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DOMS

pages 2-3

Boston Strong, Survivor Story

pages 4-5

Swim workout

page 6

Post Workout Refueling

pages 7-8

My LIFE My TRI

page 9

Boston Strong race report

pages 10-11

Underrecovery Monsterpages 12-14

Find Zen Through Running

pages 15-16

Recipes, BOD & Calendarpages 17-20

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scheduled dates from club events, training, meetings & races.

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Kids Triathlon:

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Delayed-onset muscle soreness can be intense. Learn what’s normal and how tominimize the pain.

The Symptoms

General muscle soreness, especially the day after an intense workout or startinga new activity. However, delayed-onset muscle soreness, a specific and seriouscondition, can be incredibly painful.

What’s Going On In There?

When muscle tissue is injured by exercise, the fibers tear. Ideally, in a day or twothe fibers repair themselves and are stronger than before. This is the basis ofbuilding muscle, and normal muscle soreness after a workout—especially duringthe first few weeks of intensified activity—is to be expected.

If your muscle soreness is intense and doesn’t begin until 24 to 48 hours afterthe muscle injury, however, you may have a serious condition called delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It can happen when you apply an excessiveloading force to muscle cells. It’s important to distinguish the symptoms of DOMSfrom the everyday aches and pains that come after hard exercise. This pain canbe severe.

Why is DOMS serious? When muscle tissue is injured, a process called rhabdo-myolysis causes it to release a protein called myoglobin. We all have a bit of my-oglobin released after hard athletic events, and some of it is processed by thekidneys. Several studies that looked at healthy athletes after marathons foundmild to moderate amounts of myoglobin in their urine, a condition called myoglo-binuria. When the muscle injury is more serious, however, the amount of myo-globin can be quite large. The urine can be a dark color, and in some cases kid-ney damage and even kidney failure can result.

Fix ItNormal postworkout soreness:

Hydrate, fuel up, sleep well. Give your body the best opportunity to repairmuscle damage and come back strong. Drink fluids until your urine is clear, eatsmart, and get a great night’s sleep. The best restoration and recovery happenwhile you sleep.

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Symptoms,Treatment And Prevention

By Jordan D. Metzl, M.D.

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Try an NSAID. An anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen can help alleviatesoreness.

Delayed-onset muscle soreness:

Hydrate and see your doctor. If you suspect you have DOMS, start drinking lotsof fluids and call your doctor. A sports doctor is a better bet than a primary carephysician because he or she will have more experience identifying DOMS.Prevent It

Hydrate. Proper hydration before engaging in any exercise or athletic event canhelp ease common post-exercise muscle soreness and, more important, preventDOMS. Factors to consider: temperature and humidity level (Vegas versus Seattle),the intensity of effort you plan on reaching (race versus easy run), and your overallhealth during the previous week (even a mild stomach bug or case of diarrhea candehydrate you). Drink enough fluids to keep your urine running clear.

When To Call A Doctor

If your muscle pain and soreness are severe and seemed to come on 24 to 48hours after hard activity, and your urine is dark, see your doctor immediately.

Your doctor will do a urinalysis to check your myoglobin level and, if necessary,perform blood tests to determine if there’s been any kidney damage.

DOMS is much more common than most athletes realize. Why some athletes experi-ence DOMS and others don’t is not yet understood, but one of the most importantfactors is dehydration before, during and after intense activity. However, regardlessof their hydration status, some athletes just seem prone to developing DOMS andget it often, probably because of biological and genetic factors affecting their muscletissue.

The good news: DOMS is usually preventable with education and smart pre-exercise behavior.

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The same passion, persistence and athlete’s attitude that was cen-tral in Nicole Gross’ life as a triathlete and coach has also beenthe driving force in her recovery.

One year ago, Nicole stood alongside her sister and husband atthe finish of the Boston Marathon. It was a special weekend tosupport their mom, Carol, whom Nicole coached and encouragedon her journey to Boston.

Nicole, a USA Triathlon Certified Coach, soaked in the energy ofMarathon Monday and was thrilled to cheer for her mom as shecrossed the finish line — just like Carol had done so many timesat Nicole’s swim meets and triathlons over the years.

But before Carol could complete the race, their lives were flippedupside down.

Nicole and her sister, Erika, were standing a few feet from wherethe first bomb went off. In a moment, the joyous energy of theworld’s most historic marathon turned to terror, shock and chaos.Nicole knew tragedy had struck, and felt helpless lying on theground, unable to get up.

“I remember looking down and having a clear vision; seeing legsthat were once capable of standing and running. But I had noability to stand up and run for safety,” Nicole says.

The explosion fractured two bones in Nicole’s lower leg, nearlysevered her Achilles tendon and ruptured her eardrum — but itwouldn’t tear apart her family, strength or passion for the endur-ance community.

“I’ve always known she was strong, but I’ve seen her more deter-mined than ever to work to get her strength back,” Carol says,proud of the way her daughter has handled her recovery.

