Like the weather outside, the Austin multisport scene is hot, hot, hot! This month alone you can mingle with Dave Scott (see Shop Talk below), ride with a couple of pro triathletes, and get tri tips from a Pro Panel at the Austin Tri Expo...all free for the taking. If that's not enough, you can participate in a triathlon or duathlon almost every weekend including the 70.3 Longhorn Tri in October. So mark your calendars and get ready for some fun!

If qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman just isn't in the cards, you can still experience the fun and excitement firsthand. Premium Plus Sports in partnership with Jack & Adam's Bicycles is proud to announce their inaugural Kona Experience Package during Ironman Triathlon race week. Come and join thousands of triathletes and cheer the best in our sport during the week long stay on the Big Island.

Highlights include:
· Swim, Bike and Run the official race course
· Snorkel and cave excavation tour
· Sunset dinner cruise
· Race day viewing and cheering
· Post-race celebration

Still can't make it to Kona? Then how 'bout joining 6 Time Ironman World Champion Dave Scott at Jack & Adam's on Aug 22 from 5PM-7PM for a free happy hour presented by TriFacts.

Ever dreamed of wearing a bejeweled championship belt like Floyd Mayweather or a shiny crown like the Queen of England? If so, then don't miss your chance at the Protest Du this Sunday, August 17th. Every year, the overall male and female winner of the event is named "Duathlon King" and "Duathlon Queen" respectively. Each wears the belt or tiara for the next 365 days.

The Protest Duathlon is the main event and fundraiser for Austin's hippest athletic club, the Austin Duathletes. Known for their infamous "pub runs" and annual "Red Dress Run," this FREE club is also famous for putting on races with their own bizarre twist. Don't miss out on the fun - sign up today and protest something!

Next time you find yourself covered in grease after changing a flat tire or fixing your chain, use a Grease Monkey Wipe to clean up fast. Grease Monkey Wipes, created by three Austin cyclists, are individually packaged citrus based degreasing towels formulated to handle heavy duty cleaning such as grease, grime, road tar, oil, and much more. Keep Grease Monkey Wipes in your jersey pocket, saddlebag, post-race bag or wherever you play dirty; you can even use them to clean off body markings (permanent marker) after your next triathlon. Find these handy wipes individually packaged or in a 24-pack box at J&A's and online at Kong Concepts.

Swim like a River: Preparing for the Austin Tri & Lady Bird Lake

Whether you are an Austin Triathlon veteran from 2007 or a triathlon rookie, Lady Bird Lake is a very nice swimming hole for a race. It is situated around the 'hub' of exercise in Austin, with the running trail lining its shores. Scouting this course is not too difficult, as it is essentially one large rectangle, most of which you should be able to view from shore before plunging in.

After setting up your transition area, head towards the swim start with plenty of time to spare (20-30 minutes before your wave takes off). Find out the wetsuit call. This is sometimes not made until race morning, so be sure you know if wetsuits are legal or not. In making your decision, remember a few things. While they are faster (up to 2-3 minutes over the course of a mile), they are very warm; so if you tend to get hot easily, consider how warm the day is and if you may overheat. Acknowledge what is most important to you, speed or comfort?

Scope the course. Look at the path you'll be swimming and try to see all the buoys you will pass. Note their color, location and also if there are any 'large, immobile' objects beyond these buoys. These large objects can be used to 'sight off' in case your view of the buoy is blocked from fellow swimmers, waves or sun. If you can, count the number of buoys you will 'pass' before making a turn. Try to locate the turn buoys, sometimes these are a different color or shape. Decide based on weather if you need dark or light goggles. An overcast day may call for lighter lenses, while a sunrise on the horizon may require dark lenses to eliminate glare.

This race will be a deep water start, so you'll be treading water. With about a minute to go, try to start to move to a 'horizontal' position. When many people standing in a small space go from vertical to horizontal, crowding entails. Try to 'mark your space' before the gun goes off, so you are ready to move forward. Start to the 'outside' of the crowd, so you can make a diagonal line to the first buoy or turn buoy. If you are directly in front of the buoy, you may have to fight your way 'around' it because people will converge there. Starting to the outside or to the back of the crowd may eliminate some fighting when swimming.

When the gun goes off, go hard at the start but be careful of maxing yourself out. Many people will sprint and fade quickly. If you monitor your intensity to a strong but sustainable pace, you will likely catch people as you swim and gain confidence in the process. These first few strokes focus on getting into a rhythm, and do not worry about sighting too much until you settle in and the congestion calms down. Once you feel comfortable, begin to sight often (every 6-8 strokes or as needed) and each time you look up try to get a glimpse of your guide buoys. Do not blindly trust the feet in front of you!

As you near the finish, start to think about what you will be doing next. Once you feel the ground (the swim ramp or the bottom of the lake), start to stand and get vertical. Catch your breath, and immediately begin to unzip the wetsuit (if you have one), remove the cap and goggles and get running to transition. As you run, think about the steps you'll do in preparation for the bike leg...congratulations, you are already 1/3 finished!

Kelly Handel is an endurance consultant for local company Source Endurance, and she has been racing triathlons professionally for 7 years. Contact Kelly at khandel@source-e.net to find out how she and Source can help you toe the line the most prepared!

Nurse your wobbly wheel back to health with this month's grease monkey tip. What you need: wheel, spoke wrench, truing stand or your bicycle frame

Truing a severely bent or out of true wheel can be more of a task or cause more problems than you are willing to deal with. However, for those small wobbles in your wheel, here are some easy tips to get you back on the road without running your brakes unsafely open.

The wheel consists of:
-Hub: center of the wheel
-Rim: outside of the wheel that the tire is put on
-Spokes: Connects the hub to the rim
-Nipples: Small metal pieces holding individual spokes in the rim. The nipple is the part that is tightened or loosened to adjust tension between the hub and rim.

First find the place where the rim is rubbing the brake pad. Find the spoke nipple that is opposite the side that is rubbing and tighten that spoke nipple with a spoke wrench. Remember to only turn the spoke nipple a quarter turn at a time. To tighten a spoke, turn the nipple clockwise. To loosen the spoke, turn the nipple counter-clockwise. Always start at the worst spot and work your way from to the least out of true spot. Keep going until the wheel no longer rubs the brakes. When you get home you can either finish truing the wheel in its entirety or bring it to the shop for inspection. Truing a wheel requires tension in the spokes to be perfectly balanced and generally takes a bit of patience and practice.

August Photo Contest Winner, Craig T. Normand writes "I bought a Felt in June and by July was riding along the routes of the Tour de France, to include Alpe d'Huez. This photo was taken near Stage 6 when I happened across the Garmin Chipotle team mechanic's set up off the Tour route in the team's stop for the night. The mechanic and I spoke for several minutes in French and then I asked my friend to take a picture, to which the mechanic replied, 'No worries, you can speak English' (he turned out to be from New Zealand). So, here is a photo of me by the team car."