What Motivates Suunto Athletes to Stay Fit in Winter?

Training in the winter comes with its own special little challenges, like simply getting out of your warm cozy bed to face the bitter cold for your morning run. It’s not always fun to face the frigid air, but finding different ways to get and stay motivated are key in having a successful winter training season. We asked Suunto athlete Kim Havell what motivates her to stay fit in the winter. Kim writes:

For me, fitness is about getting strong enough to do all the activities that you want to do with the highest level of performance. In the winter that means cross training by lifting weights, running, indoor biking, yoga and other activities in order to have the most fun and related return when alpine skiing, ski touring, ice climbing, and mountaineering.

Kim even offers up some great tips for triggering and keeping that drive:

1. Set goals- what do you want to accomplish this season, what makes you happy—DREAM BIG!
2. Make a list of ideal training exercises/routines/sports and find classes, time slots, or equipment that gets you going
3. Make it happen- put yourself, your health, your fitness first—your time for you makes you better at everything else. Happy New Year!

Kim has plenty of reason to stay motivated--she's got a lot on her plate this winter! And while she's traveling the world skiing and mountaineering for the world's top adventure brands, she's also got her heart and head in the right place. She's currently advocating this sweet calendar raising money for suicide prevention and mental health programs. Help Kim bring awareness to this important issue.

Kim trains with a Suunto t6d and keeps up with travel fitness by following a workout schedule on her Suunto M5, part of the new Suunto M-Series. You can see Kim's training and fitness moves by clicking here www.movescount.com/members/kimhavell.

Just a couple more days of the 12 Days of Ragnar

And on the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...?

Don't miss out! There are just a couple more days to enter Ragnar Relay's "12 Days of Ragnar." They are giving away some amazing prizes from their sponsors. Every day is a new surprise prize. Hint, hint, did we mention Suunto is a sponsor? Hmmm. Interesting...

Hurry and enter right now by clicking the link here.

Follow These Athletes On Movescount.com

Do you love keeping up with your favorite athlete? Then Movescount.com powered by Suunto is the thing. With Movescount.com you can follow some of the most interesting, accomplished athletes and see how they train. Movescount.com allows you to get tips and become part of growing online sports community. Want to know what makes two-time Leadville champ Rebecca Rusch tick? Or what the workouts are like for XTERRA Champion Conrad Stoltz? We have a list of some top athletes who are on Movescount.com and sharing their moves.

Rebecca Rusch: www.movescount.com/members/RebaRusch

Conrad Stoltz: www.movescount.com/members/Conrad_Stoltz

Kilian Jornet: www.movescount.com/members/kilianjornet

Daron Rahlves: www.movescount.com/members/Drahlves

Julian Carr: www.movescount.com/members/juliancarr

Kim Havell: www.movescount.com/members/kimhavell

So who are you going to start moving with?

Greg Hill Core Watch Giveaway!

Adventure Skier and Suunto user, Greg Hill, is a big fan of keeping a track of how many vertical feet he skis--and now so can you. Suunto is giving away a Suunto Core Everest Edition Altimeter/Barometer/Compass Watch this week as a part of his Guess How High Greg Hill Got contest through Backcountry.com. Greg is attempting to ski two million vertical feet within one year. His quest is coming to a close, and now it is your chance to participate in the excitement as he nears his goal.

For the next three weeks you can enter the contest at Backcountry.com and guess how many vertical feet Greg will ski in a week. The closest guess will win some sick prizes, including a Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest. Greg uses his Suuno to keep track of his vertical gain every day as he skis his way to two million feet. Click here to enter the contest.

You can (try to) keep up with Greg Hill at his website here.

For more Suunto products and accessories visit our website here.

Field & Stream Rut Report Giveaway Week Six

It is week six of Field & Stream’s Rut Report, a 13-week long sweepstakes, and that means it’s time to give away another Suunto Core watch! You can still enter--just fill out a Rut Report on Field & Stream’s website or Facebook page and you are entered to win a Suunto Core and other great prizes. Below are the rules and regulations.

ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the United States. Employees of Bonnier Corporation and its parent companies, subsidiaries or agents, their immediate families (defined as parents, children, siblings, spouse and grandparents), and those domiciled with any of the foregoing are not eligible. Website pages and advertisements relating to the sweepstakes are intended for viewing only within the eligible Sweepstakes territory, and entrants must be present in the eligible Sweepstakes territory at the time of entry.

TIMING: The Sweepstakes entry period begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on October 14, 2010 and ends at 12:00 a.m. ET on February 1, 2011 (the “Entry Period”). Sponsor’s computer system is the official timekeeping device for the Sweepstakes.

TO ENTER: To enter electronically, visit our website at http://www.fieldandstream.com/rutreporters. All information provided by entrant must be complete, true and correct. Submissions to the Sweepstakes must be received by 6:59:59 p.m. EST every Friday of each rut week in order to be eligible; entries received after the deadline will be entered into the next week’s contest. All submitted entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned; Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, inaccurate, incomplete, damaged, illegible, or misdirected entries. Entry is limited to one entry per household, regardless of the means of entry; no automated, photocopied or reproduced entries will be accepted. Multiple entries will result in disqualification of all submitted entries. Online entries will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules.

