t have to worry about losing one arm either. Itâ€™s a clever and quirky bit of design and we really like it. The cut is semi-fitted and a little boxy but this leaves plenty of room for extra layers. Thereâ€™s a dropped back to help keep your butt dry and a nice addition of a soft fleece-lined collar.

The outer fabric is water resistant, but we found it went further than that â€“ it held up really well in heavy downpours and beaded off water. Itâ€™s also thin with no inner coating so it feels great next to the skin and breathes well. The large mesh panel at the rear also helps with airflow. Other features include a rear zip pocket and two up front. A 3M Scotchlite print front and rear with reflective piping around the arms and an adjustable drawcord hem top things off.

"

Sugoi Betty Full Finger Glove ï¾– road.cc

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:44:07 +0000

By Leonie Jennings

A simple pull-on style full-fingered glove, the Sugoi Betty is suitable for all kinds of cycling in spring and autumn conditions. These gloves would also suit summer off-road use, if you want a bit more coverage. If you run warm, they might even see you through warmer winter rides.

The silky stretch fabric from which the back and fingers are made is light and allows for excellent breathability, keeping the hands a good temperature and stopping them from becoming clammy. The thumb is generously covered in soft towelling, which is pleasantly soft on the nose, while the entire gripping surface of the glove is made from durable synthetic leather, with venting throughout to increase airflow.

It's a well-made glove, with strengthened seams where they wear hardest and good quality fabrics, although washing is by hand only, which is a hassle. The foam pads are well positioned to protect the ulnar nerve, support the median nerve and ease pressure and rubbing in the under-finger trouble spots. They also remove a little road buzz.

These gloves are comfortable and unobtrusive to wear and offer good hand protection. Sizing is somewhat generous, so it's best to check your size first if you're considering buying online. Price wise they are about average for a lightweight long-fingered glove. A fingerless version is also available.

Verdict

A lightweight, long-fingered glove offering serviceable performance for three-season use

road.cc test report

Make and model: Sugoi Betty Full Finger Glove

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Full fingered glove aimed at female cyclists of all types.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

88% polyester/12% spandex back

63% nylon/37% polyurethane palm and centre palm

65% polyester/35% cotton on thumb

Silicone grippers on palm

Available in sizes S, M, L

Rate the product for quality of construction:

8/10

Very well made

Rate the product for performance:

7/10

Performed well. Comfortable and kept hands a good temperature.

Rate the product for durability:

5/10

Hand wash only so will start to smell quite quickly.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:

8/10

Very light.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:

8/10

Comfortable to wear, pleasant fabric and pads work well to reduce pressure and road buzz.

Rate the product for value:

8/10

Smack in the middle of the price range for full finger summer weight gloves and good value as a result.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed well, worked well for all types of riding.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Fit, styling, weight, wear comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Hand wash only.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably, especially those with a preference for full finger styles.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

A good value, effective lightweight full-finger glove. Shame it's hand wash only.

Overall rating: 7/10

Must-Have Accessories For Outdoor Workouts- fitsugar.com

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:43:26 +0000

"For Spring, we've already outfitted you in bright athletic shoes, colorful running shorts, and a cute hoodie, but we're not done yet! There are still a few go-to items that must be obtained before you head outside for your workouts. A bit more on the practical side, these accessories will keep you protected, hydrated, and warm (as needed!).

Stay protected from the sun's glare with a cool pair of polarized shades, some sunscreen, and a running cap. We love Oakley's Beckon sunglasses ($160) because they are as fashionable as they are functional! Keep the face protected with lululemon's wicking cap ($32), which has a nifty zip pocket on the side, and don't forget to slather on some Neutrogena Sport Face suncreen ($12). Regardless of the season, staying hydrated is key; we love the Water Geeks Lab bottle ($24) because of its built-in filter that gets rid of impurities. Unpredictable Spring weather means layering, but you can skip the jacket with these Sugoi Lucky Arm Warmers ($40). Stretch them up to stay warm while riding, running, or hiking, or push them down to feel the sun on your guns.
"

Sugoi Hydrolite Jacket and RSE Jersey - libertysportsmag.com

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:42:57 +0000

Ten years ago I fell into a job at Downhill From Here, a new local bike shop in Palmyra, PA. I had no clue what I was doing. None of us did.We werenâ€™t qualified to make any decisions of any importance- we were the crowd that rode in cutoff Army pants and sleevelessWeezer shirts.We didnâ€™t know how to buy clothes for ourselves, let alone an entire bike shop. I once walked in on my boss, a little Pennsylvania Dutch dude named Bo who slept at the shop, selling a pair of bikes to a young couple early in the morning before going to the trouble to put his pants on.We were those guys.

