Swim, bike, run…repeat one day after another. So goes the workout routines of many a triathlete.  Some may throw in a few minutes of stretching after each session, but most triathletes have little time for activities other than the three that make up their competitive sport. Add in work and family time, and attempts at a social life, the idea of adding in yet another workout may seem impossible.

Hall of Fame baseball player Rogers Hornsby said “People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” While staring out my window during cold winter mornings instead of hopping on my bike for a ride has crossed my mind many a time, I know that if I want to race well in March, I’m going to have to get out on my bike in the cold.

Now might be a good time to take stock of your equipment and apparel and consider what can last another year, what might need some updating, and what needs to be donated to some up-and-coming triathlete. And, if you’re looking to make some big improvements for next year, what you can add to your arsenal to help you reach your goals. Here are some products worth checking out.

As triathlons become increasingly popular and the races more and more crowded, I feel it has become increasingly difficult to find races that are well organized, safe, and accurately measured. Team Magic, a race management company out of Birmingham, AL stages multisport and running races throughout the Southeast. I can count on their races for a time trial swim start, at least an entire lane of road for the bike, and a well marked run course. The Alabama Coastal Triathlon did not disappoint.