Gear Review: Cobb Saddle V-Flow Plus

I've written about my new Cobb saddle in a couple of other blog posts (here and here), but I'm finally ready to do an official review of it.

The details...
Manufacturer: Cobb Cycling
Model: V-Flow Plus
Price: $149.99
Return policy: 6-month guarantee (you can't beat that!)

Testing terrain: trainer rides, road rides from 30-60 miles, and one half ironman.

Why I chose Cobb: It was a no-brainer that I needed a new saddle, but the options on the market are overwhelming.  I had heard of Cobb saddles mentioned in the triathlon world and decided to call them and get some info.  After one conversation with Ginger Cobb, I was sold.  She asked me important questions like body type, weight, bike model, how aggressive of a position I ride in, what I'm looking for in a saddle, etc.  She made a couple of suggestions, recommended a style, and gave me John Cobb's cell phone number in case I had any issues with installation.  A couple of days later I came home to the package on my door step.

Installation...

Each saddle comes with an installation video, a list of fit tips, and a tool kit.  In less than 5 minutes, this baby was mounted in my Cervelo ready to ride.  Yes, less than 5 minutes!  I had my husband help me take the measurements (it's easier to have another set of hands), but installing the saddle onto the bike was cake, and very easily can be done on your own.

My thoughts...

Fit: Pure comfort.  Every single mile.  Even on multiple days in a row.  Even in a half-ironman being soaking wet and 95+ degree heat.  No chaffing, no rubbing on the inner thigh, no horrifying soft tissue pain, and no numbness.  The width of the V-Flow Plus is perfect, although I wouldn't complain if it were even a tad narrower.  The nose is nice and squishy, but not overly plush  In fact, I hardly even knew it was there except for when I went super-aero and scooted forward onto the nose.

Style: Yes, style matters.  And this is a pretty sweet looking product.  It looks just different enough that it stands out.  And it ups the "awesome factor" on my ride.

Durability: Granted, I've only put a few hundred miles on it so far, but it still looks brand new.  I have the black, so I'm not sure how the white would hold up.  My guess is that it's comparable to any higher-end saddle on the market.

Overall opinion...

1) Their customer service is amazing.  And with their comfort guarantee, it's zero risk to give them a shot.

2) It's a well-made product.  Obviously, some saddles just aren't going to work for some people.  But if you're like me and have spent hundreds of dollars on various styles, and way too much ride time in pain, it's worth taking one of the Cobb saddles for a test ride.

3) No other saddle I've ridden has even come close to how this one feels.  What I thought was somewhat comfortable before would be intolerable after being on my V-Flow Plus.  I'll also be test riding the V-Flow Max, but honestly, I don't know how it could be any better than this one.

Who Hates Cancer?

Raise your hand if you HATE cancer.  Got both arms up?  Me too.  Did you know:

• 1 in 3 people will have some form of cancer in their lifetime.  Next time you're sitting around the dinner table, look around.  Odds are that at least one of you will have cancer.
• 1 in 4 deaths in the US is from cancer.  It is the 2nd leading cause of death in our country.
• Each day, 3400 people are diagnosed with cancer.  In less than 15 days, Yankee stadium would be filled with cancer patients.
• And each day, another 1500 people lose the fight.

But did you also know that the survival rate for many types of cancers has improved in recent years?  Thanks to cutting edge drugs and treatment, as well as awareness programs dedicated to prevention and early detection.

"The American Cancer Society is a nationwide community-based, voluntary health organziation dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service."

I personally know that the ACS stands behind their mission statement.  And that is why I have chosen to swim, bike, and run 140.6 miles at Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2011 in an effort to raise over $5000 for their organization.  Through the Janus Charity Challenge, my friends and family, and your friends and family, will be able to participate and support the fundraising efforts.  I am (un)patiently for the 2011 programs to be added to the website.  But until then, here is some additional information:

--I have a new blog page that will have current fundraising status, links to events, and ways that you can help.

--You will be able to "Buy a Mile" for $10 in honor or memory of someone, and I will race that mile for them.  I am hoping to find a way to have all of the names printed on my swim cap, bike jersey, and running singlet.

