At age 31, with boyfriend Conrad Stoltz on her crew, Xterra veteran and full time nurse Amber Monforte smashed the Ultraman Canada women’s course record and went quicker than the best Ultraman women’s time set in Hawaii in 1989.

Charlotte Kolters finished right in between Chrissie Wellington and Yvonne Van Vlerken at the 2008 European Long Course Championships in Almere, and would be quite fine with a similar position in Kona later this year.

The heart of this 8-week Ironman campaign, weeks 3 thru 5, is not designed to get you ready for the race, rather for the ultimate “indicator” workouts prior to the taper.

This is the week you’re finally firing on all eight cylinders. By now you’ve got all the meaningful paraphernalia you need for all three sports, and you’re ready to start riding. Good, because your riding starts this week.

This week we have noticed an entry-level wetsuit from Aquaman, a handcrafted frame by Rafael, an interesting Performance music video, valve extenders from Sampson and a suncream from Blue Lizard.

Joanna Zeiger is her sport’s Job of elusive-to-diagnose and tough-to-treat maladies. After winning a four-year battle with back and leg woes, now her toughest opponent is a recurring case of the dizzies.

Mike Caiazzo recently finished 4th at Ironman Lake Placid, but in addition to racing and training as a Pro triathlete he has to deal with his full time hedge fund job and his role as a husband and father. That is a tricky balancing act indeed.

Tri bike fit workshop schedule for the 2009/2010 Fall thru Spring campaign is set, we’re open for registrations. Workshops run from early November thru early June.

The problem with writing a training plan is the fear that somebody might follow it. That’s the case here, with the program we’re going to present. It’s a custom program built and followed by a particular athlete.

The 2009 Boulder 5430 Long Course was a spectacular farewell for race directors Barry and Jodee Siff – four World Champions competing, two race records, a full 1,400 field. Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson

Running and swimming? Good, those are the most important events to master. But you want to start riding the bike, don’t you? Let’s talk about that.

Let it never be said that Slowtwitch doesn’t tell you where the rubber meets the road. We deconstruct the tire and explain what conspires to give you good flat protection and low rolling resistance.

Former pro mountain biker Shonny Vanlandingham is now focused on XTERRA racing and will be one of the women to watch at the XTERRA World Championships in Maui this year. Slowtwitch talked to this 40-year old energizer bunny.

Xterra World Champion Julie Dibens smashes course record, edges Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington; Timothy O’Donnell takes fourth 2009 win, sets course record at Boulder 5430 long course

Kiwi Kate McIlroy, a former world mountain running champion and national steeplechase record holder, earned her first World Cup win; Dmitry Polyansky leads Russian sweep of the men’s medals at Tiszauvjaros

From 3-year-olds wearing floaties to some very quick 14-year-olds, images from the Boulder Kids Triathlon.

After his groundbreaking win at Hamburg, Jarrod Shoemaker is 5th in the ITU’s Dextro Energy World Championship Series points chase; key to his rise in an era of smoking hot runners – never worse than third-best run.

When 20-year old Philip Graves followed up his win at 70.3 UK with a victory at Ironman UK, he served notice that he is someone to keep an eye on moving forward. Will there be another British sensation in Kona before too long?

Amber Monforte, Xterra contender and nurse, smashed the Ultraman Canada overall women’s record, the bike split records, and women’s record for the Ultraman distance with her 25:36:49 clocking.

Andrew Yoder can swim like a fish and ride like a whirlwind. Can this 20-year-old sensation from Pennsylvania Dutch country who passed up college to turn pro triathlete develop a first rate run to fulfill his dreams of greatness?

Three-time Life Time Fitness series champion Greg Bennett wins New York City one weekend, gets smashed up in bike-car crash in Boulder the next; says he’s ‘lucky’ and hopes to be back in action at Chicago

Timothy O’Donnell broke away on the swim and run to take a 7-minute margin of victory over Ben Hoffman; Mirinda Carfrae dominated the field to finish in 4:11:05 for a 10-minute margin of victory over Magali Tisseyre.

In the first two weeks we’ve covered a lot of ground. You’ve gotten yourself going, and you’re sort-of kind-of sputtering along in two of triathlon’s three events: the swim and the run.

Marino Vanhoenacker won the Marc Herrremans Classic Ironman 70.3 Antwerp for the third time in the row and continues his dominant 2009 performance. Sofie Goos took the women’s title and thus helped the Belgian sweep at home.