Sam capped off her 2009 season with an Ironman win and a new course record at Ironman Arizona.  Check out what our favorite Red-headed Olympian had to say when asked how WATERMANS Applied Science worked for her…

“Seven hours in Abu Dhabi and no sunburn so I would say great success!  Addicted to the lipblock too!”

Thanks Sam!  Keep up the great work.

To learn more about Samantha and follow her competative exploits around the globe visit www.sammcglone.com

For those who don’t know, Watermans’ Sara Davis is currently in Australia representing the United States in the world sprint triathlon as an age grouper.  She dropped us a line yesterday to give us an update on her travels and preparation for her event…

If you don’t know, I am in Australia representing the US of A for the World Championships for Triathlon. I arrived in Brisbane, Australia yesterday at 8:30am, 2 days after I left. My friend Micah set me up with a group of “lifesavers” and surf festival competitors that train full time to pick me up at the train station in Narange. So I got off the plan in Brisbane, got immediately on the train and waited for some australian athletes that I have never met before to pick me up. They are awesome. I am staying in a house with 5 or 6 athletes girls and boys who all train all day. Yesterday I went to their Surf Club with them and went on an 8 mile run while they paddled on their surf skis. I tried to stay up all day so I could get used to the time.

Everyone was in bed by 8pm. HA! They all had swim practice at 5:30am, so I hitched a ride to the pool and went with them to swim. The pool was awesome. Two 50 meter pools, and all lanes had at least 2 people in it. This is why Australians are so good in the water. EVERYONE SWIMS at 5am! It felt good to be in the water that early, i might have to get myself to swim that early when I get home.

I haven’t really gotten a chance to check australia out that much but what I have seen is beautiful. The weather is exactly like home, its warm and its winter. We all hang out in Surfer’s Paradise a lot and train all day. The beach is a big sandy beach somewhat like Manhattan Beach, but way better waves! There are wind surfers everywhere, i have never seen so many water enthusiasts. It’s awesome.  Anyway, I am about to put my bike back together and go on a bike ride and check out the coast of Australia a little more. I race on sunday and have team activities before that. So hopefully I will run into someone I know soon.

‘ll tell you this much, its a lot easier traveling in Australia than Europe or Japan. They do drive on the wrong side of the road, that a little weird and a little difficult to get used to. My roommates have let me borrow their cars, and it is soooooo weird driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road. YIIIIIKEs.

Sara

New review posted on-line at http://www.standuppaddlesurf.net/2009/06/09/watermans-applied-science-sunscreen-for-water-athletes/

***

New review posted on-line at http://www.coastalhealthandfitness.com/page12.php?post=14

***

www.honoluluadvertiser.com

Kalama, Kalmbach stand out in stand-up

By Dayton Morinaga

Advertiser Staff Writer

Ekolu Kalama turned a long surf session into an emotional victory yesterday.
Kalama won the stand-up paddle (SUP) division of the Rainbow Sandals Moloka’i to O’ahu Paddleboard Race.
The race was created in 1997 as a championship event for traditional paddleboards, which are powered by arm strokes. The SUP division was added in 2005, and now features as many entries as the traditional paddleboards. In the SUP division, paddlers must stand on the board at all times and use a canoe-style paddle. (more…)

Making the Most of Wind & Waves & Sunburn

Bruckner Chase – Swimming & Ocean Sports Editor

For many of us training and competing is about the feel of the sun on our backs and the wind in our face.  If you can add to that the waves crashing overhead amidst flailing arms and legs then every open water swim or triathlon will be an energizing experience.

Experienced swimmers structure their pool workouts around intervals designed to increase speed and conditioning by controlling the rest, distance and intensity of various “Sets.”  Whether in the pool or ocean, swimming requires the application of the same techniques to improve performance as running and cycling – mimic race situations and stress your body beyond its comfort zone.  Pool swimmers can do a few drills to simulate the physiological conditions they will find in an open water swim, but there is no substitute for getting out into the ocean, bay or lake.  The mistake many swimmers and triathletes make once in the ocean is not applying the pool principals that got them faster over the winter.  Take a look at the list below and see if any of these suggestions or techniques might improve your open water swimming or triathlon season this summer.