--General donations will always be much appreciated.

--I'm working on some fun events between now and June 27th (race day!).  Some ideas: a 5k snowshoe event, another bike clinic (like we had for the Livestrong fundraising), group training rides/runs, and some cool swag from the American Cancer Society.

Stay tuned...

Email me at sarahhatescancer@gmail.com for more information. 

Race Report: Wine Tasting

The real reason I went to California...the wine.  Aside from seeing my Mom, of course.  The day after Vineman 70.3 we made the trip back over St. Helena (curviest road in California I think) and visited Sterling Vineyards, had lunch in Calistoga, and then toured/tasted at Castello di Amarosa ("The Castle").

Sterling
My parents are members of the wine club at Sterling, so we were able to get free tickets for the tram, sit in the reserved tasting room, and had access to some of the reserve wines.  The tour here isn't super fabulous, but the views are amazing and you can learn quite a bit about the wine making process.  Just be sure not to walk and drink at the same time.  Right, Jenn?  :-)

Riding the tram up to the winery:

The views from their outdoor area:

And enjoying ourselves in the tasting room:

Castello
I've been here before, and remember being very much impressed by the architecture and attention to detail in building the castle.  And being very much not impressed by their wines.  They have improved over the last few years.  Enough that I paid full price for a handful of bottles.

Some of what you'll be treated to if you take a tour:

Race Report: Vineman 70.3

As is typical these days, I have let too much time lapse between a race and when I actually sit down to write a race report.  So I'll hit the highlights as much as I can recollect.  This pretty much sums it up:

We (Jenn, The Hubs, and I) drove down to Cali, had an awesome visit with my Mom, raced, drank wine, and came home with 6+ cases.  Okay, but seriously, back to the race report.

Race: Vineman 70.3

Date: July 18, 2010
Swim time = 42:35 (pace = 2:13/100m)

T1 = 2:54

Bike time = 3:25:59 (pace = 16.3 mph)

T2 = 3:58

Run time = 3:19:34 (pace = 15.2 min/mi)

TOTAL = 7:35:00

There are two things very interesting, if not slightly disturbing, about those paces.  1) I have been in the pool about, oh, 10 times since Ironman.  LAST NOVEMBER.  Really.  But, my swim was only a few minutes off of my normal half-ironman time when I was swimming 3+ hours a week.  Lesson learned = quit wasting money on a pool membership and wing it.  I'm not joking.  2) Despite running a ton this year (by my standards), this was my worst 13.1 miles ever.  Apparently I need to up my standards.  In my defense, I was coming off an injury at the time.  But I can only use that excuse for so long.

Pre-race:

We had stayed at my Mom's house in Hidden Valley Lake on Fri night, but wanted to be closer to the start on race-eve and moved home base to a hotel in Santa Rosa.  On Sat we did a practice swim in the Russian River (warm, calm water!), went through the athlete meeting and packet pickup (boring), set up T2 (getting tired now...), went for a quick practice run (HOT!  REALLY HOT!), lounged at the pool, finally got checked in, ate dinner, and got our bikes ready.  Nothing like being on your feet all day, running around like a crazy person, and getting sunburned the day before an event.

The morning of the race we hit the local Starbuck's, Ken dropped us off near the beach, and we did our pre-race routines.  I never saw Jenn after we entered transition, and since it was her first half-ironman, I spent a lot of time looking for her and telepathically sending her all sorts of good juju.  Then I hung out with my Mom and Debbie, got ready, and meandered over to the swim entrance.

Swim:

This is the first race that I wasn't nervous as all get out right before the gun went off.  I think I knew that I was horribly under prepared, and therefore didn't have any pressure on me to perform well.  I said a quick prayer to the tri gods for me to remember how to swim, did a goggle leak check, warmed up the river, and waited for my wave to start.  Bang!  The swim itself was uneventful.  Although, it was really curious to see people walking the swim.  The river was really shallow in places so sometimes I would turn to breathe and be staring at someones knees.  At least no one was in jeopardy of drowning at this race.

