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August 2008

Overcoming Common Marathon Training Challenges by Chris Carmichael

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Three Guys’ Transitions,

pages 3-5

Smart Protein,

page 2

BoD, Sponsors, Calendar,

page 8

Fit Facts,

page 6

A few weeks ago I received a call from Lance Armstrong. Apparently he was being interviewed on EXTRA and his interviewer, AJ Calloway, mentioned that he’s always wanted to run a marathon. Lance told him he should run the 2008 New York City Marathon with him, and then called me to set AJ up on a training program. After bringing AJ out to Colorado Springs for some physiological testing, I can say that his current fitness is below average for a first-time marathoner, but that he has enough time to make the improvements necessary to complete the NYC Marathon in four hours. However, fitness isn’t his only challenge. He’s also pretty new to endurance running, so we’re spending plenty of time bringing him up to speed on the skills and techniques he’ll need to help him through the next several months of training.Like all athletes, runners face challenges that can prevent them from making progress. Some of the most common ones – and their solutions – are listed below.

Challenge: Getting a coldRemedy: Be sure to stay hydrated, since your body needs fluids to help fight the illness. Take a few days off to let the cold run its course, but it’s OK to return to running with a stuffy or runny nose, even a scratchy throat. However, don’t exercise

when you have systemic symptoms, like a fever, achy joints, or diarrhea. Generally speaking, a short cold (around 5-7 days) will not hurt your overall training progress, but if you’re repeatedly coming down with small illnesses, it may be a sign that the total volume or intensity of your training program could be too aggressive.

Challenge: Sore feetRemedy: First off, go see a physical therapist or physician to make sure there’s no significant injury. Then, to keep your fitness moving forward while reducing the strain on your feet, try deep-water running, or aqua-jogging. Using a floatation belt, you can run in the pool and get a great workout without the pounding that’s been hurting your feet.

Challenge: BlistersRemedy: Leave blisters smaller than a dime alone; don’t break them. Instead, protect them with moleskin. Cut a “donut hole” into moleskin bandage and put it around the blister to reduce friction and pain until the blister goes away. You may need to break large blisters (or they may break on their own). In this case, keep the area clean, apply antibiotic ointment, and change the bandage daily. To prevent blisters, use an anti-chafing ointment. Apply it to your feet before you run, and

you can also use it to help heal dry and cracked areas in between runs. If you’re getting frequent blisters, the problem may be related to poorly-fitting or worn out shoes.

Challenge: Stomach fluRemedy: The good news about minor intestinal bugs is that most are short-lived. Don’t try to run through one; take a few days off until your system has returned to normal. You’re going to feel pretty weak for your first one or two runs, so take it easy, consume sports drinks to replenish the fluids and electrolytes you lost when you were sick, and you’ll be back to normal training within a few days.

Challenge: DarknessRemedy: Busy schedules mean that runners often run out of daylight. Don’t let this stop you. Wear reflective clothing, get an LED headlamp, and stick to terrain you’re familiar with when running outdoors at night. And don’t be afraid of training on a treadmill. Your event may be out on open roads or trails, but supplementing your outdoor training with indoor runs is better than not running at all when it’s raining or pitch black outside.

Two Yummy Recipes,

page 7

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Best Protein Recommendationsby Ben Greenfield

Many of us are aware of the benefits of protein - it's ability to slow release of blood sugar, enhance muscular recovery, assist with weight loss,and perhaps most importantly, make our meals more interesting, tasty and filling! Here are several recommendations for your protein intake.

1. Ensure that protein sources are lean:LeanestSkim milk, soy milkPlain, fat free yogurt, cottage cheeseEgg whitesWhite meat tuna in waterWhite meat skinless poultry95% lean ground beef/turkeynon-fried fish/seafoodtrimmed beef, pork tenderloinbeans, peas, lentils

Second Choice2% milklow-fat cheese, yogurtwhole eggsdark meat tuna in waterdark meat skinless poultry85% lean ground beef/turkeyturkey bacon/sausagetrimmed pork chops/lambnuts/seeds/peanut butter

High Fat/Last ChoiceWhole milkRegular cheeseIce cream/frozen custard75% lean ground beeffried chicken, fish, seafoodbacon, sausage, bolognahotdogs, pepperoni, salamibeef or pork ribsuntrimmed steakburgers w/ cheese

2. Ensure adequate protein. Look at grams of protein per serving on all packaged food. Recommendations for regular

activity: 0.5-0.7 grams per pound.

