[1]

November 2008

Coming soon in January 2009: Weekly

head lamp runs in three locations - downtown,

valley & northside! Read more on p. 7

Hit Me!,

page 2

BoD, Sponsors, Calendar,

page 8The

Breakfast Club,

page 3

Create Training TriadsBy: (Chris) Carmichael Training Systems

Exercising with partners provides additional motivation and adds an important social component to keep you engaged in your exercise program.

There are days when it's easier to do something other than exercise, or you'd rather sit on the couch than go for a run. It's not that you don’t want to exercise; you just need a little nudge from a buddy. Even highly motivated professionals benefit from training partners because they make you accountable for your workouts: Someone waiting for you at the park or the gym will make you shut down the computer or drag you out of bed.

Optimal performance often depends on involving the perfect number of people. In business, a team that's too big struggles to make decisions, and a team that's too small doesn’t have the brain power to cover all the angles. Likewise, for training groups, involving too many people makes it too complicated to coordinate schedules and preferences. But training alone makes it too easy to put exercise on the back burner.

I’ve found that three is the perfect number for forming a reliable training group. A triad ensures that if one person can’t make it, there’s still one person depending on you to show up. It’s not imperative that all three of you meet up to do the same workout, just that you commit to starting and finishing together.

Here’s an example from my 2007 book, 5 Essentials for a Winning Life:“Jim Rutberg, Jay T. Kearney, and Jason Koop are an example of one such triad. Jim is the Editorial Director, Jay T. is the Vice President of Sports Science Services, and Jason is the Director of Regional Coaches (coaches who work outside of our Colorado Springs office). Jim kept signing up for endurance events, like the Leadville 100 mountain bike race, and then completing a fraction of the necessary training. He went and completed the events anyway, but he suffered more than he needed to in the process. When just he and Jason were training partners, Jim only had a little more success sticking with his training. Whenever Jason had to miss a session, Jim missed it too. But adding Jay T. to the team created a training triad, and the chances that at least two people were available for a training session increased by 100%. In the winter and spring of 2006, Jim recorded more workout time than he had over the previous two years, and it showed in the faster paces he was able to maintain during training sessions and competitions.“

Jay T. Kearney has since returned to work with the US Olympic Committee, and was replaced in the triad by CTS Premier Coach Jim Lehman. And 2007 turned out to be the year Rutty finished the Leadville 100 in less than 9 hours. Lehman finished 8th overall in 2008. And Jason Koop? He finished 13th overall in the 2008 Leadville 100 Run. Training triads work. Even for athletes of differing fitness levels and disciplines because they keep everyone engaged and committed to training.

Post Ironman Nutrition

pages 4-6What’s for

Breakfast?

Recipes,

page 6

On the

Tready,

page 7

RR: 70.3

World Champs,

pages 8-9

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HIT ME!by Ben Greenfield, MS, CPT, CSCS, CISSN

What if you could achieve the benefits of a 3 hour bike ride with just 30 minutes of training? What if you received the same endurance adaptations of an 18 mile run during a simple 20 minute session? No, I’m not talking about blood doping or ‘roids. I’m referring to HIT.

HIT stands for “High Intensity Interval Training”. If you’ve done it, you know it, because you never quite forget a HIT session. If you haven’t yet been introduced to this highly time efficient and fitness effective form of training, then by all means, keep reading.

Let’s examine what happens in the body in response to traditional endurance training.

* Improved muscle oxidative capacity. This means that the mitochondria enzymes, the machinery of the tiny powerhouses in your muscle cells, become faster and more efficient at converting oxygen into energy. * Altered substrate utilization. The body changes its primary exercise fuel, or substrate, to contain a lower percentage of carbohydrate and a

higher percentage of fat. This is also known as “enhanced lipid oxidation”. * Increased glycogen storage. Your carbohydrate stores amplify, up to 20% over normal, un-trained values.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could achieve these same aerobic adaptations via shorter bouts of more intense training? This question has been posed several times by researchers, who have conducted various studies that inspected the effect of HIT compared to traditional endurance training.

HIT is somewhat broadly defined and basically would include any repeated efforts of brief, intermittent exercise performed at a high work intensity. These efforts can last from a few seconds up to several minutes, and are separated by a longer period of rest or low-intensity exercise. Intensity ranges from 175% VO2 max intensity (typical for shorter 10-30 second bouts) to 85% VO2 max intensity (typical for longer 3-4 minute bouts).