T1:

After I got over the shock of being under, like, an hour for the swim, I got down to my usual transition rock-starness.  I was fast enough to be happy with my time here, especially since I stopped to say hi to my family, ran down the incorrect bike aisle (thanks a lot Mom!), and had to take the time to bag everything up.

Bike:

I love my Cobb saddle.  Love.  I love it so much that it's pretty much all I could think about during the ride.  Because I was so shocked at how much I loved it.  I'll be doing a full gear review on it soon, so stay tuned.

The Vineman bike course is truly gorgeous.  Some of the most stunning views I've seen from my saddle ever.  Vineyards, hills, rivers, wineries, forest.  It's awesome.  And NOT hilly.  Seriously people?  I was so freaked about this race after reading all the hype on the forums about the "relentless hills" and "super challenging bike course".  And I am so not a climber at all.  Chalk Hill was notable, I'll give y'all that much, but it still only lasted less than 5 minutes.  All that being said, my pace was slow compared to what I'm usually capable of, so maybe it really was hilly.  And I just didn't notice because I was LOVING my saddle so much.

As a bonus, I got to see my Mom, Debbie, and Ken somewhere near Healdsburg.  Clearly, I wasn't taking this day too seriously.

T2:

Gah!  Did I have a picnic or what?  Slow!  It was a long transition I suppose.  My favorite part was getting to see my little brother Joshy-poo and his wife Heather.  Very cool that they came out to cheer!

Run:

One word: HOT.  Okay, two words, because it was also: SLOW.  The views sort of sucked too.  Not even close to my favorite run course.  The volunteers were pretty fantastic though.  My biggest regret was not figuring out that my sports bra was the perfect ice holder...until mile 11.  My Mom was waiting somewhere around mile 10 or 11 and ran/walked back with me.  I don't think she was very impressed with my race strategy of "run the downhills and walk everything else".  I, of course, thought it was genius.  Joshy ran with me for the last 1/4 mile.

Finish:

I was so happy that it was over.  HOT!  It was really fun to see everyone at the finish line too.  Jenn was still smiling and we were able to take some finishers pictures together.  After rounding up our gear, we headed to Bear Republic to join some fellow finishers and enjoy yummy Racer 5 IPA.

And, more importantly, the wine-tasting race report will be posted next.

2010 Goals - Progress Report

I have been delaying this post because I am nowhere close to meeting most of my goals this year.  It's been a whirlwind of events, busy work schedule, two stress fractures, and so on and so on.  You know, life.

The original plan:
Swim - 250,000 meters
Bike - 4000 miles
Run - 900 miles

What I've done so far:
Swim - 18,016 meters
Bike - 901 miles
Run - 331 miles

Eek.  The swimming is a lost cause.  My swim mojo left town long ago, and I have yet to lure it back.  I could set a new swimming goal, but I'm not going to.  Because I have no interest in forcing myself to do something that I currently detest.  The biking mileage is on the pathetic side, but it's recoverable.  I likely won't hit 4000 miles, but I think with some determination I can come close to last years distance.  I'm actually proud of the running total.  It may look small to many of you, but with two major injuries, this isn't so bad.  It's only a couple hundred short 2009 overall.  And I have at least 2 half marathons, 1 marathon, and 1 ultramarathon left this year.  And a half ironman.

 

Oh yes, a half ironman.  On Sunday.  If I can get through the swim, then the biggest hurdle of the day will be cleared.  The next big hurdle will be getting to the finish line in under 8 hours.  It's going to be a painful day, but as long as I can go buy the awesome Vineman jersey afterwards, then my goal for the day will be met.  The real reason I'm going down to California -- wine tasting and to pick up my 6 cases of wine that are waiting for me.

New Gear

The solution to undertraining?  Buy new gear!  Here are some of my new training faves and first impressions.  Full reviews will be written after more rigorous testing.

