1. March 2009
Coming Soon in
April=> Tri Fusion fun
social time at Fastkart
raceway! Keep watching
the Forum for more info.
The Long
Race Report, 4 Swim Drills, Recipes,
Ride (cont’d),
page 4 pages 6-7 page 9
page 2
A BoD,
Training & Different Ace Your
Sponsors,
Racing Health, Base, Calendars,
R & R,
page 3 page 8 page 10
page 5
Intensity
The Long Bike Ride Very simple: the shorter the ride, the more intense the ride. If
by LifeSport Coaching you want to ride the bike fast, you have to ride the bike fast.
There is no easy way.
The Long Ride. If you're like most Ironman athletes, this one
training session can account for 25-30% of your weekly training * 2.5 to three hours seems to be an optimum length of time
volume. We often learn to ride, eat, drink, pace ourselves and, on the bike, a reasonable volume that still allows for including
occasionally, suffer on the Long Ride. If you belong to a tri club some intensity. Just as importantly, it’s usually easy to fit this
or train with a group of training partners, it's likely your long amount of time into your family schedule all year round: start
ride is your happy hour, your time to socialize, catch up with your ride at 7AM, done by 10AM and you’re not trashed for the
friends you haven't seen in a few weeks and make new ones. rest of the day.
Simply put, triathletes spend a lot of time on their bikes on the * Always ride the first hour very easy. You should learn the
weekends. Here are some thoughts and guidance below to value of riding easily during the first part of a ride so you have
shorten your learning curve confidence in applying this strategy to your racing, especially
Ironman. The result is a very strong finish.
Key Thoughts: * Weight the intensity of the ride towards the second half,
especially the last hour. Within that second half guidance, insert
Volume informal low cadence / big gear work in there as well
The most valuable thing you can do for your endurance training * If you’re riding by yourself, insert periods of higher
is to schedule a weekly 2-4 hr long ride every week. Simply make intensity . For example, 6 minutes in zone 1, then 2 x (40
this something you do every Saturday or Sunday morning. minutes zone 2/3, 20 minutes zone 4)
* At lower intensities, use heart rate as your main indicator
* For ironman athletes, your regular (weekly) ride should be of intensity with power (watts) as your secondary indicator. As
3-4 hours the intensity increases, use power as your main means of
* If weather and location conspires to confine you to a monitoring intensity
trainer, have no to very few volume goals – 90 minutes to two * Occasionally ride at a volume and intensity that’s above your
hours is fine. In the winter you swap cycling volume for cycling current fitness level. For example, it’s often okay to ride 80
intensity and running frequency. miles like its only 50 miles. You may struggle to finish but you’ll
be stronger the next week and you’ll learn something.
[1]

2. The Long Bike Ride *During the ride you can strip layers
(cont’d) off without stopping the bike, as the
temperature changes through the day.
Group Riding
Group riding is Technique
one sure way of As you are spending a lot of time on
improving your riding. the bike, you can use that time
Find those faster constructively:
local groups (your Tri
Fusion teammates!) * If you have a power meter, learn
and learn how to ride to ride hills steady, with few to no
with them. power spikes. Use the meter to learn
Nutrition how to ride hills the smart way; no
Nutrition is the power spike, appropriate watts on the
key to a successful climb, follow through with those watts
long ride. The simple formula is two bottles of sports drink. across the summit.
Ironman 70.3 distance competitors aim to consume about * Learn to ride/stand out of the saddle efficiently.
200-250cal/hr, following up with water. Ironman athletes aim Power users, learn how to stand and ride at appropriate watts.
for 250-400/hr, following with water. You can begin to practice * Bike handling: bunny hopping, cornering in aerobars,
this during your long rides, experimenting with concentration, cornering faster, staying in the aerobars when eating and
etc. drinking, reaching for/racking bottles smoothly, aggressive
* Fuel yourself enough before and during the ride to braking, controlling a rear wheel slide, slow speed handling,
ensure a quality session. track stands (not quite there yet), tight u-turns, etc. Learn to
* Refuel yourself after the ride and then eat your play on your bike!
normal amounts during the rest of the day. * Tracking: ride on the white line in your aerobars
* Train yourself to take in large volumes of fluid. This is without looking at the line. Smooth movements, bike doesn’t
important, especially for those riding in the cold, as it is easy move side to side. Look at your shadow, your upper body should
to de-train ourselves over the winter. Aim to consume 2 bottles be still.
per hour. * Cadence: ride for several minutes at a cadence of 100+
rpm, in the aerobars and out. Do the same with 50-65 rpm.