Let’s take a look at some of the important and interesting pearls from HIT studies:

* A series of 48 ten second high-intensity sprints with 4 seconds recovery after each (8 minutes of total work), achieved similar mitochondrial enzyme improvements as four 12.5 minutes efforts at a moderate intensity (50 minutes of total work). * Over the course of three 30 second all-out sprints with 4 minutes of recovery, individuals were observed to progress towards increased fat utilization with each sprint. * Over two weeks, performed three times per week, a workout that simply involved four 30 second “all-out” sprints with four minutes of recovery after each (2 total minutes of work) nearly doubled cycling time to exhaustion at approximately time trial pace (from ~30 minutes up to ~60 minutes). * Fat oxidation in women was significantly improved by performing an

exercise sessions that involved ten 4 minute efforts with 2 minute recoveries (a bit higher volume in this study!). * Five 30 second high-intensity efforts with 4 minute recoveries, performed 3x/week (10 minutes total training time), resulted in similar aerobic adaptations as a single 40-60 minute low to moderate-intensity session performed 5x/week (4.5 hours total training time). * Finally, one interesting study looked at what type of HIT training was most effective in well-trained cyclists, and concluded that twelve 30 second efforts with 4.5 minutes rest or eight 4 minute efforts with 1.5 minutes rest produced the highest potency for inducing aerobic training adaptations.

I personally liked the idea of four 30 second “all-out” sprints with four minutes of recovery after each, so I performed this workout on the indoor trainer over the weekend, in lieu of a 2 hour bike session. So I grabbed my iPod and sweat towel, sucked down a cup of coffee, and prepared for a short, sweet, slightly painful exercise session.

My goal was 450-500 watts for each 30 second sprint. In no time flat, I experienced a revelation. With just 18 minutes of training, I was cooked, wasted, destroyed and any other violent adjective we avid exercisers might use to refer to the fact that we just completed a fantastic and highly effective workout.

As I draped myself over the handlebars and gasped for breath, I realized that I had the same feeling I might have after a three hour brick session, or a 75 minute open water swim, or a cage fight with lions.

This HIT concept might just save me a few hours this winter, and a fair share of indoor trainer boredom. For your endurance training purposes, it might just be worth looking into...

[3]

The Breakfast ClubBy Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. Published Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Breakfast has certainly gotten its share of accolades--and not just from your mother. In a study of women, eating breakfast daily resulted in healthier cholesterol levels than skipping breakfast. In 2006, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that breakfast-skippers had lower intakes of several vitamins and minerals including potassium, calcium, iron and vitamin C compared to their breakfast-loving counterparts. The first meal has been credited for everything from being thinner to improving memory and test-taking skills.

Preparing a nutritious meal doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. If your first meal of the day is desperate for a makeover, our guide is just what you need.

Your Perfect Breakfast If...

You don't have time for breakfast:If your morning routine is rushed, and you typically grab a piece of fruit or skip eating altogether, remember that breakfast doesn't have to be a sit-down meal. "It doesn't matter how busy you are, you still need energy to tackle work, family and athletic training," says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. She recommends taking a few minutes the night before to pack a quick grab-and-go meal for the car or during a work break.

Quick fix: Pack a bag with granola, nonfat or low-fat yogurt, banana and a spoon stored overnight in the fridge, so it's ready and waiting for the morning rush hour. Choose unflavored yogurt and add your own fruit or honey as a sweetener. Or chase a peanut butter-and-banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread with a 1-cup carton of nonfat or low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit juice.

You're just not hungry:If you always skip breakfast, you're probably eating too much at night, suggests registered dietitian Elizabeth Ward, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. So the first step is to spread your food out over the course of your day. If you're queasy first thing in the morning, Ward recommends eating breakfast a little later in the morning or breaking it up into two small snacks.

Quick fix: Drink a cup of orange juice before you dash out to start your day, then follow up with instant oatmeal made with milk and topped with raisins or dried cranberries a few hours later.