The Road to RecoveryAfter 34 days in the hospital and a year of vigorous rehabilitation,surgeries and physical therapy, Nicole has relearned how tostand, how to walk and how to swim. This April, she’ll be partici-pating in the B.A.A. 5K, the Saturday before the 118th BostonMarathon.

But Nicole’s recovery hasn’t come without challenges. As a for-mer swimmer at the University of Tennessee, Nicole’s competi-tive edge and love for endurance sports led her to triathlon, whereshe excelled as an athlete and coach. Exercise had always beenher comfortable, familiar place — and when it was taken away,she had to find new ways to heal.

“I’ve had to really learn how to handle all of this without the go-to — exercise. So I’m learning a whole lot more about me fromthe inside out,” Nicole says. “I’m learning healthy ways to copethat don’t require breaking a sweat or pushing my body.”

Nicole’s husband, Michael, witnesses her inner athlete on a dailybasis in the way she faces tough physical and mental challenges.

“She understands that not every day will be a success and thathard work and positivity will see her through to the finish. Twokey attributes to being successful — be it in triathlon or life,”Michael says.

Six months after the tragedy, Nicole’s wounds had healed enoughfor her to get back in the pool — a moment that brought her fullcircle.

“I had goose bumps throughout my whole body during that first50 freestyle that I dove in and completed. It was a nice reminderof where I started, and that was always in the pool,” she says.

Nicole has come a long way, and a lot of her progress is due toher positive, competitive spirit. When describing her mental atti-tude, Carol says, if you ask her to do 10 reps, she’ll do 20.

A Nation of SupportWhile there’s still a long road of recovery ahead, Nicole is hope-ful for the future, and thankful she isn’t on this journey alone.

Her family has given her strength and support. From her husband,whom she describes as her rock and everyday hero, to her sister,who has handled the loss of her left leg and the setbacks in herrecovery with courage and positivity.

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Nicole also has found hope in her athletes, including Cadie Jessup, a single-leg, above-knee amputee whom Nicole coached throughher first triathlon back in 2010.

“Cadie has been a huge inspiration to me before, during and after Boston,” Nicole says. And her return to an active lifestyle is a con-stant encouragement to Nicole and Erika.

What happened in Boston shook the entire endurance community, and Nicole has been humbled by the generosity of others.

She’s received an overwhelming amount of support from coaches, athletes, medical staff and her home city of Charlotte, N.C.,among many others.

“Just knowing that people cared enough to reach out in whatever capacity, through cards, through emails and texts, to wanting totake care of my athletes while I had to be forced to take care of myself, is just tremendous,” Nicole says.

Along with her husband, Nicole is eager to pay it forward to the community that helped save their lives. Even in her hospital bed, shewas ready to give back.

“It wasn’t long before Nicole caught wind that one of her doctors was training for a triathlon. He was without a coach until Nicoletook over his training program and began coaching him from her hospital bed,” Michael says. “Her passion for helping othersachieve greatness knows no bounds.”

Their Boston Marathon FinishNicole is coaching her mom again — to her Boston finish.

Having some quiet time to work on Carol’s training plan has been a blessing for Nicole as it gives her a sense of normalcy.

“I send her text messages literally five to six times a day and she gives me updates about her run workouts,” Nicole says.

They share a special connection through training that helps close the gap in distance from not living near one other. When Carol isout on a run, she says it feels like her daughter is right beside her, and it helps her to work harder.

“There is a very special bond that we have this year as she trains me to finish the race,” Carol says. “This, more than any other race,has a special meaning for us. It will close a chapter in our lives and hopefully be a very healing moment for our family.”

Nicole and her family will return to Boston for the anniversary of April 15 and will stay through Marathon Monday in celebration ofthe nation’s strength, bravery and unity.

“It’s going to be magical,” Nicole says, and she knows the race’s energy will be unlike any other year — past or future — because ofhow the city has been so resilient. “Runners are going to have a lot of reasons to be at the start and finish line.”

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Triathlete contributor and swimming all-star Sara McLarty has a blog with morethan 500 creative workouts used in herMasters swim program in Clermont, Flor.We’ll feature a workout every Friday soyou have new ideas to take to the pool.On her blog(Mastersswimworkoutsbysaramclarty.blogspot.com), you can pick a Monday setfor a long distance focus, a Wednesdayset for sprint training, or Friday for crea-tive open water skills.

