This morning something struck me like a pallet of cinder blocks (sharp as a marble I am sometimes). We, as Americans, will drive MILES out of our way to save 10-20¢ per gallon of fuel. Now, most cars hold ~10-15 gallons in a full tank. So, we’re talking about (wait for it) $1.00-$3.00 in total potential savings. On the low end, that’s a negative sum proposition. On the high end, a slight positive. This, however, doesn’t take into consideration the cost of time or the environmental cost. Something to think about…

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while.  Being a relatively new runner, having started consistently running in 2008, I find myself out on the trail several times per week.  In 2010 I ditched the iPod as it wasn’t allowed in most competitive efforts I was doing. So that left me alone to my thoughts and the experience.  I truly like it.  However, there’s one thing that consistently irks the sh!t out of me. If I take the time to wave or nod, reciprocate. Especially if you’ve seen the effort been made by me (or anyone else for that matter). Running (and cycling), unless you’re going for the Olympic Trials, is a very very social sport. We pull for each other, help others when they need pep-me-ups and even, unfortunately, in cases of emergency.  So, say hello back and don’t be a douchebag. It’s highly likely it’s gonna be me running/riding by when ur injured, have a flat, stung by a bee, whatever.  A 10th of a second of politeness will not only go a long way for when YOU need it, but it will spread the joy of the sport and brighten someone else’s day.  If you’re on a personal best and crushing those sub 6:00s and looking like you’re gonna explode, then, sure, I can see that. But the stern asshole stare when you look out of the corner of your eye as I wave and pass is simply inexcusable. You get out of this sport what you put in, and, this is something that you SHOULD put in.

Love, Jason.

This year I decided to up my triathlon game. I chose to move up and have a go at the Half-Ironman distance. That’s 70.3 miles: 1.2-mile swim followed by a 56-mile bike followed by a half marathon (13.1 miles). In the off-season, I thought, what’s the most diabolical and badass race I can pick for my first half-iron distance? Oh, wait…the heat and humidity of Kona beat me into submission at Lavaman Keauhou 2010.  Add to that the fact that the swim is in the in open ocean, the bike is on the upper (and harder) half of the Ironman World Championship course and the half marathon is mean and pretty much fully friggin wind-shaded. Yeah, seems like a good fit.

In 2010, Lavaman fully established that, as a 195lb with LUSH dark body hair, the Big Island overheats me almost immediately. I experienced that at Wildflower and the dozen half marathons I ran last year as well. But, for Kona, I needed to find a better way to cope. That said, the wifey and I started researching and working through strategies that would enable me to succeed in Kona.  This is where we netted out. (more…)

Until the Summer of 2004, I’d never really been much of a competitive person when it came to sports. It was then that I decided to do my first triathlon.  But, by early fall, that became sidelined for what became 6 years for my other sporting passion, open-wheel race cars.  Oddly enough, the performance challenge I’ve had racing cars manifests itself in triathlon, and, not surprisingly, in life.  Some may read this and think, “Hey Jason! How could you not realize this?!?! It’s basic…” but it wasn’t for me. So sharing, in this case, is my way of caring. (more…)

This year marks the beginning of a wildly new chapter of my life.  Along with a number of awesome personal developments that are not Triathlon and running related, those that are sport-specific are looking to be out-and-out kickass!

Last year I cut my teeth in the sport of triathlon. 2 Olympic distances (Wildflower & Lavaman Keauhou) and 2 sprint distances (Tri for Fun and Tri for Real).  What I expected to be the “flash in the pan,” “let’s see if I can do this” experience of Wildflower turned into a yearning to become better at disciplines I half-assed for the better part of the 30 athletically-eligible years of my life.  I’ve been, until 2010, a piss poor swimmer, a 15-16MPH biker and a 9:00+/mi runner.  That began to change last year.  By the end of the year, I had made significant progress in the water breaking into the 1:40s for 100yd drills, into the 18-19MPHs on the bike and into the mid 7:00s/mi on the run.  I honestly am hooked on the sport and what it does for your psyche and your body. (more…)

If you’re gonna go for something, go big. Lavaman culminated in achieving my 2010 goal of a sub 3:10:00 Olympic Triathlon. While this isn’t elite by any means, it is a MASSIVE improvement over my debut tri on the Wildflower Olympic course. Here’s my event and training report for Lavaman Keauhou. Hope you dig it.

