[1]

March 2009

Coming Soon in April=> Tri Fusion fun social time at Fastkart

raceway! Keep watching the Forum for more info.

Race Report,

page 4

BoD, Sponsors, Calendars,

page 10

A Different

R & R,

page 5

The Long Bike Rideby LifeSport Coaching

The Long Ride. If you're like most Ironman athletes, this one training session can account for 25-30% of your weekly training volume. We often learn to ride, eat, drink, pace ourselves and, occasionally, suffer on the Long Ride. If you belong to a tri club or train with a group of training partners, it's likely your long ride is your happy hour, your time to socialize, catch up with friends you haven't seen in a few weeks and make new ones.Simply put, triathletes spend a lot of time on their bikes on the weekends. Here are some thoughts and guidance below to shorten your learning curve

Key Thoughts:

VolumeThe most valuable thing you can do for your endurance training is to schedule a weekly 2-4 hr long ride every week. Simply make this something you do every Saturday or Sunday morning.

* For ironman athletes, your regular (weekly) ride should be 3-4 hours * If weather and location conspires to confine you to a trainer, have no to very few volume goals – 90 minutes to two hours is fine. In the winter you swap cycling volume for cycling intensity and running frequency.

IntensityVery simple: the shorter the ride, the more intense the ride. If you want to ride the bike fast, you have to ride the bike fast. There is no easy way.

* 2.5 to three hours seems to be an optimum length of time on the bike, a reasonable volume that still allows for including some intensity. Just as importantly, it’s usually easy to fit this amount of time into your family schedule all year round: start your ride at 7AM, done by 10AM and you’re not trashed for the rest of the day. * Always ride the first hour very easy. You should learn the value of riding easily during the first part of a ride so you have confidence in applying this strategy to your racing, especially Ironman. The result is a very strong finish. * Weight the intensity of the ride towards the second half, especially the last hour. Within that second half guidance, insert informal low cadence / big gear work in there as well * If you’re riding by yourself, insert periods of higher intensity . For example, 6 minutes in zone 1, then 2 x (40 minutes zone 2/3, 20 minutes zone 4) * At lower intensities, use heart rate as your main indicator of intensity with power (watts) as your secondary indicator. As the intensity increases, use power as your main means of monitoring intensity * Occasionally ride at a volume and intensity that’s above your current fitness level. For example, it’s often okay to ride 80 miles like its only 50 miles. You may struggle to finish but you’ll be stronger the next week and you’ll learn something.

4 Swim Drills,

pages 6-7

Training &

Racing Health,

page 3

Ace Your

Base,

page 8

The Long Ride (cont’d),

page 2

Recipes,

page 9

[2]

The Long Bike Ride (cont’d)

Group Riding

Group riding is

one sure way of

improving your riding.

Find those faster

local groups (your Tri

Fusion teammates!)

and learn how to ride

with them.

Nutrition

Nutrition is the

key to a successful

long ride. The simple formula is two bottles of sports drink.

Ironman 70.3 distance competitors aim to consume about

200-250cal/hr, following up with water. Ironman athletes aim

for 250-400/hr, following with water. You can begin to practice

this during your long rides, experimenting with concentration,

etc.

* Fuel yourself enough before and during the ride to

ensure a quality session.

* Refuel yourself after the ride and then eat your

normal amounts during the rest of the day.

* Train yourself to take in large volumes of fluid. This is

important, especially for those riding in the cold, as it is easy

to de-train ourselves over the winter. Aim to consume 2 bottles

per hour.

Gear

What to carry, how to carry it:

* Cash, ID, credit card, medical insurance card, mobile

phone, every ride, always.

* Spare tube(s), pump/Co2, tire levers, multi tool, $20 in

the tool bag.

* Extra sports drink powder in a Ziplock bag.

* Don’t dress to be warm at the start of the ride. If you’re

shivering a bit waiting for the ride to start you’re probably

dressed appropriately. Wear an undershirt, arm warmers, leg

warmers, glove liners, toe caps and perhaps a wind shell.

