The parking lot of the State Fair Expo Center was packed this weekend for the first ever Great Lakes MultiSport and Running Expo.
Granted, a majority of the vehicles were probably there for the adjacent Great Lakes Pet Expo. But give the triathlon a few more decades, and it might surpass puppies in popularity. The multisport community continues to see incredible growth, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
The solution to our economic problems could be as simple as holding more triathlons. Each year, triathletes purchase more than $4 billion in gear — that’s billion with a B — according to USA Triathlon. I think at least half of that was for sale at the expo this weekend.
Here’s a few examples of the interesting and innovative — and not exactly inexpensive — gear I saw at the vendor booths:
I started my day on the CompuTrainer as part of TriWisconsin cycling team. Think virtual reality cycling. Except the exertion is very real.
The rear wheel is attached to a trainer that mimics the slope of the landscape, and leaves you free to shift as you go up or downhill. An 8-by-4-foot projection screen in front of us displays real-time data about our ride, such as mileage, calories burned and position against other riders.
It’s like being in a peloton without the drafting or fear of crashing. You can even race against a computer-generated cyclist on a 3-D painted desert or green rolling hills. Locally you can try CompuTraining at cycling stores like Crank Daddy’s and Transition.
From there I tried an anti-gravity treadmill from Salus. (Yes, seriously.) This is the first of its kind in Wisconsin, and was so new it was delivered to the expo straight from the assembly.
The anti-gravity treadmill works like any other treadmill, except for the device that covers up to your waist and pressurizes the air around your legs. The effect can take up to 80 percent of your body weight and make you feel like you’re running on the moon.
The effect lets you return to running if you’re coming off an injury, and also lets you increase your mileage without the impact and pounding on your joints. It will also make you feel like the Bubble Boy as you’re running.
Finally I tried on a pair of Newton running shoes. Much like the concept of Chi running, Newton shoes are designed to force your stride to roll off the balls of your feet. The idea is you’re not wasting motion and improving inefficiency by avoiding the heel strike. They say this also mimics natural motion of barefoot running. I took home a pair. You can never have too many pairs of running shoes, anyway.
There’s no way I could even begin to mention all the vendors that filled the expo hall. Interested in finding out more about the local triathlon community? I highly recomend going to www.TriWisconsin.org and joining their email message list.
