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January 2008New Year, New LookWelcome to Tri Fusion’s second year of newsletter editions! We hope you love it, the new year and the new look!

LOOKING AHEAD - LOOKING AT OUR FUTURE As we enter a new year together, growing and stretching as a club, a great big family and a collective, competitive soul we also look into our future by inviting some very special people to join our team. By Natalie Gallagher & Susan Wood-Gaines

For the past few months, a group of dedicated club members have

been working together to create a place for our Tri Fusion members’

children in the multi sport scene. We are so thrilled to announce the

upcoming launch of our Tri Fusion Kids Club! The official launch will

take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2008.

The Kids Club plans to meet four times per calendar year

beginning on the launch date in April, followed by meetings in July and

October 2008 and January 2009. At each club meeting children will be

able to experience an introduction to the meeting’s theme, educational,

nutritional and fun-filled activity components, and won’t leave the

meeting without singing our Kids Club Fight Song!

Children will be organized into three age groups to provide age-

appropriate activities. The initiation fee is $25, which includes a SWAG

bag, and $5 per meeting. You may sign up your child or children by

contacting Tiffany Byrd @ Tbyrd@mead.k12.wa.us or at the Tri

Fusion member meetings in January - March.

Our mission? Tri Fusion Kids is a multi sport club for children

dedicated to encouraging an active lifestyle, sportsmanship and healthy

choices in order to foster development of lifelong habits that are both

healthy and rewarding. Tri Fusion Kids is committed to

providing friendship, fun, training opportunities, teaching, camaraderie,

encouragement and guidance to its members.

We want ‘em! Your kids from ages 4-12 are

invited to join the Tri Fusion Kids Club!

Custom Clothing

Guide,

page 6

Core Training for Bicyclists,

page 2Short

Bikes=Tall Order,

page 3

Freestyle Swim Tips,

pages 4 & 5

BoD, Calendar,

Cool Stuff,

page 7

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Core Training for Cyclistsby Ben GreenfieldNSCA-CPT, CSCS, MS PE

A recent study in the National Journal of Strength and Conditioning Researchoutlined the importance of core training for cyclists. The title of thisstudy was "Relationship Between Cycling Mechanics and Core Stability". Thepurpose of the study was to determine whether cycling mechanics are affectedby core stability. The foundation behind core training for cyclists is thatpelvic stabilization maintains a natural curvature of the spine. The core isdefined as the collection of primary stabilizing muscles for both the frontand the back of the pelvis and lower back. A weak core could potentiallyinhibit power production, since the pelvis is the "lever" for the psoas andgluteal muscles, both of which are your cycling power muscles. If your lowerextremities are not aligned properly and the lever is in an incorrectposition, then power is compromised.

During a long distance cycling event such as Ironman, the pelvis is fixed in a constant position, and subjected to tens of thousands of musclecontraction repetitions. If the core breaks down during this time due tofatigue, then the pelvis will shift and wattage will suffer. So even if thelegs are ideally prepared and adequately tapered, a cyclist could still havesub-par results. For the triathlete, this problem is compounded by the factthat the core is already pre-fatigued by the swim.

So, how can a cyclist prepare the core properly for the rigors oftriathlon? Crunches alone will not do the trick, because the low back issupported by the ground, which is not the case while cycling. Here are 3effective functional core training moves for enhancing pelvic stability andcore endurance.

1) Brick Walls This is a strategy I will use during a long hilly ride or a hill intervalworkout, and can be performed on your indoor trainer or during an outdoorride. Climb an entire 3-6 minute hill in the standing position. As youclimb, try to breathe from deep in your core, just behind the bellybutton.At the same time, visualize your abdomen as a "brick wall", and maintain atight core, especially as you drive your knees up to your chest. If you dothis properly, then every the leg comes past the top tube you'll feel yourabdominal muscles contract. For added effect, avoid bouncing on thehandlebars.