Shimano Tri Shoes

These aren't actually a new purchase, but rather a result of lazy unmotivation.  They have been sitting in the box in our spin room since December.  So stupid, because after a few rides, I really like them.  Roomy, airy, and most importantly, they smell 1000% better than the old ones (which have often been banned from the house).  I hate the color (shiny white/green, ick) and my feet slide forward when standing to climb.  But since they don't stink, and buying a new pair may take me another 7 months of procrastination, I'll make do.

Cobb Saddles
Saddle #3 just hasn't been doing it for me lately.  Actually, it's been heading towards the junk pile since last November when I ended up with a 2-inch saddle sore after Ironman.  I keep hoping it will become comfortable again, but no.  If a saddle causes pain and injury so severe, that scars are still present 8 months later, it's time to try something else.  After seeing some posts on triathlon forums, adverts in race packets, and mounted on the bikes of pros at a couple of races, I decided to call Cobb Cycling and see if they had something they could recommend.  Oh my, they are AWESOME!  I'll save details for a full review, but I wish I could fly down to Texas and hug them.

I actually received two saddles in the mail: the V-Flow Plus and V-Flow Max.  Each saddle comes with a tool kit, helpful tips, and a DIY video.  Within 5 minutes the Plus was perfectly adjusted on the Cervelo.  My first test ride was a quick hop on the trainer at 9:30pm after a long day at work.  I climbed on, fully expecting to hate it.  After 30 minutes in aero position without any adjustments, it felt like I was riding on a cloud.  I seriously could barely feel where my body met the saddle.  I tried not to get too happy until I was able to take it out on the road, but really, I was about to burst with excitement!

The following night I jumped on the trainer for a measly 20 minutes, just to verify that I wasn't imagining things from the previous night.  Awwww, pure comfort.  But the real test was the 7:30am hangover ride (courtesy of Laura's Ironman party, thanks girlfriend!) this past Saturday morning.  Three days in a row of riding, raging nausea, piss-poor attitude, and a bit more mileage.   The end result = love!  After Vineman 70.3 this coming weekend, I'll swap out and give the Max a test ride and see which one I'm going to end up with.

Luna Sandals

My Luna sandals finally arrived in the mail!  I've been alternating between racing flats, vibram five fingers, and totally barefoot since last December.  I have been eyeing the do-it-yourself sandal kits from Barefoot Ted, which are modeled after the traditional Raramuri huaraches.  But he recently came out with the Luna Sandal company, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the production model as soon as they started shipping.  They arrive in the mail like this:

Less than five minutes after watching a quick video on different tying techniques, voila:

I couldn't help but take them for a test run immediately.  The plan was to go for a short 1-2 mile run.  Almost 6 miles later, I reluctantly returned home.  Aside from a small blister between my right toes and a little heat on the balls of my feet, I had no pain.  I think these can be resolved with a little body glide.  If the blister is healed by Sunday, there is a good chance that these will be sitting in T2 waiting for a 13-mile trial run.

Awesomeness on a Monday

Mondays are always rough.  Especially when they are coupled with being sick, PMS, and 80+ unanswered emails from the weekend.  Oh, and my thoughts were completely preoccupied with a half ironman in 6 days that I sort of didn't train for.  But you know what makes it easier to swallow?

This:

No no no, that's not what you think it is.  Unless you thought it was a really cool bottle of tequila.  Seriously!  Even better?  The name of it is "AsomBroso".  Awesomeness just seems to keep crossing my path lately.  And even better?

No, I'm not an alcoholic.  (If you have drank with me recently, then you know that I actually very rarely drink and therefore am quite entertaining after only 1 beverage.)  A coworker friend of mine recently made a booze-run to Nevada and let me place a special order before he left.  This will probably keep us tied over for the next several years.

And the best end to my crappy-Monday-turned-awesome-Monday?  A fantastic run in my new running sandals (blog post on that to come soon) and a yummy salmon dinner cooked by The Hubs.  And now off to an early bedtime...

Fun In Idaho

There were so many great moments while spectating at IMCdA, I can't not do another post about it.  Here are some of the highlights that we managed to capture.

Julie and I leaving Camas, all set to go with our 'ho hats.

Making inspiration signs on Ironman eve.

Taking a break from our ride for a dip in the lake.