You hate breakfast food:No one says you have to start your day with eggs or cereal. Look to breakfast options around the world for some fresh ideas. In some parts of India, a popular breakfast includes a spicy yogurt and rice dish. Noodles and soup are common in other parts of Asia. To Ward, a good breakfast has complex carbohydrates, protein and fruits or vegetables. "Breakfast could be a half sandwich and some orange juice; leftover pizza and fruit; or last night's dinner. Just eat," she urges.

Quick fix: Choose whatever healthy foods you like, just balance them among three or four food groups. What about leftover lasagna or chicken and vegetable stir-fry over instant brown rice?

You're heading out for a training run:Resist the temptation to hit the pavement with nothing in your stomach but a few swallows of juice or sports drink. You'll perform better if you eat a nutrient-packed meal before exercising. Aim for at least three food groups, says endurance athlete and board-certified sports dietitian Suzanne Girard Eberle, author of Endurance Sports Nutrition. Choose a grain for some complex carbs, a calcium-rich food and some fruit.

"If you have longer than two hours before you run, add some protein or healthy fat for sustaining power." Be smart about how much you eat, or you'll risk getting a bellyache. "Experiment with the timing. Most athletes need to eat one to two hours before they run," Eberle adds.

For the day of the race, don't try anything new: "The pre-event breakfast and the training breakfast should be the same," says Clark, "because part of training is to train the intestinal tract. The best pre-exercise breakfast includes tried-and-true foods that are easy to digest."

Quick fix: Try yogurt, fruit and oatmeal; if you have time before the run, stir in some peanut butter or nuts. Pour yourself a bowl of cereal with milk along with a glass of juice; if time permits, include a hard-boiled egg or a cheese stick. Or eat a bagel with jam and some yogurt; if you don't plan on running for a while, enjoy some scrambled eggs or spread some peanut butter on your bagel.

You're trying to lose a few pounds:Most importantly, don't skip breakfast or turn to low-calorie, low-fiber cereal in an attempt to control calories. The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), a listing of thousands of people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept if off for one year or more, indicates that 78 percent of the NWCR participants eat breakfast every day.

Quick fix: Fill up on water-rich and fiber-rich fruits and veggies. You'll get more forkfuls for the calories. Try a big fruit salad with some reduced-fat cottage cheese and granola; a mix of colorful bell peppers and onions with scrambled eggs and salsa with a slice of whole-grain toast; or a high-fiber cereal and milk.

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PowerBar Nutrition Tip: Eating after IronmanBy Matt Erlenbusch, MS, RD

Published Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Completing an Ironman creates a massive and immediate need for physical recovery. In the minutes, hours, and days after your race, your major priorities include rehydration and carbohydrate/protein replenishment. Fluids should be replaced with an eye toward re-achieving regular body weight and obtaining a pale yellow urine color that persists into the next day. You should consume 10–20 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound (1.1 grams of carbs per kg) of body weight within 30 minutes of finishing to maximize the window of heightened fuel-reabsorption. Recovery-specific drinks are a convenient option during this period, but the same goal can be achieved with myriad other carbohydrate and protein-rich choices. Fat and electrolytes are lower priorities in your refueling, as these will be in sufficient supply when regular meals resume. Alcohol can fit into post-race activities and celebrations, but do not mistakenly believe that it offers any nutritional benefit for your recovery needs.

Strategically and aggressively replacing what was lost will expedite recovery, especially if coupled with some deliberately light “active recovery” exercise in the days immediately following your event. Significant exercise should be avoided in the immediate post-race days, and psychologically, you may need to remind yourself that sufficient rest is part of an optimal athletic lifestyle. If you are transitioning into an off-season at this point, adjustments to your daily caloric intake will be necessary to avoid weight gain. This adjustment can be calculated by online measuring tools, or more intuitively, by your body’s internal hunger signals.

Congratulations! You just crossed the finish line. After spending months following structured nutrition plans during your Ironman training and carefully executing your fueling plan, you may be asking yourself, "Now what?" Should you be concerned with your eating plan now that your race is over? Does what you eat now matter, or should you only structure your eating in-season?

If you want to recover quickly and sustain your athletic lifestyle through the off-season, then a little more planning is in order. During the post-Ironman minutes, hours, and days, some very easy recovery behaviors will help minimize the time you spend walking backwards down stairs because your legs feel so decimated. Maintaining sensible nutritional habits during the off-season months has very attractive benefits.