2) Mountain Climbers Your focus during this exercise is very similar to the aforementioned BrickWall, except now you should be off the bike, in a push-up position, drivingyour right knee up towards the left elbow and vice versa. Again maintainfocus on a tight abdomen and deep stomach breathing. You will also need tofocus on maintaining a straight line from the shoulders to the wrist, andhips that are close to the ground. Below is a link to a video of meperforming the exercise. These can be performed slowly, as in the video atthe link below, or quickly, mimicking a rate closer to a cycling cadence:http://www.pacificfit.net/members/Workouts/exercises/MountainClimbers.html

3) Cable Torso Twists This exercise requires core force production against a cable resistance. Itis important in your core conditioning program to include an exercise thatintroduces external resistance. What is the external resistance that atriathlete's core experiences while cycling? The bike! You have to steer andnavigate your bike against the friction of the road, and for an Ironman

triathlete especially, this can lead to fatigue over the course of 112miles. Force transmission from the pelvis to the lower extremities isimportant, but functional strength and endurance is also required for theupper body force transmission from the core. The cable torso twists is alsoa great exercise for swimmers who need to focus on hip rotation. Here is alink to the exercise video:http://www.pacificfit.net/members/Workouts/exercises/CableTorsoTwists.html

Add these moves into your weekly program and you'll begin to feel the results within about 4-6 weeks. A stronger core will enhance a cyclist'sforce transmission from the hips and pelvis to the lower extremities. Inaddition, a triathlete riding in the time trial position will likely havemore support from the trunk, and thus place less pressure on the shoulder,upper back, and neck muscles when resting on the aero-bars. An effective coreconditioning program needs to be consistent, and should be performed atleast twice per week during the entire training year. A word of caution:avoid any core training up to 48 hours prior to competition, as muscularfatigue and soreness peaks at about the two day mark.

Until next time, train smart!

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SHORT BIKES ARE A TALL ORDER (A tri bike guide for those under 5'6" tall)

contributed by Kerry Fisher

Ardent triathletes keep themselves boned up on the prominent tri bike companies and the models they offer. Less well known is how the industry solves the problems of women in particular, and of shorter riders in general. We'll look at how each company approaches this problem.  First, we'll lay out what the problems are. Then we'll describe how to solve these problems. Then, we'll list how each bike company treats its under-50cm bike size(s). When we finish our look at each brand we'll categorize these offerings by price category as well.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/product2007/tribikes/tribikesmall.html

There are two overwhelming problems smaller riders face. First, it's hard to get the aero bars low enough relative to the

height of the saddle. This problem becomes

greater as the rider's position becomes more aggressive, that is, as the rider chooses a steeper seat angle and a lower amount of armrest drop. This problem is considerably worse for triathletes than for road racers, because the bars must be lower for time trial positions, and the aero bars and their armrests sit on top of road or pursuit bars, raising the elevation of the handlebar yet further.   The second problem is the length of

these bikes. It's typical for smaller riders to

need short "cockpits," only to have a hard time finding them, because shortening these bikes causes shoe overlap (the back of the front wheel intersects with the rider's shoe when the crank is in its forward-most position; while a little overlap might be okay, the problem can become quite severe). 

The culprit in both these cases is the

size of the front wheel. The easiest solution to both problems is to replace the standard 700c wheel with a smaller 650c wheel. This issue of 700c versus 650c has reached religious proportions in triathlon, but when you take the religion out of it and simply consider it as a practical matter, tri bikes almost have to be

made with 650c wheels in sizes below 50cm if

the bike is to be taken seriously. 

What the appropriate cut-off point is

becomes a matter of fruitful discussion. Perhaps 50cm bikes and up should be made with 700c wheels. Maybe it's 52cm, maybe 55cm. Reasonable people can disagree, but the newest generation of tri bikes bring with them an extra issue that must be solved, and that concerns the rear wheel cutout sculpted into the back of the frame's seat tube. If you want to maintain a longish chain stay for the purpose of smooth shifting and low friction between the chain and the cogs, that dimension is probably in the area of 38cm. But if you build the chain stay to that distance and place a 650c wheel on your bike, how deep will the seat tube need to be in order to still grant you your cutout? That's a design element tackled by a

few companies, but not by many.  Most would concede that if you can't

achieve your optimized position on your bike, the cutout isn't going to overcome that. So, obvious editorial preference is granted by us to the bikes which resist the temptation to be conservative, and boldly forge ahead with the 650s on their small-sized bikes.  The above having been noted, the

steeper the seat angle the lesser the shoe

overlap problem. Also, internal headsets help get aero bars a bit lower than otherwise. Spec'ing aerobars with low-profile armrests also helps to solve any problem getting the front of the bike low enough. So, a company spec'ing lower profile armrests on their steep

seat angled, internally headsetted bike could

make that bike with 700c wheels one or two

sizes smaller than would a company not

employing such design techniques. All that established, you're still paddling upstream if

you're a manufacturer making a 700c tri bike

in a 47cm or 48cm size. 

