How do you get yourself psyched up for running an Ironman triathlon? You might try listening to “Ironman” by Black Sabbath over and over until the words become your own. Or, you could do as Amazon Alanna does and read up on a few books that provide much Ironman inspiration. Alanna digs Becoming an Ironman (edited by Kara Douglass Thom) and Be Iron Fit by Don Fink, and we dig her straight-up reasoning for why she finds the latter so motivating:

“[B]ecause I’d like to look like a triathlete, instead of people looking at me like I’m a liar when I tell them I’ve done triathlons.”

Triathletes looking for more direction in their swim training might want to take a cue from Flo at Step Away From the Cake. The Hawaii-based blogger recently picked up Gail Bernhard and Nick Hansen’s Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes, a guide to improving endurance, force, speed, and form. Most lovely of all, the book comes in waterproof binder (perfect for poolside use).

Flo’s currently improving her stroke in training for the 8th Annual Na Wahine Sprint Triathlon on September 17 (that’s a 500-meter swim, 12-mile ride, and 5K run). Whoo-hoo!

TriDoc at …Just A Little Further fills us in on the benefits of fiber, the heart-healthy carb that may trigger some digestive discomfort for triathletes mid-workout. Noting that “timing is everything,” TriDoc recommends carefully selecting when to load up on fiber-rich foods:

Since it takes about two hours for the fiber you eat to leave the stomach and work its way into the intestine, you need to plan your intake accordingly. For instance, if you run in the morning, save the high-fiber cereal for after your run. Or if you plan to run at 6 p.m., don’t have a bean burrito at 5.

Right now we’re wondering if it would be too pushy to ask triathlete blogger KLN at !! Tri-als Of The Day !! to give us the recipe for the homemade lime/garlic/hot sauce chicken soup she so casually and teasingly references in a recent random-thought post. The jury’s still out on that, so in the meantime we’ll have to make do with the Lara Bars she name-checks in the same post. Like KLN, we love Lara Bars for their lack of added sugar and think the taste is terrific. So nice to have an energy bar with such wholesome ingredients and no mysterious mush that you’re left to try to worrisomely identify.

Although triathletes appear less likely to indulge in survey-posting than some other categories of bloggers, they do indulge from time to time. AZ Ironman 2007 was recently tagged for a survey that’s going ‘round the triathlete blogosphere, revealing a few of his favorite (running/biking/swimming-related) things. Favorite part of racing, for instance? The camaraderie. Favorite running shirt? A Banas Sports Therapy cut-off. Favorite running song? “What I Like About You” by The Romantics. And number one on his list of top 5 “next 5 shiny things you hope to buy”: This very-shiny-indeed Trek Equinox 7 Tri Bike:

Every time we visit Hitting My Stride, we keep getting stuck at Siren’s post about Ben & Jerry’s Black & Tan ice cream at the top of the page (beer-flavored ice cream? It’s so crazy it just might work…). But then we manage to keep scrolling and land on an entry titled “Geekin’ Out,” in which the Chicago triathlete shows off her new, “too-cool-for-school” Giro Atmos bike helmet (“The thing looks fast just sittin’ there on my counter”). Even better, Siren found the helmet at eBay’s Bike Helmets Direct store, shelling out 50 bucks less than what she would have paid in a bike shop.

ThisNext so loves smart shoppers who share their secrets with us and the rest of the biking blogosphere.

Illuminating Rainbow and other triathlete bloggers are anxiously awaiting the arrival of What It Takes, a documentary profiling four Ironman triathletes (Peter Reid, Heather Fuhr, Lori Bowden, and Luke Bell). Going “behind the scenes in the quest for the 2005 world championship in Kona, Hawaii,” the film is slated to hit festivals and selected theaters in the coming months, according to Inside Triathlon magazine. Peep the trailer here.

Through a post at Chivalry.net, we just discovered Slowtwitch.com, an online triathlete magazine that’s full of training guides, athlete interviews, and features on everything from doping to global warming. But most intriguing to ThisNext is Slowtwitch’s product reviews, where the magazine gives the lowdown on tri bikes, wetsuits, electronics, saddles, and other items essential to any triathlete. And of course we’re all about the little disclaimer that proceeds Slowtwitch’s bike review section:

“Years ago we made a promise to Slowtwitch readers that when engage in product reviews, we will hold nothing back. You be the judge as to whether we’re being true to our promise.”

From what we can see, that promise is more than fulfilled.

Congrats to Tammy at No Try on becoming a published author - her article on the triathlon’s bike-to-run transition just ran in Northwest Citysports magazine, a “monthly guide for active, affluent sports participants across the country” (in the publication’s own words). Tammy first won us over by quoting Yoda in her blog’s tagline; now we’re uber-impressed with the so-called “science geek” know-how she reveals in her Northwest Citysports piece. Check it out for yourself here.

In a recent post at Decaf Please (“Caffeine free adventures of a triathlete on the Canadian prairies”), triathlete and expectant mom Jennifer P chronicles her adventures in finding a bra “as big as my bike helmet” and becoming a stronger swimmer. Here, a few of her top swim tips (since you’ve really got to check out the way-funny bra portion of her post for yourself):

-Scull, scull, scull! Develop a feel for the water through lots of sculling drills.