Immediately post-race:Your body is screaming for repair after what was likely one of the most intense physical assaults on your body — ever. What you consume now will be transformed quickly into materials for building battle-proven quadriceps, protein-saturated red blood cells, and everything enzymatic in between. Your body wants to begin rebuilding with a full array of amino acids, glucose molecules, fatty acid chains, and more — all swimming in plenty of water. The clock is ticking, as well!

Priority #1: RehydrationOdds are likely that you are more than a couple of pounds lighter after crossing that Ironman finish line. Yes, you did lose fat out there, but the majority of your weight loss is from the water in your sweat, urine, and respiration. Pump those cells back up! Your battered body can’t use depleted, shriveled-up cells to repair itself! Remember that as an athlete, your body consists of a higher-than-average ratio of water due to your relatively high muscle mass. Muscle tissue loves water. Fat tissue repels it. You know you are achieving your hydration goal when you reach your normal body weight, your urine is pale yellow in color, and these conditions continue into the next day. Another method for ensuring rehydration is to drink about 23 ounces of fluid for each pound of body weight lost (1.5 liters of fluid for each kilogram of body weight lost). Ideally, this fluid intake will occur over the next day or two — rather than in two or three heroic guzzles — in order to maximize your body’s water retention.

Don’t let thirst be your rehydration guide, as that method hasn’t been proven to be a reliable one. Ask your friends for reminders to keep drinking, if necessary. While water or a sports drink can help you rehydrate, you have additional needs of carbs and protein above and beyond what either can offer. The best option is a specially formulated recovery drink. Your sodium and potassium losses (major electrolytes found in sports drinks) will be replaced during meals in most cases. If you are concerned about your levels, add some salt to your food to maximize fluid retention. So how about a beer? Now’s probably not the best time — but more on that later. In the first 30 minutes after your workout, take advantage of the fact that during this time, your body is many times more capable of absorbing essential building blocks into your tissues. Consuming 10–20 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound (1.1 grams of carbs per kilogram) of body weight is your immediate goal. Recovery-specific drinks are made for this very purpose, as

they have a mixture of protein and carbohydrates that has been demonstrated to speed the recovery process.

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Post Ironman Nutrition (cont’d)

Post-race, after a shower:Priority #2: More carbohydratesYour muscles and liver just had every bit of glycogen (the stored form of glucose) wrung out of them. You will not fully recover until this is corrected, since glycogen/glucose are your primary fuel sources for activity. The source of recovery carbohydrate isn’t as critical as the timing of that intake (as noted above). Repeat that original 0.5 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight (or 1.1 grams per kilogram of body weight) intake hourly for three hours, or until you resume eating meals.

Once you are eating full meals, choose high-carbohydrate foods like breads, potatoes, pastas, or fruits. You have likely built up an intense sweet-fatigue on your taste buds after several hours of eating nothing but gels and sweet drinks, so the savory end of the carbohydrate spectrum might be more attractive right now.

Priority #3: ProteinIf you could see your muscle tissue under a microscope after such an epic event, it would look like a war zone. The once-orderly and tightly-bundled contractile fibers that make up your muscles are splayed everywhere, wildly ravaged, and helplessly leaking cellular fluids. Your body needs raw materials for rebuilding — water and minerals, of course — but most important to the process of rebuilding are amino acids (protein-building, and rebuilding, blocks). You can speed the resynthesis of those muscle fibers with consistently smart choices like lean pieces of meat and fish, lower-fat dairy foods, eggs, legumes, or protein drinks.

Your protein-rich immune defenses are also in deficit after buffering your body from the assault it’s just been through. Make sure you are giving your immune system the amino ammo it needs to keep up its battle against illness and infection. Since all proteins are derived from just 21 amino acids, over-concern about what protein sources you are eating isn’t necessary. Our bodies actually make 12 of them (nonessential). A balanced diet will almost always be more than sufficient in terms of the other 9 essential amino acids.

Post-race, back in your kitchen:Priority #4: FatNo, nutrition science hasn’t changed this to #1 yet! Our bodies have a virtually inexhaustible supply of fat, so immediate replenishment isn’t critical. Resuming regular eating offers plenty of fat to replace the spent muscle triglyceride depots. Follow the familiar American Dietetic Association’s lead and try for 20–35% of your diet as fat. Even more specifically, less than 10% of calories should be saturated fat. Aim for less than 300mg/day of cholesterol, and try to keep trans-fat to a minimum.