A:400 choice warm up8×25 @ :30 (build to FAST!)4×100 @ 1:30 (best average!)400 (50 kick/50 swim)4×100 @ 1:25 (best average!)400 (50 non-free/50 free)4×100 @ 1:20 (best average!)400 pull (3/5 breathing by 100)8×50 @ :60 (ALL FAST!)400 cool down (100 IM/100 free, repeat)*4200 total*

B:300 choice warm up8×25 @ :40 (build to FAST!)4×100 @ 2:00 (best average!)400 (50 kick/50 swim)4×100 @ 1:55 (best average!)400 (50 non-free/50 free)4×100 @ 1:50 (best average!)400 pull (3/5 breathing by 100)200 cool-down*3500 total*

C:300 choice warm-up4×25 w/ :20 rest (build to FAST!)4×100 w/ :30 rest (descend 1-4)300 (50 kick/50 swim)4×100 w/ :30 rest (descend 1-4)300 (50 non-free/50 free)400 pull (3/5 breathing by 50)200 cool-down*2400 total*

Quick Set Friday:4×100 Best Average

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How disobeying a common rule of nutrient timing can help you reach your raceweight.

If you’re having trouble losing fat and getting down to your optimal “race weight”this season, then you’re not alone. Among the endurance athletes I work with (bothrecreational age-groupers and elite-level athletes), one of the most difficult balanc-ing acts is to solve the conflict between consuming more calories to completely fuelyour muscles and improve/maintain performance and eating less to induce an ener-gy deficit and encourage fat/weight loss. Go too far toward “fueling” and you don’tlose weight and go too far toward “cutting” and your performance suffers. So, howdo you find the right balance point between fueling enough and not enough (or toomuch)?

Much has been made over the past few years about the importance of nutrient tim-ing—which most of the time is interpreted as fueling immediately (or at least assoon as possible) following a bout of training. The general idea here is that yourbody is better able to replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores if you consume ablend of carbs/protein as soon as possible following exercise (for a variety of meta-bolic reasons including blood flow, enzyme activity, etc). True enough—but do youreally need to be doing that? If your main objective is to fully restore glycogen lev-els for another high-intensity workout later in the day or the following day, thenmaybe you do need to fuel right away. If, however, you’re like most non-professional endurance athletes, and your main objective is to maximize weight/fatloss (to enhance performance later in the season), then the answer might be thatyou should not be fueling immediately after exercise.

Post-Workout Refueling: Now Or Later?By: Dr. shawn talbott

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This recommendation goes against a great deal of what many age-groupers hold ascommon knowledge. You’ve been taught to slurp a carb gel before, sip a carb bev-erage during, and chug a carb/protein shake after your workouts. In doing so,you’re certainly enhancing your replenishment of glycogen—but you’re also reduc-ing your body’s ability to burn fat and your ability to achieve your optimal raceweight. In metabolism research, there is a saying that “fat burns in the flame ofcarbohydrate”—meaning, optimal fat metabolism occurs when some carbs are beingmetabolized (certain breakdown products of carbohydrate metabolism are neededas cofactors for cellular fat metabolism). The problem is that the constant supply ofcarbs before/during and especially after training reduces insulin sensitivity and re-duces our ability to use fat for fuel and thus our ability to lose body fat. When yourglycogen stores are stuffed full, as they are when you’re constantly fueling before/during/after training, there is nowhere left to store more glucose, so we burn it inpreference to fat. If you can’t burn fat, you can’t lose fat.

A useful approach for many endurance athletes who are trying to lose those last fewpounds to get them to their race weight is to simply stop eating after theirworkouts, because doing so will improve insulin sensitivity and enhance fat-burningand weight loss. If you’re a bodybuilder or a Tour de France rider or have aspira-tions of finishing on the podium at the Ironman World Championship, then you’reprobably training hard enough and often enough (at least twice daily) that you’realready at your optimal body fat level and you can (and should) eat (and eat a lot)immediately after every workout.

But even very good and highly competitive endurance athletes probably do notneed to fuel immediately after their workouts—unless they’re already at your opti-mal race weight and have no need to shed any body fat. Instead, save the immedi-ate post-workout fueling for after your most epic workouts (when you really need tomaximize your glycogen replenishment) and instead allow your body to use thatpost-exercise period to benefit from enhanced fat metabolism. Eating later (2 or 3hours later at your next meal) will still result in replenished glycogen stores—atleast to a level that is enough to adequately support the typical training regimensfor most recreational endurance athletes—and you’ll notice a gradual and progres-sive drop in body fat (with the same training regimen) that may have been eludingyou previously.

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Irene GonzalesSometimes called “Salsa Babe!” LOL!

Member since: I am a newbie! Just paid my dues inMarch 2014

My 28th year as an educator, yes, I start-ed when I was 12! Elementary Principal at Frank-lin Elementary - Spokane Public Schools

“A” Race 2014: Right now I am training for the Windermere Half Marathon in June, which will be my11th half and training for Spokane to Sandpoint in mid-August which will be my first experiencewith a 200 mile team relay! Our team name is “Between A Walk and A Hard Pace!” Sounds like ablast!

Swim, Bike or Run: Favorite? Hmm…Well, it definitely isn’t swimming since I just managed to learn be-fore the San Diego International Triathlon last summer. Some folks will do anything for a vacation! Ilove bike riding, but not crazy about major hills…so I guess that leaves running…but truth be told, Ihate running! But, I love hanging with my friends, and that is what we do, we run!

