[1]

March 2010

Do the Tri Fusion satellite swim for Snake River’s Sprint Tri at the

north side Y on April 16th from 6-8 pm!

Prevent Stalling,

pages 8- 9

Surviving Fear of Failure:To the Parents of Athletes

Fear of failure is the athlete's worst enemy. The thinking of high-stress athletes is dominated by nega­tive thoughts and worries about failing. Unchecked, these concerns with failure undermine confidence, enthusiasm, the willingness to invest and persist, and, most importantly, the athlete's belief in himself or herself. It is these thoughts that transform the competi­tive athletic situation from what should be a welcome challenge to a threatening and unpleasant pressure-cooker. It is these thoughts that trigger the high physical arousal that interferes with perform­ance and with the ability to concentrate fully on the task at hand.

The ideas that underlie fear of failure do not arise in a vacuum. They almost always have been communicated to youngsters by their parents or by other important adults. This is not surprising, because the basic beliefs underlying such ideas are very wide­spread and accepted in our culture, which emphasizes achieve­ment as a measure of personal worth. In our society, an untold number of children fall victim to their parents' demands that they perform exactly as expected, and to condemnations when they fail.

Too often, the child's achievements are viewed as an indication of the worth of his or her parents, and failure brings reprisals based on the parents' feelings that they are to blame or that they them­selves are inadequate. For many children, love becomes a premium handed out on the basis of what a child can do rather than simply on who he or she is.

The fastest and easiest way to create fear of failure in a child is to punish unsuccessful performance by criticizing it or by withholding love from the youngster. Under such circumstances, children learn to dread failure because it is associated with punish­ment or rejection. They also learn to fear and avoid situations in which they might fail. The unfortunate lesson they learn is that their worth and lovability depend on how well they perform. In­stead of trying to achieve in order to reap the built-in rewards of achievement and mastery, children strive to perform well to avoid failure. As a parent, you can have a dramatic impact on helping the young athlete develop a positive desire to achieve rather than a fear of failure.

Reprinted and adapted from Parents’ Complete Guide to Youth Sports, (1989) with permission from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1599

Q-Rings

Review

page 4

Love it!

Massage,

page 6

Successful Procedures!

page 5

Energy

Gel/Chew

Review

pages 2-3

BoD, Sponsors, Calendar,

page 10

Run the Tangents,

page 7

[2]

Is Goo for You? We Test Popular Energy Gels

Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010 2:18 PM

By Kristin Kalning, senior technology editor for msnbc.com

What they are: Gu Energy Gel (approximately $8 for a 6-pack), Clif Shot Energy Gel (about $30 for a 24-pack) and Luna Sport Moons energy chews ($14.99 for 12 packets).

What they claim to do: The companies behind the three products (Luna is the women-targeted brand of Clif) say that the products provide easy-to-digest carbohydrates for endurance athletes. The main difference between the products is where these carbohydrates come from: Clif Shots come from brown rice syrup, Luna chews also come from brown rice syrup with some cane sugar and Gu is comprised of maltodextrin and fructose.

All three products contain approximately 100 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrates and little or no fiber, fat or protein. According to the companies who make the products, this streamlined makeup helps speed the carbohydrates to the bloodstream. Gu is the one product that I tried that has caffeine – 20 milligrams for the flavor I tried. That’s less than a Diet Pepsi, but more than a single Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss. Clif’s Shots have flavors with caffeine, but not in the one I tried.

The instructions for all three products recommend eating one serving before start your activity, and about every 45 minutes thereafter. Usually, they suggest having another serving when you finish, to aid in recovery.

Our experience: I’m hardly a hard-core athlete. I started running about 20 years ago to take off weight, and I’ve kept it up because it’s convenient and inexpensive. But exercising to be thin gets boring after awhile, so I started participating in races — 5Ks and 10Ks to start, but now I’m doing half-marathons and short triathlons.

