Fave Multisport Blogs

We all have our favourite “go to” sites when we’re in need of information – bike setup figures, swim techniques, new interval workouts – and they fill a very important role in the 21st Century athlete’s Big Bag o’Tricks, but what about blogs?

For me, there is a pretty hard set of criteria ANY reading material has to match before I’ll add it to my feedreader (what? you don’t use a feed reader? Oh girlfriend! We HAVE to talk. Another post for another time!) and then there is the unquantifiable factor. That being, it (the blog) may fail on all other criteria but it has that “je ne sais quoi” and so it stays. Hey! I never said this was a scientific approach!

So. What is my criteria (are my criteria??) you ask?

Frequency. There is a fine line between enough posting and too much posting. I want to be amused but I don’t need to be entertained like a borderline ADD 3 year old. Once a month postings might make it to the list if the content is memorable, once a week is good, twice a week even better and I can even handle daily postings as long as they don’t take me an hour to read each one, but dearheart? 6 a day? Even if they are just links to someplace else? Uhm. No. Who has the time! I’m supposed to be training here!

Information. There has to be some. It can come with serious, scientific tone – and if you’re gonna say “research says…” you’d better be offering me where said research took place. I might not check it out. But I want to know anyway! – or, and I am totally biased toward, a good sense of humour. Make me laugh and I’m pretty much yours. Add in some good usable content and I’m yours for life!

Grammar/Spelling. I know. I’m your grandmother. What can I say? But y’know we all have access to spellcheckers. Use them! If you’re trying to convey a message nothing makes me doubt you more than if you can’t say it in (dare I say it?) The Queen’s English. I’m not a complete nazi about it. I understand off the cuff, “OMG you are NOT going to believe this” posts where timing is key and  Mrs. Talbot’s steely eye not so much. I’ll let the occasional thing pass. But if it happens constantly? Yah. Sorry. The delete button is gonna get hit!

Photos. I want to see pictures. I’m a product of the visual generation. (okay so I’m not. but I like to think I am.) I want to know who I’m talking to (to whom I’m talking – yes Mrs. Talbot!). I like to see what you’re experiencing. It really is true: pictures are worth 1000 words.

And as a corollary, don’t just post videos. I don’t always want noise with my morning read and if it’s video you likely need me to turn on the volume. I won’t. And if you keep doing it,  bye bye feed!

Humour. Can’t be stressed highly enough. So I’m giving it a second billing. Make me laugh and I’ll learn. Make me laugh out loud and I’ll follow you forever.

Currently I have something like 145 feeds that I read. Very few of them are multisport related. Unfortunately. I’ve tried. Really, really tried but most get hung up on one of two points. Either the blog is really just an advertisement for product, in which case, my feed reader is getting bogged down by myriads of “You’ll love this” or “Buy this” postings. OR, and I’m sorry to say this, multisport athletes aren’t terribly literate.Or they don’t have much fun. Or both. (read: BORING!!)

Here though are  the Cream of the Crop. The one’s that continually keep my coming back, that have me rooting for them and yes, I’ll say it, I’d be most happy to hit their Paypal Donation button if they had one. Enjoy!

1. Chuckie V - http://chuckiev.blogspot.com – Love him or hate him the man always has an opinion AND makes me snort coffee outta my nose. A can’t be beat combination!
2. Steve in a Speedo?! Gross! – http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/ – New to my hit list and he won’t be leaving anytime soon. Photos. Funny. And geeky. The trifecta, people!
3. Precision Nutrition – http://www.precisionnutrition.com/feed – The link encompasses both their blog and their articles. Great information. Timely. They quote their sources and write with finesse.
4. Sock Snob – http://socksnob.blogspot.com – Andrew IS wordy but, well, he’s British! They were born to use twice the amount of words to say the same thing. And he’ll make you laugh.
5. Ironman Triathlon Tips – http://ironmantriathlontips.com/- By just-turned-pro Canadians Heather & Trevor Wurtele. They don’t post nearly enough but great content when they do! And so they stay on the list.
6. Ben Greenfield - http://bengreenfieldfitness.com – I almost hesitated adding Ben. He runs close to posting too much but then I’m subscribed via email not via feeder and maybe that’s the problem. He definitely has product he’s trying to push. But his guest interviews are worthy as are his podcasts. And so he stays.
7. Triathlete Food – http://twitter.com/TriathleteFood – Oh wait! This is a twitter feed. Ya okay. And maybe that’s another post for another day, but I’m going to add it because it’s one I read – and click to read – most often.

A pretty small list in the giant scheme of things, huh?! Likely my deleted list is 3 times as long. So I’m always on the look out for new good blogs to read. Have a must read? Post in the comments!