*During the ride you can strip layers

off without stopping the bike, as the

temperature changes through the day.

Technique

As you are spending a lot of time on

the bike, you can use that time

constructively:

* If you have a power meter, learn

to ride hills steady, with few to no

power spikes. Use the meter to learn

how to ride hills the smart way; no

power spike, appropriate watts on the

climb, follow through with those watts

across the summit.

* Learn to ride/stand out of the saddle efficiently.

Power users, learn how to stand and ride at appropriate watts.

* Bike handling: bunny hopping, cornering in aerobars,

cornering faster, staying in the aerobars when eating and

drinking, reaching for/racking bottles smoothly, aggressive

braking, controlling a rear wheel slide, slow speed handling,

track stands (not quite there yet), tight u-turns, etc. Learn to

play on your bike!

* Tracking: ride on the white line in your aerobars

without looking at the line. Smooth movements, bike doesn’t

move side to side. Look at your shadow, your upper body should

be still.

* Cadence: ride for several minutes at a cadence of 100+

rpm, in the aerobars and out. Do the same with 50-65 rpm.

Develop your comfort over a wide range of cadences.

Much more can be written about how to best build your

bike endurance, and indeed at least one book has been devoted

to the subject. However, your best advice will always be: When

you learn to love your bike, training becomes fun!

[3]

Staying Healthy While Training and Competingby Christopher D. Jensen

The notion of an Ironman triathlete laid up in bed with a cold may seem like a contradiction, but in reality, endurance training and triathlon competitions can temporarily impair immune function, leaving you vulnerable to colds.

Researchers found that among 150 ultra-marathon runners competing in a race in South Africa, one-third developed upper respiratory tract infections within two weeks after the race. Among more than 1,800 runners competing in the Los Angeles Marathon, almost 13% reported coming down with a cold within a week after the race. And in the Western States Endurance Run, about one in four athletes reported symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection within two weeks after the race. Why the spike in colds after these endurance events? The thinking is that the physical stress of endurance exercise increases the circulating concentrations of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. In the short term, these hormones can help you meet the immediate physical demands of Ironman competitions, but the price paid can be a temporary suppression of the immune system — often just enough to allow a head or chest cold to set in.

So, how do you reap the benefits of your training, and compete in an Ironman triathlon, without suppressing your immune system? Nutrition may help. A possible key strategy for avoiding the immunosuppressive effects of heavy exercise is to ensure that your diet provides all that you need in the way of nutrients and other dietary factors that play important roles in supporting immune function. For example, protein in the diet is important because many components of the immune system are made up of protein. In addition, essential vitamins and minerals are needed to support the rapid replication of immune cells that are critical to warding off cold bugs and other infectious agents.

Calories are important, too. As an Ironman triathlete, you train long, hard hours, and it can sometimes be a challenge to meet your daily calorie needs. Or, perhaps you’re ramping up your workouts while cutting calories, to try to get leaner. Unfortunately, that seems to be a quick route to a cold. Scientists have found that, in endurance athletes, even a few weeks of dieting to lose weight can impair the function of your immune cells. To ensure that your immune system stays strong, avoid dieting or inadvertent calorie shortfalls during periods of heavy training and strenuous competition.

Your intake of carbs also seems to play an important role in immune function. Studies show that athletes eating low-carbohydrate diets who engage in prolonged strenuous exercise show sharp increases in circulating levels of stress hormones. As stress hormone levels rise, the number and activity level of key cells involved in immune function decline. However, consuming carbs during exercise reduces the rise in stress hormones and helps to offset the suppressive effect on immune function. Will this translate to fewer colds? No one knows for sure, but given that carbs during exercise have been shown to extend endurance, the potential immune system boost is a bonus.