In my first half-marathon, I heard people at the starting line talking about their “goo,” and I didn’t have any idea what they were talking about. Midway through the race, I noticed participants with tiny foil packets sticking out of their mouths, running as they sucked at whatever magic elixir was inside. I wanted in on the secret, so I bought a couple of packets and then promptly forgot about them, until a race last year.

At the starting line of that race, I too had my Gu – Chocolate Outrage flavor – which I sucked down 15 minutes prior to starting with a little water, as per the instructions. I didn’t notice anything other than adrenaline and some butterflies, but I ate more gel about an hour into the race. I wouldn’t seek it out if I needed a chocolate fix, but it tasted OK: very sweet, with a pudding-like consistency.

Trying something new like an energy gel or even a sports drink during a race can be a recipe for disaster – something I didn’t know at the time. If your stomach doesn’t appreciate the new substance, you’re in trouble – with just a Port-a-Let for comfort. It’s best to experiment when you’re training, and you can call your husband to come fetch you if your tummy’s revolting.

My tummy didn’t revolt – in fact, I totally forgot about eating the gel until about 15 minutes later, when I felt like I was getting my second wind. My legs felt lighter and faster. That’s when I remembered that little packet of sweet I’d slurped a few minutes before. It was the Gu! It had to be the Gu.

After that, I was a convert. I used Gu during training runs and the phenomenon I’d experienced during my race wasn’t an isolated one: If I had a packet before my run and then during, I would feel a little lift about 10 to 15 minutes after eating it. But I didn’t love the flavor, so I thought I’d try something else. Enter Clif Shots, in Chocolate (I’ve got no use for vanilla as a general rule).

Clif Shots have a thinner consistency than Gu, and a lighter flavor. I followed the instructions faithfully, eating a packet prior to running and then again about an hour into my run. And though I felt a slight bump to my performance after consuming, it wasn’t as noticeable as the one I’d felt with Gu.

[3]

Gels & Chews... (cont’d)

Next up, the Luna Moon energy chews, which I bought in Blueberry. Each packet contains two servings, and a serving equals about six pieces. The instructions on these were a bit different, suggesting that athletes eat half the packet 30 minutes prior to activity, and every 30 minutes thereafter. So I did.

From an operational standpoint, the chews were more work. With a gel, you just rip open the packet, jam the opening in your mouth, and make like a Hoover. With chews, you’ve got to extract them from the packaging. A small thing, certainly, but here’s another: The chews have the consistency of Dots candy. I adore Dots candy, but they’re thick and they stick to my teeth. Awesome if you’re watching a movie. Not so awesome if you’re in the middle of a 10-mile run.

Still, the chews gave me a mild pick-me-up, about the same intensity as the Clif Shot. And I really did prefer the taste of the chews over the energy gels. The gels are definitely more convenient if you’re running and especially if you’re on a bike, but the sweetness can be too much for some.

What the experts say: Studies have shown that athletes can experience performance benefits from replenishing glucose during hard workouts, says Celia Framson, Registered Dietitian. But she cautions that some formulas can cause stomach upset by drawing water out of the body into the gastrointestinal tract and delaying the movement of fluid out of the gastrointestinal tract into the body.

“How much carbohydrate replenishment an athlete needs is highly individual. The trick is to maximize energy repletion while minimizing GI discomfort,” she says. “An optimal intake in studies is 60 grams per hour (which gives you 240 calories), but your best bet is to start low and experiment.”

I didn’t experience any stomach upset while using these products, but I did wonder why I felt slightly more juiced after taking Gu than the other products. “Scientifically, it is plausible that Gu works better in the body because it gets its carbohydrates from a combination of glucose and fructose in a proportion that could be better absorbed by the body than the proportion in the Luna chews,” she says. But, “there isn’t a ton of science on the subject.”

Framson also points out that both the Luna chews and the Clif Shots contain brown rice syrup, which is a complex carbohydrate that takes longer for the body to digest and absorb. “That might not be the best choice for quick energy for your muscles and body tissues, but it may help you if you are running a marathon.”