Recommendations for athletes, weightlifters and very activeindividuals: 0.7-0.9 grams per pound.

3. Go organic on eggs, and limit consumption to no more than 4 eggs a week (females) or 7 eggs a week (males).

Modern western diet tends to load our bodies very high with omega 6 fatty acids from vegetable oils, while providing only very low intakes of omega 3 fatty acids. Organic eggs have a much better ratio of omega 3 fatty acids to omega 6 fatty acids, helpingbring you back into equilibrium for proper formation of

hormones and cell membranes. Do not overcook eggs, as this can degrade the fragile proteins.And cholesterol? Consume eggs in moderation, but realize that they contain a high degree of lecithin, a cholesterol degrading enzyme that helps your bodynaturally digest the cholesterol in eggs.

4. Limit intake of dairy proteins, as allergens, hormones, and antibiotics.These products from the modern dairy industry can interfere with your normal cellular metabolism. Consume non-sweetened dairy only, as opposed to "Key Lime Pie"or "Strawberry-Banana" flavored yogurt.

5. Limit shellfish and peanut consumption. They tend to have high levels of metabolism-decreasing toxins.

6. Eat preservative-free and low-sodium deli meat, and prioritize grass-fedorganic beef or buffalo.

7. Avoid high intake of soy, as most individuals are allergic, even if they don't know it. Soy has several health risks, and can cause weight gain, especially in females. The best soy products to consume are tempeh, miso,and patto.

8. Fish and seafood are high in protein, but consume only in moderation due to mercury and other toxins. Twice per week for maximum consumption. Sinceyou're limiting fish, attain your omega-3 fatty acids from capsules or supplements.

9. Nuts are good protein sources, but the majority of nut intake should be from flaxseeds and walnuts, which have more favorable omega-3 to omega-6ratios for weight loss. Be cautious, because nuts are very calorically dense. A serving is a small handful.

10. Limit bean and legume intake, since they can have a significant effect on your insulin levels.

They should be combined with other protein sources, like nuts, if they are to be the main protein part of your meal.

11. Limit consumption of protein from powders, drink supplements, bars and packaged products to 1 (maximum) per day.

Natural protein sources are betterabsorbed, and better for you!

If you need more help with nutrition, Champions Sports Medicine offers fullnutrition coaching packages, or single sit-down nutrition consultations. Just call Ben Greenfield at 208-883-7705 for more information!

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A Study in Transitions, from three different but similar minds. One great guy at a time...

Guy #1: Michael Bergquist

I’ll go through transitions from my point of view, then a top 10 (or so) list.

Transitions are often the least of a triathlete’s considerations when it comes to a race. However, nothing can make as big of an impact on race day as transitions. An athlete’s fitness is already set and few mistakes in a race stand to make us pay for an error as much a transition error. Getting to a race early gives you plenty of time to scout out the transition, determine the lines of travel and put your bike in the right rack. Typically, you want to put your bike in a place that you do as little running with the bike as possible, which makes it important to understand the bike out/in locations. We all have strong sides, so we set up on that same side of the bike every time if possible, even if it means moving to a slightly less advantageous location. Keep both in mind. After getting your area set up, head down to the water and do a dry run/walk through transition. Believe me, things can look completely different from the other direction, especially after you’re coming out dizzy from a hard swim. It also helps to do your warm-up swim and follow it with a run through transition and onto the bike. Do a dry run from the bike to run. That’s typically not as complicated, but can cost you time.

Setting up your transition area is as important as where you set up. You have to think your way through it forward and backward. You start with a clean transition area, but what about a place for your wetsuit, cap and goggles? When you can truly think your way through what happens to your spot from start to finish, the faster your transition will be. It doesn’t matter how clean it is, but how fast it is. Your area needs to be set up to allow you to do things in a particular order. Every extra move you make costs you time. Put your helmet on your bike, so you put it straight onto your head without turning it over and rotating it. Have your shoes in the correct spot, so you can grab only the one you want. When you’re bent over, just like an old person, try to find something else to do while you’re down there. If you have to bend over twice when you didn’t have to, then you just wasted some time. When you practice, you can go through it slowly to figure out the most efficient order of tasks through transition. Even if you don’t want to race it, having great efficiency makes transition less stressful and more restful.