Is alcohol a priority? Nutritionally, no. Socially, it may be for you. If your celebration ritual includes alcohol, drink responsibly. Hydrate hugely beforehand, and enjoy. Do not drink under mythical beliefs that alcoholic beverages are a rich source of carbohydrate or certain vitamins. That is mostly untrue. so don’t use alcoholic beverages as an element of your recovery plan in place of other, more nutritious choices.

Back in the saddle:In the few days following your Ironman, any activity should be designed to be “active recovery,” meant to help expedite the transport of building blocks and wastes throughout your tissues via your blood circulation. Obviously, this activity should be extremely light: easy swimming, relaxed short cycling, or walking are all appropriate choices. Just as eating immediately after your exercise speeds recovery, light activity will get you back in action more quickly. Of course, if you don’t do either, you will still recover — just more slowly.

If your active recovery–only days (or complete days off) concern you vis-à-vis your training regimen, remind yourself that it’s okay to be lazy for a while. The lifestyle you’ve spent years creating won’t suffer from a few days of rest. In fact, time off will help sustain and even bolster that lifestyle. Always remember that it is the recovery time (sleeping, relaxing, eating), not the workout time, that makes you more fit.

[6]

Post Ironman Nutrition (cont’d)

For many, an Ironman marks a transition to an off-season where activity levels will decrease — possibly for months. Obviously, this requires an adjustment to your daily eating habits . The most significant change will be a decrease in your total caloric intake. The laws of physics don’t exempt Ironman finishers, unfortunately: When calories-in exceed calories-burned, it still equals weight gain.

Another reasonable approach is to use your body’s hunger signals. We all possess phenomenal internal gauges that cue our behaviors, but these cues are often overlooked in modern life. A little practice can hone our sensitivity to our body’s fueling needs. Eat when you are hungry, and don’t eat when you’re not. This approach is simple — but not easy. The off-season may be the best time all year to try this method out.

Keep your priorities straight by using intelligent post-Ironman planning to get you back on the front lines as quickly as possible. The fluids and foods needed for this task will be all around you after your race, you just need to be mindful of your choices. Have fun refilling that calorie deficit! Staying mindful of your choices into the days and months after your race will make your post-Ironman life a little lighter — and easier.

*****************************************************************************************Nutritious Breakfast Recipes

from Ironman.com

COLD CEREAL WITH HOT FRUITFrom Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. You'll love the combination of hot fruit with cereal and cold milk. Bananas, pears, apples and berries work well.

1 cup Life cereal½ cup All-Bran cereal¼ cup low-fat granola½ cup blueberries or other fruit1 cup low-fat milk

In a microwaveable bowl, combine the cereal. Sprinkle with blueberries or other fruit of your choice. Heat in the microwave for 20 to 40 seconds, until the fruit is warm. Pour the cold milk over the top.

BREAKFAST STRATA1 to 2 tbsp olive oil1 lb each of two vegetables or 2 lbs of any of the following vegetable combinations: bell peppers, onions, spinach and tomatoes; mushrooms and onions; corn and asparagus12 eggs1 quart low-fat milksalt and pepper to taste12 slices whole-wheat bread12 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese or jalapeñocheddar cheese

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Whisk the eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with 6 slices of bread. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Pour 1 cup of the egg mixture on top. Repeat with bread, vegetables, cheese. Carefully pour the remaining egg mixture over the top. Press down with a spatula. Bake at 325 F about 50 minutes until set. Broil about 3 to 5 minutes until brown and puffy. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

[7]

Treadmill Workouts to Keep Life Interesting!Adapted from The Complete Book of Running for Women, by Claire Kowalchik

Rather than lying in wait in winter for the day you can again pound the pavement without ice, snow, cold or darkness compromising your runs, why not get reacquainted with your gym or at-home fitness equipment?

In addition to easing you through the winter months, treadmilling is useful because pace can be monitored very precisely; each "lap" of an interval workout will be consistent with the last. And without the unexpected encounters associated with road running, treadmilling allows you to focus on technique.

