Difficult swim currents and rain on the bike make Ultraman Day One slowest in years; 5-time champion Alexandre Ribeiro leads Nino Cokan by 24 minutes and Kathy Winkler leads Amber Monforte by 3 minutes

For this issue of What We Have Noticed we look closer at the Movember efforts of Pro triathletes Brandon Marsh, Tyler Butterfield, Matt Lieto, Richard Murray, Tim Reed, Rich Allen and Ian Mikelson.

Nicky Samuels won 2 World Cups and went to the Olympics this year but 2012 was not all roses for her as she dealt with numerous health related setbacks while bravely earning New Zealand’s third country spot.

Last week a registrant in Ironman Arizona gave or sold his entry to another, who raced in his place. Both are allegedly disqualified and banned from competition for a year. Let’s have a chat.

When it was all said and done Nils Frommhold and Linsey Corbin were the 2012 Ironman Arizona champions and here are some additional images from the day.

Nearly 3,000 triathletes temperate Tempe temps, and the hypnotic desert landscape at Ironman Arizona. Nils Frommhold and Linsey Corbin enjoyed breakthrough wins. Photo Gallery by Timothy Carlson.

Rachel McBride recently won the 70.3 Austin, but this fast Canadian is not just about swimming, biking and running. She has two masters degrees in genetics, has played the cello on an international stage and has a few interesting tattoos.

We test the Attack and Force tire set from Continental. Featuring a staggered 22/24mm width, Conti says that they offer unique benefits in handling, aerodynamics, and rolling performance.

Nils Frommhold wins Ironman Arizona in his long course debut with a balanced performance; Linsey Corbin finally takes the top step at the race where she’s been second three times.

Nasty weather makes for great cyclocross action and along those lines forum member Mark Agcaoili grabbed a video of during the Cyclo X Sienna Lake Race in Broomfield, CO.

Terenzo Bozzone added to his string of recent successes with a win at the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Shepparton thanks to a 2:09:34 bike and 1:12:02 run effort. Rebekah Keat ran away with the title in the women’s race in a course record time.

The 3rd annual Ironman Arizona Slowtwitch gathering was again hosted by Tribe Multisports and everybody had a great time, plus money was raised for the Not One More Cyclist Foundation.

A few years ago, Jacqui Slack helped lead fire victims out of burning buildings in the UK; now she travels the XTERRA world circuit with top Australian triathlete Ben Allen and earned 5th at the XTERRA World Championship.

A new generation of fast triathletes is coming through in Australia and Peter Kerr is among them. Kerr recently grabbed the win at the highly coveted Noosa Triathlon and he is ready to step it up.

Our feature of the top 15 overall males at the 2012 Ironman World Champs on their bikes with details of material used and a look at their actual riding position.

Javier Gomez finished his best season winning the XTERRA World Championship in his first off road tri. Earlier, he took silver at the London Olympics, won the ITU Grand Final and the $151,500 Hy-Vee Triathlon.

In October of 2012 Dev Paul was on a business in Seoul, Korea and while he has been there 4 times over the last 6 years, this was the first time he made it to the Olympic stadium there – and he put it to good use.

British age grouper Stuart Anderson is part of Team Freespeed Virgin Active and we bumped into him in Kona after the race. He is now back at his day job at the Telegraph Media Group and we had a little chat with him.

Ivan Rana of Spain earned the men’s victory on the swim and the run while Danne Boterenbrood of the Netherlands won the women’s title with a superior swim at Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote.

Jan Van Berkel took the win at Ironman 70.3 Galway in early September and more recently earned the runner-up spot at 70.3 Miami. Right now this 26-year old Pro is getting ready for Ironman Arizona.

USADA gave triathlete Mark Fretta a 4-year sanction because his biological passport and other documentary evidence indicated the use of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents such as EPO.

We review the complete 2Toms product line. This innovative company makes anti-friction and anti-odor products to keep your favorite triathlete fresh and chafe-free.

2012 Ironman 70.3 world champion Sebastian Kienle had a very fine season indeed and made a great impression in Kona too, but not everything went perfect for this fast German.

Mike Reilly, “The Voice of Ironman,” responds here to concerns shared on our reader forum about The ACTIVE Network’s health and performance. Reilly is a Vice President at that company.