There is no strong evidence that any specific nutrient or herb can offset the effects of strenuous exercise on immune function, and few studies have actually looked at the effect of these dietary factors on rates of upper respiratory tract infections. However, the exception seems to be vitamin C. In two different studies, ultra-marathon runners taking 500 to 600 mg of vitamin C daily for a few weeks before and a few days after an ultra-marathon had lower rates of upper respiratory tract infections compared to those taking a placebo. Unfortunately, other investigators weren’t able to replicate these findings, so definitive proof is lacking. Nonetheless, taking a daily, 500-mg vitamin C supplement or boosting your vitamin C intake from fruits and fruit juices for a few weeks before and the week after competing in a triathlon might be a measure to consider. Plus, a reasonable argument can be made for taking a balanced, once-a-day-type multivitamin/mineral supplement to help ensure that you are consistently getting adequate amounts of the micronutrients needed to support your immune system.

In summary, here are some things you can do to help avoid the Ironman sniffles:

* Make sure not to compound the physical demands of the event itself or difficult Ironman training days by skimping on calories. * Consume carbs during the event — they not only can increase endurance but also may reduce the immune-system suppression associated with strenuous endurance exercise. * Consider a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement to ensure that your diet always has an adequate supply of the nutrients needed to support immune function. * A little extra vitamin C a week or two before and after the event may give your immune system an added boost.

[4]

Race Report: Snake River Half Marathonby Josh Hadway

Many people are surprised when I tell them I have never done a half marathon before, but I really have not spent much time racing up to this point in my life. My last major time spent racing was my sophomore year of high school(2003). It wasn't until 2008 that I decided to get back into the whole racing scene. I decided that this winter I would focus on training every day. The expectation was that this would be a chore, but in reality I have grown to love it.

I woke up Saturday March 7th excited. I wasn't nervous or anxious, I was mainly excited. I had no expectations leading into this race, because I had no idea where my fitness was, and what a reasonable finishing time would be. So I set a general goal of being under 1:20, I felt that this would be an attainable goal for my first half marathon. The secret plan for this race was to pace off of Tom Pileggi, a strong runner from Spokane.

Upon arrival at the race site, I noticed that Tom was nowhere to be seen, my super strategy was suddenly gone. I pondered what to do on my warm up. With the gun in the air and only seconds before race start, the new plan was to not have a plan. Just run and have fun, it’s just another 13 mile training run right?

The gun went off and the race started at a steady pace, I decided to let Mike Bresson, a super fast runner from Spokane go from the start. He has beaten me at many races by large margins. I knew his running ability was great, and did not want to blow up chasing him for the first 6 miles. This plan worked for about 100 yards. That is when I realized I was leading a pack of about 15 people into a headwind. If I am going to push a headwind the whole race,

I might as well take my chances drafting off Mike. With this I pushed off the pack and caught up to the leader. The first 6.6 miles of the race were very steady, Mike kept a consistent solid pace knocking down consistent mile splits. I didn't bother checking my splits, because I knew they would all be fast. Why check them if you already know?

With the halfway point in sight (6.6) miles I felt very relaxed, my legs felt good, and my body felt great. We rounded the cone, and the race started to pick up. I knew at this point I was running a little bit over my head, but the only thought that kept ringing in my mind was to attack, take the lead and see how hard you can push it. Attack or be attacked. With no idea what I was doing I surged past mike, increasing our pace by about 35 seconds per mile. I led for about 30 yards and Mike passed me right back, returning my favor.

I immediately pulled up again on his shoulder, and tried to push the pace, hoping sooner or later he would give up. This exchange happened a couple more times, and eventually the greater athlete came through. With one final massive surge Mike took off, laying down the hurt and dropping me hard. With his last surge he was putting tons of distance on me at a very fast rate. This occurred at about mile 9.

The next half mile was probably the hardest, I let Mike get away from me, and I knew he was in no way slowing down. Just before mile 10 I started to feel refreshed again, my pace picked up, and I felt fairly strong again. with only 3 miles to go, I pictured a short loop that I often run at home, and imagined this short easy run as the only thing I have left to do, to finish the race. The last half mile drug on, but in a short while I was done. I had finished my first half marathon!