When we finally caved in and started carrying clothes, our decision was 100% based on the fact that we liked the Sugoi rep, a tall, humble guy named ShawnWithers.We knew enough to know we knew nothing about clothing, so we put our faith in a rep we liked. It has been ten years. I donâ€™t know if Shawn still works at Sugoi. I have long since moved on through half a dozen new jobs in half a dozen new cities. Bo doesnâ€™t sleep on the shop floor anymore. But of the three Sugoi pieces I bought ten years ago, I still have all three, and I still use them all regularly.

Recently two new Sugoi pieces came across my desk for review. Before I tried either of them on, I knew what I had to say. In the new pieces- a cycling top and a light rain jacket- there are ten years of new materials and methods, but the quality remains the same.

I picked up the RSE Jersey first because it was the prettiest. Iâ€™m not ashamed, I like pretty things. The cycling jersey oozes quality- from the moment you pick it up, you know it is a serious cycling garment. The seams are flat-stitched, it has a seriously slim fit, and the sleeve and hem have a dramatic 4cm compression cuff for all-day comfort. The jersey is made with Sugoiâ€™s Gobi fabric, which has a light feel and excellent moisture-transfer properties, as well as an SPF of 50. The Gobi fabric feels like a light mesh, but is not see-through. The fabricâ€™s breathability makes this a great jersey for stuffy indoor cycling classes as well as hot outdoorÂ riding. The zipper runs the full length of the jersey, also ideal for the hottest conditions.

The styling is subtle and timeless, which is good, because youâ€™re going to have this piece for a long time.The RSE only falls short at the zipper. It doesnâ€™t have a locking zipper, which Iâ€™ve come to expect on a $120 jersey. Locking zippers arenâ€™t important to everybody, but they are to me. Beyond the zipper, itâ€™s a very high quality piece, which looks great, has quality to last years, and is worth the price tag.

A few days later I ran in the HydroLite jacket in an afternoon rain shower. Sugoi claims the HydroLite material becomes waterproof when it comes in contact with water. Iâ€™ll have to take their word for it, but the jacket did keep me dry on my run.

My biggest problem with waterproof jackets stems from my own body heat.My bodyâ€™s engine runs hot, it always has.When I wear a waterproof layer, I always end up soaked in my own sweat anyway, rendering the jacket pointless. The HydroLiteâ€™s best feature seemed to be its ability to ventilate my bodyâ€™s excessive heat. Granted, I still got pretty warm, but between the HydroLite fabric and the huge mesh vents in the underarms, it was the first time I ever felt like there was a benefit to wearing a rain layer.

The HydroLite also boasts plenty of reflective piping and enough packability to stuff the jacket into your back jersey pocket. Sugoi pitches the HydroLite as a cycling or running piece, and it will work for both. As a cycling garment, the butt flap (the one that protects you from the water kicked up off your rear tire) is a little short, but still very functional. If it were any longer, it would look ridiculous and penguin-like on a runner.

Like the RSE Jersey, the HydroLite Jacket retails for $120. Iâ€™ve come to accept that good cycling apparel is not cheap. The Sugoi garments are not cheap, but theyâ€™re high quality and worth the cost.

That, and I always liked Shawn. www.sugoi.com

Helpful Gear for Spring Running In Boston - examiner.com

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:42:27 +0000

One item I tried was the HydroLite Jacket, which is priced at $120 (note: if you search Amazon and/or Google you'll probably be able to find it for slightly less). The jacket I wore was the white/smoke color, which made me really visible to cars - a huge positive. I usually run in a Brooks jacket, and found this one to be much different. It felt lighter, and while it wasn't quite as warm, it did an amazing job blocking out the wind. It was also really comfortable, and I was able to wear

layers underneath without having them bunch up.

