By viewing each nominated adventurer’s profile, photo gallery and video clips, and then ranking each adventurer from 1 to 10 in terms of worthiness, you’ll help National Geographic choose the 2009 Adventurer of the Year. The award will be announced on January 19th, 2010.

Each year we name our Adventurers of the Year for their extraordinary achievements in exploration, conservation, action sports, and humanitarian work. Now, for the first time ever, you can vote for your favorite.

The competition is fierce this year, with adventurers from several disciplines making the cut:

2009 Adventurers of the Year

Khadija Bahram, Educator: She founded an educational program that now reaches more than 10,000 students.
Katey Walter Anthony, Scientist: The scientist toured Sibera and the Arctic Ocean to research global warming.
Stephen Bouey + Steven Shoppman, Road Trippers: They road tripped 77,000 miles through 69 countries.
Maya Gabeira, Surfer: Surfed a 45-foot wave in South Africa, the largest wave ever surfed by a woman.
John Grunsfeld, Astronaut: The astronaut repaired a satellite 350 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Marc Hoffmeister, Veteran: He led a team of veterans and amputees to the summit of Denali.
Albert Yu-Min Lin, Explorer: Explored the “Forbidden Zone” for the lost tomb of Genghis Khan.
Dean S. Potter, Sky Flier: Flew of Switzerlands’ Eiger in a wingsuit.
Louie Psihoyos, Filmmaker: The filmmaker went after Japan’s dolphin trade in The Cove.
Diane Van Deren, Ultra Runner: First woman to complete the Yukon Arctic Ultra.

Which means the airlines are still charging a pretty penny for tickets and there will still be crowds (and delays) at the airport.

So is there anything you can do to ensure your holiday travel goes smoothly? There are no guarantees, of course, but there ARE things you can do to make the odds of a smooth trip tip in your favor.

10 Tips For Smooth Holiday Air Travel

1. Book flights early as many are selling out. (Although if you’re flexible and a risk-taker you can score some pretty amazing last-minute deals these days. You just can’t count on it.)

2. Whatever you do, don’t miss your flight – you may not be able to get on another one. Airlines are selling out all seats and cutting down on the number of flights they’re running this holiday season.

3. Be flexible with your days/times of travel and score a good deal. Flying the day after Thanksgiving or on Christmas Eve can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare.

4. If possible, avoid checking a bag to save on baggage fees (and the headache of lost bags). Or fly an airline that doesn’t charge for checked bags – like Southwest or Air Tran. See 7 Ways to Avoid Baggage Fees.

5. Consider driving. If you have a large family, a lot of gifts or luggage, pets and more than a few days off, it may pay to take an old-fashioned road trip. Gas prices aren’t too bad right now and a road trip is always an adventure.

6. Book flights early in the morning to avoid delays. The later in the day you fly the more chances your plane has to become delayed.

7. Non-stop flights are obviously best, but if you must make a connection try to schedule it in a mild climate. Connecting in Minneapolis or Chicago on Christmas Eve increases your chances of spending Christmas in the airport.

8. Confirm and check your ticket, travel destination and baggage claim tickets before you leave the check-in counter.

9. Bring your own snacks on the plane. Most airlines don’t serve meals anymore and you don’t want to sit through a long flight with your stomach growling (nor does the person sitting next to you).

10. Take a deep breath. Holiday travel can be stressful and frustrating. Long lines, delayed flights and missed connections can make for an aggravating time. But try to remember that half the fun is in the journey. And no matter how wrong it goes, at least you’re not at work!

Meb Keflizighi won the marathon with an incredible personal-best time of 2:09:15, beating the female winner, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia, (2:28:52) by nearly twenty minutes.

Due to a stress fracture in his hip during the Olympic Trials two years ago, Keflizighi was unable to compete in the Olympics in Beijing. But yesterday he made a different dream come true: to win the New York City Marathon and the USA Men’s Marathon title (the two races were run concurrently) and prove that American can compete with the best runners in the world.

“You visualize it and visualize it and when reality hits, it’s pretty sweet,” said Keflezighi, who defeated runner-up Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, a four-time Boston Marathon champion, by 41 seconds.