Both Gu and the Clif Shots contain a small amount of electrolytes, which help to regulate hydration in the body. But Framson says the amounts are so small that “they wouldn’t make a dent in the amount you lose during endurance exercise.”

Bottom line: Gels and energy chews aren’t for everyone, and as Framson pointed out, “each individual has to experiment to find the optimal amount and product.” Many of my running buddies don’t use gels at all

– “Can’t stand the taste,” shuddered my friend Karen. But others – like me – swear they improve performance. The first day I tried Gu I shaved nine minutes – nine minutes! – from my personal best half-marathon time. Was it the energy gel, the flat course or my dogged determination? I don’t know, and for $1.25 per pack, I don’t much care. I plan to have my energy helpers with me during every training run, and every race for as long as I can put one Saucony in front of the other. In the middle of a lonely 12-miler, I need all the help I can get.

[4]

Gear Review: Rotorbike Q-RingsBy Eric Petersen, triathlon coach at http://www.pacificfit.net

One day last year I was on a ride with Kristen Armstrong (the gold medalist TT - remember her crushing performance?), when I noticed her front chain rings looked funny - they were not “round” like I am used to seeing.Naturally I asked “what’s up with your chain rings?” She explained that the oval shaped rings are called ‘Q-Rings’ by Rotorbike USA, and that she rode them in the Olympics for her time trial. She explained that due to theshape, they help deliver maximum power while saving your legs longer, and reduced the stress on her knees. Of course, given that the fastest woman on the planet on a TT bike was endorsing them, I had to try them out for myself!

It took me many months, but I was finally able to convince Rotorbike USA to let me try out a set. While I was waiting, I did as much research on “oval” chain rings as I could. I read about the now defunct Shimano “BioPace” rings that appeared briefly in the late 1980’s. Apparently they died quickly after reports of knee issue started to crop up with their use. Rotorbike. The 'Q-Ring' is based on a simplified theme of the same company's Rotor cranks that seek to minimize the inertia that happens after 20 degrees of crank rotation through what is commonly termed 'the dead spot'. There are up to five 'grades' of effect from the same chain ring so you can tune the system to suit your riding style, and the handbook gives some basic advice. The Q-Rings are available in either 130mm Shimano, 135mm Campagnolo or 110mm BCD (compact) chain ring, with a fourth option also available for Micro-drive mountain bike crank sets using the 104/64mm BCD.

Rotorbike advises to install them in “position 3” and ride that for a minimum of 400 miles before tinkering with the advance on the “cam”

effect of the ring. I mounted them up on my Specialized Transition, and I have now put several hundred miles on them. My long rides tend to be on the Ironman bike course here where I live, and I practice on it almost every weekend. If you know the course, you know that the upper part of the course has some pretty challenging hills (or ‘rollers’ to the locals). On the hills in standard chain rings, I know where my heart rate goes, what gear to be in, it’s become like clockwork in the last year.

Not so with the Q-Rings.

I noticed that on the smaller rollers that I was able to stay in my large ring, sustain a slightly faster speed (maybe 2 to 3 mph) while riding up and over each small roller. On the larger, more aggressive sustained climbs (like “the wall”), I dropped into the small ring and spun right up, and interestingly enough, my heart rate stayed lower every time I rode the hill. I checked my data from my Garmin and sure enough, lower heart rate, same hills. This is an obvious advantage for longer rides where you are trying to keep your heart rate in check and for Ironman, save it for the run.

So, my conclusion? In a nutshell, Kristen was right. After a long ride, I had more ‘legs’ to run on, and I was able to be slightly faster overall. Keep in mind that I am not some elite athlete, but an age grouper, yet I was able to benefit a bit from their use. I will be recommending these to my athletes at Pacific Elite Fitness, and if you have any questions or would like more information on the Q-Rings, please contact me at http://www.pacificfit.net, or by emailing ericp@pacificfit.net.