Jeff, aka Hoosee, waiting patiently for three girls to get ready.

At Coeur d'Alene Brewery.

Raising our hands for total awesomeness.  And then being even more awesome while practicing cheering at the finish line.  And then getting kicked out.  But making the guard take our picture first.

Spectating is hard work.  Beer break!

Cheering on the hottie pros on the run.  But they didn't compare at all to the 13-14 hour hotties.

More on Perspective

Balance.  I've never been good at it.  Yes, I can take on a multitude of responsibilities, juggle oodles of events, and book my calendar up to the gills.  But that's not balance.  That's frantically running from one end of the teeter-totter to the other with my arms full and trying not to drop anything or fall off the beam.  And some things do get dropped.  And sometimes I fall off the beam flat on my face.  I don't spend enough quality time with my husband.  My well-intentioned training plans get backed up by half-assed execution and my race performances have been lacking.  I successfully lose weight and then unsuccessfully gain most of it back.  I cancel plans because I'm triple-booked.  My flower and veggie gardens die.  I end up overwhelmed, sick, and burned out.  Not healthy.

So starting now, I will be changing things that don't contribute to my overall well-being.  From the big things: eliminating fast food filled with salt and saturated fats, consuming alcohol only in very limited quantities, and getting enough sleep.  To the small things: turning off the television and computer more often, keeping caffeine to a cup or two a day, and actually taking a break or two during the work day.  As well as the really difficult things: letting go of people who bring me down and suck away all of the good energy, saying no to social events when I'm exhausted, and learning a little bit about the word "moderation".

Reconnecting

I've been away from the blog for awhile because I've been reconnecting.  With my husband, with my friends, and with myself as I try to get motivated again.  After the last year of craziness I needed some time with my husband.  And my friends.  And I sort of lost focus with my fitness and triathlon training.

Hawaii

After a particularly rough day, I came home, plopped on the couch in tears, looked at Ken, and knew that we needed to get away.  So we rearranged some schedules and finally booked our honeymoon.  A week on the warm beaches of Kauai is exactly what we needed.  We stayed in the southern area of Poipu, at an amazing boutique hotel called The Koa Kea.  We took a helicopter tour of the island, snorkeled on remote beaches, ziplined over gorges on private property, and ate at 5 star restaurants.  Even if the luxury was short lived, it gave us a chance to spend time together and focus on just being happy.

Our hotel room, the view from our lanai, and the beach less than 50 feet from our door:

The Na Pali coast from the helicopter, and Ke'e Beach (we snorkeled here the next day):

Us getting ready to head down the first of seven ziplines,eating dinner on the beach at sunset, and swimming with the sea turtles:

LIVESTRONG Challenge Seattle - 70-mile ride

Jenn, Ken, and I participated in the LIVESTRONG challenge this year.  After originally signing up for the 100-mile ride, I had to drop down due to lack of training, the stress fracture, and just a feeling of not being able to fit it all in.  After the ridiculous weather we experienced, I was sort of hoping that I had dropped down to the 40-miler!  But we raised a lot of money for the foundation, and I was reminded that I can do just about anything with a little determination and my amazing support system.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene - Spectating and Sign-Ups

This past weekend we made the trek to Idaho to cheer on our friends (Cory, Ian, Jason, and Josh) and so that I could sign up for next year.  The weather was perfect and everyone finished in amazing times with huge smiles.  There were so many adventures and inside jokes that will not be understood by most, but I'll list them for posterity...'Ho Hats, total awesomness, HooosEEE, cooling off in the lake, get SOME backSIDE, and Confuscious saying many things.  Race day spectating started for us at 6am, I watched the swim start (I will always be in awe of the starts), volunteered as wetsuit peeler from 7am-9:30am, cheered the bikers and then the runners, volunteered in the women's change tent from 3pm-5:30pm, then cheered in the finish line bleachers until midnight.  You can't watch the finish line of an Ironman and not be touched down to your core.  And the last hour will make your heartache.  There's really nothing like it.

I came away from Idaho remotivated, reminded of what is important to me, and with fresh perspective on many things.  More on that later.