ITU Giveaway

The ITU World Triathlon is coming up soon in San Diego. We've teamed up with one of our dealers - Triathlon Lab - to give away a male and a female race entry to the run. We're excited to watch the fun!

Here's a note from Tri-Lab's Facebook Page:

We just registered for the ITU World Triathlon expo in San Diego, May 10th-12th. This is an innovative series that allows the world's top athletes to compete head-to-head on an ongoing basis. San Diego will be the second stop in the 2012 season and feature Age Group Sprint and Olympic distance races along with Elite Men and Women's races.


We'll see all of you in San Diego!

Product Testing - Finnish Style

Our friends at Suunto Finland have made a fun video "testing" the durability of the Suunto Ambit. Rather unconventional, we'd say. The fellas show pretty good form, but DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!! Let us know what you think of their methods...Click on the image for the video link.

Tacticalgear.com Reviews the Ambit

Here's another great video by Tacticalgear.com--this time it's a great review of the Suunto Ambit.


The Tactical Gear reviewers had this to say about the Ambit:

Years of research and development went into creating the ultimate watch for the nature-loving athlete. Those dedicated to their outdoor training will find the GPS function especially helpful. Again, they track their progress through Movescount and program their routes through the embedded Google Maps. In addition, they can plug in trackback points while out on the trail.

The only question left unanswered… is your next adventure going to be as ambitious as your watch?

YES!

Cadence Q & A

Recently we asked Suunto Ambassador Adam Chase, long-distance running superstar - who won more than 20 ultramarathons, is captain of the Salomon Trail Running Team, former Prez of the American Trail Running Association, co-author of "The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running"- to explain the importance of running cadence.

Here is the Q and A:

Q: What is Running Cadence?

A: Running cadence is the number of times either your left or right foot hits the ground in one minute. Concentrating on improving your running cadence can make you a faster runner and help you exert less energy while gaining the same amount of ground. Studies have shown that the world's fastest long-distance runners have a higher cadence than the average runner, between 85 to 95 steps per minute.

Q: Is that true? Why is it important?

A: The problem is that the statement is erroneous. While some of the world’s fastest runners do have a high cadence the high cadence isn’t the source of their speed as much as it is the fact that they are less likely to be injured. Those same runners will run at the same cadence on a slow run or fast run, the difference being the length of their stride. Higher cadence is often connected with where one lands on her or his foot. Heel strikers have a tendency to overpronate and exhibit higher impact pressures whereas midfoot and more so forefoot runners are able to better dissipate the shock over more steps and through the more resilient part of the foot and that is why people are taking up minimalist or barefoot running. In a nutshell, the objective of striving for a higher cadence is to minimize injury. Barefoot runners are almost never fast but they are able to train a lot more and that often results in running improvements, including efficiency.

Thanks Adam! Great insight.

Recommended watch for keeping track of your cadence: Suunto Quest.

Coverguy comes to the NYC Marathon Expo!

Suunto is excited to be participating in the New York City Marathon Expo this weekend!

We've partnered up with the awesome Paragon Sports to host booth #406 and showcase the Quest.

Mikael Hanson, Outside Magazine's September 2011 Cover Athlete will join us! Bring your September issue for some autographing, and bring your questions for this cross-training overachiever!

Suunto's Team Road Kill Completes Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back

Suunto office desk jockeys and friends competed this past weekend in the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back as team Suunto Road Kill--and had a GREAT time. Our knees, hips and bodies are stiff and sore still today, but it was well worth it.

We had a ton of fun trying to out-run fellow competitors and not be passed by another runner to become "road kill." If a Suunto Road Kill runner became "road kill," we gave the speedier person a Suunto bracelet for a chance to win a Suunto M5 running pack at the finish line.
Here is one of the road kill winners (we had five total.) Check out what he had to say about winning by clicking on the picture below. You'll also get a glimpse of how the Suunto team preps and dominates an exchange...or, not-so-much!


Also, here are some fun pictures of the weekend of Suunto's Team Road Kill Ragnar Relay experience.


We will see you next year Ragnar!

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.

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!

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.

Endurance Runner Matt Hart Blasts the Colorado Trail

Our good friend and big Suunto fan, Adventure Racer Matt Hart just finished running the historic Colorado Trail. He regularly trains with his Suunto t6d and we were excited to hear how his ambitious journey went.

Matt says, "Hey gang! Well two days ago I finished an epic journey… an attempt at the Colorado Trail speed record. Although I did not break the record, which is insanely tight. I did run the 3^rd fastest time for the 484 miles with 75,000 feet of elevation gain. I wore my Suunto t6d and foot pod each and every day. The foot pod was awesome and gave me a very close approximation of my pace and how close to being done with each section I was. The altimeter as always was spot on, and with the massive amounts of vert each day it was great to see it tick off as I climbed, and climbed and climbed. There were extended sections above 13,000 feet!! I was also on the trail for 15-24 hours at a time, and we all know the 7 hour battery life of a forerunner just wouldn’t have cut it out there. So with all that said – THANK YOU."

Also from Matt’s website –

484 miles and 75,000 ft of vertical gain later.. and somehow life really is that much sweeter. I finished the Colorado Trail on July 23^rd at 12:18pm. I ran the 484 miles as fast as I could, which was 9 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes. I believe this is the 3^rd fastest time anyone has ever covered this beautiful and awe inspiring piece of trail. I knew from speaking iwht very fast ultrarunners who do this sort of thing that the record was super tight. I found that out. After 3days I had run 180 miles and was 10 miles ahead of the record pace. But I paid for it the following day where I only logged 38 miles and couldn’t stay awake. And so it goes, I made a lot of mistakes, didn’t plan well enough for some sections, was stranded a few times and hypothermic once. None of that matters or tarnishes the experience because that is the experience. All of these things are expected when the goal is something this huge ~ the crap that happens becomes the deepest burned memories. It’s how you respond to that crap that really matters. All things considered the adventure went amazingly well on 3 days of planning.

Way to go Matt--that is an awesome accomplishment!

To see video segments of the run visit Matt’s website here.