First, a little background.

2010 marked the year I was bitten by the bug of the harsh and unforgiving sport of triathlon. It’s, in my opinion, the hardest sport on the planet. An endurance event composed of swimming, biking and running that’s single goal is to take every last drop of energy out of a competitor and crush their soul.

In May I participated in my first tri, the infamous Olympic course at Wildflower. I finished and, with that, gained a level of respect for pro athletes I’d never known despite being around them professionally for the better part of my 20s.

But now, I wanted to become better. Better in a sport that truly scares the crap outta me. Let’s set the stage I’m a newbie swimmer. By that I mean I couldn’t swim a 25yd length of a pool before January of this year. I’m an average commuter rider. I average 15-17MPH over a 25mi distance. I’m a mid-pack half-marathon age-grouper. I run with an untrained gait at an 8:00-8:15 avg mile pace.

Mid-summer, my girlie’s co-worker offered us to join her for a long weekend at her timeshare on Kona. Having never been to Hawaii, I was totally psyched! About a week after we confirmed and picked up plane tickets, I had a notion… I wonder if there’s a half marathon, 10K or something on Kona when we’re there? After a short search on Active.com, I found something that sent chills up my spine. Holy crap! There’s a tri that weekend! It’s an Olympic! And it covers parts of the Ironman World Championships course! Can I handle an Olympic on Kona? Well, I can finish…I think. And, you only get one go at life. Let’s check with the COO (aka my girlie) and see if she’s cool with it. She was and, with that, I entered Lavaman Keauhou. (more…)

As many people know, I’ve been really REALLY bitten by the running & triathlon bug. Help me win a pair of running shoes from Pearl Izumi. All you have to do is go to http://bit.ly/bcEPdA and click the “Thumbs Up” next to my name “Jason Wiener.”

I’d REALLY appreciate it!

Vote for Jason Wiener @ the Pearl Izumi "Respect the Run" Contest

After a number of friends telling me I needed to try the Vibram FiveFingers (also called VFF for short), I decided to pick up a pair today.

WOW is about all I can say to start!!!  They are absolutely awesome.  A very different way to run than what I’m accustomed, but very very satisfying.

Vibram FiveFingers KSO top view after test run

The first thing you’ll notice when you try them on is how difficult it is for you to put your toes into the little finger slots.  After a couple times though, it’s like putting on gloves (literally).  The KSO‘s fit awesome.  It’s like they’re not even on.  When putting them on for the first time, one thing to keep in mind is that you want them snug, but not uncomfortable.  The toes will un-curl as you wear them more.  Tightness in fit will quickly go away, but anything that feels like it’s pinched, jammed or otherwise not-normally uncomfortable should be an immediate alarm bell. For me, my right foot fit snugly but very well.  My left foot big toe had some extra pressure, but not rubbing or uncomfortable. Just what seemed to be stiffness in the shoe from never being worn. (more…)

Today would have been my Dad’s 74th birthday. He passed in ’99.

I continue to miss him with no end.  However, this year I vowed to take better care of myself. I’m now an avid  runner, logging between 10 and 30 miles per week. If/When I kick the bucket, it won’t be because I’m not taking care of myself.

Regardless, I miss you terribly Dad. You’ve been and will always be a primary reason I am who and what I am today. For that, I’m beyond thankful and ultimately pleased.

Love,
Jason.

Just pushed an update to Twiike (figured why not make an update the same time Twitter was doing theirs).

Enhancements in this release:

• Made signup 1-step using your Nike+ login.  This removes the need to use the “Share with friend” link from within Nike+.
• Added pulldown menu to set default distance metric (km/mi) on your Twitter settings. This is now used for any runs published.  It’s initially set based on your Nike+ user preferences.
• Added the user tweets to the Twiike timeline to drive additional traffic for Twiike users
• Added retrieve your password (which is set to your Nike+ password when you sign up).
• Added ajax progress bars to all functions that require the server to respond so users don’t think the site is not doing anything

Please keep it coming with the suggestions.  I received a ton today and would love to know how to keep making it better for users.