With heat of the day soaring to 35° C, it was one of the hottest races in the history of the Kona Ironman. Suunto ambassador Åsa Lundström gave it everything she had and improved her placement by six positions from last year. We caught up with her for the final instalment of our four part series about her road to Kona. © OrcaHer goal was to finish in the top 15, no small feat at the world’s premier Ironman. Placing 11th, Swedish triathlete Åsa Lundström achieved this and says she’s confident she can do even better next year. “After learning several lessons from last year’s race, I had a better strategy for this year’s,” she says. “I know also I still have a lot of unused potential, both in terms of my physical capacity and from a strategic point of view.” To prepare for the Kona Ironman in Hawaii and the race’s humid conditions, she spent the prior three weeks training in the Canary Islands. “I was alone for the first week in Kona, which was pretty good for mental preparation, and a few days before the race my parents came to support me, which was incredibly valuable.” Click to learn about the Kona Ironman! © Orca Mental preparation is an important aspect of her training and focus on race day. Åsa visualizes potential race day scenarios and how she would handle them if they did occur. She has a list of mantras and other mental techniques ready to use when the going gets tough during the race. “I try to focus on my own performance, look back on what I have done in my training and believe I have done enough,” she says. While Åsa didn’t have the perfect race, she’s happy with the improvements she did make. Being more patient, focusing on her performance and not giving much thought to the performance of other athletes were important lessons. “I learnt that cooling myself on the bike and run is on of the biggest factors that affect the outcome of the race,” she says. “Cold water under the helmet, over the body while cycling, ice in the sports bra, cold water sponges over the body and holding ice in the hands while running are useful methods to avoid overheating.” Click here to read more about Åsa Lundström © OrcaThe end of the road cycling leg was the most challenging part of Åsa’s race. Pedalling with tired legs into a strong head wind in hot conditions required all the mental toughness she could muster to get through. “There is much more to get out of my potential, and I’m already super psyched to start working to lift my level another couple of inches for next year’s Kona Ironman,” Åsa says. “Before I begin my off-season I will race in the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship in Bahrain in early December. “Thanks to all who follow and support my journey! It means more to me than you might think.” Here are links to part one, part two and part three of our four part series on Åsa's road to Kona Ironman. Lead image: © Orca/Gines Diaz

Here are the last two candidates in the Dream Traverse Video Contest final! Vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true. View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. SNOWBOARDING IN JAPAN Candidate number five is Tom Harrison from London, UK. Or actually the whole Harrison family has a dream of snowboarding in Japan. “As a family we enjoy adventure, and I helped my sons create the film for the competition about the familie's dream trip to Japan,” Tom says. “Whether it’s camping, climbing, hiking or skiing, we can’t get enough of new challenges. Leaving London for a new adventure, even if it’s for only a couple days, is always a thrill.” When asked what the outdoors mean to him, Tom turned to his 15-year-old son to get an answer. “The outdoors is something that he can’t even begin to comprehend; a place that breeds adventure. Living in the city he feels contained, boxed in, always looking out the classroom window into the unknown, and all he wants to do is explore it.” “Outdoors give you an overwhelming sense of achievement. Getting out of London and going on an adventure is an amazing feeling, and it’s addictive. You can really find yourself when you are lost in the outdoors.” The Harrison family’s dream is to snowboard in Niseko, Japan. “In Niseko both amateurs and professional shred the fresh snow of the mountain,” Tom explains. Tom would take his sons also to Tokyo and Kyoto to explore the culture and beauty of their dream destination. “I would love to see my boys’ faces as they watch the crowds at the famous Shibuya zebra crossing in Tokyo or marvel at the beauty of the bamboo forest in Kyoto. It would be an unforgettable experience.” TRAIL RUNNING EP.5 Finalist number six is Björn Hunger, 17, from Windischgarsten, Austria. Björn enjoys trail running, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and shooting videos. “For me outdoors mean freedom. It's the best thing in the world to be out in the mountains with my friends and family!” Björn says. Björn’s dream traverse destination is Iceland. “To go to Iceland is one of my biggest dreams and it would be so cool to realize this dream!” “I would like to go to Iceland because the whole nature and the mountains there are so awesome.“ Get to know the other candidates: DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: KINGDOM TRAVERSE AND PATAGONIA DREAMING DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: DO THINGS ALWAYS AND WINTRY CHINA DREAM Go to traversecollection, watch the videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.

