Andrew Commander

Triathlon is the thing you should try!

A combination of swimming, cycling, and running gets the adrenaline pumping like nothing else, except maybe telemark skiing. The cross training of each activity is more helpful than having one sport to rely on heavily. However, having three sports requires more training, if you’re up to it. Personally, the cycling is my favorite of the three sports because of the thrill of riding fast downhills, and the mental toughness required to push up the hills harder.

Boulder Sprint Triathlon 2009 Boulder Reservoir

To be enjoyed, cycling requires the proper equipment. If you can’t handle being seen around in biking shorts then you don’t deserve to be on the road. With the right biking shorts, you can explore anywhere that you want. The limit at which you can ride is far greater than running. Plus, you get to carry a water bottle along with you!

Running is my second favorite part of the triathlon, partly because I have been decent at running since elementary school. To start on a running program, it takes patience to not push yourself too hard at first. The soreness you get from the first week goes away within the next few if you keep up the running routine. If you are starting a running program, START SLOW! Enter into a race so that you have a goal. Build up until your race, with longer and slower workouts as opposed to quick time-saving sprint workouts. The end result? Stronger muscles that help you pull through that last mile of the 5K.

The swim part of the triathlon is my least favorite. I learned how to swim when I was 8 on the Rock Creek Flyers, and did OK in my age group. But I thought the swim team ate up too much of my time in the summer, so I did not continue swimming the next summer. Now I am sixteen and considering joining the Louisville Dolphins just to get a few weeks of kick-your-ass workouts to prepare me for some triathlons next season. I competed in the Boulder Sprint Triathlon and got 3rd in my age group this summer. The reason I wasn’t higher up in the standing was because of my pitiful swim time. I need to improve.

If you think you can handle all three sports, then start training and set yourself a goal by signing up for a triathlon! This is a fun way to do endurance type workouts.

If you don’t think you can handle all of this working out, maybe you will get the ultimate addiction to Ultimate Frisbee.

With our first snow of the season here in Colorado, the mountains are looking perfect! The snow capped Rockies are the mountains I have been dreaming about all summer.

Recently I got new telemark ski’s. I shopped around online for what type of ski I wanted. I also needed a good price, and found a local Boulder company called “The Gear Movement” I followed them on Facebook and Twitter after dealing with friendly customer service and a great deal.

The money that I saved was incredible, I spent $300 on some brand new 2008 G3 Rapid transit powder boards(128, 91, 116). The same ski had a suggested retail of $650, and was “on sale” at Boulder Ski Deals for $450. However, the people at Boulder Ski Deals were helpful when heat-fitting my boots and mounting my bindings.

The main feature that I like on this ski is the asymmetrical cut. This means that the inside ski turns slightly quicker than the outside, allowing for sharper more controlled turns. I got ski’s slightly bigger than I need so I can grow into them and use them for years to come. I can’t wait until some serious snow starts falling in the mountains.
Here are pictures of my boots and binding as well.

Are you tired of getting the same gifts for everyone’s birthday or wedding? Try mixing things up with an original idea, that is kind to mother nature.

A waterbottle is the best and cheapest gift idea. Unlike plastic water bottles that are thrown away or recycled after one use, you can reuse a Sigg water bottle over and over. With so much competition in the field from Nalgene among others, the prices have dropped Sigg-nificantly!

Do you (or the person who you’re giving the gift to) like to be outside and enjoy mother nature a.k.a why you want an eco friendly gift. Try going to Locals Have More Fun and checking out the T-shirts and Jackets that are made with sustainablity in mind. Read more about the process on their site.

Locals Have More Fun

Another great idea would be a compost tumbler. This is a cheap way to reduce trash. A tumbler only takes 5 minutes of effort per week! Not many people know about composting and the great benefits, but it isn’t difficult to understand.

Something else that is eco-friendly would be lightbulbs. Using CFL lightbulbs can save you money on energy bills. The life of a CFL bulb is long enough that you don’t have to replace them as often as normal bulbs, saving money in the end.

Using some of these ideas, you can really surprise someone! These are un-common gift idea’s that would surely be appreciated. With so many people trying to be eco-friendly in this era, eco-friendly gifts are a great idea!