To fight the tedium of these indoor workouts, try mixing things up a bit.

On the Up and UpAt zero incline, run for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace. Set the incline to 1 percent and run at the same speed for a minute. Drop back to zero incline and run a minute.

Raise it to 2 percent for a minute, then down to zero for a minute. Next raise it to 3 percent, then down to 1 percent, then up to 4 percent, then down to 2 percent—all for a minute each. Then go up to 5 percent and down to 3 percent.

Work your way back down from there: four, two, three, one, two, zero, one, zero. Finish with 10 minutes of comfortable running at zero. Total running time: 38:00 (14:00 uphill).

The Short CircuitThis workout combines toning exercises with running for maximum efficiency and minimal boredom. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Stop and do 10 or 20 push-ups.

Get back on the treadmill and run at a moderately-hard pace for five minutes. Stop and do 30 abdominal crunches. Run for five minutes. Get off and do 20 bicycles. Run for five minutes. Stop and do another set of push-ups.

Run for 10 minutes hard and then cool down with a 10 minute jog. Total running time: 45:00.

TV TimeFor a little light entertainment, tune in to your favorite sitcom and, whenever the show is on, run at a moderately-hard pace. At a commercial break, slow the treadmill to an easy pace. Run hard again when the program returns. Repeat the pattern until the show ends. Guaranteed to break up monotony and keep you off snacks during primetime. Total running time: 30:00.

Run to the RhythmPrepare a CD or tape of your favorite workout songs first. You can adjust the suggested length by adding or removing music; the key is to pick songs with varied tempos. Then, while running on the treadmill, punch up or slow down the speed to match the song tempos you've recorded.

Kick off the mix with 10 minutes of easy listening, then insert a five minute interval at a medium pace. An optimal stride rate that minimizes stress and injury risk is one of about 180 footfalls per minute; use this as your guide for medium tempo.

Next, put five minutes of music at a fast tempo, followed by eight minutes at a medium tempo. Go fast again for eight minutes worth of music, and finish off the mix with 10 minutes of slower songs to cool down. You'll find the up-tempo numbers can help you sustain the faster programmed speeds. Total running time: 46:00.

COMING IN JANUARY

WHAT: Head Lamp Runs WHEN: @ 6:30, Tuesday, Wednesday & ThursdayWHERE: Tuesday @ Champion Sports Medicine (downtown)Wednesday @ the Valley YThursday @ The Gallaghers (north)WHO: You! All paces are welcome.

Watch The Tri Forum for details, details, details in December!

[8]

RR: World Championship 70.3by Steve Anderson

Day 1After taking one last short swim with the master’s swim on Wednesday night, I got home and tried to hit the sack. I didn’t get to bed to early and the 4 o’clock alarm was brutal. After a quick shower and final packing Natalie, Greg and Lyara showed up at 4:45am to pick me up and we headed to the airport. It was still dark and I am pretty sure I was still half asleep. Check-in went smoothly and before we knew it we were on the plane and headed to Florida.

We finally arrived in Florida and were welcomed by a nice, sunny sky. The weather was warm and the beaches looked awesome. After grabbing our luggage, we headed to the bike shop, with the help of Betsy (our navigation system), to pick up my bike and then we were off to dinner.When in Florida you do like the Floridians do, right? So we chose the fine dining establishment, “Eddies.” It just happens to be right next to the liquor store and on Tuesday nights, ladies drink for free. That’s my kind of place:) If you get to drunk and fall down you can just head next door to the medical store. Can you get a DUI if you are on a scooter?

Day 2Well this morning came early enough. Once again waking up at 4 am, it was time to get up and start the day. I guess it wasn't 4am here, but it was back home. I opened my eyes to the sun shining and couldn't wait to see Florida. After eating some breakfast we headed down to go for a swim, a quick brick workout and get checked in. When I walked out the door just after 8 am I was shocked on how warm it was. I was beginning to worry about how warm it would be during the race.