I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE, I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE...

Because

Size

Matters

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Freestyle Swimming Tips from www.swimclub.com.au

The freestyle stroke is the fastest, most efficient stroke, because it maintains the body in a streamlined position with the limbs able to apply constant propulsive forces due to the arms alternating action and the continuous flutter action of the legs.

BODY POSITION A streamlined body position is required with arms extended above the head. One hand is placed over the other and the arms cover the ears. The back and legs are kept straight, until a flutter kick is used.

HEAD POSITION The head should be kept well down with the water line at the top of the head. This position will keep the body in a horizontal streamlined position and reduce frontal resistance. If the head is held too high, the torso and legs will drop, resulting in increased frontal resistance. BODY ROLL The body roll in freestyle is initiated by the arm action. The entire body turns on its long axis as the swimmer’s hand enters the water in front. The rolling action of the body enables the swimmer to develop more power by bringing the large trunk muscles into play, particularly in the acceleration at the end of the underwater pull. Body roll will also assist the body to maintain a streamlined position by keeping the hips and shoulders in line. Freestyle swimmers will spend more time on their sides than they do on their fronts.

HAND ENTRY The hand enters the water forward of the head, between the midline of the body and a parallel line from the shoulders. The fingertips enter the water first, with the elbow above the hand and the hand pitched at around 30 degrees. The arm should be approximately 2/3 extended when hand enters the water and then stretches forward. The front arm should be near complete extension as the other arm finishes the underwater pull. Common errors on entry 1. Hand in a prone position on entry – increases resistance as the back of the hand pushes against the water. 2. Hand at 90 degrees on entry – increase the possibility of shoulder injury 3. Overreaching – increase drag force on body from lateral movement 4. Entering too early – increases drag, as your hand must travel a further distance under water against the body’s momentum.

UNDERWATER ARM PULL The catch is made with the front hand as the other hand releases the water. The wrist is flexed outward, downward and backward to expose the palm to the water. The elbow begins to flex, as the hand is swept downward and slightly outward. It is important for swimmers to get a strong catch on the water and maintain a high elbow position as the hand moves under the head and shoulders. The hand continues to sweep down and in toward the midline and then upward and in toward the lower chest. The hand will accelerate slightly throughout the underwater pull to gain maximum speed. The final propulsive phase is made by sweeping the hand backward, upward and outward. Common errors in underwater pull 1. Turning palm inward at catch phase – Reduces forward velocity during the downsweep and leaves the hand in a poor position for the following insweep. 2. Pushing down on the water – the body moves in the direction of the back of your hand 3. Dropped elbow – reduces power on the water 4. Losing the hold on the water during the sculling phase. 5. Pushing water upward on exit – pushes body down 6. Exiting at full extension ARM RECOVERY Arm recovery is initiated by lifting the elbow upward and forward. A high elbow recovery is preferred by most because it reduces the effort required and maintains body alignment. The hand and forearm are carried forward in a slight arc (boomerang) around the body with the back of hand pointing forward.

Common errors in arm recovery 1. Rushing the recovery – the arm should not start the catch phase until the other armhas finished the stroke. The underwater hand has less distance to travel than the hand recovering. 2. Low lateral recovery – will throw the body out of alignment. ARM TIMING Enter the water with the recovery hand anywhere between the beginning of the upsweep to the beginning of the push back. As one arm pushes back, the recovery arm will have entered and stretched forward in preparation for the catch (outsweep). The outsweep will occur simultaneously with the propelling arm’s recovery.