When it comes to mounting your bike, there’s the flying mount, my mount and the standing mount. I can’t do the flying mount due to the limits of my saddle clamp and the beam strength. I choose to leave my bike in a larger gear with my shoes clipped in. This allows me to step on with my right foot (I mount from the left). The larger gear keeps my foot from dropping quickly like it would in a low gear. Basically it serves as a foot peg while I quickly switch to my left foot and move my right foot over to the other shoe. Transitions aren’t just about the time between the two timing mats. How quickly you mount and get up to speed and set counts too. Pedal up to speed and maybe a little extra, then coast while putting your shoes on and pedaling up to speed again, then coast again while you strap in.

Dismounting your bike is pretty tricky too. Unstrap as you come in, ride with your feet on the shoes, then coast to the dismount line as you bring your leg over the bar or behind the saddle and between the frame and your other leg. This will leave you primed to literally hit the ground running. It’s fast and keeps you from crashing, both good things. Do things in T2 in an orderly fashion too. I rack the bike with one hand and unbuckle with the other. As I bend to put on my shoes, I let the helmet fall off my head. Why waste time taking it off. I’ll put my left shoe on, then grab my right shoe, which has my race belt in it, and start running. While running, I’ll put my belt in my mouth,

then try to jump and put my shoe on mid stride (in the really important races). The race belt goes on as I settle into a comfortable stride. If you want a hat, then add that to your mouth as well.

When it comes to transitions, don’t do things you may not be able to do. Leaving your shoes clipped in can save 3 to 5 seconds over putting shoes on in transition (depending on the transition area, length, terrain and grade coming out of transition). If you do it poorly, then you could crash, drop a shoe and have to go back, or just lose a bunch of time. I once saw a guy have his shoe spin around, which popped his bike into the air and jolt him to the side. He torked his body to compensate and ended up breaking his saddle off in the process. End of race. Transitions are about racing smart. In an equidistance transition area in big/important races, I have had the fastest combined transitions for nearly a decade. I experiment a lot in less important races, but when it counts, I bring it every time. On several occasions, annihilating the competition in transition helped me win when I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

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Michael’s Top 11

1. Know your transition area forward and backward for T1 and T2.

2. Get there early to get a good spot and get set up with plenty of time to spare.

3. Do a couple dry runs of both T1 and T2.

4. Set your things out in the way you’ll need to put them on without adjusting them in transition.

5. Make sure your bike is in the correct gear.

6. Know how unusual transitions are run. These are ones that you have gear bags and people rack your bikes, etc.

7. Have a plan and stick to it. Rehearse it as you’re coming into transition and work through it smoothly.

8. Race through transition. The race isn’t over until the end of the run, so don’t take a break in transition. It won’t make much of a difference.

9. Don’t rush your way into mistakes. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, fast is deadly (according to the Navy Seals).

10. Practice. Every extra move is extra time that you’ll have to bike or run out of someone.

11. Skip any trick that you’re likely to fail at. Certain mistakes can cost you far more than saved (shoes on bike is the biggest one).

Guy #2: Ben GreenfieldBen’s Top Ten Transition Tips!

10) Do: Squirt any slippery cream, vaseline, or lotion product inside yourbike or run shoes, to make your feet slip n' slide right in duringtransition. Don't (guys): Use your wife's new and expensivePomegranate-Vanilla Body Crème.

9) Do: Let the zipper pulley string on the back of your wetsuit hang free,as it's easier to grab as you run out of the swim. Don't: Grab otherpeople's free-hanging zipper pulley strings as you swim past them.

8) Do: Leave your bike shoes attached to your bike pedals. Don't: Leave yourbike shoes attached to your bike pedals unless you've practiced a barefootmount at least 10 times in your backyard, neighborhood park, or local golfcourse (not to be confused with the barefoot mount you practice in yourbedroom)

7) Do: Keep your hands free by leaving your cap and goggles on until afteryou've removed at least the upper part of your wetsuit. Don't: Keep thegoggles on the rest of the race to save time in transition and money onsunglasses.

6) Do: Run through transition prior to the race to practice spotting yourbike. Don't: Hang helium balloons from your bike, paint your bike neoncolors, or rip your car alarm out of your car, hang it on your bikehandlebars, and activate it as you run through transition.

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Ben’s Top Ten (cont’d)

5) Do: Wear your heart rate monitor, watch, and race belt under your wetsuitto save time. Don't: Wear your bike helmet under your swim cap to also savetime.

4) Do: Put your sunglasses inside your helmet so you can easily locate them.Don't: Forget that you did this and put your helmet on, then run aroundtransition screaming if anyone has seen your sunglasses.