I was fairly happy with my race, It is always great to race a distance you have never done before, because you always PR. I learned a lot, and already have ideas of things I would do differently. My final time was 1:10:21.

This race taught me a lot. Mainly the fact that hard work pays off. After club XC Nationals, I was a little bit bummed with my running performance, and

decided I needed to be more consistent with my training. At the time following club nationals I hated running in snow and freezing weather. It was cold, wet, and long. But I did not want to be the same athlete that ran club nationals. This race made my time in the snow well worth it. Seeing how hard work pays off, has inspired me to work harder, and chase some of the loftier goals I set many months ago.

It was great to see so many people out racing early in the

spring. Everyone I knew that was at the race had a good day. Mike, Matt, Tim, Steve, Eric, Haley, Evan and Kirk all rocked the course. Setting fast times, on an early season race. I would also like to thank everyone who cheered me on as they passed the other way. This helped a lot. I am also glad that Matt decided to ride down with me. The radio in my car is broken and if he wasn't there I would have had to sing to myself all the way to Pullman :).

[5]

REHYDRATE AND REPLENISH - TWO COMPONENTS OF OPTIMAL RECOVERYfrom the Personal Best Nutrition Forum You may have heard of the "R4" system, shorthand for restore electrolytes and water, replenish glycogen, reduce muscle and immune system stress, and rebuild muscle protein. Exercise physiologist Ed Burke and others claim the R4 system is the path to optimal muscle recovery, and there is ample scientific evidence to back them up. In this installment of Training Talk, we'll discuss the first two "R's" - restore electrolytes and water and replenish glycogen. To train day in and day out at your full potential, you must be properly hydrated and have sufficient muscle glycogen stores to fuel your workout. Workouts over 90 minutes long decrease muscle glycogen, and not replenishing these stores may put you in a carbohydrate deficit that prevents you from reaching your training and racing goals. How do you go about rehydrating and restoring muscle glycogen after exercise? Numerous studies have tackled these issues. Based on the results of these studies, it is now known that a series of steps can be taken post-workout that will optimize your rehydration and glycogen synthesis and allow you to train and perform at your best. Rehydrate - Adequate fluid intake during training and racing keeps body temperature levels in check and maintains cardiac output. For different reasons, fluid intake during training and racing is usually not enough to prevent a net loss of body fluids. It is therefore important to begin rehydrating immediately after exercise. It is not uncommon for someone exercising in hot and humid environments to lose 8 to 12 pounds of water weight after four hours of exercise. Even cold weather athletes can lose a significant amount of water during exercise. Rehydrating with a carbohydrate drink mix containing sodium and other electrolytes is preferable to rehydrating with water alone. In one study, subjects who exercised to a point of mild dehydration replaced 82 percent of their lost fluids when drinking a sodium solution during a three hour rehydration period. The subjects who drank water alone restored 68 percent of lost fluids during this period. Carbohydrates also increase water absorption by interacting with sodium in the intestinal wall. The glucose molecules that make up a carbohydrate stimulate sodium absorption, and sodium, in turn, is necessary for glucose absorption. As these two substances are absorbed into the intestinal wall, they pull water with them, thus increasing absorption into the bloodstream. Replenish - As you've just seen, this actually begins during rehydration with the ingestion of a carbohydrate/electrolyte drink that enhances fluid uptake. The timing, amount and type of carbohydrate you take in after training all determine how effectively you replenish glycogen stores. The glucose molecules that make up muscle and liver glycogen are the primary fuel for moderate- to high-intensity exercise. In order to replace muscle glycogen used during the day's training, carbohydrates must be consumed. Carbohydrates ingested immediately after training result in the greatest muscle glycogen synthesis. Studies show that restoration of glycogen stores is not as great when carbohydrates are eaten two hours after exercise. Eating nothing after a workout is strongly advised against, even for individuals trying to lose a few pounds. You will only become run-down and unable to continue your training regimen, in addition to playing havoc with your body's metabolic processes. Exercise scientists recommend athletes eat 1-1.5 g of carbohydrates/kg of body weight as soon as possible after training. Additional feedings should occur every two to four hours thereafter. The type of carbohydrate you take in also determines the rate of glycogen synthesis. High-glycemic-index foods induce greater glycogen synthesis than low-glycemic-index foods. Thus you may want to look for a recovery drink with sucrose or glucose (high-glycemic-index) rather than fructose (low-glycemic-index).