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LEG ACTION The leg kick originates from the hip and the muscles in the upper leg. The legs move primarily in a vertical plane with the ankles flexed but relaxed so that the big toes turn toward each other. The key to easy and efficient kicking is to keep ankles and feet loose and flexible. Each kick has an upward and downward component called the upbeat and downbeat. There is also some lateral movement of the legs during the kicking action. This assists with stabilizing and streamlining the body during the stroke. • A six-beat kick requires the swimmer to execute three

downward beats during each armstroke. • A two-beat kick requires the swimmer to execute one

downward beat during each armstroke. • Both have their advantages, with the speed provided by a six

beat kick worthwhile, while the energy saved by doing a two-beat kick.

Freestyle BREATHING Breathing should be incorporated into the body roll. The face should turn to breathe as the opposite hand L enters the water. Inhalation occurs as the hand R pushes back and the recovery takes place. The face is turned back into the water as the recovery arm swings past the face. Bi-lateral breathing important from an early age. Train swimmers to limit breathing in 25’s and 50’s from a young age.

Common errors in breathing. 1. Turning the head too early – not able to use natural body roll 2. Dropping the underwater arm through the pull while breathing – creates over roll of body 3. Turning the head out of alignment when breathing – creates too much lateral movement 4. Lifting the head when breathing – hips drop

FREESTYLE DRILLS All drills can be done in multiples of 25’s, 50’s or 100’s • Freestyle kick with board – chin on the surface • Freestyle kick with board – head in water, breathe on side • Freestyle kick with board – one arm on board, breathing on side • Freestyle kick without board – one arm in front, breathe on side • Single arm stroke with board, enter under the board, continuous kick • Single arm freestyle • Single arm freestyle, 4 strokes on each arm • Single arm freestyle, 3 strokes on each arm • Single arm freestyle, 2 strokes on each arm

• Catch up freestyle • 4L, 4R, 3L, 3R, 2L, 2R, 1L, 1R... • Single arm stroke, 10 kicks on side, one stroke, 10 kicks on side... • Single arm stroke, 10 kicks on side, 3 strokes, 10 kicks on side... • Unco drill, single arm freestyle, breathe on opposite side • Hypoxic drills - F/s breathing every 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 strokes • Freestyle polo using kayaking principle • Fast freestyle Freestyle FREESTYLE TURN PROGRESSIONS Forward rolls on land Forward roll and stand up on land Somersaults in the water, standing up after each one. Three strokes then somersault Swim freestyle into wall somersault, stop Swim freestyle into wall, turn and push off on back Swim freestyle into wall, turn and push off on front Swim freestyle into wall, turn and push off on front with flutter kick Swim freestyle into wall, turn and push off on front with dolphin, then flutter kick Swim freestyle into wall, turn and push off on front with dolphin, then flutter kick, then freestyle, no breathing on first stroke Gary Barclay Aquatic Management Group www.aquaticmg.com.au

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Sugoi Clothing Order

Hey Tri Fusion family!

Just wanted to give you a heads up about the Sugoi custom clothing that we will be talking about at the meeting . The pictures on this page are just some of the items we are currently considering for ordering.  We have requested samples from Sugoi (that should be here before the meeting).  After seeing the samples, it is possible a couple of the items will be eliminated (i.e.  we requested 2 different jackets, 2 different vests, etc. to be able to compare quality vs. price).  

The pricing for the items is on a spreadsheet on the original e-mail that Jessi sent out to all members.  There are 2 different prices for each item.  The price will depend on the quantity ordered.  We must order 24 of an item to make it a "go" and the price break comes at 50 items.  Because some of the items use the same layouts, some of them can be combined to make minimums - these combinations are specified by Sugoi.  The items that can be combined are color coded (ex.  all the yellow items can be combined to make minimums).

At the meeting, we will be showing the clothing items we received from Sugoi (they won't be our custom design, but the same item) and handing out custom clothing order forms.  Your orders must be submitted with half of your payment by January 31st (we will use the 24

quantity price break for these first payments to be safe.  You will be charged the true remainder when the clothing arrives).  We will go over exactly how to do this at the meeting. You will then be billed for the remainder of the balance after our order has been shipped.  It will take 8-10 weeks for the clothing to arrive after the order has been placed.  

