You know the sport has hit it big when it makes it to the front page of the venerable Wall Street Journal. That?s right, triathlon has hit the big leagues.

The great thing about the WSJ?s Aug. 26 story (read it here) was that it emphasized what we?ve long known to be true ? not all triathletes are uber-fitness freaks. In fact, some of us just like to have a good time while elevating our heart rates and getting into decent shape. That doesn?t mean there?s anything wrong with you hard-core triathletes out there ? because there are a lot of you, and you always impress ? just that this sport has now gained diversity. Hallelujah to that!

In other good news, the Valley?s semi-summer-race hiatus is coming to a happy end, which means the fall race season is heating up. September brings us the Shrimpman, the return of those ultra-fun Spash & Dashes, a lovely Labor Day run at Saguaro National Park and much more (watch out for the gnarly sounding Man Against Horse race in Dewey on October 1). To find out more about fall races, check out GetSetAz.com's fabulous race calendar here.

And finally ... For all you curious types, read the latest from The Arizona Republic and find out the story behind the story of Triple Sports. Enjoy!

It?s not what your body can do for you; it?s what you can do for your body.

It is an eternal truth ? You can train your body to swim, bike and run as long and hard as you want, but if you don?t give it fuel on race day, it simply won?t hold up. Some people call it bonking, others call it hitting the wall. Whatever the name, most agree it?s a surefire way to ruin race day.

Race-day nutrition is important no matter how far you?re going, but it becomes downright crucial in longer events like the Marathon, Half Ironman or Ironman.

?Having a good fluid and food day can make or break your race,? says Monique Ryan in her popular book, ?Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.?

But figuring out what to eat ? and how much ? can be both confusing and frustrating. Lucky for you, former pro triathlete Melissa Spooner is here to help you figure it all out.

Spooner ? a three-time Ironman champion and fourth-place finisher at Kona who now spreads her knowledge as a nutritionist at Scottsdale-based Endurance Rehabilitation ? will talk about training and race- day nutrition from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15 at Triple Sports.

This event will be geared toward the Half Iron distance and is perfect for those of you training for SOMA. Melissa will give you the knowledge you need to train and perform your best over the 70.3 mile event.

Free GU will be on hand, too, so come hungry.

Meet Eddie Lynn. This coffee aficionado (and spirited manager of Triple Sports? friendliest neighbor, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) not only treats many a wary soul to their morning cup of Joe, he inspires and amazes with his story of cycling fame ? and a pending come-back.

Eddie, a Chandler resident who turned 28 this week and is engaged to be married next year, took up cycling at the ripe old age of 11, while growing up in Silver City, New Mexico.

?I was inspired by the Tour of the Gila,? Eddie said. ?I just saw these guys whipping around on these bikes, and I thought, ?That looks fun!? So I grabbed my Huffy I brought from Wal-Mart and rode nine miles in 45 minutes. From there it became an obsession.?

As it turned out, Eddie was a darn good cyclist. At age 13, he won Junior Nationals. At age 14, he went to the Junior Olympics. During seven years of racing, Eddie won New Mexico?s state championship seven times.

Then, just as he turned 18, the desire disappeared.

?It was a strange feeling,? Eddie said. ?I had national and world coaches saying, ?Do it for us,? and I had my parents saying, ?Do it for us,? and I realized you have to do it for yourself.?

For the next 10 years, Eddie let his bike sit.

?Then I woke up one morning and realized how much I missed it,? he said. ?I thought, ?This is ridiculous.? I was watching all these guys I had been riding with ? Bobby Julich, George Hincappie ? that were now racing the Tour and I thought, ?I should be there.??

Over the past two months, Eddie has resurrected his bike ? and his cycling legs. He started out riding 15 miles, then 20, then 60.

?My goal now? I want to win the Tucson Classic,? Eddie said. ?It?s just a matter of finding that form I had and the competitive fire.?

Catch us between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on those days. We'll be back to our regular 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. hours on Friday, Sept. 30. Or, shop online 24/7 at www.triplesports. com.