This is, of course, Asics answer to its own Kayano 15, and, no, it’s not the same shoe as the 15; it’s more to your liking, or less, depending on your foot and ankle structure.

Have you ever considered where bike racks come from? I hadn’t, until I decided to run a triathlon. Now I suddenly need a million of them, and sadly they don’t show up in the Sears catalog.

Asics is shipping some 2010 product out to stores like ours, and we availed ourselves of the chance to run in next year’s version of the famous Asics GT-series.

Swimming is a big fat hassle, until you’re good in the pool, and then swimming is the easiest leg of the triathlon, and when I say easy, I mean by far it’s the easiest.

With Thanksgiving behind us we can now think about gifts for friends, family and ourselves. Along those lines we noticed a Capo Forma jersey, Überhund aero bars, Bontrager tri shoes and a couple of interesting books.

Shanna Armstrong takes 6th Ultraman title, comes within 2:57 of 20-year-old race record; Ann Heaslett smashes run record; Alexandre Ribeiro takes 4th win.

As an intellectual exercise I asked myself who, over the course of their lives, have made the most money in, or from, the sport of triathlon. It’s not who you probably think.

Want to be a race director? Here’s the skill of it: mapping out your traffic plan. Regrettably, even the casual racer discerns when an RD gave his traffic plan short shrift.

Rutger Beke bounces back from an injury that forced him out of Kona to win Ironman Cozumel in 8:18:40; Yvonne Van Vlerken cruises home 10th overall to take women’s title in 9:06:58.

Shanna Armstrong smashes Day 2 bike record and leads Swiss Gigathlon champ Trix Zgraggen by 16:53; Ribeiro’s bike gives him with 23-minute lead over Mike LeRoux and 37 minutes over Peter Kotland.

Five-time Ultraman women’s champion Shanna Armstrong leads Kathy Winkler; Richard Roll leads Mike Le Roux, Alexandre Ribeiro on Day 1 of Ultraman

In the sport of triathlon there’s no brand like Ironman. Here, iron is wealthier than gold. Funny how much love Ironman doesn’t get from the very entities that ought to love it the most.

The sponsorship tactics for the Musselman Tri could have been lifted straight from Kids as Customers, in which James McNeal classifies juvenile nagging tactics into seven major categories.

Every now and then you’ll have an easier week, and some will be harder. Like this week. You are a bona-fide athlete now, and I’ll be treating you like one.

Three-time champion Alexandre Ribeiro of Brazil should duel with 1997 champion Peter Kotland; 5-time winner Shanna Armstrong faces strong challenge by 2007 runner-up Ann Heaslett.

Our tech running editor revises and extends his remarks on Newton shoes. There’s speed to be had, if you run with proper form.

Jordan Rapp used a course record bike split and a course record overall winning time to take the 2009 Ford Ironman Arizona. Samantha McGlone came back from a slow swim with a sub 5 hour bike split and a superb run to take her first Ironman win, also in record time.

Updates to Jordan Rapp’s Ironman Arizona Charity Challenge including more prizes, an anonymous donor matching $1,000,000 in gifts, and a one week extension to reach a new target goal.

Michael Raelert was a dark horse who shocked the field and Julie Dibens was the favorite everyone saw coming. Some reflections by the winners and hosannas from the conquered after the fourth Ironman 70.3 World Champions were crowned.

We are in the middle of the 2009/2010 cross season and today we are featuring mostly cross bikes / frames we have recently noticed. Enjoy the Giant Composite Cross, Cannondale Cyclocross 6, Scott Addict CX RC, Stevens Carbon Team and the Workerman Peace Wheel.

Silvia Balbach had the second fastest female age group run split and finished as the fourth overall fastest female amateur in Kona this year. A chance encounter prior to the race led to this interview with the speedy German.

A dark horse and a favorite prevailed at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater. Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson

The 70.3 Clearwater course again rewarded the strong with record times; Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson

Michael Raelert won the 2009 Foster Grant World Championships with a superb performance, a 1:09:06 half marathon and a final time of 3:34:04. In the women’s race, Julie Dibens went sub 4 hours and took the title in 3:59:33.