WINNER SELECTION: On Monday of each Rut Week, a random drawing from among all eligible entries will be conducted under Sponsor’s supervision for each weekly prize pack listed above. Potential weekly winners will be notified by email within twenty-four (24) hours of being selected. Potential winners may be required to sign and return a sworn Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release. If required documentation is not returned within ten (10) business days of notification, or if notification is returned as undeliverable, any prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected by random drawing. Prizes will be awarded within sixty (60) days after winner verification. No prize substitution or transfer is permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value (including cash, at Sponsor’s sole discretion) for any reason. All taxes and any other incidental expenses on Prizes are the sole responsibility of each winner.

For complete rules and regulations along with a full list of weekly prizes click here.

GQ Watch Giveaway!

Suunto has teamed up with men’s magazine GQ for the Suunto Elementum Sweepstakes. Enter to win a Suunto Elementum just in time for the holidays! Exclusively manufactured in Finland, these stylish, urban-inspired watches combine excellent craftsmanship with precision digital technology in a unique coalescence of function and form. To enter, visit GQConnects.com/Suunto for rules and regulations. Good luck!

For more information on other Suunto products visit the website here.

Kilian Jornet Takes his Moves to a First Place Finish

Movescount.com member and inspiring pro trail runner Kilian Jornet took time to share his successful race at the K42 Adventure Marathon in Argentina. Kilian regularly posts his moves on his Movescount.com page. Here is his winning move--yeah, that's for real! He won the event with time of 3h 8m 56s. Kilian trains and races with a Suunto t6d. You can also keep up with him on his website here. Congratulations Kilian and keep up with the awesome work. You're truly an inspiration to trail runners across the globe.

Greg Hill Update--Great Interview on Urban Rush!

Here's an exciting update, great video and TV interview with Greg Hill, the Suunto user and international ski mountaineering pro who is attempting to rack up two million vertical feet of climbing and skiing in one year. His challenge ends December 31st, and he's 83% done. That means, he's covered 1.66 million feet so far! Great job Greg--and man, all those Suunto vertical feet shots look amazing!!

NYC Marathon Recap

Just like a good blockbuster flick, the NYC Marathon continued to live up to all the hype. Full of drama and suspense this past weekend, the legendary marathon offered up some great watercooler talk come Monday. With top contenders including reigning marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie and Japanese runner Fujiwara not finishing the race, and Gebrselassie’s retirement announcement, then possible retirement reconsideration, there was drama! We had a great time taking it all in. Suunto also had several ambassadors running the race; some first timers and some returning. The event was a perfect way to start November off on a good foot. For complete results of the NYC Marathon as well as news articles on the event click here.

Interview with Karl Meltzer after the Human Express

Not too long ago we told you about Suunto user Karl Meltzer’s attempt to run the historic Pony Express route. In a recent interview, Nick Davidson of Outside Magazine talked to Meltzer about the epic run. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Ultra-marathoner Karl Meltzer can outrun a horse. To prove it, Meltzer recently completed the first-ever run of the full 2,064-mile Pony Express route in 40 days, finishing on October 25. The run commemorated the 150th anniversary of the old delivery route. Horses employed on the historical Pony Express ran no more than ten to 15 miles before a fresh horse took over duties, meaning riders used scores of them for a single delivery. Meltzer, at the pace of roughly two marathons per day—with a 100-miler to wrap it up—tested the limits of human endurance, dubbing his Red Bull-sponsored run from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri the "Human Express." I

You were burning more than 5,000 calories a day. What did you eat to compensate for that level of exertion?
I ate as much as I could, any time. Calories, you know? Primarily it was a fat and protein breakfast—eggs, French toast, yogurt and granola. We mixed it up so I didn't get sick of the same food. For dinner, it was anything from steak strips to a can full of peaches. Chicken tenders. Ribs. Left over pasta from the night before. A lot of ice cream at night, just to throw some calories in me, and maybe a couple of cold beers before bed—always good after a 50-mile run.

How did a typical day unfold?
We'd wake up before daylight. I'd prick my finger and take some blood, then give a urine sample. My crew would have breakfast ready, and I'd grab some coffee. Then I'd get my gear together and be out the door by sunrise. I'd run 50 miles in just under ten hours, power shower, ice my shins, and start eating till I couldn't eat any more. Meanwhile, the crew were shopping, gassing up, dumping the RV and all that kind of thing, which gets nuts. The runner has the easiest job.

Where did you sleep at night?
We had a 28-foot RV. I got the master bedroom.

The Pony Express was all about delivering messages. Is there a message you hope to deliver via the Human Express?
Just that if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. People are blown away, but they don't really understand what you're doing sometimes. Doing something like this is just a mind game. If you keep moving forward, you'll get there.