But not everyone thought Keflezighi had a shot. At 34-years-old, he was one of the older (serious) competitors in both races. “A lot of people were writing him off, saying he was too old,” said Ryan Hall, who finished second in the USA race and fourth overall, and who trains with Keflezighi. “But if there was one other guy who I wanted to see win this race, it was Meb. He’s like an older brother to me.”

Just goes to show you that it’s not age that matters – it’s training and desire that really counts.

Sunday’s NYC Marathon, which celebrated its 40th anniversary, drew a big crowd and 43,471 participating runners. The defending male champion, Marilson Gomes dos Santos, had to drop out in the 23rd mile. Paula Radcliffe, the defending female champion and three-time NYC Marathon winner from Great Britain, was suffering from a painful bout of tendinitis which slowed her down, allowing Tulu to take home the women’s crown. Six American males finished in the race’s top 10.

Subsequently, the number of running injuries has also greatly increased. The New York Times Well blog reports that 90% of people who train for a marathon sustain some type of injury in the process.

Some people are saying that running and injury go hand in hand. But others, like Born to Run author Christopher McDougall, beg to differ. “The sense of distance running being crazy is something new to late-20th-century America,” Mr. McDougall told me. “It’s only recently that running has become associated with pain and injury.”

The problem, McDougall says, lies in running on city streets and over-training (he has an issue with running shoes, too). Science backs up his claim. Scientists say the human body is actually designed to run long distances.

We can outrun any other animal in a long distance race and unlike animals, we are able to cool our bodies by sweating which enables us to keep up the pace. According to scientists, we could even outrun a horse in a marathon on a hot day.

It seems even our legs, feet and toes were designed for long-distance running. We’ve got springy ligaments, powerful gluteus maximus’ and strong big toes. “There are so many features in our bodies from our heads to our toes that make us good at running,” says Dr. Daniel Lieberman, Harvard evolutionary biologist.

So if we’re built to run long distances, why are we sustaining so many injuries. What do you think?

Apparently the two do not get along and caused quite a bit of tension for fellow riders during the Tour. Contador basically flat out said that he does not like Armstrong. What he doesn’t say, however, is why.

“My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will,” the 26-year-old Spaniard admitted. “It was a delicate situation, very tense, the two riders who had most weight on the team did not have an easy relationship and that puts the rest of the technical staff and the riders in an uncomfortable position,” he added.

Lance took to his Twitter account to respond to Contador’s statement. He said: “Seeing these comments from AC, if I were him I’d drop this drivel and start thanking his team. Without them, he doesn’t win. A champion is also measured on how much he respects his teammates and opponents. There is no ‘I’ in team’. What did I say in March? Lots to learn.”

What do you think? Was there not enough room on the Astana team for two champions as big as Contador and Armstrong? Were neither capable of the sportsmanship you’d hope to see from athletes of this caliber?

Armstrong won’t be riding with the Astana team again. He’s leaving at the end of the season, along with team chief Johan Bruyneel. I wonder if that has anything to do with the tension between him and the new champion. Maybe I was blessed to always have wise athletic coaches, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from sports it’s to respect your teammates and your competitors – whether they’re giving you a run for your money or not.

The Adventure Blog has a nice write up about the Tour, mentioning Outside Online’s top contender list…

Over the course of the following three weeks, the real contenders will begin to emerge, starting most likely on the 10th of July when the Peloton enters the mountains for the first time, riding 224km (139 miles) through the Pyrenees, which will hit them with a sudden force. That first mountain stage includes a Category 1 climb and a Beyond Category finish at 2200m (7217 feet) that is amongst the highest finishes for any Tour stage ever.

The five riders that they figure are the best bets to be in Yellow on the Champs Elysees at the end of July include Alberto Contador (labeled the Man to Beat), Andy Schleck (the Upstart), Carlos Sastre (Defending Champ!), Levi Leipheimer (the Dark Horse), and Cadel Evans (Man on a Mission).

You’ll notice there’s no mention of Lance Armstrong. It remains to be seen how well he’ll ride as he tries for an 8th Tour de France win. He may be recovered from that pesky broken collarbone he suffered back in March, but he’s 37 years old this year and is up against much younger athletes. I guess we’ll just have to watch and see. It’d be pretty amazing if he could pull it off one last time.