[6]

FOUR GREAT DRILLS THAT TEACH THEFUNDAMENTALS 0F FAST SWIMMINGBy Gary Sr.

Drills are our best friend in swimming. Why? Because, none of us, no matter how smart we think we are, can think of two things to do at once. Try, and we will likely get neither one right. When we are swimming, there is just too much going on at once for us to concentrate on any one single thought. Sometimes, it is much better to just slow down, especially at the beginning (warm-up) period of practice, and work on one thing at a time.

Good technique is vital to fast swimming. Regardless, it takes a lot of work, but you might as well swim smart. In the water, little changes can make big differences. I am a great believer in one drill teaches one concept. Here are my favorite drills for the three fundamentals of fast swimming.

FUNDAMENTAL # 1 THICK AS A BRICK

Head position drill (for freestyle, butterfly and breastroke):

In the water and on your stomach place your hands over your head and scull with hands (move them side to side, not backwards like breastroke pull) while doing flutter kick. First, scull across the short pool like this with your head above the water looking forward. While doing so, notice where your back and bum (hips) are riding in the water. Now, do the same scull but with your chin tucked down nearly touching your chest. Your head should be nearly submerged (since you are moving slow). When you need to breathe you can turn your head to the side. Take notice of where your back and hips are in relation to the surface. Big difference! They should rise to the surface and put your body back in alignment.

When your head is too high, your hips sink and even strong legs will not keep them up. It is like swimming through the water as if you were a hammock, or pulling a kickboard sideways through the water. Even the small body angle the high head causes creates a huge increase in drag. Drop the head down, the hips come up and you are back in alignment.

Practice this drill by swimming 25 m or yards drill followed by 25 m swim, but maintaining the same head position. At first, you will have the sensation that you are swimming down hill or over a waterfall. That is normal. Your line of sight should be down toward the bottom (when swimming slow) and slightly forward (perhaps 10 degrees) when swimming fast. Only look up when you need to judge where the wall is... then back down with the head.

High elbow drill (freestyle, butterfly):

Swim one arm at a time but positioned somewhat on your side, like you would be if you were rotating your body correctly.

Keep the arm that is not pulling above your head so you maintain a streamlined position. Now once the pulling arm enters the water (the

arm should be fully extended at the entry point... not the old fashioned way of entering the water above your head with a bent elbow and sliding the hand forward) initiate the pull by pushing down with the hand but keeping the elbow stationary. This creates the sensation that you are lifting your body up in the water. In other words you want the forearm to drop down until the hand is virtually directly below the elbow, then push the hand and forearm straight back (staying shallow) with the elbow high. This is neither a comfortable nor natural arm motion for us. In fact, you will likely feel downright awkward doing it. Remember, the reason is not to gain power, but to reduce drag. You will also find you need to pull wider than usual in order to accomplish the high elbow.

I find too many swimmers (especially beginners) spend too much time worrying about what they should be doing with their hands in the water, ie pull back or to the side or underneath? It is much more productive to think about the position of the elbow and the hand in relation to the elbow, than what the hand should do. Of course, we want the hand to 'hold' as much water as possible, ie create maximum lift/hand drag, but while also minimizing body drag with a high elbow.

Practice the high elbow drill by swimming 12 1/2 m left arm drill, followed by 12 1/2 m right arm, then 25 m swim, maintaining the high elbow and head down. Doing the drill one arm at a time enables you to think about and see what your arm, elbow and hand are doing. Over time, the awkwardness of this crucial arm position will go away and you will get stronger with the pull.