My Song(s) I love music that makes me want to dance! Brick House, Push It, 867-5309/Jenny, GonnaMake You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now), Party All the Time, Wild Thing, You Sexy Thing, I GotYou (I Feel Good).

My Race story to be told: For my 50th Birthday I decided I wanted to run a marathon on my birthday,CDA, with 50 of my closest friends and it happened, (see photo as I completed it).

Proudest moments: Next to giving birth to two beautiful girls, Camina (19) and Kimiko (16) was receiv-ing my doctorate degree in 2007 after 5 years of taking course work while working full-time! It was achildhood dream fulfilled.

Best Quote: “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the oneswe’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek.” ~Barack Obama

My Life My Tri

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Just 100 yards to the finish line, and I couldn’t help but smile. My quadsached, and if I hadn’t consciously thought about each footfall, my knees likely would have buckled. Itried to speed up, just to reflect the enthusiasm of the crowd. Yet my legs refused to respond. It felt pecu-liar to let my body give out before my lungs. With the finish line within sight, my pain simply didn’t mat-ter.

I could share my data—my average heart rate, my paces per mile, my average pace, my time—butfor such an event as this one, it seems trite. This 118th Boston Marathon marked the success of a city, acountry, and a community of runners. Banded together in blue and yellow, we invaded the city of Boston.Its denizens embraced us. Daffodils lined the streets, filled the planters, and decorated the counters of lo-cal businesses. This city lacked nothing in the way of determination.

Bryan and I arrived Thursday to a cold, blustery city. Just two days prior, Boston and surroundingtowns had woken up to 2 inches of snow. The snow had thankfully since melted, but the people appearedfrustrated by weather that did not want to let go of winter. It wasn’t until Saturday that the sunshine be-gan to warm up the city in preparation for race day on Monday.

Monday arrived, and Bryan and I felt ready to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day running from Hopkin-ton back to Boston. I couldn’t help but pray the 26 miles running back to Boston wouldn’t feel nearly aslong as the bus trip out to the start line.

Before we could even toe the line, we spent about two hours in a field full of thousands of otherhobos, or at least that’s what we all looked like. People wore old sweaters I’d expect to see at an uglyChristmas sweater party. Two women passed me in pajamas. One man wore a black, wool pea coat as hestood in one of the likely hundred lines to the porta potties that lined all borders of the field. It appearedas though a myriad of Value Villages and Goodwills across the country experienced a sharp upturn inbusiness. As far as business is concerned, I’m certain they appreciated the onslaught of Boston marathonparticipants looking for cheap, warm clothes to keep warm and then toss before the beginning of therace.

We quickly acclimatized to our surroundings and decided to help form one of the lines stemmingfrom porta potties before planting ourselves in amongst the other participants who’d already staked theirclaim on the grass. Sunshine translated to warmth under our warming blankets, and after about 30minutes of waiting, we decided to hit the porta potties one last time. The lines had lengthened. Afterabout 45 minutes in line, the announcer informed us of our turn to exit the fields for the parking lot. Sobegan our half-mile walk to the start line.

BOSTON STRONG

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Volunteers lined the streets, collecting our trash and clothes to be tossed for donation. A group ofcollege guys offered beer, cigarettes, and donuts out of a neighborhood yard. One last park of porta pot-ties waited to serve us, and runners raced to available commodes. Bryan and I peered into the melee, andwe decided to join in and not risk passing up one last opportunity to void our nervous bladders.

Our bladders emptied, we ushered ourselves back into the long line to the start. The crowds ofspectators began to increase as we descended into the town square. Volunteers guided us through thecorrals, and before I knew it, we’d crossed the start line without any formal prelude.

Ashland. Framingham. Natick. Wellesley. It appeared the inhabitants of each town had found thecourse to cheer us on, kept out of the streets by a barricade that spanned both sides of the street for theentire 26 miles of the course. People cheered. Some even handed out water, facial wipes, bags full of ice,orange slices, and beer. Anything to keep us comfortable, I suppose.

I felt comfortable up until about mile 15, at which point my quads began to argue with my head.Even the enthusiasm of the Wellesley college girls couldn’t pick me up. I giggled at a girl holding a signasking to be kissed because she still felt sexually frustrated. Later, I found strength going up all the New-ton hills, but only pain attempting to negotiate the other side. After scaling Heartbreak hill at mile 20, mymotivation to continue slowly waned. Yet I still had six more miles to the finish line.