Gear Develop your comfort over a wide range of cadences.
What to carry, how to carry it:
* Cash, ID, credit card, medical insurance card, mobile Much more can be written about how to best build your
phone, every ride, always. bike endurance, and indeed at least one book has been devoted
* Spare tube(s), pump/Co2, tire levers, multi tool, $20 in to the subject. However, your best advice will always be: When
the tool bag. you learn to love your bike, training becomes fun!
* 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.
[2]

3. Staying Healthy While Training and Competing
by 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.
[3]

4. Race Report: I might as well take my chances drafting The next half mile was probably the
Snake River Half Marathon off Mike. With this I pushed off the hardest, I let Mike get away from me,
by Josh Hadway pack and caught up to the leader. The and I knew he was in no way slowing
first 6.6 miles of the race were very down. Just before mile 10 I started to
Many people are surprised when I tell steady, Mike kept a consistent solid feel refreshed again, my pace picked up,
them I have never done a half marathon pace knocking down consistent mile and I felt fairly strong again. with only 3
before, but I really have not spent much splits. I didn't bother checking my miles to go, I pictured a short loop that
time racing up to this point in my life. splits, because I knew they would all be I often run at home, and imagined this
My last major time spent racing was my fast. Why check them if you already short easy run as the only thing I have
sophomore year of high school(2003). It know? left to do, to finish the race. The last
wasn't until 2008 that I decided to get half mile drug on, but in a short while I
back into the whole racing scene. I With the halfway point in sight (6.6) was done. I had finished my first half
decided that this winter I would focus miles I felt very relaxed, my legs felt marathon!
on training every day. The expectation good, and my body felt great. We
was that this would be a chore, but in rounded the cone, and the race started I was fairly happy with my race, It is
reality I have grown to love it. to pick up. I knew at this point I was always great to race a distance you have
running a little bit over my head, but the never done before, because you always
I woke up Saturday March 7th excited. only thought that kept ringing in my PR. I learned a lot, and already have
I wasn't nervous or anxious, I was mind was to attack, take the lead and ideas of things I would do differently.
mainly excited. I had no expectations see how hard you can push it. Attack or My final time was 1:10:21.
leading into this race, because I had no be attacked. With no idea what I was
idea where my fitness was, and what a doing I surged past mike, increasing our This race taught me a lot. Mainly the
reasonable finishing time would be. So I pace by about 35 seconds per mile. I led fact that hard work pays off. After club
set a general goal of being under 1:20, I for about 30 yards and Mike passed me XC Nationals, I was a little bit bummed
felt that this would be an attainable goal right back, returning my favor. with my running performance, and
for my first half marathon. decided I needed to be more
The secret plan for this race consistent with my training.
was to pace off of Tom At the time following club
Pileggi, a strong runner from nationals I hated running in
Spokane. snow and freezing weather.
It was cold, wet, and long. But
Upon arrival at the race site, I did not want to be the same
I noticed that Tom was athlete that ran club
nowhere to be seen, my super nationals. This race made my
strategy was suddenly gone. I time in the snow well worth it.
pondered what to do on my Seeing how hard work pays
warm up. With the gun in the off, has inspired me to work
air and only seconds before harder, and chase some of
race start, the new plan was the loftier goals I set many
to not have a plan. Just run months ago.
