The first step in taking part in a triathlon is just trying. Regina Hammond of Trismarter grew up swimming and running competitively, later competing on a national level in cross country while setting school and divisional records. She continued running competitively while at Ithaca College, where she graduated in 1996 with a degree in Television and Psychology.
Today she is triathlon coach with Boulder, Colorado-based Trismarter. Regina talked to KineticShift about how those looking to do a triathlon can go the distance. Continue reading Sunday Q&A: Trismarter’s Regina Hammond Talks Smart Training
Biking at night can be hazardous for riders and drivers alike, and there is no shortage of blinky lights, reflectors and even wearable attire that lights up. We’ve seen gloves with LED lights, vests that illuminate and even a wired light that can wrap around the frame. 
With each new bicycle design, Slovakian mechanical engineer Braňo Mereš has looked to utilize a new material. He’s created various on-off bicycle frames in recent years, and has included bikes made of carbon fiber (the cycling industry’s go to material), but also branched out with some innovative materials along the way. He’s riveted strips of titanium together and even used a woven bamboo fiber with an epoxy resin as very interesting take on composites. 
While some camping gear has gone so high-tech that it might not feel like you’re actually getting back to nature, Portland’s Poler Camping Stuff brand, which launched last fall, is all about simple yet efficient. The company’s focus revolves around being “an outdoor brand that brings together surf/skate/snowboard culture and sensibilities into pragmatic gear,” and providing “simple, good looking, well designed gear.” The products offer a vintage look, such as the Napsack sleeping bag that will keep you warm at night and in the morning let you wear it while heading to the camp fire.
Carbon fiber is a wondrous material, but it has some shortcomings including the fact that it isn’t that easy to recycle. However, last week came word that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory was working on a way to transform used plastic bags into carbon fiber, and this composite could even be fine-tuned, allowing different types of carbon fiber to be created for specific applications. 
Our friends at BikeRadar.com reported that Specialized has announced its new Turbo electric bike. What makes this Specialized bike so special is that it reportedly is the fastest ebike on the market, and can hit 28MPH. 
There is a new Trek ready for the roads. The company has introduced its high-anticipated 2013 Domane – which is Latin for King’s Crown. This new road racing bicycling will surely handle virtually any bump in the road. Designed for the rough road conditions found in the spring classics courses, it was developed with input from Fabian Cancellara, who won the Strade Bianche aboard the Domane in its race debut, and members of the RADIOSHACK NISSAN TREK team. 
Home video sales of DVDs have seen a sharp decline, but the fitness category is showing healthy growth. It isn’t too hard to remember the work out videos of the 1980s, and Darren Capik, CEO of Watch It Now Entertainment (WIN) believes fitness will continue drive the market.
Hydration packs are fantastic for carrying along water or other beverages for a long bike ride, hike or run. These are easy enough to fill up from a faucet but less so on the go. Now the Source Universal Tap Adapter makes it easier to refill the reservoir through the drink tube rather than in the opening in the back. The UTA valve works with different kinds of taps and even water bottles, the latter needing a bit of gravity of course. From the wink the pressure is all you’ll need.
There is the old saying about “no pain, no gain,” but maybe GAIN Fitness can make the gain a little less painful and a little gainful. The company introduced its GAIN 3.0 app for the iPhone last week, and it offers a GAIN Plan for users, a custom 4-week workout plan, as well as a expansion pack store for multiple training styles. 
While March is known for the NCAA Basketball tournament known as March Madness, this week the League of American Bicyclists honored several universities for efforts to make for more campuses more bicycle friendly. The League named nine new universities to its elite ranks. 
If you’ve felt envious of the pro riders with their race radios, you can now have your own communication system – and unlike the riders in the big races, you can go wireless.