Brookline took far too long for me to run through. I remember passing the cheerful Boston Col-lege undergrads, totally impassive. Magnolia trees on Beacon Street. Kenmore Square. Where is Boston? Iwalked. I ran. I hobbled. I cursed my fatigued legs. When I passed mile marker 24, I somehow foundstrength to run more often than walk. The depth of spectators lining the streets slowly increased. I’dfound Hereford Street. Just 100 yards to the finish line…

…I couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t a race I can brag about, as far as my race performance isconcerned. Yet I am reminded that my performance hardly measures up to the significance of the dayitself. In fact, I’m happily content finding success in the fact I am not injured after this marathon (my leftknee pain has nothing on me this time!) Bryan and I enjoyed our first outdoor, nearly three-hour bikeride yesterday. Today's first run one week post-race felt pretty good, too. We both found considerablestrength in what the day meant to the country and runners all around the world. It feels good to revel inBoston Strong.

- Meghan Faulkenberry

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Recovery is your ability to meet or exceed performance in a particular activity.

I'll say that again.

Recovery is your ability to meet or exceedperformance in a particular activity.This means that if you walk into yourworkout and you can't achieve a markedimprovement in how much you can lift orhow fast you can move, you're battlingthe underrecovery monster. And if you're exercising in that underrecovered state, then you eitherdon't care about performance or you're just exercising because it feels good or you're addicted to ex-ercise or you don't mind prematurely destroying your body and joints. Perhaps all of the above.So let's look at three predictors of whether you will win the battle against the underrecovery monsterand meet or exceed performance week after week: your muscles, your nerves and your blood.

Predictor #1: Your Muscles

As you probably know, after you workout, your muscles look like a scarred battlefield, especially if it'san impact based workout or one that involves some deceleration, such as running or weight training.This is because every time you strain your muscles with exercise, there is trauma to the muscle fibers.Of course, this is a good thing -- based on a phenomonon called "hormesis." Hormesis is a biologicalreaction whereby a beneficial effect (improved health, stress tolerance, muscle growth, longevity,etc.) results from exposure to low doses of an agent that could be otherwise toxic or lethal when giv-en at higher doses. So sure, exercise could kill you if you do it enough, but in low, moderate or con-trolled doses, sane exercise exposure can give you hormetic benefits. Other examples of hormesiswhich I discuss in my new book include fasting, calorie restriction, cold temperature, heat shock, lowlevel radiation and germs exposure. In other words: Things that are bad in high amounts can be goodin low amounts.So muscle injury is a form of hormesis and is something that is good in controlled amounts. This is be-cause once a muscle fiber gets injured, muscle cell organelles respond with inflammation and activatesatellite cells, which are located on the outside, but very near to your muscle fibers. A biological effortto repair or replace damaged muscle fibers begins with the satellite cells fusing to each other and fus-ing to the muscles fibers. This not only repairs the muscle, but can also lead to increases in muscle fi-ber cross-sectional area or even the create of new muscle protein strands, called myofibrils.Some of these satellite cells serve as a source of new nuclei so you can synthesize more proteins andcreate even more contractile myofilaments in your muscle, known as actin and myosin.Unfortunately, especially for anyone restricting calories, eating a low fat diet, or simply training toomuch, most of these repair adaptations are severely hampered, since you probably happen to be lowin growth hormone or Insulin Like Growth Factor, both of which stimulate satellite cells to producethe gains in the muscle fiber size. Insulin also stimulates muscle growth by enhancing protein synthe-sis and facilitating the entry of glucose into cells. Your satellite cells actually use glucose as a fuel toenable their cell growth activities.Testosterone also affects muscle fiber repair. This is because testosterone can stimulate growth hor-

3 Predictors ofWhether You WillWin the BattleAgainst theUnderrecoveryMonster

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mone responses in your pituitary gland, which then enhances cellular amino acid uptake and proteinsynthesis in muscle. In addition, testosterone can increase the presence of neurotransmitters at thefiber site, which can also help to activate tissue growth, and interact with nuclear receptors in yourDNA, resulting in protein synthesis. So low testosterone status, especially when it comes to growthhormone, testosterone and insulin means you're going to take way longer to recover.So how long should all these mechanisms described above actually take? Researchers have foundthat muscle protein synthesis increases by about 50 percent for four hours after a workout. This is evi-dence that muscles are repairing damage accrued from the workout, and also building new material tomake themselves stronger and more fatigue-resistant. This repair process appears to peak about 24hours after a workout, at which point muscle protein synthetic rate goes up by a hefty 109 percent. Byabout 36 hours after a workout, the whole process is pretty much complete, and muscles are back totheir normal status. So every time you beat up and tear down muscle fibers, especially with runningand weight training, you're looking at an approximate 36-hour recovery time before another true highquality session is realistic.