*We will not be placing another order until May (at the earliest) which means clothes wouldn't arrive until end of July - beginning of August.  Again, this is the earliest that we would do a a re-order, not a for sure.

*Please note that there are mens and womens sizing for some of the items, and some items have unisex sizing.

*The sponsors that are going on the custom clothing have committed to multi-year contracts with Tri Fusion.  We will not be changing uniforms next year, and hopefully the year after as well.

*The custom clothing is in no way mandatory or required for membership.

*If you're unable to make the meeting, you will miss out on seeing the clothing, but we'll be emailing out the order form, so you'll still be able to fill it out and send it in.

All the best,Tri Fusion Board of Directors

SUGOI STYLE

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Board of Directors

• Kathi Best - Social Director• Kevin Best - Vice President• Kim Ellis - Treasurer• Greg Gallagher - Asst. Director• Natalie Gallagher - Newsletter • Ben Greenfield - Website Director• Mark Hodgson - Team Event Director• Sam Picicci - Uniform Director• Jim Powers - Membership Director• Jessi Thompson - Secretary• Roger Thompson - President• Scott Ward - Marketing Director

• Kirk Wood-Gaines - Mentor Director Our Sponsors Corner will resume in the next edition of the Tri Fusion Newsletter. We are currently beginning a new year of sponsors and supporters of Tri Fusion and want to be

sure to dedicate proper time & space to include and thank you all.

•

The Green Drink

from Kerry Fisher Ingredients:

2 C fresh spinach

2 C cucumber

1 head of celery

1/2 inch or tspn ginger root

1 bunch parsley

2 apples

juice of one lime

juice of 1/2 lemon

After everything is combined in a blender, this recipe makes 28 to 30 ounces, equally about 3-4 servings.

Or - you can put everything into a juicer, including the lime and lemon with peels.

Be creative with ingredients as long as you keep the apple and lemon in the recipe.

Pears add a delicious taste!

Marathon Moguls Unite:

Thursday, January 24, 2008 @ 7:30 pm @

Northtown and Valley Cinemas only...

This is a highly advertised one night only

opportunity to watch the video,“Spirit of the

Marathon.” A “behind the scenes” featurette

that includes interviews with marathon

veterans reminiscing about their first marathon

experiences and also highlights deleted scenes,

dramatic race footage and previews of the

upcoming 2008 Olympics with a Q & A session

with Olympians Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall.

The Board of Directors, A Recipe, A Recommendation and The Calendar of Upcoming Events...

January/February CalendarTraining Opportunities:

North Spokane --

Mondays & Wednesdays @ 5-7 am: Open Swim @ OZ North.

Thursday evenings @ 6:30 pm: Headlamp run from the Gallagher’s home in north Spokane. Watch the Tri Forum for details!

Saturdays @ 8’ish am: Probable BATs, meeting location & time posted weekly on the Tri-Forum.

Sundays @ 8 am: Mornings with Martin, Planned group swim workout @ Oz North. Starbucks afterwards!

Races/Runs:

- Jan. 19 @ 9 am: Deer Park Frostbite 5k Run at Deer Park, WA

- January 21, 2008: Martin Luther King Gala Sports Event

-Feb. 3 @ 10 am: Souper Bowl Snowday Cross Country Skiing & Snow Shoeing @ Mt. Spokane- February 10, 2008: Partners in Pain 5K Run at West Central Community Center at Spokane, WA

Upcoming Events:

Clinics -

• Swim overwater/underwater videotape stroke analysis in Liberty

Lake: Jan 26, 6-8pm, Feb 23, 6-8pm, and March 22, 6-8pm. See forum for more details.

• Dry land strength training for triathletes at Champions Sports Medicine: Jan 27, 5-6:30pm, Feb 24, 5-6:30pm and Mar 23rd, 5-6:30pm. See forum for more details.

• Spirit of the Marathon movie on January 24, 2008 @ 7:30 pm at Northtown Mall and Valley Cinemas.

Next Membership Meeting:

February 20th, 2008 @ TBA: Board meeting followed byGeneral membership meeting at location TBA