The other item I tried out was their Piston 140 Arm Sleeve, which is $40. I'd actually never worn arm sleeves before, but had considered them a few different times. This gave me an opportunity to try them, and I've completely fallen in love. They are absolutely perfect for those days where it's too warm for a long-sleeve shirt but too cold for a t-shirt or jersey. What I really like about them, is that it keeps your arms warm without making the rest of your body sweat excessively (and then freeze,

making you colder). They're also easy to hold if you decide to take the off mid-run. I'd highly recommend these to anyone - especially for spring races where you're not sure what to wear,

as it's a great option to have in those instances.

So as you train through the spring, for the Boston Marathon or any other April/May race, make sure you have the right gear to meet all of our uncertain weather conditions.

Running News Guy: Tweener Time - abc7chicago.com

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:41:49 +0000

"Aside from my occasional turn as a model for Fleet Feet's fashion shows, noone is likely to confuse me with a fashion expert. I have to wear suits for work, but, otherwise I live in jeans and t-shirts. When it comes to running clothes, however, I do have some opinions, if for no other reason than I wear them just about every day. But even then, rarely do they match.

Fashion takes a back seat to function in running. I dress for the weather. In the winter, that's usually pretty easy. Throw on a bunch of layers. Same for the summer. A t-shirt and shorts is usually good. But early spring can be more complicated. It's not quite warm enough for just a t-shirt, not so cold you need a bunch of layers, and you have to take the possibility of wind and rain into account.

That's why I called this entry 'tweener time'. And that's why I decided to write about some of the new running clothes I've been trying out, which are perfect for this time of year. I'm relying on my wife's photography skills and opinions about how the stuff looks. I can tell you how it is for running.

For my 10 miler on the Prairie Path Saturday morning, I had to take several things into consideration. It was overcast and chilly, but not cold. There was a possibility of some drizzle, but the biggest factor was a pretty strong wind that made it a seem little colder than it really was.

So I chose running tights, and a half-zip from lululemon. Over that I wore the new Hydrolite jacket from Sugoi. The combination was perfect for the weather. I was warm enough, but not overheated. The jacket is perfect for this type of weather, because it's incredibly lightweight, but very effective in blocking wind and rain. It was also very comfortable.
The tights and half-zip, I have to admit, I've worn for most of the winter as well. But they are very versatile. The tights were fine in temperatures in the upper 30's, but I also wore them for my coldest runs of the winter when it was near zero degrees. They are the most comfortable tights and top I own. Something about the fabric makes it soft and more stretchy than most of my other stuff.

The funny thing is that lululemon started out making women's yoga clothes, but they've branched out into running gear. About 75% of the store is women's stuff, but the men's stuff they have is really high quality. One of the guys I run with mentioned, out of the blue, that he likes the lululemon running stuff so much that he bought stock in the company. They have several stored in the city and suburbs, but you can also order their stuff online. http://shop.lululemon.com/store/productslist.aspx?categoryid=500&pagesize=15

When it's a little warmer, without wind, you can try just the top and shorts. Their shorts come with a liner which is perfect for those 'not quite summer' days. It helps keep your hamstrings and glutes warm. My wife's opinion is that these are the nicest looking shorts I own.

Given the trend toward 'minimalist' running shoes, I call these 'maximalist running shorts. For the sake of comparison, I took a picture of them next to a pair of Nike shorts I wear for races in the summer. I thought it best not to model them for you!

I also tried the Sugoi shorts on. The fit is a little different than the lululemon, but they are lighter and don't have the liner, so you might feel faster. When it's a little warmer, but you still want to keep you upper body covered, you might try the look below. I find my upper body needs a little more protection than my legs. Sugoi is the Japanese word for 'incredible'. The company is about 20 years old and was born in the basement of it's founders, one of whom was a cyclist who wanted to produce bike shorts that were better looking and more comfortable than what was out there at the time.

They now make some pretty nice running clothes as well. I've worn their stuff for years. You can find their clothing at most running stores in the area, but you can also find them online at http://www.sugoi.com/usa/eng/

Spring is one of the best times of the year to run, but you definitely want to listen to Jerry Taft before you head out so you can dress for the weather. The right running clothes for the conditions will keep you going longer and feeling better.

See you on the roads.....