After meeting up with Eve Nelson, Greg, Natalie and I headed down to the beach for my first ocean swim. The water looks just like all the lakes back home, but as soon as your face hits, you can instantly taste the salt. The swim is a beach start, which means you have to run down the beach and

into the water. At Clearwater, the shallow water extends about 100 feet before it is deep enough to dive in and start swimming. We started out with a few practice runs and then headed out for about a 1/2 mile swim. Overall I was pleased with the swim and since the water was relatively flat it really wasn't that different than swimming in the lakes around Spokane.We then headed out on our bikes for a short ride. This was my first ride on P-Dub since he was shipped off and it went pretty well. I was having a few shifting issues but it would be ok for the race.We followed the ride up with a with Natalie. Thanks to my awesome teammates for the goodies and great quotes for the bike. It was definitely an inspiration while I was out there sweating my ass off.

Day of the RaceFour ways to know you are in Clearwater, Florida=>1. The temperature is 80 degrees in November.2. There is enough carbon fiber to build an aircraft.3. There are age-group athletes that can do a half-ironman in less than 4 hours.4. You can PR on your swim by over 4

minutes and still be 80th out of 92 in your age group.

I went to bed on Friday night knowing that Saturday morning was going to be an adventure. Some of the best athletes in the world would be there and of course little, ol’ me. After getting up at zero o’clock once again, we got ready and headed down to Clearwater to get the day started.

I had dropped off my bike and gear bags yesterday, so there really wasn’t to much to do before the race and since my wave started 75 minutes after the pros I had a long time to wait. Most of the time was spent hanging out with Greg, Natalie and Lyara and watching many of the age-groupers waves going off in five-minute intervals.

After a quick warm-up swim, I was in the athlete corral and it was time to go. Trying to take the whole atmosphere in, I talked with a few of my fellow athletes to see how they felt. Here is my brief conversation with a guy from Rhode Island=>Steve: How’s it going, you feeling ready.Fast Guy: Yep, you?Steve: Yeah, should be a fun day.Steve: Where did you qualify?Fast Guy: Rhode Island.Steve: That’s cool.Fast Guy: How about you?Steve: Lake Stevens, I took a role-down slot.Fast Guy: Doesn’t matter, you are here.Steve: That’s true.Steve: How fast you planning on doing this?Fast Guy: 4 hours!!!Steve (to self): Holy Shit!! What am I doing here?Steve: Well, you have a good chance at being near the top.Fast Guy: That’s the plan.Steve: Good luck.Fast Guy: You too.Steve (to self): I need more than luck:)

Back at home I had this brilliant idea of sprinting down the beach and trying to enter the water first. Well, that plan was quickly forgotten as soon as I was standing there looking at some of the greatest athletes in the world and knowing that getting swam

So, I as I am standing at the starting line, getting ready to race the biggest race of my life. I am not sure why but I wasn’t really nervous. My energy was up and all I wanted to do was give this race my best effort and not come in last place for my age group. really doesn’t sound like that much fun.

[9]

World Championships 70.3 (cont’d)

The cannon goes off and my race begins. We all start wading into the water and we were off. The first few hundred yards were a bit rough with getting punched a few times in the eye, but I was able to get into a good grove and just did my best to keep the feet in front of me in sight. I was hoping to hang on as best I could and try to not be the last one out of the water.

As I was approaching the beach I just focused on staying calm and keeping my effort steady. I swam until my hand reached the sand and stood up. I started running through the water while taking my wetsuit off. After I was halfway up the beach, I looked at my watch and saw 32:50’s and knew that I had a great swim. My goal was sub 35:00 and if I was sub 32:00 that would have been freaking awesome.

I went down the beach, through the showers, passed the wetsuit pullers and into the transition area. At this point I had no idea where I stood, but once I saw T1 almost empty I knew that I was near the back of the pack. I quickly grabbed my bike and headed out of transition ready for my longest ride since July 6th. I heard Natalie and Lyara cheering, which was great motivation to get going!

One of the negatives about starting in the last wave of the world championships is that there is absolutely no one behind you and since EVERYONE else is so fast there really aren’t too many people in front of you either. I spent the first hour trying to chase some people down so I didn’t feel like I was out there all by myself.After one of the first turn-around’s I began to catch some of the waves ahead of me and was beginning to join some of the packs of riders. I rode up on the first group and decided I would do my best to pass a few and try my best to not draft. After passing one group of riders I noticed rider number 1249, Robert, was pulling a group of three girls for the last few miles.