3) Do: Roll your socks down so that your feet slip into them more quickly.Don't: Squirt that lotion stuff into your socks.

2) Do: Test the tension on those brand new elastic shoelaces by actuallyputting your feet into your shoes before the race. Don't: Go to the medicaltent if your feet become stuck inside the elastic-equipped shoes - justremain calm and cool and pour boiling water on the shoes to stretch out theelastic laces and free your feet.

1) Do: Go to that same soft, grassy golf course and practicing dismountingfrom your bike while leaving the shoes attached to the pedals. Don't: Gointo the clubhouse and complain about people shooting balls at you whileyou're trying to ride your bike, dammit.

Guy # 3: Roger Thompson1. The bike mount line doesn't mean you have to mount there exactly.

Sometimes it saves time to run through the congestion and mount beyondthe line.

2. Make transition decisions based on the course. For example, if thebike course takes off on a steep uphill, it might not be a good course

to mount with shoes on your bike because you'll want to have your feetin your shoes for a powerful upstroke.

3. Anything that can be done at speed, don't do in transition. Forexample, put visor/hat on while running coming out of T2 and take all

gels/fluids while in motion.

4. Put your sunglasses in your aero bottle straw and put them on while riding.

5. Get up to speed on bike before "doing" anything (putting feet inshoes, putting on sunglasses, taking gels/water) on the bike. You're

more stable that way.

6. Understand why you're doing what you're doing, not just because yousaw someone else do it. Practice it… a lot.

7. Don't take your goggles and swim cap off until your wetsuit top isoff and around your waist. It's harder to get your wetsuit off of yourarm if your hand is in a fist holding your swim cap and goggles, and

you have one less hand to get your wetsuit off with.

8. Swim until you can feel the ground with your hands. You're fasterswimming in the water than running in it.

9. Run guiding your bike with your hand on the saddle because you runfaster when your body isn't twisted to hang onto your handle bars.

10. Wear your race belt under your wetsuit if possible.

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Fit Facts for Avoiding InjuriesLinda Melone, C.S. has advice on training safelyPublished Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Band StrengthThat burning knee pain you experience while running may be caused by inflammation of the iliotibial (IT) band, a tough tissue that runs along your outer thigh from the hip to knee. Researchers at the University of Delaware wondered what caused the inflammation, so they conducted gait analysis on a group of recreational female runners and followed their training for two years. Eighteen runners who had greater hip adduction (the amount the hip rolls toward the middle of the body) and internal knee rotation at the start of the study developed IT band syndrome by the end, suggesting a possible biomechanical cause for the painful condition.

You can take steps to avoid developing IT band syndrome. "Exercises to strengthen the muscles around the hip help, and include lateral side walking with tubing, lateral step-ups, squats and lunges," says Irv Rubenstein, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and

founder of personal-training center S.T.E.P.S., Inc., in Nashville, Tennessee.

Power OutageNo matter how hard you try, you can't force yourself to sprint at an all-out effort faster or for a longer period of time. Within seconds, your muscles move from exertion to exhaustion, and now researchers know why. A new study in the American Journal of Physiology reports that when your muscles are pushed past the "critical power level"--the intense level of effort you can sustain for a period of time, usually 75 to 80 percent of your maximum capacity--they quickly become tired, and the level of phosphocreatine, an important energy source, is fast depleted. Together, these factors force you to slow down or stop. The good news: The more fit you become, the longer you can maintain workouts at your critical power level.

Milk the BenefitsGetting an adequate amount of vitamin D--through dairy products, fish and even sunlight--does more than prevent bone fractures. New studies show that intakes of 800 to 1,000 IU a day increase muscle performance and help prevent falls later in life. Vitamin D also helps the body absorb calcium, which can boost the density of the hip and pelvis as well as improve balance. It may also lower your risk of developing breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

Too Much of a Good Thing?Dehydration during a long run can be a real concern, especially in the hot summer months. But the dangers of overhydration, "hyponatremia," may be equally deadly. Hyponatremia occurs when excess water dilutes the sodium in your blood, says Dr. James Muntz of The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Muntz recommends drinking no more than one cup of water or sports drink every 20 minutes during exercise.

Try This=>Triangle Pose: Start standing with your legs straight and spread wide apart. Turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right while keeping the left foot pointing forward. Place your right hand on your right shin or ankle. Roll your torso open, so both shoulders face forward, and raise your left arm straight over your head. Look up toward your left hand or straight ahead if this bothers your neck. Focus on stretching your left fingertips as high as you can. Take a few deep breaths, and then slowly straighten to a standing position. Repeat on the other side.