"

Compression socks for marathon training: The Sugoi R+R Knee High

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:40:52 +0000

While I liked the CEPs for the most part, the degree of difficulty in pulling them over my feet and calves was a 9.7. Getting the socks in the proper position without tearing them is a workout in itself, that definitely leaves you sweating.

I was overjoyed to get a nice pair of gray Sugoi socks to test out on my next long run. A little more subtle than my hot pink CEPs, but not quite as ugly as my husband's black Gold Toes, I was set to do a 16-mile marathon training run on a busy road. I still feel a little self conscious in long socks, but that's something I need to get over.

The first thing I noticed is how easy the Sugoi socks are to put on. Pulling it up was almost as effortless as sliding into a long cotton gym sock. I know this means they sacrifice some of the compression that the CEPs offer, but the fact that I'm more willing to wear them for every run has to count for something. My CEPs spent a few runs in my closet because I just didn't have the energy or patience to put them on.

The Sugoi socks definitely aren't as tight as the CEPs, but it does offer a number of bonuses in terms of fit: Progressive support down the sock, a comfort band around the sock, the special ""Y"" heel, the lace pad, the sculptured terry comfort foot bed with reinforced heel and toe and the Reverse Lin Toe. These added perks made them fit my foot and calves so well that I felt like I was wearing custom socks.

The Sugoi R+Rs don't have the hardcore death grip of the CEPs. They're definitely looser. But there's no comparison when it comes to how well he Sugoi socks fit my feet. The CEPs had some extra material that bunched around my toes, while the Sugoi R+R felt like an extension of my foot. So far I've gotten no blisters, even on my longest trail runs.

I have no scientific proof that says compression socks boost performance while marathon training. In the end, I like the way they make my calves and feet feel both during and after a run.

In terms of providing compression, I think both socks are great, but the CEPs provide more. Unfortunately, they're so tight they're hard to get on. When it comes to fit, feel and the ease of use, I'd definitely go with the Sugoi R+R Knee High.

Cyclist Whitten hears London calling

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:40:15 +0000

Winning the Commonwealth Games time trial on the roads of Delhi, as well as three track bronze medals at the event, further enhanced her reputation around the globe.

Whitten could well afford a broad smile as the maple leaf fluttered above her. Her ascent to the top of her sport is incredible, considering she only took up cycling three years ago.

""One of my teammates told me the other day that I can't get away with calling myself a newcomer that much longer,"" Whitten, 30, said with a laugh. ""At the same time, I still can see so many areas for improvement and that's really exciting. I have a lot of confidence I can keep improving over the next two years.""

Improve she must. Her performances on the World Cup circuit and all those medals mean she is no longer the underdog, but a target for others. And, thanks to all the media attention, there will be enormous expectations from the Canadian public as she progresses towards her ultimate objective â€” the London Olympics in 2012.

Battled exhaustion
A somewhat shy individual who is only now becoming comfortable conducting interviews, Whitten is coming to grips with the sudden recognition.

""Yeah, I think it did take a while to adjust to it, especially because I spent so many years in cross-country skiing not really feeling that I might ever get to that world-class level,"" she said. ""So it has been really exciting to come to the realization that's where I am in cycling, and I am one of the best in the world and a contender for a medal in any event.""

Part of the excitement has been hearing from old friends who have followed her progress through the media and have contacted her on Facebook. Many, she said, who thought she was ""crazy"" in high school because she was so involved with cross-country skiing have sent congratulatory messages.

Along with other members of the Canadian national track cycling team, Whitten is based in Los Angeles for the winter and has put her University of Alberta doctoral studies temporarily on hold while she prepares for the 2012 Olympics.

For the first couple of weeks in Southern California, she battled exhaustion and rode her bike sparingly. After racing at the UCI world road championships in Melbourne â€” she finished seventh in the time trial and 15th in the road race â€” she flew to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games and the travel obviously took its toll.

""I knew my preparation for the Commonwealth Games was not ideal with the road worlds basically four days before,"" she said. ""And so I wasn't sure how my body would respond. I couldn't put too many expectations on myself I just had to go there and race.

""I was satisfied with the points race bronze. I know I am the world champion in that event, but for the points race you need two things: you need endurance and you need really top-end speed. And I knew I hadn't been working on my speed as much.""