Predictor #2. Your Nerves

When you need to contract a muscle, a message goes down your brain and spinal cord where it even-tually connects to individual muscle motor units through a neuromuscular junction. The muscle thenreceives that contractual message and fires.But in the same way that muscles can fatigue, or become torn and injured, training can also damageyour nervous system. This is called neural fatigue, and can drain both your central nervous system, orthe local nerves at the muscle sites themselves (the neuromuscular junctions), that join your nervoussystem and the muscle together.The main reason for this is because your body releases inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers)in response to muscle damage induced by your training. These inflammatory messengers dock on re-ceptors in your central nervous system and thus hamper neural recovery. But unlike muscle damage,nerve fatigue doesn't just result from training, but can also be due to other nervous system stressorssuch as lack of sleep, drugs, stimulants, alcohol or lifestyle and relationship stress (yes, an argumentwith your significant other can cause massive cytokine releases, an issue I discussed in a recent anxie-ty podcast).Since your nervous system is basically the "battery" that fires all your muscles, if your nervous systemis under-recovered, then the strength and function of your muscles is negatively affected. So yourmuscles could be primed and ready to rumble, but if your nervous system is under-recovered, you'restill screwed -- and this is why you can still get overtrained or underrecovered even if you're not exer-cising excessively, but perhaps partying too much, working too much, not sleeping enough, or experi-encing poor relationships.And it's important to know that your central nervous system doesn't differentiate between musclegroups. If it's fatigued, it's fatigued. So if you do a hard run today, then head to the gym tomorrow,you may find that your strength on an overhead press is negatively effected -- and unless your run onyour hands and shoulders, that's not muscle fatigue -- it's nervous system fatigue. When it comes tothis issue, low-level, aerobic cardio don't really create as much neural fatigue as high intensity cardioand sprints, which is why you can intelligently stack your week to alternate aerobic and anaerobic ses-sions if you want to allow for prime neural recovery.So how long does that neural recovery actually take? In most cases, when your nervous system is

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drained from high intensity efforts or too much stress, it needs 48 hours to fully recover. Any intensetraining you do within that 48-hour window simply drains the nervous system even more. So this iswhy you can't simply do hardcore workouts day after day, even if they're performed for different mus-cle groups, or with different activities. Eventually, your nervous system will simply poop out.Of course, you can also drain the local nerves that feed into specific muscles as well -- which are thoseneuromuscular junctions I mentioned earlier. And when it comes to local neuromuscular fatigue, it cantake up to four days before that links between your muscles and nervous system is fully recovered,which means that workouts which heavily stress the same muscle group may need as many as fourdays before having complete neural recovery.This completely explains why you can have a crappy workout even if you're not sore -- either your cen-tral nervous system or your neuromuscular junctions simply haven't recovered.

Predictor #3. Your Blood

Finally, if you're banging your head against a brick wall because you've been giving your muscles andnervous system adequate recovery, but still aren't performing at your desired capacity, then you maywant to take your blood into consideration.Angiogenesis is the process via which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels. Increasedmuscle activity and contractions increase angiogenesis -- so during the recovery period after aworkout, you produce new blood vessels and capillaries that feed into the working tissue. Numerousstudies have shown that the capillary density, expressed as the number of capillaries per muscle fiber,do indeed increase in response to training and recovery.Researchers have also found increases in reticulocyte counts (new red blood cells) as a response dur-ing the tapering period from hard workout blocks, which suggests an increased erythropoiesis (redblood cell production) during recovery.Another adaptation that takes place in your blood in response to training is an increase in eosinophils,the white blood cell components that can detox some of the inflammation inducing substances in thebody, and destroy allergen-antibody complexes, as well as an increase in lymphocytes, the whiteblood cells that fight infection. Interestingly, this is why people who are under-recovered may not onlyget sick more, but could also tend to be more susceptible to food allergies and food intolerances. So ifyou're getting sick much, short of breath often, or experiencing lots of issues with digestion, it couldbe a blood under-recovery issue -- even if your muscles and nerves are just fine.So that's it -- the three predictors that will determine whether you'll win the battle against the under-recovery monster -- or whether you'll just keep banging your head against a brick wall every time youstep into your workout. Now that you know the importance of these three parameters, you can readabout how to optimize your recovery after a workout.

- Ben Greenfield ( )

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If you could eavesdrop on a runner's internal monologue, it might sound like this: Forgot my sun-glasses. Pretty bird. Should've worn another layer. What's for dinner? Hill! New shoes feel good.Pasta? Gotta buy pasta. And olive oil. I'm overdressed. I'll do take-out. Dog!

Buddhists call this mental ping-pong game "monkey mind," meaning that the random musingsbouncing around your head are like a barrelful of rambunctious primates. It's a natural state forrunners who are happy to let their minds wander for miles. But when you become stressed(about an upcoming race or life in general), those monkeys can go bananas. And when theymake too much noise (Why did I sign up for this race? My feet hurt! I'm hungry!), it can be toughto perform your best or simply enjoy your run.