Pool Open Water Techniques & Drills:

• 
  
• 
  
• Head up 50’s – Swim 3 x 50’s freestyle and check your times for each swim.  Swim 3 x 50’s and this time lift your head twice on each length to sight on an object at the end of the pool.  Check your times and work on improving the quickness and efficiency of sighting those imaginary buoys.
• 
  
• Longer “Broken” Swims – Duplicate the mad rush of the start by doing intervals that take your heart rate up and then force you to relax and find your groove.  For instance, swim 300 meters on an interval that allows 20 seconds of rest after each 300.  For each 300: 50 at 85%, Rest ten seconds, 200 at 65%, Rest ten seconds, 50 at 85%.  Repeat this 2 or more times depending on your conditioning.
• 
  
• Breath Control Swims – Holding or controlling your breathing during swims works to condition your body to the build-up of CO2 and overcome the urge to breathe.  When you are diving under waves or miss a couple of breaths this tolerance will help you keep your cool.  Try this:  Swim 100 and for the 25’s – (1) breathe every stroke, (2) every 3^rd, (3) every 5^th and (4) every 7^th.  Take a longer rest interval and repeat based on your level of conditioning.

 Open Water Techniques & Drills for Safety and Performance:

• Walk the Shore:  Walk out into the water about waist deep and check out the bottom for rocks, sand bars, slippery spots, etc.  This is something to do before any swim or race.  While you are checking the bottom watch the water for currents, chop, waves and rips.  Never go in alone or in dangerous conditions such as fog, large surf or strong currents.
• 
  
• In & Outs:  From 10 yards up the beach run into the water and sprint 50 – 100 yards out or just past the surf break.  Recover for a minute then sprint back in and up the beach.  
• 
  
• Tempo Training:  Don’t just float around and let every open water session be a social swim.  After warming up for a few minutes begin race pace swims with controlled rest sessions.  Try this: 3:00 at an 80% effort followed by 1:00 at 50%.  Repeat several times based on your level of conditioning.
• 
  
• Time Trial:  Find a course that will take 15:00 to 30:00 to swim.  Start your watch and race the distance recording your time.  This time becomes your benchmark.  Repeat the same distance swim during the course of the season as a time trial to measure your conditioning.  Remember that changing open water conditions can affect your time, so focus as much on your perceived exertion as you do on the overall time.
• 
  
• Play:  Get comfortable in the water.  Body surf, paddleboard, play in the waves or just practice putting your head down and looking into the deep.  If you spend long enough in the ocean your are going to be bumped by something unexpected, splashed by a dolphin, startled by a plastic bag or stung by a jellyfish.  By the numbers your bike ride is more dangerous than the chance of a life-threatening encounter in the ocean, so keep in mind that often the scariest things in the open water are the fears we bring with us from the land.  

And don’t forget your sunscreen!

Editors note:  This August, Bruckner will attempt to become the second person in history to solo swim the Monterey Bay.  Stay tuned to the Watermans’ “life” for more info and updates on this historic swim.

***

Words and photos provided by Mick Dibietta

***

By JULIE JAG, The Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 06/28/2009 01:30:52 AM PDT

It wasn’t until after he dragged his body onto the beach near Fisherman’s Wharf –” nearly five and a half hours after leaving Santa Cruz on his paddleboard –” that Craig Waltz learned about the shark.

“My boat guy, when I came in, said he saw a shark while we were out there,” said Waltz of Santa Cruz. After some consideration, he decided the carnivorous creature would have been a welcome sight. “Actually, while I was paddling, I was like Something kill me now.’ ” (more…)