Road to London goes through L.A.
A week of high-altitude training in Big Bear, Calif., about two hours north of L.A., launched her 2011 track training program before she headed to Melbourne, Australia for the UCI World Cup event there in early December. She earned the silver medal in the omnium event two days after contributing to Canada's fourth-place finish in the women's team pursuit. She followed that up with another omnium silver at the World Cup race in Cali, Colombia on Dec. 17.

For the next two years, her focus will be on the omnium and team pursuit races, hence her settling in L.A. She thinks the velodrome there offers the best environment.

""There are quite a few velodromes in Canada, but most of them are outdoors, which is a bit of a problem in the winter,"" she said. ""The two indoor velodromes in Canada are shorter than regulation distance, which means they are steeper and they are not really fast tracks. So we want to train down here where it's faster and it's the same surface we will be racing on.""

Under the tutelage of national team coach Richard Wooles, who is based in Victoria but will join her and the rest of the Canadian team for training camps, Whitten will spend 2011 chasing Olympic qualification at the designated World Cup Classic races in Melbourne, Cali, Beijing and Manchester. If she can amass the necessary UCI points, she can benefit from an easier buildup during the Olympics rather than have to chase results.

Like most athletes, she has dreamed of competing at the Olympic Games. Although she won two gold medals at the 2008 Canadian championships, it wasn't enough to qualify for Beijing.

""Yes I have thought about it a lot,"" she said of London 2012. ""I am trying to think of all the ways I can prepare for London and be the best I can be at that moment. I have looked at plans for the Olympic velodrome, the drawings they have, and the construction they have done. The velodrome is very close to the athletes' village. We have looked at all of that and tried to visualize all that to prepare.""

The omnium makes its Olympic debut in London. Though she is too humble to say it, Whitten would love to carry the Canadian flag once again â€” this time with an Olympic gold medal around her neck.

Tour de France the goal for Canadian cycling team

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:39:04 +0000

Team co-owner Steve Bauer, an Olympic silver medallist and Canadian cycling legend, already has his sights fixed on SpiderTech moving into the major leagues and wearing the Maple Leaf at the 2013 Tour de France.

â€œWe are knocking down doors,â€ Bauer said in a telephone interview from St. Catharines, Ont., Wednesday. â€œThings are growing.

â€œWeâ€™re good. Weâ€™ve done exceptional things. Itâ€™s just a matter of time. We will shoot to be at the top.â€

For the last three years the team has competed on the Continental level, the third rung of professional road cycling. SpiderTech ended 2010 ranked as the top-ranked North American team on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) America Tour.

The next step for SpiderTech is to be one of the 18 teams granted a license for the UCI World Tour, which includes prestigious races like the Tour de France, the Giro dâ€™Italia and Vuelta a EspaÃ±a.

To make that jump, SpiderTechâ€™s riders must prove themselves in Continental Professional level races in France, Cuba, Italy, Belgium and other countries.

â€œOur team will be going to Europe and will be competing in some pretty serious races,â€ said Bauer. â€œOur guys will evolve and grow and get better.â€

For the last two years the Cervelo TestTeam, owned by Canadian bike manufacturer Cervelo, had an entry in the Tour de France. The team has since joined forces with Garmin to create Garmin-Cervelo.

Itâ€™s no accident that of the 17 riders SpiderTech has under contract, 14 are Canadian.

â€œThe goal is to work with the best Canadians and to have a clear Canadian essence as we progress,â€ said Bauer. â€œWill all the guys on our team make World Tour? No. Will some of them? Yes, absolutely.â€

SpiderTech added to its already impressive roster of riders by signing Olympian Svein Tuft of Langely, B.C., to a contract.

Tuft won a silver medal at the 2008 road world championships in Varese, Italy, and a stage in the 2010 Eneco Tour. He was a member of the U.S.-based Garmin-Transitions team in 2010.

â€œWe are super happy to have a guy like Svein,â€ said Bauer. â€œHeâ€™s going to add tremendously to the roster we have.â€

Other riders wearing SpiderTech colours include Guillaume Boivin of Longueuil, Que.; David Boily of Quebec City and Keven Lacombe of Montreal.

Having the talent to be competitive is necessary to make the move to the World Tour, but money is also a major factor.

