The Chocolate Milk Vote for Team Refuel

No doubt: Chocolate milk is my healthy food. pnoeric

Got milk? Is it chocolate? Where's my milk mustache?

I thought I was only going to have about 15 seconds of fame when I sat down in front of the camera to record my reasons for refueling with chocolate milk after a run. It was the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon expo. It was the Team REFUEL booth. It was something to get expo-goers to stop by the booth, get interested, receive a freebie or two (I walked out with a hand towel, perfect for my next tri transition). And I was flustered from my registration, running low on time, and sweaty from pedaling down to McCormick Place. Plus the last time I was on TV (thank goodness I can't find the link to that video), I sounded like a complete fool--and never managed to look at the camera. Good thing I went into magazine journalism and not broadcast.

But it looks like those 15 seconds of fame turned into a month's worth--and perhaps a little more. The big shocker arrived in my inbox yesterday: This Fit-Inker was now a Team REFUEL finalist for July. My video (which you can view here) put me in the running to be one of the five people who will receive a Team REFUEL sponsorship, which includes training gear, $500 in sponsorship dollars, the chance to race with the Team at destination races around the globe (is Ironman Hawaii included in that?), and the chance to star in a "got chocolate milk?" ad. I might not be begging to star in the commercial, but everything else, including the research behind why lowfat chocolate milk is awesome post-race recovery fuel, gets a huge nod of approval from this chocolate milk drinker. Who knows? Maybe it'll mean another opportunity to run with Dr. Andy Baldwin--except next time I'll try to stick with him for more than two miles.

Top 10 Workout Songs for August

Credit: Taylor Burnes

What are those Olympians listening to? If you've been watching even an iota of the Summer Olympics coverage, you've probably caught at least one person, namely the swimmers, wearing headphones as they stride onto the pool deck. Some are big--like those hiding under the hoods of Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Anthony Ervin--while others are the basic iPod earbuds. As for what those athletes are blasting through their ears to fire them up for their races, I can only guess, but I'd surmise that its loud and fast-paced.

That's what I'd want to listen to--and often do when I'm running a marathon or training along the Lakefront--when I need to get the adrenaline rushing. And while I might have a playlist that many would cringe at (hey, it works for me), I'm not too off-beat. Run Hundred's top workout songs, this month especially, are fast-paced and popular--finally a month where I've listened to most of the songs, and more than once. All but two among August's top 10, according to votes placed at Run Hundred, have more than 120 beats per minute, perfect for busting out a speed set even when you're not an Olympian.

Giving the Best to the Rest: Vision Quest Triathlon Panel

What do I put in my special needs bag? johntrainor

You can train all you want--or have time for. You can ask friends how they did it--and beg for their tips. You can scour the internet and poke your head in triathlon forums, read coach's articles and watch course videos. But a lot of times, if you want expert advice, answers to all your questions--to avoid that deer-in-headlights look that I had the morning of my first Ironman--or need some pre-race poking and prodding to make that lingering injury go away for good, you have to pay for it. A trip to the bike fitter. A visit to the physical therapist or massage therapist. A nutrition assessment to dial in your food needs. Another pair of running shoes. Buying a teardrop helmet. Renting, or considering renting, race wheels. So many questions...but not always easy to find the right answer.

As long as you don't have a triathlon to race this weekend (sorry, Udder Half-ers), you can get your questions answered and go into your next triathlon even more prepared to tackle the competition, your old PR or your pre-race I've-never-done-this-before jitters. Vision Quest Coaching put together what they're calling The Best of the Best Ironman Wisconsin Panel, covering every aspect of triathlon with a special focus on Ironman Wisconsin and Ironman races. This triathlon-centered event will be held at Vision Quest Chicago on Thursday, August 9, and it's designed to make you feel more comfortable come race day. Trust me, all the riding up in Madison over the summer only takes out a small chunk of the race calculations.

Robbie Ventura will be moderating this panel, which has everyone from the bike fitter to the first-time Ironman finisher, and he'll help answer those pesky questions we've all been wondering. Do I really need race wheels? How can I have a faster swim (answer: draft like your life depends on it)? Where can I make up time in my sports that still need a little work? What's event day like? If you aren't equipped for your next triathlon after listening to this group, learning the answers to questions that other athletes have asked, and asking a few q's of your own (VQ encourages you to ask away when you RSVP for the event), then.... Well, that might involve being stranded along the Wisconsin farm roads--or Lake Shore Drive if the Chicago Tri is your thing--and no one wants that. Here's a taste of who'll be doling out advice on August 9.

The Daily Feed: Sites We're Searching 8/2

Wish we could watch swimming live. Credit: Ben Sutherland

It's the Olympics. It's swimming week. It's been four years in the waiting, or four weeks if you count the U.S. Olympic Trials that already had me fired up for this action. It's me a near-crazed lunatic (if there's a way that can even exist), shouting at the TV during a close race, cursing the computer when the live feed doesn't work (and then venting my frustration on social media), spouting off Olympics trivia and facts on the swimmers, and tweeting more than probably ever have in a five day period and wishing that I could get followed by--or retweeted or replied to by--a swimmer or two.

But if my husband has to listen to one more evening of me reciting swimmer stats or commenting on the awesome swimmer bods, I think I might wake up with duct tape over my mouth tomorrow morning just to shut me up. To keep him off my back, check out the swimming spotlight on today's daily feed:

Fit-Pic: Light Like Flyknit

You know a shoe has to be good--or popular or too cool for words--when there's a special launch party for it. Lines used to form outside Niketown Chicago the night before a major Air Jordan release. Shoes seemed to be flying off the shelves the night the Saucony Kinvara 3's became available. Several runners packed into Fleet Feet Chicago to run at midnight when Under Armour released its first running shoe. It was no different for the release of the Nike Flyknit.