FUNDAMENTAL # 2 SWIM WITH YOUR BODY

The body drill (freestyle and backstroke):

The best drill I know for teaching you to use your body is called the 3 stroke/ 6 kick drill. In this drill, you will kick on your side with one arm over the head and the other at your side. The shoulder of the trailing arm should be directed vertically toward the sky. Hold this position for at least 6 kicks or longer and think about where your upper shoulder is pointed. If it is not vertical, then keep rotating until it is.

[7]

Swim Drills (cont’d)

Now, take three strokes (not fast) but with each stroke, rotate the body back to the vertical position and recover with the arm coming over the top (whether straight arm or bent elbow). Nearly every great swimmer recovers over the top, not around to the side. Recovering over the top will help transfer the energy form the arm into a forward body (not side) direction. After the third stroke you will now find yourself on the other side, where you will have time to think about keeping the opposite shoulder vertical. For this reason, do not take 2 or 4 strokes.

The key to this drill is to take it slow and try to make each of the three strokes incorporate good body/shoulder rotation. Stay longer on the kick if necessary to insure that you at least start the first stroke from the shoulder being totally vertical. Once you feel you can maintain the three strokes with good rotation, then practice the drill by swimming 25m drill, followed by 25m swim, trying not to go back to a flat body position.

You will immediately discover that swimming this way, with the body rotation, requires a lot of work. Remember, it is not meant to teach you to swim easier, just faster. It also will not differentiate between a hip driven (requiring strong kick) and shoulder driven technique. Those require a bit more understanding. The intent is to get you to swim with your entire body, not just your arms and legs.

FUNDAMENTAL # 3 SWIM ON THE FREEWAY

The freeway drill (freestyle and backstroke):

Getting swimmers to change their stroke rates can be challenging. Even though we know that up to some critical rate, increasing the stroke rate will increase the velocity, swimmers seem either reluctant or unable to change it.

I love this drill because it forces a swimmer to get out of stop-and-go slow-turnover freestyle

and onto the freeway.

I call it the dolphin freestyle. Instead of swimming with the flutter kick, use the dolphin kick with freestyle.

However, it must be done with one kick per one arm stroke. Most swimmers (especially those with slow turnovers) will try to throw two dolphin kicks in per stroke, but that doesn't cut it. Use fins if necessary to slow the kick down a bit, but be sure to take one arm stroke per kick. That will force you into a faster stroke rate and up the velocity curve, hopefully onto the freeway. Once you get the hang of it, you will feel the sync or groove and it actually gets quite comfortable. But there is just one speed, fast. You cannot do this drill in slow motion, so it is tiring.

Michael Klim (Australia) actually converted from flutter kick to dolphin for the final 15 meters of his world-record setting lead off leg of the 400 meter freestyle relay in the Sydney Games. Why? Because as one tires in the 100 free, the stroke rate typically slows and this is one way to insure that it doesn’t. I am not suggesting you do this but I do believe that this is a great way to get your stroke rate higher and if you were to practice it, you could swim almost as fast this way as with flutter kick.

Practice this drill by swimming 12 1/2 m freestyle with the dolphin (one stroke per kick) then convert the last 12 1/2 to normal freestyle with the flutter kick. The key is to keep the stroke rate the same with either kick and to NOT go back to slow, stop-and-go turnover. This same drill can also be used for backstroke, but is more difficult to do (perhaps because we are so accustomed to turning over too slow in backstroke).

DRILL PROGRESSION SET

One way to put all of these drills into practice is to do the drill progression set. This will allow you to focus on one concept or fundamental at a time, while hopefully putting all of it together at the end. I have found most swimmers have no trouble adapting to each drill and tackling that fundamental. However, going on to the next drill, they often revert back and forget what they learned from the prior one. The challenge is not to learn one fundamental but to put all of the fundamentals together in your stroke and keep them there. This set will help you achieve that. The idea is to focus each length (25 m) of the hundred on a different fundamental and put it into practice, hopefully adding the fundamentals as you go so you finish the 100 using all 3 fundamentals correctly.