Bauer said it costs a team between $15 million and $20 million to operate a successful program at the top level. He wouldnâ€™t say what SpiderTechâ€™s budget will be in 2011.

â€œWeâ€™re an entry level team,â€ Bauer said. â€œWe are on a financial budget I would consider fairly minimum-needs requirement to do what we need to do.

â€œI think what weâ€™ve achieved on the budget that weâ€™ve had over the past three years has been pretty amazing. I think we can be competitive and I think we can get in the game with our current budget and our current roster. To grow we almost have to double our budget every year.â€

Riders currently employed by SpiderTech earn a minimum salary of around $50,000 a year. They also share in any prize money from races.

The minimum salary at the World Tour level is $60,000. The top riders earn anywhere from $250,000 to over $1 million.

Officially known as SpiderTech powered by C10, the team is backed by some powerful Canadian companies. SpiderTech produces high-tech therapeutic tape used by athletes. Other sponsors include BlackBerry maker Research In Motion; dairy producer Saputo; wholesale energy provider Planet Energy; and Catalyst Capital Group.

Bauer, 51, is a Canadian pioneer in international cycling. He finished fourth in the 1988 Tour de France, where he won one stage and wore the yellow jersey for five stages. He also held the yellow jersey for nine stages in the 1990 race.

He was a silver medallist in the road race at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

For Bauer, overseeing the teamâ€™s progress has been like a father watching a family grow.

â€œThe guys are getting better every year,â€ he said. â€œOn the financial side, itâ€™s always ongoing to raise dollars through sponsorship and to add new partners that are willing to help.â€

While the date may be flexible, Bauer wonâ€™t hedge on his promise to have SpiderTech race the Tour de France.

â€œTime lines are challenging,â€ Bauer laughed. â€œIâ€™d rather under promise and over deliver.

â€œIf it takes to 2014 or 2015 so be it. Itâ€™s not an overnight thing.â€

Youth Sports Injuries Reaching Epidemic Levels, Experts Report

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:38:16 +0000

Statistics released by the organization also revealed that:

Forty-eight youths died as the result of sports injuries in the past year.
About 63,000 high school athletes suffer brain injuries every year.
High school athletes suffer 2 million injuries, 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The numbers led the association to issue a national report card on youth sport safety, giving the nation a C- for 2010.

""This is a neglected population in terms of focusing on health and safety during sports participation,"" said Marjorie J. Albohm, president of the 30,000-member organization. ""The numbers of young people far outweigh the numbers of elite or professional athletes, yet we haven't given them the attention they deserve in terms of health and safety.""

Sudden cardiac arrest accounted for nearly half the deaths in the last year, while concussion accounted for three, heat illness three, and exertional sickling (a result of sickle cell trait, causing collapse due to muscle breakdown) caused one, according to the organization.

""Most coaches don't really understand sickle cell and what can happen,"" explained Brian Robinson, head athletic trainer at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Ill. ""What you see is similar to heat stroke symptoms, but it can happen a lot faster.""

Robinson, who is also chairman of the association's Secondary School Committee, called the youth sports injury situation a ""public health issue,"" because of the long-term ramifications of many of the injuries that kids suffer while playing sports.

For example, knee injuries, which are very common, can lead to arthritis later in life, according to Albohm. ""An injury that a 14- or 16-year-old suffers can affect them for the rest of their lives,"" she noted.

The association created the Youth Sports Alliance, along with about 40 other health and sports organizations, to push for legislation, and to educate coaches and others involved in youth sports to prevent injuries and provide appropriate medical services to injured athletes.

Additional data provided at the conference showed that:

High school athletes suffer three times as many serious injuries as college athletes each year.
Female high school basketball players sustain 240 percent more concussions than their male peers (13,000 annually)
Sixteen percent of football players who lose consciousness after brain injuries return to play the same day.
Professional sports organizations such as Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association typically have several athletic trainers working with other health-care professionals to determine whether an injured player can return to action or still needs medical attention. Most colleges and universities also have athletic trainers at sports events, said Albohm.

But below the college level, decisions about returning to play are made by coaches, who face pressure to win, Albohm explained.

""Coaches shouldn't be making these decisions. It's not their job to be health-care professionals,"" said Albohm.

The association has worked since its inception to change what it sees as an often-stoic attitude toward injuries in athletics, Albohm added.