So it was a satisfying experience for you.
It's like living in a dream world. I'm a professional athlete. I get to go run for 40 days across the country. People called me the modern-day Forrest Gump. That's fine. I'd say I was a little faster than Forrest.

Great job Karl on completing such an amazing feat!

For more on Karl visit his website here.

Become a Field & Stream Rut Reporter and You Could Win a Suunto Core

Field & Stream is having a 13-week long sweepstakes in which you can win cool outdoor gear including a Suunto Core! Just fill out the Rut Report (a deer tracking forum) on Field & Stream’s website or Facebook page and you are entered to win some great prizes. Read below the rules of the sweepstakes.

ELIGIBILITY: The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the United States. Employees of Bonnier Corporation and its parent companies, subsidiaries or agents, their immediate families (defined as parents, children, siblings, spouse and grandparents), and those domiciled with any of the foregoing are not eligible. Website pages and advertisements relating to the sweepstakes are intended for viewing only within the eligible Sweepstakes territory, and entrants must be present in the eligible Sweepstakes territory at the time of entry.

TIMING: The Sweepstakes entry period begins at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on October 14, 2010 and ends at 12:00 a.m. ET on February 1, 2011 (the “Entry Period”). Sponsor’s computer system is the official timekeeping device for the Sweepstakes.

TO ENTER: To enter electronically, visit our website at http://www.fieldandstream.com/rutreporters. All information provided by entrant must be complete, true and correct. Submissions to the Sweepstakes must be received by 6:59:59 p.m. EST every Friday of each rut week in order to be eligible; entries received after the deadline will be entered into the next week’s contest. All submitted entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned; Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, inaccurate, incomplete, damaged, illegible, or misdirected entries. Entry is limited to one entry per household, regardless of the means of entry; no automated, photocopied or reproduced entries will be accepted. Multiple entries will result in disqualification of all submitted entries. Online entries will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules.

WINNER SELECTION: On Monday of each Rut Week, a random drawing from among all eligible entries will be conducted under Sponsor’s supervision for each weekly prize pack listed above. Potential weekly winners will be notified by email within twenty-four (24) hours of being selected. Potential winners may be required to sign and return a sworn Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release. If required documentation is not returned within ten (10) business days of notification, or if notification is returned as undeliverable, any prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner will be selected by random drawing. Prizes will be awarded within sixty (60) days after winner verification. No prize substitution or transfer is permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value (including cash, at Sponsor’s sole discretion) for any reason. All taxes and any other incidental expenses on Prizes are the sole responsibility of each winner.

For full rules and regulations click here.

Conrad Stoltz Wins his Fourth XTERRA World Championship!

Suunto athlete Conrad Stoltz has done it again! He is once again the XTERRA World Champion! This is his fourth time winning the XTERRA World Championship and is also the first person to win the title four times over. This is an amazing accomplishment and we are so happy for Conrad for achieving such an amazing feat. Here is a report of the race from xterraplanet.com.

MAKENA, Maui – Conrad Stoltz of South Africa made history and Shonny Vanlandingham of Colorado started history at the 15th Annual XTERRA World Championship off-road triathlon at the Makena Beach & Golf Resort today.

Stoltz, who turned 37 on Oct. 23, dominated the international field of 550 triathletes. He completed the course in 2 hours, 31 minutes, 7 seconds, which was more than five minutes ahead of his closest competition. It was his record fourth victory in the event, which is considered the world championship of off-road triathlons.

Vanlandingham, 41, won her first women’s XTERRA World Championship, completing the course in 2:58:20.

Stoltz and Vanlandingham each received $20,000.

The course consisted of a 1-mile swim off Makena Beach, a 20-mile mountain bike up and down the lower slopes of Haleakala, and a 7-mile trail and beach run.

“I don’t think I could have done a better race today, it was really, really magical,” said Stoltz, whose previous wins came in 2001, 2002 and 2007. “I will treasure this memory forever.”

Franky Batelier of France placed second with a total time of 2:36:14. Michael Weiss of Austria was third, followed by Olivier Marceau of France in fourth, and Nico Lebrun of France in fifth.

Spain’s Eneko Llanos, who won the race last year and was also seeking a fourth XTERRA world title, placed sixth. However, Llanos did win the coveted Hawaiian Airlines Double Award as the best overall performer from the XTERRA World Championship and the Ford Ironman World Championship, which were held two weeks apart.

Congratulations Conrad, you rock!

For more on the XTERRA race series click here

For more on Conrad Stoltz, visit his website here.

SNEWS Loves the Suunto M5 Fitness Watch

While most of our top athletes wear the Suunto t6d because of its abilities to monitor EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption) and training effect, we've got something for athletes of all levels. The new Suunto M5 is designed for active users who are looking to achieve a specific fitness goal.

We got a great review of the M5 Fitness watch from SNEWS. Read about some of the standout features they had to say about our new fitness watch.