[5]

The Success Processfrom Chuckie V’s blog For the triathlete and humans in general (which most triathletes seem to be) there are basically three kinds of stress. First, there's the stress that benefits you, like intelligently applied training stress. Then there's the stress that doesn't benefit you. This type of stress can include detrimental choices like inappropriate recovery; poor nutrition; worrying about things you have no control over; repeatedly hitting yourself in the head with a two-pound block of pepper jack cheese; listening to country music, etc. Finally, there's the stress that I like to call success stress (not that I know much about success, but hey, I once knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a fairly successful guy. I also played a successful guy on TV once, but the show was pulled after one unsuccessful episode.)

"Success stress" is basically the stress of having achieved something you set out to do (e.g., reintegrating back into society after having walked from Mexico to Canada; the post-Ironman blues; the "now what?" process, etc.) Such a task involves (involved) plenty of stressful work (winning your age-group at a big race, for example) but the rewards of having done so far outweigh (or should outweigh) the stress of the attempt. Success stress, needless to say (though I will anyway), is also beneficial to the triathlete, even though it's still a form of stress. (In today's lethargic seek-comfort-at-all-costs-culture we tend to view stress as a bad thing, whereas as athletes it is very much necessary; ultimately, I've found that it takes stress to be happy.)

Where things get tricky, of course, is in defining success and moving on after it. Bear with me as I try to explain.

In the past I've coached a few athletes who made enormous gains throughout the year, and I ain't talking about the steroidal body-builders I used to spot for (Big gym guy: "Spot me!" Me: "Yep, there you are, I see you."). I'm talking endurance athletes, those who like to inflict long, drawn-out pain to themselves. Everything worked for these athletes because they worked. They watched both their health and fitness increase, while they became leaner, stronger, faster and more tanned (which, of course, is always a bonus, whether you're a steroidal body-builder or a twiggy endurance athlete). They met new friends and managed to drop training partners that they'd never dropped before, including their coach. They enjoyed the process all along and found themselves waking with anticipation of the day ahead, nearly everyday. But then, when race day arrived, they failed to meet their goal.

I posit: is that failure?

Not to me, it isn't.

And this is precisely why coaching is risky business…a risky business.

If an athlete is concise with his or her goals, success often hinges on a single result (e.g., qualifying for Kona) and it not only puts a lot of pressure on the athlete's scrawny shoulders but on his or her coach's shoulders too.

"If I don't win this race, I suck," the athlete might tell him/herself. In this instance I usually point out that, "Maybe, just maybe, you suck anyway," but they usually miss my point and me, well, I usually find myself with yet another black eye.

"Because you didn't win today means that you suddenly suck?!" I'll ask.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for winning. I've even done some of it myself, having won more Scrabble tournaments than anyone in my current household, and I know what a great feeling it is, especially when I partake in my customary post-tournament celebratory dance around the house for the next six or seven hours, banging my opponent's head with a two-pound block of pepper jack cheese as she tries to sleep. "Of course 'jo' is a word, fool!"

But because I've won, does it really make me BETTER than the next player? I mean, if she sucks (because she didn't win), then wouldn't I also suck, since I was in close proximity to such a loser? Suckyness by association? The whole thing seems laughable to me. Really, success is as much a process as it is a result. It is never final, just as failure is rarely fatal. And besides, this whole sport (and all sports, not unlike life itself) is just that: a sport. A game. Fun. Recreation.

So let recreation be re-creation and recreate the person you were when everything was a game…when you were a child. Stress to be happy. If you continue to grow and learn, there will be no failure. Unless you were to play me in Scrabble, that is.

PS: I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from years ago...

"Live your life so that when you wake up in the morning, Satan says, 'sh!t, he's awake'".

And whether you're hell-bound or heaven-bound be sure to raise some hell en route.

[6]

Tri Fusion Supporter Highlight: Greg Hughes Massage Therapy by Natalie Gallagher

Very recently I had the genuine pleasure of receiving a massage from one of our newest Tri Fusion supporters, Greg Hughes. Greg, born and raised in New Zealand (yes, he has a sexy accent, ladies!), has been a massage therapist in Spokane for the past nine years. Uniquely, Greg began his professional life as a high school physical education teacher, where he realized his passion for the human physique didn’t include educating the youth of New Zealand in a gymnasium. After leaving his teaching career, Greg spent a short time as a personal trainer. Once again, Greg learned that his true calling definitely involved physical health, but not from the standpoint of a trainer.