*Articles submitted to Ironmanlive.com on training-related topics represent the personal opinions of the author based on their own experience and research. Ironmanlive.com provides these for your review and consideration, but does not endorse any particular recommendations of our authors.

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Delicious Granolafrom Michelle Huskinson

Ingredients: * 5 cups whole oats * 1/4 cup olive oil * 3/4 cup sugar free maple syrup (I like log cabin) * 2 tsp. vanilla extract * 1/4 cup of honey * 1/2 cup pecans * 1/2 cup walnuts * 1/2 cup almonds * 1/4 cup coconut * 1 cup organic raisins * 1 tsp. cinnamon * 1/8 tsp nutmeg * 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots * 1/2 cup dried apples Directions:Pre-heat oven to 300 deg. In a large mixing bowl combine oats and olive oil. Mix well. Add maple syrup, vanilla, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix very well. Prepare a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread mixture on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 min. Keep mixing bowl available. Put together the nuts and dried fruits in bowl. Add this to the mixture out of the oven and bake for another 15 min. Let mixture cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. * Other things to use: dried blueberries, cherries, craisins, *If you don't add syrup use a 1/2 cup olive oil instead and use Splenda, brown sugar (1/4 cup) for a different taste* If you don't like brown sugar then use Stevia and cinnamon topping as the mixture comes out to cool. If you don't like the raisins or fruit cooked, add these in at the end of the second baking process as it cools. This is an excellent breakfast cereal and a snack. Enjoy!

*********************************************************************************Rhubarb Cake

from Michelle HuskinsonIngredients: 1 Betty Crocker cake mix (preferably butter brickle, but butter pecan or yellow will work, just needs to be this specific brand) 4 cups 1/4 inch chopped rhubarb 1 cup heavy whipping cream (not whipped) 1 1/2 cups sugar 9 x 13 cake pan, prepared for a cake

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees Follow cake mix instructions per the box and pour batter into pan. Sprinkle rhubarb over batter Sprinkle sugar over batter and rhubarb Pour cream over all the cake Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, until cake is baked in middle & golden on top Serve cake warm with vanilla ice cream Yum!

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Board of Directors• Steve Anderson - Membership Director • Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director

• Phaedra Cote - Kids Club Director• Trish Cudney - Social Director• Greg Gallagher - Event Director• Natalie Gallagher - Newsletter Director• Ben Greenfield - Website Director• Mark Hodgson - Mentor Director• Jim Powers - Vice President• Tim Swanson - Treasurer• Jessi Thompson - Secretary• Roger Thompson - President

We would like to extend a

generous thank you to our

truly amazing sponsors!

The Board of Directors, Sponsorsand The Calendar of Upcoming Events...

August/Sept. CalendarTraining Opportunities:Mon-Wed-Fri @ 8:30-10 pm, Sat @ 5:30-7 am: Masters Swim at Whitworth College, e-mail kevinwang@spokanewaves.org.

Tuesday evenings: BLTs @ 5 & 6 @ rotating places around 7-Mile. Watch the Tri Forum for details!

Saturdays @ time TBA: Probable outside bike ride meeting location & time posted weekly on the Tri-Forum.

Mon. & Wed. evenings @ 5:30: Open water swim, starts at the Liberty Lake Village Beach. Always a variety of

swimming levels, so please feel welcome to join the fun!

Races/Runs:

• Aug. 23: Apple Capitol Triathlon at Wenatchee, WA

• Aug. 24: IM Canada at Penticton, B.C. Canada

• Aug. 30: Titanium Man Oly Tri at Kennewick, WA

• Sept. 7: Spokefest river loop 21 miles ride at 9 am at Spokane, WA

• Sept. 13: Grand Columbian Triathlon Races - IM, Half IM & Olympic at Grand Coulee, WA

• Black Diamond Triathlons in Enumclaw, WA

• Sept. 20: USAT Age Group National Championship at Portland, OR

Upcoming Events: Clinics: Wednesday, Sept. 24th: Off-season

Nutrition Clinic at Champion Sports @ 6:30-8:00 pm!

$10/Tri Fusion Members $15/Non-Members

Next Membership Meeting:September 17th, 2008 @ 6:30 p.m.: General membership meeting at location TBA.

Next Tri Fusion Kids Club Meeting: Wednesday, October 9th @ Brentwood Elementary from 6:15-7:45 p.m.