Heart-rate monitors can be intimidating with all kinds of buttons and selections that might turn off the user just in a quest for basic fitness. And some heart-rate monitors are loaded with features that many people just don’t need.

This “fitness watch” is just what it says. It’s simple in its operation, and the screen literally holds your hand through the process of pushing buttons to keep you on track. Plus it’s all about fitness – fitness of any level.

We used this watch for a few months – it arrived at stores in August – and found it pleasant in many ways. Once you input your fitness level, age, gender, experience, and the like in a user profile, it chooses workouts for you, based on whether you chose fitness or weight-loss as a goal. And, each time you use the monitor, it tells you what your workout is going to be. For example, 30 minutes hard, or 50 minutes easy – and then it doesn’t take its eye off you (so to speak). Lag a little on the intensity and a little beep chirps with an arrow reminding you to step it up; push a little too hard and a beep chirps to tell you to back off.

Then, once you are done, you can scroll through a series of summary screens telling you what you did, what percent of the target workout you finished, how long you exercised, how many calories you burned, and your average and peak heart rates. It also tells you how many hours you’ll need to recover. Heck, you can even look at charts and graphs of what you’ve done and size up overall percentages of your completion of target workouts.

And, for the women, it looks nice and sleek on the wrist. No big clunky sushi dish here.

You can also do a fitness test (walk one mile as fast as you can), which you can then re-do to track your progress. Then, data from the tests are logged for you to review in one neat package on your arm. Oh, and the test and the workouts are based on recommendations from the well-reputed American College of Sports Medicine

For the fitness user or gym-goer who wants some personal coaching, this could be the watch for her. You get your own trainer on your arm, harassing and needling you nicely to get out there.

If you’ve opted for the upgrade to the new MovesCount.com website, you can also download and share with others in a community of like-minded souls. You can also use the Suunto POD for tracking speed and distance.

All in all, the basic watch/heart-rate monitor could be a nice coach for those in search of a little guidance.

Click here for the full review.

Click here for more on the M5 Fitness Watch.

Click here to learn about or join Movescount.com

Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest Launch Event with Apa Sherpa

Suunto USA has teamed up with Eastern Mountain Sports in New York City to honor legendary mountaineer and Suunto Ambassador Apa Sherpa and his recent record-breaking summit of Mt. Everest.

The only person in history to summit Mt. Everest 20 times, Apa Sherpa is widely recognized as one of the greatest living mountaineers. In recognition of his historic achievement, Suunto created the Core Extreme Edition Everest. Suunto and Eastern Mountain Sports SoHo have partnered to debut the Core Extreme Edition Everest at an in-store celebration event October 28, 2010 from 7:00pm—9:00pm. Special guest Apa Sherpa will be there to discuss climbing the world's highest peak and why he established the Apa Sherpa Foundation, a non-profit promoting educational and economic opportunities in the Nepalese village where Apa grew up. Suunto will give away one Core Extreme Edition Everest at the event, and 40 will be available for purchase.

What: Apa Sherpa at Eastern Mountain Sports

When: Thursday, October 28, 2010 7:00pm—9:00pm

Where: Eastern Mountain Sports NYC-SoHo, Spring & Broadway, 530 Broadway, NYC

“Eastern Mountain Sports was founded by climbers, and for 43 years we’ve enjoyed sharing that passion with our community,” says store manager John Taylor. “So, we are beyond honored to host Apa Sherpa, one of the greatest living mountaineers, in our flagship NYC-SoHo store.”

Complete with altimeter, barometer and compass functions, the Suunto Core Extreme Edition Everest helps users navigate through the wilder parts of the world. As a limited edition, Suunto is producing only 8,848 models of the Extreme Edition Everest, in correlation with Mount Everest’s elevation at 8,848 meters. Suunto is donating a portion of every watch sold to the Apa Sherpa Foundation.

Daron Rahlves and Julian Carr are on Movescount!

Fall is upon us, and you know what that means! Ski season is just around the corner. Movescount.com, powered by Suunto, is right there with all the action. You may already use Movescount to log your workouts, find new routes, get training programs or connect with sporty folks, but it's also a great tool to help you get ready for all the La Nina powder. Take it from your favorite Atomic athletes, Daron Rahlves and Julian Carr. Daron and Julian are training with their Suunto watches and recording their moves on Movescount.com to be sure they're ready when the snow flies. And it's fun to see what their workouts look like. Follow their moves on Movescount.com and learn the secrets of the pros!

To follow Daaron Rahlves on Movescount.com click here.

To Follow Julian Carr on Movescount.com click here.

For more information on Movescount.com or to join click here.

For more on Suunto products click here.

Earn 50% off a Suunto M Series Watch!

Suunto and women’s active wear brand Skirt Sports have partnered up to bring you some amazing 50% off deals! There are two ways to score on these killer discounts.

1. Buy $100 or more in Skirt Sport gear and you can earn 50% off a Suunto M-Series watch. Click here for the link.

2. Go to Suuntowatches.com, purchase any M2, M4, or M5 watch and earn 50% off any order at Skirt Sports. Click here for the link.