Fast forward to the second millenium, and Greg is fulfilling his lifelong desire to work with people and athletes that are in need of his extrinsic therapy and interested in an aspect of intrinsic therapy as well. He has been a Licensed Massage Therapist in Washington State and Nationally Certified since 2001.

The overall focus of his massage practice is on resolving muscle and joint dysfunction. He specializes in neck and shoulder issues as well as low back and hip pain. I arrived at therapy with Greg experiencing some hamstring/calf muscle pain. After an hour of deep tissue massage, motion and stretching, I left with that oh-so-good tenderness that indicates muscle reparation is occurring.

Greg Hughes utilizes a range of techniques to help your body find structural balance and move from dysfunction to function. Which explains why the day after my massage, my legs felt refreshed and strong when I tackled a hilly ride and a long transition run! Gone were the muscle aches and stiffness in my hamstrings and calves.

Greg has developed his approach to massage by studying with three of the best teachers in massage therapy today. Please feel free to explore their work to gain insight into what he does.

* Eric Dalton * Tom Myers * James Waslaski

Healing of tissue or imbalance in the body is ultimately done by the body. Massage Therapy opens a window of opportunity allowing the body a better chance of making needed repair and/or remodeling to muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia. Massage Therapy can also provide a window of opportunity for the body to address neuro-muscular imbalances that are causing tension, spasm, inhibition, and pain. The key is for the therapist to provide a large enough window and educate the client on how to take advantage of that opportunity. The window is often times closed due to stress, tension, poor sleep, poor nutrition, lack of movement, and too much flexion (i.e. sitting and forward head postures).

Throughout my therapy session, Greg asked me pointed questions regarding my training routine; usual “hot-spots”; my physical goals, he inquired about my understanding of the role for myself as self-care manager and refreshed my knowledge of the nutritional implications regarding a healthy body. Massage with Greg is truly a whole-body approach.

With feedback and open dialogue it is Greg’s goal to help clients navigate the most important aspect of therapy- self-care. He believes it is vitally important to provide his clients with an understanding of what is causing pain and dysfunction, and providing self-care tools such as- movement, stretch, tone, strength, biomechanics, and nutrition so they can better take advantage of their therapy session and reach their health goals. It is through thoughtful collaboration and a well-studied approach to massage therapy that he helps his clients. If you want to open that window and fly through it, please call Greg and make an appointment.

Massage Therapy 20% off for Tri Fusion! Contact Details: Greg Hughes 430 West 2nd Avenue 509-993-5010 gregoryhughes2003@yahoo.com www.greghughesmassage.com

[7]

Math of Tangentsby Jonathan Toker, Ph.D.Date: Tue Mar 16 2010 from www.slowtwitch.com

The faint blue line meandered through the city streets, thousands of weary marathon runners following it as their guide through the 26.2 mile circuit. The wall of runners approached yet another bend in the road. Without thinking, some of the athletes taking the outside line put themselves at a disadvantage by running further. While one corner won’t make much difference in a marathon, over a common race course with turns, taking the outside line can make quite a difference. How much of a difference? After so many years on the race course, I continue to be amazed by the number of athletes who appear to run with no concern whatsoever for the specific path they follow. This article outlines some concepts that may be very intuitive to racers, yet once on the race course, it is often the case that these ideas are ignored.