Get to know the first two Dream Traverse Video Contest finalists and vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true! View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. KINGDOM TRAVERSE The first candidate, Grobler Basson, comes from Cape Town, South Africa. Grobler and some of his friends actually had their adventure dream long before the contest. “We have been planning our adventure for the better part of this year, we even called it the Kingdom Traverse long before we knew of Suunto's plans and the launch of your new Traverse watch,” Grobler says. “We will traverse Lesotho from one side to the other. We will do this the only way we know possible – high altitude trail running, some off-the-grid mountain biking, cold water swimming and breath-taking kayaking coupled with some off-the-chart camping spots and difficult navigation!” The Kingdom of Lesotho is a land locked mountain kingdom located inside South Africa. It is the country with the highest lowest point on Earth of 1400 m (4600 ft). “The Kingdom Traverse would serve two goals; firstly to stimulate and temporarily satisfy our need for adventure and exploration, secondly, we see Lesotho as an amazing jewel yet to be discovered by international adventure tourism. We believe that the Kingdom Traverse would bring some amazing exposure to what Lesotho has to offer, and possible boost their tourism!” PATAGONIA DREAMING Candidate number two is Kellen Witschen from northern Minnesota in the United States. “The outdoors is a place I can go to and feel free from a schedule and from responsibilities, even if it’s only a quick bike ride at the end of the day. It is a place to test your knowledge and skills, where the consequence of failure is very real and very apparent,” Kellen says. Kellen’s Dream Traverse is far from an evening ride: he wants to ride the Carretera Austral, a 770 mile dirt road that runs from Puerto Montt to the start of the Patagonian ice cap. “Ever since visiting Patagonia in 2012, I have dreamed about going back. While doing research there, I only got to see a small section of the area and the group traveled exclusively by motor vehicle. I want to go back and bike the entire 770 miles of the Carretera Austral.” “The road travels through many different types of landscape and vegetation, ranging from closely woven coastal canals and Patagonian Steppe to high mountain peaks.” Go to traversecollection, watch the six videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.

Learning to be flexible and to change things up is the key to staying motivated. Work on technique “A lot of times, when you're training for a race, there isn't as much time to step back and work on technique,” says running coach Nick White, from trainright.com. “The offseason is a great time to hire a coach or sign up for a weekend clinic on how to improve your running technique to increase your efficiency. Nearly everyone has a few small changes that could be made to their form, that will net big improvements in speed.” Join a running club There's nothing like the power of peer pressure to keep you going through the winter months. It's more social, fun and a great way to monitor your progress and gauge how you're doing against other runners. “Joining a structured routine let's you off having to follow your own program,” says White. Click here for 8 essential running form drills! Do a crazy challenge “I need to have something out there in the diary to keep me going,” says triathlon coach and ex-pro Richard Hobson. “Set up a silly challenge. Last year I did the ’30:30’. You have to run 30 minutes every day for 30 days. It’s not long but it’s amazing how you struggle when it’s dark and cold, and doing something like this gets you out the door.”   Patrick Sweeney onroute across America. © Patrick Sweeney Don’t run to run “Engage yourself in other activities while running,” says Patrick Sweeney, who probably knows quite a lot about motivation after recently running 5,000 km across America. “I live at the beach and I enjoy counting the different species of birds that I see, scanning the ocean for whales and dolphins and collecting discarded beach toys along the way. Running provides so much opportunity to find the simple joys in life. Don't think of it as a run, think of it as an adventure.” Mix it up with some cross-training “Running is a great mode of exercise, but it's not a perfectly well-rounded exercise program in and of itself. Using your off-season to add other forms of exercise is a great way to remind your body that it can do more than just run,” says White. He suggests taking up other ball, racket or outdoor sports like rock climbing to keep you active and fit while giving you a break from running. “Core work and weight training is a good thing to work on as well,” he adds.    Gediminas Grinius is also an advocate of night running. © Gediminus Grinius Ask yourself this: “Do you want to lose your fitness, which you worked on for the last six months,” Suunto ambassador Gediminas Grinius recommends asking yourself. “Do you want your neighbor to be faster? Do you want to gain weight? If you answer no, then your only option is to keep running.”   Read the 4 myths about ultra-running you need to know Run early (if you live in the city) “Weekend morning runs are great for aromas,” says Sweeney. “I’m vegan but I enjoy running around town taking in all the smells of bacon and eggs being cooked. Every block is full of new aromas to enjoy.” And what better way to finish your run than in a bakery? Go trail running “Most runners do their training on treadmills, roads, sidewalks, and bike paths,” says White. “There are many benefits to running on trails; better balance development, stability muscles get a workout that they don't get on flat pavement, there are often more hills to develop strength, softer surfaces usually that are easier on your muscles and joints. And those don't even mention the fact that trails often provide much better scenery!” Work on a weakness If you're a marathon runner, and spend most of your time doing longer runs at lower intensity, the off-season is a great time to work on your speed, strength, and power. “Hill repeats and track intervals can be a great way to do something different, while still improving your running,” says Trainright’s Nick White. “Or if you're a 5k runner and did a lot of speedwork but not a lot of volume, the off-season can be a good time to back off a bit and do some higher mileage to improve your aerobic base.” Don’t think: just hit play Don’t spend ages debating with yourself whether to go for a run or not as chances are, you’ll only talk yourself out of it. Just grab your mp3 player or phone and hit play on that motivational track that works for you. Works every time.   What are your tips running when you don’t feel like it? Let us know via our social channels with the hashtag #suuntorun