These deals are for a limited time only people so get on it and get saving! The Holiday season will be here before we know it, so stock up now and save!

Go to Suunto’s website to finish off your new look and fitness plan with a great accessory like a Suunto foot pod.

Suunto Sponsored Full Throttle Wins USA Triathlon Championships

The Full Throttle Endurance Racing (FTE) once again dominated the USA Triathlon Team Championships by winning for the fourth consecutive year. This 4-peat feat was secured this past weekend at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and the team totaled 421 points to the second place team's 289 points.
The swim was canceled due to poor water quality, but Team FTE rolled onto victory with 28 athletes on the racing podium.

The Suunto-sponsored Full Throttle Endurance Racing team is a high-intensity team out of Chelsea Piers in New York City under coach Scott Berlinger. The program is designed to train athletes for multi-sport events and participants range from nationally ranked triathletes and dual-athletes to those preparing for a first race. Full Throttle, "offers a community of like-minded individuals the opportunity to incorporate high-level training and racing into a balanced lifestyle."

Congratulations Team!

Full Throttle Athletes Qualify for ITU World Championships

Two athletes from the Suunto-sponsored Full Throttle Endurance Racing Team have qualified for the 2011 ITU World Triathlon Championships in Beijing, China on September 7-11, 2011. From the Full Throttle Endurance Racing press release:

Doug Clark and Luke Tuddenham
will be representing the
Full Throttle Nation at the 2011 World Championships in Beijing

Both had great races this weekend in Tuscaloosa Alabama. Doug Clark won the Overall Masters National Championship, was second Overall in the entire race and had the fastest bike split of the day. Luke Tuddenham finished top 20 in his age group, which qualifies both of them to represent Team USA and the Full Throttle Nation at the World Championships in Beijing.

Congratulations to both Doug and Luke for this awesome achievement!

For more on Full Throttle Endurance Racing visit their website here.

For more on Suunto endurance performance watches and training products click here.

Photo courtesy of Action Sports International

Movescount.com Features Update

Award-winning Movescount.com, powered by Suunto, is the first and only sporting social network that allows you to track your workouts and interact with other athletes. We are dedicated to making the site better and better every day and we think the following updates will make the site better than ever.

Greatest Moves
If you're an active sports person, you may have noticed that your coolest Moves may not be visible in your public profile for quite as long as you'd like. Not anymore! Now you can select up to five Moves per year that you can highlight in your profile. It can be a marathon run or a nice hike up in the mountains with a lot of photos, whatever you choose! You are able to name each great Move, which are then shown with their notes, shouts and thumbs in your public profile.



Easy Move adding
You can now add Moves more quickly directly on your scoreboard. This is a small change but should make a big difference!



Tag cloud
As you already know, you can add tags to your Moves. Now you can search for Moves based on these tags. This way, you can easily find all the Moves you have done in your favorite climbing place, with your best friend or with specific gear. The options are limitless!



Embed top 10 group members
Want to promote your team in your blog or website? Now you can use the '10 most active members current month' element on another website. It's just as simple as adding a Youtube video on another website. You could add the ten most active members list to your blog, fitness club homepage or team's own website. We will add similar functionality for individual members during the next month so soon you'll be able to promote your idol or, even better, yourself!



Front page
The front page has been updated as well. Now, as you are enter the site, you will see the most liked members, moves, routes and groups. Here you are able to click any of these and get a better idea of what is happening in your area.



Other improvements
The .kml route uploads have been made more robust and Moveslink has been enhanced to handle exceptional cases better. The training programs are now also visible in the calendar, so you are able quickly see what was planned for each day.


To join Movescount.com click here.

For more on Suunto and Suunto products visit our website here.

Movescount.com wins Web Association Web Award

Even though Movescount.com, powered by Suunto, has only been around for a short time, it has been making waves among the sporting and social networking worlds. We are thrilled that all our hard work is paying off and Movescount.com was honored with the “Sports Standard of Excellence” Award by Web Marketing Association in its 14^th annual international Web Award Competition. Awards are given to talented individual and team efforts in creating outstanding website development and generate internet marketing exposure for the award winning website. More from the press release:

Movescount.com excelled in categories innovation, content, interactivity and technology. Judges commented the community: “A great sport community website with lots of interesting things to do. Fantastic”.

“The award is great recognition for the Movescount.com, which has been developed in three months from the launch into one of the most inspiring sports solutions in the digital world. The latest development, the innovative social training plan tool, has shown the power of our enthusiastic community. We are still warming up in our exciting hike to our long term vision”, says Janne Kallio, Suunto Digital Marketing Manager.

The Web Marketing Association was founded in 1997 to help set a high standard for Internet marketing and development of the best websites on the World Wide Web. The organization is made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, PR, and top web site design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of online advertising, internet marketing, and website promotion.

This is very exciting for Movescount.com to be honored like this especially since the site is still so new. We are looking forward to continuing our dedication to bringing the sporting community together with new advances and developments in our site every day.