The Math The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. On a straight road, running anything other than a straight line will result in running further, and all things being equal, a slower run time. Adding a curve to a path allows a choice of routes through the curve: From following the curb on the inside track, cutting a tangent, or following the outside curb, each route can either be shorter or longer. A tangent is defined as a straight line that touches a curved line at only one point. The apex of a turn is generally the geometric center of the turn; the tightest part of a corner. Consider the following example on a route with a single quarter turn, and a route starting and ending at the same point: The shortest distance between two points is as straight a line as possible within the confines of a race course. If a runner follows the outside of the curve that necessitates a longer distance. You're probably thinking "I know that! It's obvious!" and indeed it is. Keep your eyes open at your next race and notice how many runners take the longer route: you'll be amazed. Just don't be one of them. The situation gets slightly more complicated when you add two or more turns of different directions. While the shortest distance around each turn is the inside line, the interface between the two turns necessitates approaching the second turn from the first, offering the choice for any number of paths. In this instance, looking ahead and sighting for the apex of the second turn will minimize the distance traveled. How does this affect the distance run over the course of a real-life course? I measured a 2.54 km route on the road using a calibrated cycle computer, as measured by taking the inside line and apex of every curve when possible and legal, trying to minimize the distance while staying within my lane. My course consisted of some neighborhood streets with 6 right angle turns and one long sweeping curve. I then measured the same route, this time taking the outside or likely the longest distance while staying

within my lane. What did I find? On a decidedly average course with 6 turns, the longer route measured 2.60 km, 2.4 % further than the shortest distance possible. For a 20 minute 5K effort, this extra 2.4 % translates to an added distance of 120 meters that is equal to an added 29 seconds to the base time- for no reason other than the choice of routing. By the same token, imagine an improvement of 29 seconds on a 5K simply by choosing the shortest and most direct route. While this is only an example and each course will allow for different savings based on route choice, all other things being equal (route conditions, runner congestion, etc…) an athlete will lose time by running further then necessary. In a cycling race, a similar theory applies, with the caveat that bikes don’t corner like runners due to higher speeds and the need to maintain balance and traction. Also, cycling an additional 2-3% distance at higher speeds means a smaller time gap than in running. Cyclists who generally keep to the apex of the turns are going to ride a shorter distance than other paths. Provided an athlete follows the race rules, cutting the tangent is legal and worth some free time. Properly marked courses are measured at their shortest distance. Why go further?

Real-life suggestions- Be course-aware. Explore the race route before race day and note where the shortest route may be, upcoming corners on the far side of blind hills, road conditions, etc...- During the run, consider that you'll likely be moving from one side of the road to the other, sometimes to the confusion of those around you. Don't get in their way or cause a situation that is hazardous. Most runners don't run the shortest route.- Keep your head up! Look ahead on the course at all times and make continual judgments to run the most direct and straightest course possible. Once at the apex of one curve, sight for the apex of the next curve, or if you can see further ahead, sight directly for the apex of the curve furthest away. Run a straight line between the apex of each curve.- Trail or pavement quality is often less ideal at the edges of the course. Watch for curbs, potholes and poison oak, taking reasonable care to balance running speed and safety with running the shortest course. Sometimes it is okay to run a little further to the finish line.

Clearly there are other real-life conditions at play here, including the need to avoid obstacles (mud, potholes), people, traffic and to benefit from aid stations. Once again, most athletes conceptually understand the idea of a shortest route, but do not execute on that plan whilst racing. However, with the effort with which we approach our training to cut off a couple of percent of our race time, choosing the right path may be worth as much as the best coaching in the world. So keep your coach, but also consider your race routing. Next time you see somebody struggling on a race course, instead of shouting “you’re nearly there”, perhaps some more helpful advice would be “remember to cut the tangents”.

[8]

Stalling in the WaterWritten by: Dan EmpfieldDate: Tue. Apr 08, 2008from www.slowtwitch.com

Triathletes who come to competitive swimming late in life can, in time, execute all the basic mechanics—they can do everything acceptably. Even a mediocre swimmer may successfully engineer putting the crawl stroke’s components together; he may also know how to execute the other strokes; he may learn how to flip turn; he can make his way across the pool during kick sets.

For all that, however, there may still be something missing; something that keeps swimmers like this from improving; some nebulous lack of finesse that keeps them slow. Often this nebulous “thing”—for those swimming 1.5km in 35min or 2.4mi in 1:20—is the tendency to stall in the water.

