Countdown to Kona

In today's installment from Macca, he talks about training in Under Armour performance training and endurance shoes. He also talks about how an encounter with Kevin Plank changed his career.


How has training been in your Under Armour running shoes?
 
I have said this many times in press interviews and to many people I talk to. In your career their are key moments that send you down your ultimate path to success or failure. For me I have had many. Meeting certain people who got me involved in swimming and cycling, buying my first ticket to Europe to begin my pro racing career etc. When my career is all over, a key moment in my career I will reflect on was a chance meeting I had with UA president Kevin Plank at the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. We met, had dinner and at that time it was nothing more than that. I was a triathlete and they were a major football company. It was my failings here in Hawaii and my issues with heat, that ultimately had me researching what I needed to do to perform better in these conditions. My research took me straight back to Under Armour and their HeatGear. I contacted Kevin for his help in building me a garment that would help me perform in the brutal heat and humidity of Hawaii. He did just that and we went from there.

Over the years we have built a synergy and a partnership and UA is by far one of the biggest players within my team. They are a no gimmiks company and build performance products for athletes. Their move into the running shoe market in 2009 is spectacular. I have been working out in many of the prototype shoes this past 20 weeks and the feel is amazing. I know these guys listen, which as an athlete is critical in designing products that are functional. Their shoes are amazing, the cartlidge system works perfectly as it evenly distributes the impact force of running through the entire shoe and eliminates hot spots. The shoes are great and I look forward to helping them continue to build better shoes and apparel for the endurance market. The thing I can say about Under Armour is they believe and they listen and functionality is key to them. The shoes are great, and with the development of a racing flat for me late this year you will see me racing in the shoes next season. It is very exciting times for UA and for myself as an athlete who is always looking for better equipment.
 

Tomorrow we inch closer to race day and find out about Macca's travel to Kona and how different it feels from one year ago.