To join Movescount.com click here.

Conrad Stoltz Wins XTERRA USA Championship

Suunto's Conrad Stoltz has done it again. He tore it up this past weekend at the XTERRA USA Championships winning the race by finishing a full five minutes ahead of the second place finisher, Nicolas Lebrun. Stoltz finished the 1-mile swim, 19-mile mountain bike ride, and 6.5 mile trail run in 2:24:03. Stoltz has won the six-stop XTERRA U.S. Pro Series for the eighth time since 2001.

“I’m really, really surprised with my performance today,” said Stoltz. “I’ve said before that this is the anti-Conrad course because there are 3,000-feet of climbing and not a whole lot of descending, and because I’m 180 pounds it is especially challenging for me, but my legs felt amazing and the Specialized 29’er I was riding was incredible, it just rolled over all the roots and rocks.”

Stoltz’ five-minute margin of victory was by far the most dominating performance in the history of the XTERRA USA Championship race, and his prowess on the mountain bike turned it into a race for second place early on.

It all started with Stoltz one minute behind the swim leaders; amateur Patrick Valentine, and pros Seth Wealing, Branden Rakita, and Dan Hugo. Stoltz not only got that minute back, but put another minute on the field by mile four after the first big climb up Wheeler Canyon. By mile eight he led by three minutes and was absolutely flying when he passed a collection of journalists tracking the race.

When the bike course reached Snowbasin Resort at roughly mile 13 his lead was more than four minutes, and he went into the bike-to-run transition five minutes, 20 seconds up.

“I was really worried about the two mountain men, Josiah Middaugh and Nico Lebrun, because they are such great climbers and had no idea I had such a big lead until I got on the run. When I heard about the gap I was really able to enjoy this run, and savor the beauty of the course,” said Stoltz, who even had the chance to stop and kiss his girlfriend a half-mile before the finish line.

Conrad is the overall point leader in the U.S. for XTERRA this year. For more information on Conrad visit his website here. For more on XTERRA visit their website here.

Suunto Debuts Social Media Lounge at XTERRA USA Championships

Suunto, a global leader in outdoor and fitness wristop computers and official timing sponsor for the 2010 XTERRA Championship series, announces the launch of the Suunto Social Media Lounge co-sponsored by Snowbasin Resort at the Ogden XTERRA USA Triathlon Championships at Snowbasin on September 25^th 2010.

Suunto and Snowbasin invite all spectators and athletes to the Suunto Social Media Lounge to check out race course standings, transition times, upload photos, and update Twitter, Facebook and Movescount. Suunto will offer free public use of its computer stations hooked up to secure wi-fi provided by Snowbasin Resort. The Suunto Social Media Lounge will be set up at the event Expo area at Snowbasin and will be open on Saturday, September 25^th from 10 am to 2 pm.

“The Suunto Social Media Lounge will be a great service for those looking to use the internet to enhance their overall experience at the event,” says Nora Stowell Business Director and Vice President of Suunto USA. “Since the XTERRA USA Championships is in our backyard, we wanted to make people feel at home. We want them to be able to access their training logs on Movescount and to let their friends and family know how they’re doing.”

In celebration of Suunto’s new social media platform, Movescount.com, anyone who signs up for the site at the Suunto Social Media Lounge will be entered into a drawing to win a Suunto M4 watch. Movescount.com is a unique platform that allows anyone who is interested in sports and fitness to manage their moves by uploading, rating, tracking and engaging with other members worldwide

Suunto Announces Partnership with XTERRA Triathlon and Trail Events

Suunto is the official timepiece for the XTERRA triathlon and trail events.

XTERRA chose Suunto as the official timing sponsor due to its long standing tradition in accuracy, precision and support of the sport.

Suunto is providing the official timing support for four key events slated for the remainder of 2010 which include:

September 18^th 2010 — XTERRA Trail Running Nationals, Bend OR,

September 25^th, 2010 – XTERRA USA Championships, Snowbasin Resort, UT

October 24^th, 2010 – XTERRA World Championships, Maui, HI December 5^th, 2010 – XTERRA Trail Run World Championship Oaha, HI,

Suunto athlete and XTERRA powerhouse, Conrad Stoltz, is poised this late triathlon season to take the title again in 2010. Stoltz, a two time Olympian, a three time XTERRA triathlon World Champion, seven time XTERRA USA Series Champion and a career highlighted with 32 XTERRA wins is again lighting up the podium in 2010. Winning every XTERRA race he entered this year, except for one, Stoltz is a dominant presence this fall for the Championship series title.

“Suunto is proud to be the official timing sponsor of the XTERRA Championship series,” says Nora Stowell, Vice President and Business Director of Suunto North America. “Not only is XTERRA an exciting event to be part of, it is great to watch and support Conrad on his quest to secure the title of World and USA XTERRA champion.”

This is exciting news for Suunto! We’re very excited to be right there along all the action. Good luck to Conrad Stoltz and all the other racers!