and have fun, it’s just another
13 mile training run right? It was great to see so many
I immediately pulled up again on his people out racing early in the
The gun went off and the race started shoulder, and tried to push the pace, spring. Everyone I knew that was at the
at a steady pace, I decided to let Mike hoping sooner or later he would give up. race had a good day. Mike, Matt, Tim,
Bresson, a super fast runner from This exchange happened a couple more Steve, Eric, Haley, Evan and Kirk all
Spokane go from the start. He has times, and eventually the greater rocked the course. Setting fast times,
beaten me at many races by large athlete came through. With one final on an early season race. I would also like
margins. I knew his running ability was massive surge Mike took off, laying down to thank everyone who cheered me on as
great, and did not want to blow up the hurt and dropping me hard. With his they passed the other way. This helped
chasing him for the first 6 miles. This last surge he was putting tons of a lot. I am also glad that Matt decided
plan worked for about 100 yards. That is distance on me at a very fast rate. This to ride down with me. The radio in my
when I realized I was leading a pack of occurred at about mile 9. car is broken and if he wasn't there I
about 15 people into a headwind. If I am would have had to sing to myself all the
going to push a headwind the whole race, way to Pullman :).
[4]

5. REHYDRATE AND REPLENISH - TWO COMPONENTS OF OPTIMAL RECOVERY
from 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).
[5]

6. FOUR GREAT DRILLS THAT TEACH THE Keep the arm
FUNDAMENTALS 0F FAST SWIMMING that is not
By Gary Sr. pulling above
your head so
Drills are our best friend in swimming. Why? Because, none of you maintain a
us, no matter how smart we think we are, can think of two things streamlined
to do at once. Try, and we will likely get neither one right. When position. Now
we are swimming, there is just too much going on at once for us once the
to concentrate on any one single thought. Sometimes, it is much pulling arm
better to just slow down, especially at the beginning (warm-up) enters the
period of practice, and work on one thing at a time. water (the
arm should be
Good technique is vital to fast swimming. Regardless, it takes a fully extended at the entry point... not the old fashioned way of
lot of work, but you might as well swim smart. In the water, entering the water above your head with a bent elbow and
little changes can make big differences. I am a great believer in sliding the hand forward) initiate the pull by pushing down with
one drill teaches one concept. Here are my favorite drills for the hand but keeping the elbow stationary. This creates the
the three fundamentals of fast swimming. 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
FUNDAMENTAL # 1 THICK AS A BRICK virtually directly below the elbow, then push the hand and
forearm straight back (staying shallow) with the elbow high.
Head position drill (for freestyle, butterfly and breastroke): This is neither a comfortable nor natural arm motion for us. In
fact, you will likely feel downright awkward doing it. Remember,
In the water and on your stomach place your hands over your the reason is not to gain power, but to reduce drag. You will also
head and scull with hands (move them side to side, not find you need to pull wider than usual in order to accomplish the
backwards like breastroke pull) while doing flutter kick. First, high elbow.
scull across the short pool like this with your head above the
water looking forward. While doing so, notice where your back I find too many swimmers (especially beginners) spend too much
and bum (hips) are riding in the water. Now, do the same scull time worrying about what they should be doing with their hands
but with your chin tucked down nearly touching your chest. Your in the water, ie pull back or to the side or underneath? It is
head should be nearly submerged (since you are moving slow). much more productive to think about the position of the elbow
When you need to breathe you can turn your head to the side. and the hand in relation to the elbow, than what the hand should
Take notice of where your back and hips are in relation to the do. Of course, we want the hand to 'hold' as much water as
surface. Big difference! They should rise to the surface and put possible, ie create maximum lift/hand drag, but while also
your body back in alignment. minimizing body drag with a high elbow.
When your head is too high, your hips sink and even strong legs Practice the high elbow drill by swimming 12 1/2 m left arm drill,
will not keep them up. It is like swimming through the water as followed by 12 1/2 m right arm, then 25 m swim, maintaining the
if you were a hammock, or pulling a kickboard sideways through high elbow and head down. Doing the drill one arm at a time
the water. Even the small body angle the high head causes enables you to think about and see what your arm, elbow and
creates a huge increase in drag. Drop the head down, the hips hand are doing. Over time, the awkwardness of this crucial arm
come up and you are back in alignment. position will go away and you will get stronger with the pull.