Buddhists have a way to tame those animals: meditation. This ancient practice is traditionallydone while sitting and focusing on your breathing to achieve peace of mind. But more and morerunners are learning how to clear out the commotion while on roads and trails, thanks in part toSakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, spiritual leader of a global network of Shambhala Centers(meditation meeting places). The Sakyong is a dedicated runner (a nine-time marathoner with a3:05 PR), author of Running with the Mind of Meditation, and founder of a workshop of the samename that is taught in 11 different locations worldwide. "Meditation reduces chaos and stress,"

the Sakyong says. "Whenwe apply that to running,running becomes a toolthat brings relaxation andvitality to the body. By al-lowing our mind andbody to harmonize, wefeel more alive andstrong." Want in? Just astraining for a race requiresa gradual buildup, devel-oping a meditative run-ning practice takes timeand, well, practice. But byemploying some of thebasic principles of medita-

tion in your next run, the Sakyong says, you can feel—and run—better instantly.

Tune InThe first technique the Sakyong recommends is developing body awareness: Pay attention tohow you are breathing, how your feet are landing, how your arms are swinging. If you feel any

Find Zen Through RunningTo achieve bliss as a runner, you need to tame your "monkey mind."

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tense areas (clenched fists or tight shoulders), relax them. But also think about potential causes ofthe tension. Is it running-related (sore legs from intervals), or is there a lifestyle component (youhaven't been sleeping much) as well? "There is so much value in being able to notice what's hap-pening within your body as you run," says Marty Kibiloski, a 2:23 marathoner who teachesShambhala running retreats. "We're trained to push through discomfort. But if there is somethingoff that you can correct or at least acknowledge the source of, you can feel more relaxed and runwith better form." Which brings big rewards: more efficient running, faster times, fewer injuries.

Think HappyResearch has linked an optimistic outlook to enhanced athletic ability. In one study, athletes whorated themselves calm and happy before a competition performed better than those who wereangry or tense. Nixing negative self-talk is a key principle of meditation. Buddhist teachers tell stu-dents to think of pessimistic thoughts as weather patterns moving through the sky: A passingshower, for example, is just that—passing. A. Jesse Jiryu Davis, a 34-year-old New York City webdeveloper, was an experienced meditator when he took up running in 2010. He now taps intohis Zen skill set to keep his marathon training positive. "I can see the thoughts coming up while Irun—I want to stop right now; I wish this was over—and I see them for what they are," Davis says."They are just thoughts; they don't have to be my reality."

Accept the ChallengeMonster hills, uncooperative weather, and monotonous long runs can turn an enjoyable experi-ence into a frustrating one—if you allow them to. "Every run has challenges," the Sakyong says."The challenge is to be brave, not trying to escape boredom or discomfort, but relaxing with howthings are." Steve Joseph, a 51-year-old Manhattan lawyer, called upon his meditative training toremain composed at the start of the 2012 Boston Marathon. While other runners panicked as thetemperature rose into the 80s, Joseph sat and focused on his breath. It was a smart strategy inmore ways than one. "I was on the ground while everyone else stood around fidgeting. They pro-vided me shade, keeping me cool. And by sitting, I conserved more energy." Joseph stayed calmthroughout the race by focusing on his breathing. Runners already have stores of strength andendurance. Meditation can help you recognize these qualities and put them to use, Kibiloski says.

Love the RunRunners tend to be dissatisfied—with how fast they are, with how far they are able to go. Whileit's good to want to improve, you also need to value the runner you are today, Kibiloski says.While running, think about all the good you are doing in that moment—strengthening muscles,producing endorphins, taking time for yourself. "Appreciation for running creates a healthy self-identity," the Sakyong says, "no matter what chaos is in your life."

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Pulled Pork Tenderloin WithTomatillos And Poblano Pepper

Mounds of veggies melt into a Latin-inspired sauce for thisslow-cooked pork meal. Warm up with this dish that has alittle kick to keep you going in the cold weather.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large French/Dutch ov-en or oven-safe stockpot over medium-high heat. Season2 pounds pork tenderloin, fat trimmed and cut into 2-inchcubes, with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In two batches, sear the pork in the pot until brown on allsides. Remove and let rest on a plate. In a food processor, roughly chop 8 tomatillos (husked andstems removed, or canned), 1 large tomato, 2 poblano peppers (stems removed), 1 jalapeño pepper(stem removed, and seeds removed to make it less spicy), 1/2 yellow onion and 2 cloves garlic. Thismay take multiple batches. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop everything by hand.)Add all the veggies and half a bunch of freshly chopped cilantro to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes,scraping the bits of pork and juices from the bottom of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspooncoriander, 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt and pepper to the veggies, and sauté another minute untilthe spices are fragrant. Add the pork, and the juices on the plate, along with 1 cup pale ale (or simi-lar beer) to the pot. Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Give the mixture a stir and turn the oven down to 250 degrees. Let cook for 3–4 hours, stirring everyhour, if possible, until the pork falls apart. Serve over rice or in toasted corn tortillas, with the otherhalf bunch of the cilantro for garnish. Avocado and green onion also make delicious garnishes.