-Kick drills are a waste of time for triathletes.

-Don’t worry about stroke count - some of the best open water swimmers have really high stroke counts.

Jonathan at Boulder Multisport does it up Letterman style, rattling off his “Top 10 things I learned at IM Florida in 2004” list. There’s more than a few tidbits that’ll prove invaluable to any triathlete (eating Waffle House post-race = bad, hot wetsuit strippers = good), but our favorite lesson takes us right to number one:

Forget the Zipp wheels, the power tap, the GPS, the carbon bikes, and aerodynamic helmets. Save your money and spend it on a shrink. All triathletes are freakin’ nut cases. Just look at them at the expo the day before. I have never seen so many people stress out over the smallest things (myself included). “Crap! Do I go with chocolate or raspberry GU for the bike?” “How many reflectors do I need on the run? No - I need more. They will DQ me if I don’t light up like a Christmas tree at night!”

Show-and-tell doesn’t get much more intimate than a proud parent sharing photos chronicling his newborn’s actual conception…even if we’re talking about bikes not babies.

With some help from Felt, Ritchey Design, and Bontraeger, qcmier at TriAl v2006 has birthed a brand new bike that’s got his commenters cooing. Be among the first to view the baby photos here.

When it comes to product reviews, there are few accolades higher than the old “I gotta calm down or I’m gonna go pee myself” (recently exclaimed by Spence at Two-Thirds The Venture). The object of her excitement? The Triathlon Backpack by Rocket Science Sports, a dream birthday gift for any triathlete. Built to satisfy all your running/swimming/biking needs, the backpack features a helmet compartment, ventilation-promoting padded back, rain cover, and multiple compartments to house all your triathlon gear.

What does a triathlete’s diet look like? Keryn at ChickFit visits “tri-nutritionist” Niki and discovers a meal plan created to promote slow, steady weight loss through portion control and smart food choices. Although “Niki doesn’t normally put her clients on meal plans because most people will follow plans without learning about how to eat correctly,” she’s started Keryn on a “food group type plan” with a calorie goal of 1,600. Here’s the breakdown:

-Milk - 2 servings at about 90 calories each

-Veggies - 2-4 servings at about 25 calories each

-Fruit - 3 servings at about 60 calories each

-Bread/Starch - 6 servings at about 80 calories each

-Meat/Protein - 4 servings at about 50-100 calories each

-Fat - 5 servings at about 45 calories each

How do you get through a Half-Ironman? Joseph Vinciquerra at The Daily Grind Blog aced last month’s Tupper Lake Tinman in New York in part by sticking to a nutritional plan that included the sports drink Accelerade. With its 4:1 carb-to-protein ratio, Accelerade helps restore fluids, replenish electrolytes, and prevent muscle protein breakdown. Says Joseph:

“I stuck to my nutritional plan, and I stuck to my goals - and it paid off. I hit my target paces virtually to the minute, and I finished the race feeling like I couldn’t possibly have wrung out any extra bit of effort, anywhere on the course.”

Roy at Riceman to Ironman has begun tracking his workouts at BeginnerTriathlete.com, a super-valuable resource for anyone starting up a triathlon-training program. The site offers personal coaching, generates training plans, and lets you log your workouts (there’s a fee for upper levels of membership, but BeginnerTriathlete.com also provides free services). You can also access a message board where triathletes can share their recent race experiences with other beginners and experienced racers.

Never mind the “OMG I am such a loser” header on TriSaraTops’ post about her newly and fortuitously acquired XTerra Ventilator wetsuit. Self-proclaimed as the world’s fastest, most flexible wetsuit, XTerra is a supersmart choice for any triathlete looking to get a major speed boost in the race’s swim portion.

Bridgette at Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind is psyched about her new Pearl Izumi TRI-R2s, a shoe designed just for triathletes. Ultra-breathable and compatible with most petal systems, the sneaker features a seamless mesh upper and ventilated toe cap. Not to mention the supersleek silver, which makes us swoon with shoe envy.

Training for a triathlon? Peep Tri-Geek Kahuna’s list of race-day essentials at TriGeek Dreams, posted for last weekend’s Camp Pendleton Olympic Triathlon in Camp Pendleton, California. A few must-haves:

-Body Glide

-Cytomax

-PowerBar

After running last Sunday’s Clark Lake Triathlon (in Clark Lake, Michigan), Elizabeth at Run With Me shares some lessons learned. A few of her top tips for budding triathletes:

-Avoid running directly into someone’s feet going around buoy’s. Slow down around the curves if someone is in your way. You won’t gain any speed, especially if you get kicked in the face and have to put your goggles back on.

-Don’t run through sprinklers as tempting as it may be. 4 pound sopping wet shoes are not conducive to running 13 miles.

-Get tinted goggles. (Clear goggles didn’t cut it when the sun was in direct line of sight, good luck finding buoy’s or anything else when you are blinded by the sun!)