Practice this drill by swimming 25 m or yards drill followed by FUNDAMENTAL # 2 SWIM WITH YOUR BODY
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 The body drill (freestyle and backstroke):
waterfall. That is normal. Your line of sight should be down
toward the bottom (when swimming slow) and slightly forward The best drill I know for teaching you to use your body is called
(perhaps 10 degrees) when swimming fast. Only look up when you the 3 stroke/ 6 kick drill. In this drill, you will kick on your side
need to judge where the wall is... then back down with the head. with one arm over the head and the other at your side. The
shoulder of the trailing arm should be directed vertically toward
High elbow drill (freestyle, butterfly): 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
Swim one arm at a time but positioned somewhat on your side, vertical, then keep rotating until it is.
like you would be if you were rotating your body correctly.
[6]

7. Swim Drills (cont’d) I call it the dolphin freestyle. Instead of swimming with the
flutter kick, use the dolphin kick with freestyle.
Now, take three strokes (not fast) but with each stroke, rotate
the body back to the vertical position and recover with the arm However, it must be done with one kick per one arm stroke. Most
coming over the top (whether straight arm or bent elbow). swimmers (especially those with slow turnovers) will try to throw
Nearly every great swimmer recovers over the top, not around two dolphin kicks in per stroke, but that doesn't cut it. Use fins
to the side. Recovering over the top will help transfer the if necessary to slow the kick down a bit, but be sure to take one
energy form the arm into a forward body (not side) direction. arm stroke per kick. That will force you into a faster stroke
After the third stroke you will now find yourself on the other rate and up the velocity curve, hopefully onto the freeway. Once
side, where you will have time to think about keeping the you get the hang of it, you will feel the sync or groove and it
opposite shoulder vertical. For this reason, do not take 2 or 4 actually gets quite comfortable. But there is just one speed,
strokes. fast. You cannot do this drill in slow motion, so it is tiring.
The key to this drill is to take it slow and try to make each of Michael Klim (Australia) actually converted from flutter kick to
the three strokes incorporate good body/shoulder rotation. dolphin for the final 15 meters of his world-record setting lead
Stay longer on the kick if necessary to insure that you at least off leg of the 400 meter freestyle relay in the Sydney Games.
start the first stroke from the shoulder being totally vertical. Why? Because as one tires in the 100 free, the stroke rate
Once you feel you can maintain the three strokes with good typically slows and this is one way to insure that it doesn’t. I
rotation, then practice the drill by swimming 25m drill, followed am not suggesting you do this but I do believe that this is a
by 25m swim, trying not to go back to a flat body position. 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
You will immediately discover that swimming this way, with the flutter kick.
body rotation, requires a lot of work. Remember, it is not meant
to teach you to swim easier, just faster. It also will not Practice this drill by swimming 12 1/2 m freestyle with the
differentiate between a hip driven (requiring strong kick) and dolphin (one stroke per kick) then convert the last 12 1/2 to
shoulder driven technique. Those require a bit more normal freestyle with the flutter kick. The key is to keep the
understanding. The intent is to get you to swim with your entire stroke rate the same with either kick and to NOT go back to
body, not just your arms and legs. slow, stop-and-go turnover. This same drill can also be used for
backstroke, but is more difficult to do (perhaps because we are
FUNDAMENTAL # 3 SWIM ON THE FREEWAY so accustomed to turning over too slow in backstroke).
The freeway drill (freestyle and backstroke): DRILL PROGRESSION SET
Getting swimmers to One way to put all of these drills into practice is to do the drill
change their stroke progression set. This will allow you to focus on one concept or
rates can be fundamental at a time, while hopefully putting all of it together
challenging. Even at the end. I have found most swimmers have no trouble
though we know that adapting to each drill and tackling that fundamental. However,
up to some critical going on to the next drill, they often revert back and forget
rate, increasing the what they learned from the prior one. The challenge is not to
stroke rate will learn one fundamental but to put all of the fundamentals
increase the together in your stroke and keep them there. This set will help
velocity, swimmers you achieve that. The idea is to focus each length (25 m) of the
seem either hundred on a different fundamental and put it into practice,
reluctant or unable hopefully adding the fundamentals as you go so you finish the
to change it. 100 using all 3 fundamentals correctly.
