To us here at J&A, triathlon is about more than running, biking and swimming. We've found that participating in an active lifestyle creates a domino effect of positive action. Do you want to participate in an event that benefits a great cause? Check out Got 2 Swim 4 Miles for Colin's Hope. Would you rather watch a football game then cruise around town? Enter the Alamo Bowl Bike Giveaway.

Athletic events are a great way to get to know people in your community, and the Zilker and Silicon Lab Relays are the perfect event to take on as a team. Volunteering offers a great new perspective of triathlon and you can learn more tips about keeping the sport fresh with veteran athlete Michael Lovato. If a change of scenery is what your looking for, learn how to ship your bike to an out-of-town race in the Mechanic's Corner.

As you can see, it's easy to get the ball rolling. As soon as you get started, you'll find opportunities to continue your healthy lifestyle everywhere!

Is there a child you know who might love triathlon? Then Colin's Hope Kids Tri is a perfect event. The tri is safe, fun, non-competitive and also supports Colin's Hope, an incredible organization that creates and supports programs to aid in preventing children from drowning. If you're an adult who wants to support the cause, join Got 2 Swim 4 Miles for Colin's Hope. With your help, the organization can meet their goal of $10,000 to support their cause.

If your version of paradise involves the couch, potato chips and a great game of football, that's cool too. You have the chance to win a Felt Cruiser with the Valero Alamo Bowl Bike Giveaway. Sign up for the drawing on August 20th. If you win, you can ride your new cruiser to the shop for a free workout before you watch the game.

The 2010 Zilker Relays will be held this year on September 2nd. This fun, family oriented event consists of teams with 4 people who each run 2.5 miles or walk 1 mile. Held in Zilker park, the event also includes dinner by local favorite Taco Deli, the New Belgium beer garden, music and dancing! The race benefits the Dick Beardsley Foundation, an organization dedicated to education young people about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

The Silicon Lab Relay is a great event for anyone who has ever wanted to be a part of a marathon event without running the full 26.2 miles. As the nation's second largest marathon relay, over 2,000 runners come together in an event that supports Junior Achievement, an organization that teaches young people about the importance of financial literacy.

Finally, if you'd like to rest your running shoes and enter a cycling event, look no further than the 2010 Conquer the Coast. This year the event offers a 10 mile course for young riders, as well as 25 and 65 mile options. All courses cruise along the scenic Corpus Christi shoreline.

Powerbar has just released the new, official drink of Ironman, a formula for triathletes who take part in intense workouts or who exercise in the heat or humidity and experience significant fluid and electrolyte loss. Ironman PERFORM contains a unique 2:1 glucose to fructose optimized carbohydrate blend, which has been shown to help triathletes perform better, increase fluid delivery and experience less perceived exertion following exercise compared to glucose alone. It also delivers essential electrolytes to help replenish what athletes lose in sweat and help avoid muscle cramps and dehydration.

Texas summers are long and hot, so remember to stay hydrated out there. Consuming electrolytes and carbohydrates along with water will definitely improve the quality of your workouts and help you recover faster afterward. If you have any questions about your nutrition, don't hesitate to ask our staff.

If you spend much time around the shop during the cooler months Austinites affectionately call winter, you'll probably see a tall, tan guy with a big smile standing around talking triathlon with pretty much anyone. Accept no imitation - this is none other than two-time Ironman Champion, Michael Lovato. With all his enthusiasm and cheerfulness, you'd think he was a newbie to the sport, rather than a veteran who's been successfully competing since before most of us knew the term "multisport." Therefore, we think Michael is the perfect person to talk to about avoiding burnout and keeping triathlon fresh and fun for years to come.

J&A: How long have you been a triathlete? Did you begin as a pro or an amateur?

ML: I have been a triathlete since 1992. I began racing as an amateur, and not a very fast one, I might add. My first race was the intramural sprint tri at UT. I didn't realize it was possible to get lapped that many times on a 15-mile bike ride. Nor did I realize how hard it would be to run 3 long miles afterwards. Clearly I was hooked on the sport as soon as I reached the finish line.

J&A: What first attracted you to the sport? Was it friends, a job, the sport itself or a combination?

ML: My first draw to the sport was the challenge of it all. I remember thinking I was going to kick some serious butt in my first race, but then I struggled all the way to the finish - loving every bit of it. I was inspired by the bad a** guys - and gals - that smoked me, while wearing nothing but their bathing suits. (I was modestly clad in soccer shorts and a muscle tee.) Further confirmation that I had found my calling was the gathering of beer-sipping, Speedo-clad athletes I encountered at the finish line. The sport represented everything I loved about athletics: challenge, competition, good fun, good folks, oh, and beer. Over the course of the next few years, I met people who have become the best friends I have to this day. I suppose you could say it was a combination, however, the job aspect was never really part of the initial attraction.

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Many who plan to participate in out-of-town triathlons find that one of the biggest logistical challenges is bike transport to the race site. The best way to find out about shipping service for a particular event is to go to the race website and see if there is an official shipping service company. If the race did not designate, then local/area bike shops are great resources for information and are most likely offering some type of service to accommodate out of town athletes. For instance, J&A is the official bike shop for the 2010 Longhorn 70.3 event. We offer a shipping service that helps athletes with bike assembly, bike transport to the race site, bike disassembly, and boxing & shipping the bike (shipping fees not included).

Most major bike transport services will ship to all regions. Tribike Transport, for instance, services multiple races around the U.S and even offers a charter flight for bikes to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Some transport services are specific to a state or city like Tri Team Transport which offers bike transport for athletes in the state of Texas to major Ironman and Half Ironman events.

Athletes often ask us whether it is better to ship a bike or take it with them when they fly to the race. There are a few disadvantages to shipping a bike. Depending on the service you select, bikes may be passed through multiple hands which can lead to possible damage. In rare instances it can get lost or stolen. The best part about shipping a bike pre-event is that you do not have to travel with a bike, which can be very stressful. You will have to lug it around the airport and there are potential fiscal surprises you may face when you are checking in your luggage (i.e additional fees the airline might tack on when they see that you are traveling with a bike). There have also been rare instances where the bike does not make a flight, goes MIA for awhile and arrives much later than the athlete. The best part about flying with a bike is that you can train on it longer. Some athletes also feel better knowing their bike is always "with" them, so to speak. Click here to read more about shipping your bike.