I asked him how he was doing since he was pulling them along and he laughed. It was at that moment that I passed and my new BFF Robert jumped on my wheel. This was the beginning of a long day for Robert looking at my ass. Literally, he was on my wheel for well over the next 15-20 miles. At one point I looked back and there was a pack of at least 20 if not more than 30 people in a straight line right behind ME. I felt like Roger on our famous Greenbluff loops. They were all there content sitting on my wheel and letting me pull them throughout the race.

I really felt strong throughout most of the bike. I knew I was pushing a bit harder than normal because of the people on my wheel, but at no point did I feel that I was overexerting myself. I was glad to see that Robert and a few other riders actually received some time penalties for their drafting, which helped justify why I rode like I did.

As we rode back into town, at about mile 45, I started to wish the bike was over. I had a feeling this would probably happen since this was as far as I had rode in any training rides since my last half Ironman race in July. My legs were beginning to tire and my speed dropped dramatically.

I finally made my way back over the causeway and into Clearwater Beach to make my transition to the run. As I dismounted my bike my legs felt pretty good and I was through T2 pretty quickly. My first mile was just over 8 minutes and I felt like I was going slow. I tried to keep that pace and my next two miles were in the same ballpark. It was now that I wanted to pick the pace up and see if I could reach my goal of 5:10 for the entire race. This is also when the wheels, or legs began to fall off. I am not sure exactly what happened, but I am sure it was a combination of the length of the workout, a bit of dehydration and the heat. Each mile began to get worse and worse. I wish it would have been my knee because I knew I could have ran through the pain, but instead it was my stomach. It wasn’t the

pain I experienced in Boise with the side stitch but and overall stomachache.

Each time I tried to increase my effort, my stomach felt worse. I SLOWLY watched each mile get slower and slower, until it was a struggle to stay under 12 minute miles. My body was not ready for this kind of torture and it showed as I began to fade and I looked forward to each aid station so I could walk. My quads and right calf muscles began to cramp and walking was the only thing that felt good. I believe I stopped only 2-3 times between aid stations to walk for just a few second, but it felt like an eternity.

I reached the causeway for the final time and told myself that I would not walk, no matter what. I am pretty sure I was shuffling slower than a snail, but I did not walk. The last few miles were pretty brutal but I did cross the finish line and received my world championship medal! This was definitely not how I wanted my race to go, but with how my training has been, I really was not shocked by the results.

Since my training had been nothing short of sub-par, everything that happened in this race made complete sense. Even though this year it wasn’t enough to finish strong, I learned that if I ever want to make it back to an event like this there was to be a dedication and desire that goes beyond just being a triathlete. I really don’t know how this race will affect me in the future but it was definitely a great learning experience.

Congratulations to Steve Kramer for a great race in Clearwater, and also to Greg, who had a PR and rocked his race!

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

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

We would like to extend a

generous thank you to our

truly amazing sponsors!

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

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

• Thursday evenings: Headlamp Run is back at the Gallagher’s (619 E. Huron Drive) at 6:30! Watch the Tri Forum for details!

• Coming in January: Headlamp Runs downtown & in the valley too!

• Sat. and/or Sun. @ time TBA: Probable outside or indoor (BATs) bike ride meeting location & time posted weekly on the Tri-Forum.

Races/Runs:• Nov. 23rd: USATF Reg’l Club

Championship at Plantes Ferry Park in Spokane, WA

• Nov. 27th: Annual Turkey Trot at Manito Park, Spokane, WA @ 9 am

• Nov. 30th: Seattle Marathon, Half Marathon in Seattle, WA

• Dec. 7th: Vegas Marathon in Las Vegas, NV

• Dec. 13th: USAFT Nat’l Club Championship at Plantes Ferry Park in Spokane, WA

• Dec. 13th : Jingle Bell Run/Walk at Riverfront Park in Spokane, WA

• Dec. 27th: Ski Rodeo: 10K, 5K, 1K freestyle ski event at Mazama Ski Trails in Winthrop, WA

Upcoming Events: Family Social:

• Friday, December 5th: Riverfront Park Ice Palace Private Skate Night at 7:00 pm, $3/per person for skate rental.

Next Membership Meeting:

• January 21st, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m.: General membership meeting at location TBA.

• Next Kids Club Meeting:

January 25th, 2009 @ the Downtown Y, tentative time @ 3:00 pm, definite time TBA.