Drill/Swim 10 x 100's (freestyle or backstroke):

12 1/2 m Head down drill 12 1/2 m swim12 1/2 m High elbow drill (left arm 2 or 3 strokes, then right arm 2 or 3 strokes) 12 1/2 m swim12 1/2 m Body drill 12 1/2 m swim12 1/2 m Freeway drill 12 1/2 m swim

[8]

Ace Your Baseby Matt Erlenbusch

Think the Tour de France or the Ironman World Championships are decided in the Pyrenees Mountains or on the Kona lava fields? Think again! Those podium lineups are being decided today! Future fitness fates are being cast in the cold drizzle of long February bike rides and fleece-wrapped winter runs. Early-season base training is the crucial platform that supports peak performances down the road.

Having your best summer and fall race season depends significantly on base training in the winter and spring. That means now. This isn't a revelation, but notice how many of your peers are training accordingly. Most athletes I've seen are training at near race-intensity in these months.

There’s no one-size-fits-all training formula, but most successful endurance athletes apply the same general sports science to their training: Each training session fulfills a specific contribution towards the larger fitness goals of building endurance, strength, and speed. The beginning of the training season is mostly devoted to endurance, or base- building (sustained, lower-intensity sessions), and later shifts priority to strength and speed building — hard training — as goal events approach.

Base effectsSuccessful athletes base-train because the returns are massive. In exchange for your earnest hours in the saddle and trails, you can expect some handsome returns for your cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Known adaptations to several weeks of base training include an increase in physical heart size, the amount of blood pumped per beat, total amount of blood pumped per minute, total blood volume, and capillary density. These plumbing adaptations maximize oxygen-rich blood delivery to working muscles. In fact, resting heart rates and blood pressures usually drop after sustained endurance training, because

these heightened cardiovascular efficiencies lower the heart's usual workload.

Base-building builds aerobic fitness power by increasing the amount of work the body can perform without increasing lactic acid levels in blood (lactate thresholds continue to be driven up with more intense training, as well). The relative size of aerobic (slow-twitch) muscle fibers increases, and density of the cellular sites of oxygen-based energy production (mitochondria) becomes higher, as well. These chemical and structural changes are aerobic gold.

Base-builders are fat burners. The enhanced oxygen delivery adaptations mentioned above boost the ability of fat to fuel activity. Also, levels of fat-burning enzymes rise with base training. This means your body will spare its limited carbohydrate fuel stores and instead rely on unlimited fat stores. Carbohydrate depletion is your body’s primary limitation in endurance sport performance, and efficient fat-burning ability is critical in events lasting longer than a couple of hours. Comparing two athletes with equal fitness racing at an equal intensity, the athlete with the superior ability to use fat as fuel will outlast and outperform the other. Preserving carbohydrate stores means preserving performance at race-pace intensity. This is the ultimate advantage for any competing endurance athlete.

Basic nutritionYour nutritional priorities during this phase should be to support your physical training. Base-building burns a great deal of fuel, and your job is to make sure your tank doesn’t run on empty. As your training volume goes up, so does your demand for carbohydrate. You likely will require 3–6 grams of carbohydrate per lb of body weight (7–13 grams per kg), depending on your training load. Your protein requirements will be around 0.6–0.8 grams per lb of body weight (1.3–1.8 per kg), and fat around 0.4 grams per lb (0.9 grams per kg).

Basic safetyThe opposite of base-building is to jump immediately into hard training — an open invitation to injury and to completely missing your sport potential. Base-building prepares your body to be able to safely strength- and speed-train later on. Endurance sports tend towards extremes, both in distances covered and hours involved: It is rough stuff on your body. Gradually strengthen your vulnerable connective tissue — ligaments and tendons — as well as the muscles that are required for your sport. Protect your neck. And protect your performance potential.

Armed and readyReinforce your commitment to base-training with some tools to keep on track: First, a heart-rate monitor provides you the numerical boundaries within which to keep your workouts. Base-building involves lower heart-rate values, but your specific target should be individualized. Do some homework to find yours, or seek a fitness professional if necessary.