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of an event remembered only by hardcore Ironman fans but it’s one that symbolizes much about the epic race – the struggle, the glory and the pain involved. It was the year of the so-called ‘Iron War’, an epic duel between arch rivals Mark Allen and Dave Scott at the 1989 Ironman World Championship in which they fought neck and neck over the 226.2km course to finish just 58 seconds apart. The fierce rivalry and incredible endurance of the two athletes set the stage for the race to become one of the most popular challenges to feature on anyone’s ticklist. “The spirit of Kona is really special,” says Suunto 9 product manager Markus Kemetter, who has competed in the race three times. “It’s the legendary place where Ironman triathlon was born and the race where the best-of the-best in long distance triathlon are competing every year. "It’s also one of a few races where most of the competitors are present at the location for a whole week before the race so you can see the world’s best triathletes walking around the village.”The fact that it’s been nearly the same course over the years adds to its attraction, says pro athlete Åsa Lundström. “That means that all the legends of my sport have been racing on the same circuit. Every corner has stories to tell of legendary clashes of triathlon titans. And the best part is that you have the opportunity to be a part of those stories in the future.” The race was famously the brainchild of a Naval officer John Collins, whose idea was to combine the three toughest endurance races on Hawaii into one race. What followed was a challenge to endurance athletes to see who was the toughest: swimmers, bikers or runners? On February 18, 1978, 15 competitors took part in the first ever Ironman. It is now one of the most highly sought after – and difficult to enter races on the planet. A victim of its own popularity, competitors have to qualify to enter and it’s intensely competitive – 80,000 will vie for just 2,000 slots. “It’s so competitive now,” says triathlon coach and ex-pro Richard Hobson, who competed in 1994, 1995 and then again in 2010. “To win my age group I’d have to race as fast as I was as a pro.” The experience of taking part can vary hugely for athletes, he adds. “When you race as a pro it’s all about doing well but it can be a pretty miserable experience. It was only having coached people who'd had such amazing experiences that I realised it’s not just about the race, but everything around it.” Mainstays of Ironman tradition now include the Underpants Run, a 2.4km pre-race fundraiser. What started out as a protest against athletes wearing speedos around town is now an established pre-race event. Apart from the atmosphere the one thing that makes Kona unique is the location itself and the course. It’s famed for its heat, humidity and wind. The swim is relatively straightforward provided the sea is calm but the bike leg can be brutal. “The ocean is impressive, but not the big challenge of the race,” Suunto's Kemetter says. “The challenge starts on the cycling leg where strong side and head winds are common and can be strong enough to throw you off your bike. The black volcanic landscape is beautiful and the wide open views from ‘Queen K’, the famous highway leading to the turn point at Havi, are just amazing. “On the run the countdown starts. This is when your ability to withstand the heat, control your energy and hydration is truly tested. The run starts at the hottest time of the day and sucks everything out of you by the time you finish. “Crossing the finish line at Ali'i Drive in Kona is one of the greatest moments in a triathlete’s life.” For pro athletes such as Lundström taking part, there’s only one thing on her her mind – and that’s to do well. “I raced last year but the saying is that it takes one tri run to get to know the race. That means that this year will be the first time I can really hit it and don't have to hold back! I know that I have the potential of top 10.” For other athletes, Hobson advises not to go with the goal of doing well. “Go out to have a fun experience and enjoy the whole thing. So often people spend so long trying to qualify and they have a bad race and wonder what it was all about. You have to enjoy being out there and chances are, if you do that, you will have a good race.” Images © Donald Miralle  

For the last two weeks, Suunto ambassador and alpinist Ueli Steck has been in Nepal acclimatizing to the higher altitude to prepare to climb the notoriously difficult south face of 7861 m Nuptse. After recently running up a 6000 m mountain there in his running shoes, it's clear things are going well so far for the Swiss Machine. Here's part two of our four part series on Ueli's Nuptse expedition. Ueli climbing Lobuche Peak. © Ueli SteckAfter arriving in Nepal’s Khumbu Valley two weeks ago, Ueli Steck has been having a blast running, climbing, bouldering and camping out while acclimatizing to the higher altitude. He and his climbing partner Colin Haley are preparing to climb Nuptse, a 7861 m mountain only 2 km away from Everest. No one has successfully climbed Nuptse via its highly technical south face since Valeri Babanov and Yuri Koshelenko first did it in 2003. Click here to read more about why Ueli wants to climb Nuptse via its difficult south face After completing his #82Summits project over summer, Ueli is "super motivated". © Ueli Steck Ueli and Colin intend to climb it in the far more challenging alpine style, which means a one-time single push climb, without leaving fixed ropes. Ueli says he has acclimatized and is ready to climb. “Yesterday, I ran up Lobuche Peak from Dzongla,” he says. “It was pretty nice exercise. Summiting a 6000m peak in running shoes is quite fun!” Click here to read about how Ueli has progressed as an alpinist The view from Lobuche east where Ueli camped for two nights. © Ueli Steck Ueli is waiting for Colin to get acclimated. The well known American climber experienced some altitude sickness and went down to Deboche village to recover. While he waits, Ueli has been having a good time in Dzongla. He also camped for two nights on Lobuche Peak. “It’s very nice to be back in the Khumbu Valley,” he says. “It’s great to see that life is going on for the Sherpas [after the earthquake]. “There are only a few tourists in the area so it’s quite calm.” Stay tuned for the third part of our series on Ueli's Nuptse expedition: climbing Nuptse's south face