""We have been fighting the 'playing through pain' culture since as long as we've been in existence, since 1950, when the organization was founded,"" she said.

""It's the warrior mentality, and we see it every day in high school sports,"" added Robinson. In addition to coaches who want to win, student athletes often hesitate to report an injury, or want to return to play to please the coach, he said. That is why the presence of a health-care professional is critical, both Albohm and Robinson said.

Cannondale Celebrates 40th Anniversary With Limited Edition Liquigas-Cannondale Team Kit

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:51:01 +0000

6/2/2011

The Philadelphia International Championship is the longest running and most important single-day cycling road race in the United States. For this race only, fans will get a chance to see the Liquigas-Cannondale Pro-Cycling team ride in slick black, green and white kits, mirroring Cannondale’s company colors.

Key Liquigas-Cannondale riders in Philadelphia will be Peter Sagan, Jurai Sagan, Ted King and Tim Duggan. Sagan is fresh off a strong performance at the Tour of California, where he dominated various sprints each day and won the longest stage, ultimately taking the coveted green Herbalife Sprint Points Jersey. King and Duggan also showed their strength with strong showings at the USPro Championships in Greenville, SC.

“For forty years, Cannondale has been dedicated to creating the perfect ride. Our partnership with the Liquigas-Cannondale team brings this focus to life, and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate it with a limited edition team kit,” said Bob Burbank, General Manager, Cannondale.
SUGOI Performance Apparel is the team’s 2011 technical apparel sponsor. SUGOI’s Pascal Wehr works in close consultation with the Liquigas-Cannondale Pro-Cycling team to perfect the kits.

Wehr said “The 2011 kits feature anatomically correct construction and purposely fitted stretch and ventilation panels, all designed to support the fastest ride possible. SUGOI is excited to have the opportunity to field test new innovations, making sure the riders get the best possible product and technology. Plus it is a simply beautiful looking kit.”

The consumer version of the kit is available to consumers both as an authentic kit and as a replica in black. It is available now in stores that carry SUGOI or Cannondale as well as online at sugoi.com.

ABOUT CANNONDALE
Cannondale is a premium brand of Cycling Sports Group, part of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). Founded in 1971, Cannondale is a global industry leader with a strong heritage in design, development and manufacturing of high performance bicycles, apparel and accessories. With a reputation for continuous innovation and quality, Cannondale corporate headquarters is located in Bethel, Connecticut, USA, with offices in Canada, Holland, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, United Kingdom, Taiwan and an assembly/manufacturing facility in Bedford, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.cannondale.com.

ABOUT SUGOI
SUGOI is a premium brand within the Apparel Footwear Group division of Dorel Industries (TSX: DII.B, DII.A). It is a leading manufacturer and distributor of world class cycling, run and triathlon apparel and outdoor gear. Since 1987, Sugoi has been focused on inspiring confidence through its highly technical athletic products, made using the finest materials available. Sugoi employs over 250 team members at its location in Burnaby, British Columbia. For more information on SUGOI please visit www.sugoi.com.

ABOUT LIQUIGAS SPORT S.p.A Liquigas Sport S.p.A is a limited company designed to manage a team of professional riders. It was established on July 13, 2004 with its head office in Brescia and a secondary administrative headquarters in Milan. While Liquigas is committed to excelling on the roads of the grand tours and the classics, above all it is fuelled by fundamental values like honesty and sportsmanship, sponsoring programs such as Liquigas Camp, a proper cycling school for children between the ages of 7 and 12 years old. This initiative is now in its third year and brings together budding young cyclists with riders from the Pro Team.

###

SUGOI Media Contact:
Sarah Cantrill
Sugoi PR & Communications Manager
C: 360.878.2859 II E: scantrill@sugoi.com

Dolomites Cycling

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:01:58 +0000

It is such a cycling culture - so many people riding, the drivers very skilled and so used to and respectful of riders that you never have to give them a second thought. Pictures below

2011 XTERRA Pocono Trail Run Series Regional Champion!

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:58:14 +0000

’ve made the podium in eight consecutive XTERRA races and have earned 680 out of a possible 700 points in non-championship events, which equates to a 97% winning percentage.