During the bicycle leg of a triathlon, a very good rider might fail to exert power during certain points in the pedal stroke and still go very fast. He can have a “torque profile” that is not at all “flat” but in fact exhibits large-amplitude waves of torque applied to the pedals. The bicycle does not tend to lose a lot of velocity during these spates of coasting. The rider’s power might stall, but his bicycle does not stall.

Not so in swimming. Swimmers cannot afford to coast. The medium through which they’re traveling is less forgiving, and a swimmer who loses velocity following or during each stroke is destined to remain slow.

There are tests you can perform that will serve as alerts. If you fail these tests, you’re stalling in the water. These tests then become the drills you do, and they’ll help you get over this problem. Once you fix these hitches in your stroke, eight and ten and fifteen thousand-yard weeks will pay big dividends and your speed will increase quickly.

First test: One-arm pulls

Push off the wall and pull with only your left arm across the length of the pool. Your right arm should be stretched out in front of you like Superman in flight. Your body will be rolled to the left, since you’ll be left-side breathing, so your right ribcage will be facing the bottom of the pool as you swim. On the return trip, pull with your right arm, right-side breathing, with your left arm straight in front of you.

When you do these one-arm pulls, your legs must kick in a rhythm appropriate to your pull rate. For example, if you’re a six-beat kicker, make sure you’re pulling once every six kicks, and that your kick is in sync with your pull. It may take a week or two (or more) of doing these one-arm drills in order for kick to sync with the pulls, but you’ll get it.

“One-arm pulls, we’re stopping the presses for this?” you might ask. Yes, you’re right, it’s just your basic one-arm pull drill, kicking in sync. The key here is what happens to the off arm—the one that’s straight in front of you. If it doesn’t stay straight, you’re stalling. When a mediocre swimmer executes a one-arm pull drill like this, you’ll see him scull (a little or a lot) with the off arm to keep his body in motion between pulls. That

off-arm sculling is evidence of a stall.

Does this describe you during a one-arm pull drill? If so, then the test now becomes the fix. One-arm drills ought to become a part of every workout, until that off arm remains straight out in front during the drill, with no change in the plane of the hand. When it does, that’s evidence you’ve gotten rid of a hitch in your stroke. That paves the way for you to make big improvements in speed.

Second test: Pull buoy and inner tube

I’ve made reference to a hitch in your stroke. What I mean by a “hitch” is any extraneous motion that interrupts the fluidity and economy of a perfect technical execution. It’s not limited to swimming. You might have a hitch in your cycling pedal stroke. Or in your golf swing. You may survive such a hitch in your bat swing, and like Dave Winfield make your way into baseball’s Hall of Fame. But you can’t survive a hitch in your swim stroke, because the water is just too unforgiving a medium.

[9]

Stalling...(cont’d)

One such hitch causing a swimmer to stall in the water is a bend at the waist during breathing. Let’s say you’re a left-side breather. Often, the mediocre swimmer makes the taking of a breath a much bigger event than it deserves, complete with a bend at the waist like homage paid to the god of oxygen. No need for that. Imagine your body is a log, rolling to one side and then the other during each stroke. A log roll to take a breath, rather than a twist at the waist, is what’s needed here.

Are you a waist-bender instead of a log roller? You’ll know if you are because, in response to taking your body off its straight-ahead line, you’ll splay your legs wide during the kick. As you might guess, the test for this sort of behavior is to bind your feet together, and see what your body does. Small-diameter, fat-tire innertubes—like those found inside a wheelbarrow tire—partially inflated and placed around your ankles, should do the trick nicely. If you swim across the pool thusly immobilized from the waist down, you’ll slither serpentine like a water snake if you suffer from this annoying habit.

Lest you think this is torture, it could be worse. Some coaches simply have you tie you ankles together with an uninflated bicycle innertube. You’re supposed to make your way back and forth with no pull buoy, nothing to keep your legs afloat. I’ve heard that Brett Sutton employs this method with his athletes, and that former World Champion triathlete Siri Lindley got her way up to the first pack of women training in this fashion.