Karl Meltzer Ponies up for the Red Bull Human Express

On September 15^th, endurance athlete and Suunto user Karl Meltzer embarked on an approximately 2000 mile journey attempting to retrace the steps of the famous Pony Express Trail by foot. Official sponsor Red Bull is calling it the Red Bull Human Express. He will be crossing the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri.

Meltzer and his support team (including Suunto friend Matt Hart) are all wearing a Suunto td6 watches to track his progress. You can also follow him along the trail on online on the offical sponsor’s (Red Bull) event website www.redbullusa.com/humanexpress. Matt has also been posting plenty of pictures of Karl’s trek on his Twitter page so you can keep updated.

From the Red Bull Human Express Website:

The Pony Express served as the premier mail service from east to west for 18 months in the 1860s and became the West’s best form of communication prior to the telegraph. While historically, the prairies, plains, deserts and mountains were crossed on horseback, Meltzer will attempt to navigate the more than 2,000 miles on foot through challenging terrain and unpredictable weather. He will rely solely on his wits, athleticism and endurance to push the boundaries of human potential.

Karl writes from his website before he began the journey:

Let the games begin! I’ll be headed out to run approximately 2000ish miles retracing the steps of the Pony Express Trail. This run commemorates the 150^th anniversary of those crazy mailmen on horses, running mail and messages from Sacramento, California to St. Joseph, Missouri. It’ll be a long trek, a true adventure, and a mindboggling expedition. It’s about mental power, dealing with adversity, and simply running all day long. This is a huge challenge for me… and I’m accepting it with open arms. So bring it on!

This is going to be quite the feat! Good luck Karl, we'll be following you!

Full Throttle Endurance Racing Continues To Dominate!

Suunto-sponsored Full Throttle Endurance Racing has had one heck of a season and it doesn’t look like they are going to slow down anytime soon. They are getting ready to defend their 4-time title at the USA Team National Triathlon Championships on October 2nd in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The team has enjoyed some impressive accomplishments recently including Doug Clark's 5^thplace overall finish (1^st American overall) and 3^rd place in the Men’s 40-44 age group at the Triathlon World Championships in Budapest.

Mike Hanson earned a 1^st overall finish at the Vassar Medical Ctr Duathlon with a time of 1:02:45

One week after the USA Team National Championships Doug will be joining Espen Katerras, Allison Lind and Matt Mauclair in Kona, HI for the 2010 Kona Ironman.

Great job Full Throttle Racing and good luck!

Margo Pelligrino Concludes her Paddle the Pacific

Back in July we told you about Suunto enthusiast Margo Pelligrino and her epic journey paddling the Pacific Ocean from Seattle to San Diego in her outrigger canoe. Her trip was an effort with the Blue Frontier Campaign to help bring awareness of Ocean preservation. Her Suunto Lumi was an integral instrument in her trip as she braved the waters of the Pacific this summer. This past weekend Margo successfully paddled her way into the beaches of San Diego bringing her trip to an end. She was all smiles as she was greeted by family and friends. Read the article by Robert J. Hawkins of the San Diego Tribune about her arrival:

The Jersey Shore met Ocean Beach on Sunday morning. Nobody got punched. Nobody got arrested. And no reality TV cameras were on the beach to record this meeting for posterity.

The real reality: Margo Pellegrino, 43, of New Jersey steered her 21-foot Kamano outrigger kayak through the three foot surf and then carried it onto the sand about 30 yards north of the Ocean Beach Pier about 10:40 a.m.

She high-fived her "land crew goddess," June Barnard of San Francisco, and in unison the two of them screamed "No hulis!"

In other words, she didn't dump the outrigger while coming through the surf.

Crazy way to end a two-month solo paddle that started 1,500 miles away in Seattle.

On shore to greet Pellegrino was her husband, Carl; two kids Billy and Julia; and her mom, Judy Howard who summed it all up for the family in her distinctive Jersey accent: "I came here on the plane. It was much faster. I'm very proud of her and my son-in-law."

Just up the beach were about a thousand supporters of clean ocean water, here for the 19th annual Surfrider Foundation Paddle for Clean Water. About 300 of them had braved chilly water and weather to mount their boards at 10:05 a.m. and paddle through the pier for the mile-long loop around the end and back to the beach.

Pellegrino, escorted by a pair of red six-paddle outriggers, was waiting for them off the end of the pier, having just rowed over from Mission Beach. "This is cake," said Pellegrino with an effusive laugh. She had "unofficially" finished her paddle on Saturday, taking the 20-mile Mission Bay to San Diego Harbor swing around Point Loma.

Pellegrino's paddle and the Surfrider event were both about calling attention to ocean polluters. Since 2005 Pellegrino has been long-distance paddling for the cause. Miami to Maine ; New Jersey to Washington, D.C.; Miami to New Orleans; and now, Seattle to San Diego with support from the Blue Frontier Campaign.