1st Place Overall at XTERRA Gouldsboro 10km

My goals for the remainder of the season include winning five XTERRA Regional Championships by April 2012, and maybe making a run at the XTERRA Mexico Trail Running Title on Novemeber 13th. I’m also planning on competing at both XTERRA Trail Run Nationals in Ogden, UT and Worlds in Oahu, HI. The spectacular Kualoa Ranch, on the northeastern side of Oahu less than an hour from Honolulu, will host this ultimate Hawaiian experience for the international field of trail runners for the fourth straight year.

Thanks SUGOI for the transcendent gear, which has helped me train to be my best in all kinds of extreme conditions!

XTERRA Race Results and Press as of July 2011:

2011 XTERRA Pocono Trail Run Series Regional Champion

XTERRA Press Release

XTERRA Mohican 19km (Ohio Series Race #4) - 5th (1st Male 30-39)

XTERRA Chapin Forest 8km (Ohio Series Race #3) - 9th (1st Male 30-34)

XTERRA Gouldsboro 10km (Pocono Series Race #4) - 1st Overall

XTERRA Press Release

XTERRA Vulture’s Knob 15km (Ohio North Series Race #1) - 6th (2nd Male 30-39)

XTERRA Press Release

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XTERRA West Championship - Trail Run 21km - 12th (3rd Male 30-34)

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The Urban Offroad Race – XTERRA East Championship Race Report

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:57:10 +0000

Getting ready for the upcoming XTERRA Whitewater race, I have been super-busy and super-sidetracked (in classic Marcus fashion). So this race report is kind of old, but still not stale as moldy bread (or some snacks under my truck seat).

Race: XTERRA East Championships
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Date: June 12, 2011
Distances: 1000m swim, 32k mtb bike 10k run
Result: 4th place in division, 25th overall amateur

Key lesson learned in this race (or rather reinforced, as I already knew it): Don’t change anything just before race day. Allow me to explain.

Dan and I had driven up to Richmond the week prior to the race to spend a little time on the course. It was a great, dry pre-ride and we had a TON of fun. Actually, things were a little TOO dry. If you read my previous race report from Alabama, you’ll recall that I had a flat on the preride and picked up a Maxxis Aspen to replace my Ikon. It wasn’t my first choice, but it was all the bike shop had in stock. The Aspen would have made a good front tire for Pelham, but it did so-so on the rear. In Richmond, it proved to be even less of a good choice for the rear. Most of the trails in Richmond were very hard, hard-pack. We’re talking concrete-like in some spots. Take that smooth surface and throw in a light dusting of sand, and you have a surface that would require a little more of a contact patch than what the Aspen was providing. Every turn, my rear would slide around.

On the eve of the race, around dinner-time, it started pouring rain and I immediately started thinking about my tires.

Throughout the rest of the evening, I debated whether I should change the Aspen and put on an Ikon that Dan had as a spare. It was a used tire, but not anymore so than the Aspen I had on there. Since the Ikon we had was a non-UST tire, it can be quite a chore to get the bead seated and the tire sealed without using a compressor. Heck, it can be quite a chore WITH a compressor. All we had was a hand pump. I finally decided to give it a shot by taking it to a local gas station and using the pay-as-you-go compressor. This was a big mistake. Anyone that has used one of those pieces-o-junk knows that you stick a quarter or two (or in our case 6) to get the machine to turn on. Once on, you have limited time to get the chore done before you have to stick in more quarters. The other problem with these things are they don’t actually have a tank. This means that there’s just a little piston in there creating air flow, but without any real stored-up pressure. It’s an air pump, not a compressor. Needless to say that after trying two different pumps at different gas stations, I still had an un-inflated tire.

I decided that we need real air. The compressed kind. We needed a REAL service station, not a convenient mart. So where do you go for REAL service (i.e. the mechanical kind) that you can pretty much guarantee will have a REAL compressor at 9pm? A truck stop. The problem was, XTERRA East Championships is called an urban XTERRA for a reason. It’s held in downtown Richmond. Where are you going to find a truck stop in downtown Richmond? You’re not. So we ended up driving almost 40 minutes in one direction to the nearest truck stop. The guys at the truck stop got quite a few chuckles as I stood there with a bicycle tire looking for air. They were gracious enough to point me to the compressor hose and told me to help myself. Long story short, within just a few minutes there, I had an inflated tire.

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