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Tuscan Bean Soup With Kale, ChickenSausage And Shrimp

Make this soup recipe once, and you will be making it foryears to come. It’s loaded with nutrients, and so satisfying,you might find yourself drinking straight from the bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large French/Dutch oven orstockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound peeled anddeveined large shrimp and 1 teaspoon minced garlic, andsauté for 2–3 minutes until the shrimp just turn pink. Trans-fer to a plate and cover with foil. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Add half a finely diced yellow onion, 1 finely diced carrot and 1 finely diced celery stalk, and sauté for5 minutes. Slice 2 pre-cooked Italian-style chicken sausages in half length-wise and cut into half-coin-sized pieces.

Add the sausage and 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the pot. Sauté, stirring consistently, another 5minutes until the sausage starts to brown. Add 1/2 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, 1 teaspoondried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2teaspoon pepper to the pot and sauté another minute until fragrant. Stir 1 28-ounce can diced Italian-style tomatoes, 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay) and1 15-ounce can Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed). Turn heat down to medium and let cook un-covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 4–5 cups chopped kale leaves and stems (1-inchpieces), cover and let cook another 3 minutes. Uncover, turn off the heat and add the reservedshrimp and juices. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Serve with freshly shaved Parmesan overthe top for an extra treat.

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INGREDIENTS

3 medium sweet potatoes

3/4 pound (about 2 small) boneless skinless

chicken breast

1/4 cups olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

3 whole chipotle pepper, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

salt and pepper

2 (half a 10oz bag) cups spinach

5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

chopped cilantro, for garnish

greek yogurt, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in the oven and bake

for 50-60 minutes or until fork tender. Place your chicken in a baking dish and rub with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt

and peper. Place in the oven with the potatoes and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and shred the chicken with a fork

or your hands. When the sweet potatoes are done cut in half and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and

pepper. Set aside.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach (this can also be done in the microwave). Toss the spinach

and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.

Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a medium size layer of flesh inside with

the peel so that it can stand up on its own (I reserved the remaining flesh, for another use) and place in a baking dish.

Brush the skins with with a little of the chipotle sauce and bake for 5-10 muntes until nice and crisp. While the skins

bake mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mix-

ture, top with shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the skins are hot and crisp.

Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and greek yogurt if desired.

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

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Ingredients:1 lb ground turkey1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water1 tablespoon olive oil1 small onion, diced3 cloves garlic, minced1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced1 cup corn frozen kernelsJuice of 1 small lime1 teaspoon ground cumin1 tablespoon chili powder1/3 cup chopped cilantroSalt and pepper, to taste2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed2 cups red enchilada sauce2 cups shredded Mexican cheeseToppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Or cook itin a rice cooker! Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until sof-tened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice,cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable/meat mixtureand stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

5.Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shred-ded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm. Freezes well!

Enchilada Quinoa Turkey Bake

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THANK YOU to our amazing SPONSERS

Eric Byrd— Membership Director

Jarod Crook— Treasure

Meghan Faulkenberry— Mentor Director

& Sponsorship Liason

Natalie Gallagher— Social Director

Greg Gallagher— Vice President

Rene Guerrero— Website Director

Melissa Erickson— Clothing Director

Alison Stitt— Newsletter Director

Jessi Thompson— Secretary

Roger Thompson— President

TRAINING OPPORTUNITES

Masters Swim offered FREE toTrifusion members, RSVP on theRACE REACH Calendar*Spokane Fitness Center MWF5:30-630am*Whitworth Saturday 5:30-7am

-7:30pm*Outdoor Swims, posted swimsalmost weekly on Race Reach

Lots of workout opportunitiesposted on the Tri-Fusion websiteforum and/or Facebook page,Race Reach. Also a great placefor all members to post theirworkouts that is open to public

SOCIAL EVENTS

Check out the Race Reach on theTri-fusion Facebook page for anyupcoming Social Events! Lots ofclub training opportunities listedand see who else you can swim/ride/run with.

RACES

May 25, Couer d’Alene half/fullmarathon

May 31, Troika

June 1, Windermere Half/Fullmarathon

June 7, Moses Lake Olympic

June 7, Boise 70.3

June 14, Yellowstone Halfmarathon

June 14, Tri-Fusion kids triathlon

June 29, Couer d’Alene Ironman

July 12, Hayden Sprint

July 12, Oceanshores

July 13, Valleygirl

July 19, Chelanman

July 27, Ironman Canada

Check the Tri-fusion FACEBOOKRace Reach for more Races listed onthe calendar and see who else is partic-ipating at such events.

Also check out active.com for localevents, or city of your choice for rac-ing opportunities.

MEETINGS:

Wandermere Twigs Bistro andMartini Bar. You can RSVP fortmeetings on RACE REACH onthe Tri-Fusion Facebook page.Get registered to stay connected!

May/June/July 2014