So, I’m actually giving you a bit of a free ride by allowing you to inflate a fat, small-diameter, innertube. Likewise, I could’ve given you a much harder one-arm pull drill above. But the idea here, for the sake of these exercise, is not to make you suffer through drills for which you’re not yet ready; it’s to unearth and then correct a problem. Nastier versions come later, when you’ve got the technique to support the more advanced versions of these drills.

As in the case with one-arm pulls, the bound-ankles test becomes the bound-ankles drill should your stroke go to hell once your ankles are bound. And, as with one-arm pulls, every swim session should include a bit—even if it’s just 200 yards—of swimming with your legs bound and unable to splay.

The more you hate one-arm pulls and swimming with your feet bound the more you probably need to do these drills. These are not problems that are difficult to overcome. In fact, having unearthed and isolated these problems you’ll solve them quickly if you force yourself to magnify the bad effects through these drills. Your body will make the necessary changes, and the hitch in your stroke—whether caused by twisting at the waist during breathing, or crossing the centerline of your body with your hand during the catch phase—will be a thing of the past. The hitch now resolved, you’ll no longer stall in the water. Your kick will be even, your feet will not splay during the kick, you’ll be much more streamlined in the water, and everything you do will contribute to forward propulsion.

[10]

Detoxing Your Fruits and Veggiesby Jessi Thompson

Obviously, organic/food co-op/homegrown is the way to go - but since I am trying to eat fresh (which is expensive anyway), buying everything organic is unrealistic. I try to prioritize, but one of my "tricks" is to wash everything in a cold water-vinegar bath. fill up my sink 1/2 to 3/4 full depending on how many fruits and veggies, and dump about 1 c of white vinegar. Dump in all kinds of veggies and fruits (even works with berries and lettuce). Let soak for about 15 minutes, rinse and dry well.

This soak helps remove pesticides and all the other scary stuff they spray our foods with. If you look at the leftover water, well don't, cause it will kind of make your stomach turn. Or maybe you should to motivate you to do it every. single. time.

After I do this, I put everything in baggies and containers for the week. I'm floored at how much longer everything lasts!

CLEAN FIFTEEN DIRTY DOZEN

onionavocado

sweet cornpineapple

mangoasparagussweet peas

kiwicabbageeggplantpapaya

watermelonbroccolitomato

sweet potatoes

peachesapples

bell pepperscelery

nectarinesstrawberries

cherrieskale

lettucegrapescarrotspears

[11]

Board of Directors• Steve Anderson - Membership Director • Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director• Trish Cudney - Social Director• Greg Gallagher - Event & Cheer 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

• Kathy Worden & Jen Polello - Kids Club Co-Directors

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:• OZ (Northside) Masters swimming:

Tues> @ 6-7:30 pm, Fri. @ 4-5:30 pm & Sun. @ 8-9:30 am. Come join the fun!

• Throughout the spring => check the Tri Forum @ Training for outdoor group rides, and/or runs.

• Whitworth Masters Swim: on Mon-Fri @ 5:30-7 am. Contact KevinWang@spokanewaves.org

Races/Runs:• Mar. 27th: Tri-State Outfitter

Duathlon @ 10 am @ Lewiston, WA

• Oceanside IM 70.3 @ Oceanside, CA

• April 3rd: Spring Classic Duathlon @ Portland, OR

• April 10th: Rage in the Sage Off-road Triathlon @ Benton City, WA

• April 16th & 17th: Snake River Sprint Triathlon @ Spokane, WA & Lewiston, ID

• April 18th: Race for the Cure 5K run race @ Spokane, WA

• Spring Fling Triathlon & Duathlon @ Elma, WA

Upcoming Events:

• Tri Fusion Kids Triathlon: Saturday, June 20, 2010 starting at 9:00 am. Cost $20/per child. Check out www.tri-fusion.com/kids for more information

Next Membership Meeting:• Wednesday, April 21st @ 6:30 p.m.:

General membership meeting at the north side Twigs.