For all the action and updates on the Tour, visit the Tour de France website.

UPDATE: Lance has moved into 2nd place during the 4th stage at the Tour de France, missing the yellow jersey by a split second to overall leader Fabian Cancellara.

Most of the competing cyclists have technical road or mountain bikes, full support teams and chase vans. The best are hoping to finish in 7 days. And then there’s Ryan Van Duzer.

Duzer, a friend of ours and a rising star on the Travel Channel, is riding a 3-speed cruiser across America… solo. If you know anything about bikes, you know a cruiser isn’t the fastest option for cross-country racing. But New Belgium Brewery out of Fort Collins, CO gave Duzer a cruiser and the rest is history (in the making).

Duzer hopes to promote bicycle and environmental awareness with his daring cross-country trip. You can follow Duzer’s cruiser Race Across America, on his official website. He’ll be posting updates frequently, as well as video and other fun stuff. Check out this video of his first three days on the cruiser…

Best of luck, Duzer! You can Duz it.

Ride to Work Day was founded in 1992 and champions motorcycle commuting as a way to increase fuel efficiency, make the best use of space, save money, reduce traffic congestion and lessen carbon emissions.

Sierra Trading Post’s eCommerce Director, Andy Newlin (far right), was at the front of the pack on Monday. Here’s what Andy had to say about why he rides a motorcycle:

“With most things in life, you have to slow down to smell the flowers – riding a motorcycle is just the opposite. Traveling without the artificial environment created by an enclosed bubble of glass and metal allows you to feel the places that you’re in by experiencing every slight change in temperature, wind, or moisture. It allows you to smell the ever-so-slight scent of wildflowers while riding on highways that would otherwise only provide the smell of the chips you’re snacking on or the person sitting next to you. And it whets your appetite for adventure by allowing you a taste of adrenaline. Riding a motorcycle allows you to speed up and smell the flowers.”

Reasons to Ride a Motorcycle to Work(according to Andy)

1. It forces you to pay attention more, thus heightening your senses and making you more aware.

2. It helps you manage your center of gravity and improve your balance skills.

3. It provides time and place for creative thought – you can’t do anything else while riding and you’re exposed to nature; this combination opens the floodgates for creativity.

4. It’s better for your physical health – it works more muscles than driving a car and you’re less likely to snack.

5. You can get places faster due to the agility of a motorcycle on corners and faster acceleration.

6. Most motorcycles get at least 40 mpg, and if you go with a smaller one or a scooter, you can count on 60-100 mpg. Imagine only having to pay for gas a couple of times all summer!

Do you own a motorcycle? Why do you ride?

To see more photos of Sierra Trading Post employees on their motorcycles, visit our Facebook fan page!

Savage is on day 17 of the second leg of her journey and is sailing from Hawaii to Tuvalu, adding another 2,620 miles to her attempt at becoming the first woman to solo row the Pacific Ocean. (She’ll conquer the last leg, 2,320 miles from Tuvalu to Australia, in 2010.)

To follow along, check out the Roz Savage blog. It’s updated daily and is an incredibly interesting read. She talks about World Ocean Day, which she enjoyed in the best possible way, what she eats on the boat, the sun, the birds, the environment and, of course, the rowing. You can also follow her on the RozTracker, an interactive map that pinpoints her exact location.

So far, Savage has rowed 464 miles and made about 195, 498 oar strokes (somehow the RozTracker can tell that – I don’t think she’s counting them).

Savage’s story is unique. She didn’t begin solo rowing until her mid-thirties, when she discovered she simply couldn’t spend one more day in an office building. She longed to do something adventurous and to promote awareness of environmental issues. So, in 2005 she set out on her first solo row, the 3,000 mile Atlantic Rowing race from the Canaries to Antigua. And in 2008, she began her attempt to row 7,600 miles across the Pacific.

She claims to be an “unlikely adventurer,” but she’s certainly an ambitious one.

Photo: Roz Savage passing Diamond Head just before arriving in Honolulu Hawaii after rowing across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco. Courtesy of RozSavage.com.