"It is amazing. I can't believe I did it. I hate the cold!" said a shivering Pellegrino as she stowed her gear.

The trip itself? "Gnarly, the whole distance. California was sweet. California was sweet," she says. "All my days off were because of events or schedules. It wasn't weather. Oregon and Washington, it was conditions, weather, bar closings ...."

Not that kind of bar closings. Sand bars.

Pellegrino has seen her kids three times since the tour started -- at the Seattle kick-off, at Shelter Cove in Fort Bragg and on Thursday when she paddled into Mission Bay. Husband Carl, who works for the EPA in New Jersey, says they've been in nearly daily contact by satellite phone during the trip.

And her next trip? Pellegrino says whatever it is, she wants her land crew member Barnard in an outrigger along with her. The two were put together by Blue Frontier's founder David Helvarg (author of "50 Ways to Save the Ocean") and they clicked.

"We talked on the phone for 20 minutes and didn't stop laughing, recalls Pellegrino of their first encounter. And they were laughing still on the shore of Ocean Beach. San Francisco and South Jersey bonded in hardship, laughter and a love for the ocean.

"And we'll take Snookie on," teases Pellegrino. "She ain't Jersey!"

Great job Margo, this is an amazing feat!

For more on Margo and her journey visit her website here.

For more on the Blue Frontier Campaign vist their website here.

Jenny Fletcher Turns Out Solid Performance at Nautica Malibu Tri

As her first season as a Pro begins to wrap up, Suunto athlete Jenny Fletcher turns out another solid performance at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. She competed in the International Pro/Elite category and finished 7^th among the women and 24^th overall with a time of 2:11:22. After a hard race in Chicago, this past weekend went much smoother for Jenny as she produced a great PR during the run section of the Olympic regulation course. She writes from her blog:

Well the season is almost over but the stories and adventures continue. This past weekend was the Nautica Malibu Triathlon. I had about 6 or so miles to go to the finish of the bike segment and had just passed 2 girls and was ready to hammer home as I know these roads so well and know that I can get top speed on the return into Zuma beach... only to hear my front tire let out all the air. In my mind I was thinking... NO NO NOT NOW.... So I sit up and am thinking do I stop... it's only 6 miles should I keep biking??? I am still pedaling not wanting to give up the lead I had just started to accumulate from passing the girls. I struggled to keep pushing the bike to T2... It was flat and should have been easy but my legs were fatiguing out more than on the whole bike course... Everyone's yelling and cheering for me and I breathe a sigh as I make it to T2.... off of the bike and a fast T2 sends me out on the run course. I had decided in my mind that this race I was going to run a positive mental run.. and I desperately wanted another PB. I felt great. My pace was comfortable and I knew I was holding a good turnover. I had a few moments where I went into my slowing the pace down for no apparent reason but said to myself.... "not today... today I run because I know I was born to run and be fast"... and so I do. I run and I focus on relaxing and keeping close pace to Ave (One of the athletes I train with from Siri's squad)... It actually felt good to be so positive in the run and hold the pace I was holding.... and "YES" I was surprised that running fast in a race felt as good as in training. You see for me I have been running great in training but hadn't figured out yet how to translate it over into the racing... as I would get into the race and somehow decide that I need to go into conservative mode. All the fears... the what if's .... always battled in my mind as I raced. However... in the Malibu Nautica Tri I had another breakthough.... "WHO CARES??!!!" If I run my hardest and don't finish due to maxing out... who really cares... tomorrow everyone has moved onto another day and all my inner struggles of fear of letting people down... mainly myself... no one is even thinking about my race tomorrow... everyone has moved on except me.

SO today in this run... I had no fears... no cares... just a desire to run and run fast. Knowing at the end of the day I have to be happy with that. I am on this journey because I love to dream and strive and reach new limits and because there is no place I'd rather be.

And now for the reason of my passion at the end of this story.... I had a personal best in the run of over a minute. OVER A MINUTE... and I still know I have only just started this journey. I am so excited. That run changed my whole mind. It's one thing to believe and know you can do it... it's another thing to actually know what it feels like... and it's another thing to actually EXPERIENCE your dreams unfold before your very eyes. I am in awe and so thankful and blessed to be able to do what I love to do. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU AS ALWAYS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO IN SUPPORTING ME!

For more on Jenny Fletcher visit her website here.

For more on the Nautica Malibu Triathlon including race results click here.

Matty Reed Wins Big at Nautica Malibu Triathlon

This weekend Suunto athlete Matty Reed took away another title as he won the Nautica Malibu Triathlon held in Malibu, CA. Matty raced in the International Pro/Elite Division which is a Olympic regulation course consisting of a 1.5K ocean swim, a 40K out and back bike course along the Pacific Coast Highway, and a 10K road race along Zuma Beach. With a winning time of 1:50:29 Matty left the rest of the competition way, way back.

Congratulations Matty on an awesome job this weekend!

For Full Race Results visit the results page here.

For more on Matty Reed visit his website here.

You can also follow Matty on Facebook and Twitter.