Your other tool is your plan: Decide what your training session will entail, rather than allowing your peers to dictate it for you. Most of us know how an easy group ride or run can devolve into a lactic acid war of egos; consider training alone if you find yourself too inclined to go hard with your pals. Nobody cares who hammered everyone on the February group ride. Everybody cares who hammered everyone in the June race.

Base perspectivesLife has the tendency to get in the way of our training, and a few cushy months of uninterrupted base-building is sometimes impossible. That is not a sign of defeat, but rather a call to be flexible with yourself and your self-imposed expectations. The most successful athletes adapt their training to what life allows them to do, and they don’t look back when unpredictable disruptions occur. Along these lines, even minimal base-training is infinitely better than no base-training.

[9]

Sticky Whole Grain Cranberry Treats This recipe is adapted from an Oct. 2007 recipe that appeared in Southern Living magazine:

Ingredients:3 Tbsp. No Trans Fat margarine (or could use butter)

1 10.5 oz bag of mini marshmallows8 cup whole grain low sugar cereal (ex: Kashi Go Lean, Bran/Oat Flakes)

Note: you can use 2 different whole grain cereals1.5 cups dried cranberries (save .5 cups to sprinkle on top)

Directions:Over low heat, melt margarine in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir continuously until mixture is melted and

smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir in cereal and cranberries mixing until well coated. Use a vegetable based cooking spray to coat a 13 x 9 inch pan. Press mixture into the pan. Let cool for 20 min then cut into 24 bars.

Each bar is ~130 calories, 2 gm fat, 2.5 gram protein and 26 gm carbohydrate.

Other nutrient dense additions:Add 1 cup chopped walnuts when mixing in cereal

Sprinkle and press down ½ cup of dark chocolate chips onto the mix.Note: Nutritional information will vary depending on type of cereal used and any additions.

************************************************************************************************************

Sweet Potato Oven-Roasted Friesfrom Rachaelray.com

Ingredients: 2-2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

4 cloves garlic, smashed 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into 4-5 long wedges, depending on how big the potatoes are.

Place the potato wedges and garlic on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with about three tablespoons of EVOO and toss to coat.

Season the potatoes with rosemary, salt and pepper and roast them for about 25 minutes, until potatoes are golden and tender. Flip the potatoes and continue to roast for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

[10]

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...

March/April CalendarTraining Opportunities:• Masters Swims @ Northside OZ on

Tues @ 6-7:30 pm, Fri. @ 4-5:30 pm & Sun @ 8-9:30 am

• Many Sundays following the swim at the Northside Oz, folks meet to run long. So bring your running gear, just in case!

• Masters Swims @ Valley OZ on Thurs @6-7:30 pm, & Sun @ 8-9:30 am.

• Saturday am or pm indoor trainer rides or outdoor group rides posted weekly on the forum!

• Many more group training opportunities are posted regularly on the Tri Forum... check it out!

Races/Runs:

• March 28th: Tri-State Outfitters Spring Duathlon in Lewiston, ID

• April 3rd: YMCA Spring Sprint Tri @ Boise, ID

• April 4th: Oceanside Ironman 70.3 @ Oceanside, CA

• April 4th: Yakima River Canyon Marathon @ Yakima, WA

• April 5th: New Orleans 70.3 IM @ New Orleans, LA

• April 10-11th: Snake River Sprint Tri @ Lewiston, ID

• April 11th: Easter Sprint Tri @ Elma, WA

• April 11th: Grizzly Triathlon @ Missoula, MT

Upcoming Events: Next Social:

• Coming in April=> Tri Fusion Fastkart raceway social! Please watch the Tri Forum for more details soon!

Next Membership Meeting:

• Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m.: General membership meeting at Twigs on the south hill.

• Next Kids Club Meeting: Coming soon=> Cycling Event in April! Exact date/time/place will be available in the near future. Keep watching for more details.