I love this drill Drill/Swim 10 x 100's (freestyle or backstroke):
because it forces a
swimmer to get out 12 1/2 m Head down drill 12 1/2 m swim
of stop-and-go slow- 12 1/2 m High elbow drill (left arm 2 or 3 strokes, then right
turnover freestyle arm 2 or 3 strokes) 12 1/2 m swim
and onto the freeway. 12 1/2 m Body drill 12 1/2 m swim
12 1/2 m Freeway drill 12 1/2 m swim
[7]

8. Ace Your Base these heightened cardiovascular Basic safety
by Matt Erlenbusch efficiencies lower the heart's usual The opposite of base-building is to jump
workload. immediately into hard training — an open
Think the Tour de France or the invitation to injury and to completely
Ironman World Championships are Base-building builds aerobic fitness missing your sport potential. Base-
decided in the Pyrenees Mountains or on power by increasing the amount of work building prepares your body to be able
the Kona lava fields? Think again! Those the body can perform without increasing to safely strength- and speed-train
podium lineups are being decided today! lactic acid levels in blood (lactate later on. Endurance sports tend towards
Future fitness fates are being cast in thresholds continue to be driven up with extremes, both in distances covered and
the cold drizzle of long February bike more intense training, as well). The hours involved: It is rough stuff on your
rides and fleece-wrapped winter runs. relative size of aerobic (slow-twitch) body. Gradually strengthen your
Early-season base training is the crucial muscle fibers increases, and density of vulnerable connective tissue — ligaments
platform that supports peak the cellular sites of oxygen-based and tendons — as well as the muscles
performances down the road. energy production (mitochondria) that are required for your sport.
becomes higher, as well. These chemical Protect your neck. And protect your
Having your best summer and fall race and structural changes are aerobic gold. performance potential.
season depends significantly on base
training in the winter and spring. That Base-builders are fat burners. The Armed and ready
means now. This isn't a revelation, but enhanced oxygen delivery adaptations Reinforce your commitment to base-
notice how many of your peers are mentioned above boost the ability of fat training with some tools to keep on
training accordingly. Most athletes I've to fuel activity. Also, levels of fat- track: First, a heart-rate monitor
seen are training at near race-intensity burning enzymes rise with base training. provides you the numerical boundaries
in these months. This means your body will spare its within which to keep your workouts.
limited carbohydrate fuel stores and Base-building involves lower heart-rate
There’s no one-size-fits-all training instead rely on unlimited fat stores. values, but your specific target should
formula, but most successful endurance Carbohydrate depletion is your body’s be individualized. Do some homework to
athletes apply the same general sports primary limitation in endurance sport find yours, or seek a fitness
science to their training: Each training performance, and efficient fat-burning professional if necessary.
session fulfills a specific contribution ability is critical in events lasting longer
towards the larger fitness goals of than a couple of hours. Comparing two Your other tool is your plan: Decide what
building endurance, strength, and speed. athletes with equal fitness racing at an your training session will entail, rather
The beginning of the training season is equal intensity, the athlete with the than allowing your peers to dictate it for
mostly devoted to endurance, or base- superior ability to use fat as fuel will you. Most of us know how an easy group
building (sustained, lower-intensity outlast and outperform the other. ride or run can devolve into a lactic acid
sessions), and later shifts priority to Preserving carbohydrate stores means war of egos; consider training alone if
strength and speed building — hard preserving performance at race-pace you find yourself too inclined to go hard
training — as goal events approach. intensity. This is the ultimate advantage with your pals. Nobody cares who
for any competing endurance athlete. hammered everyone on the February
Base effects group ride. Everybody cares who
Successful athletes base-train because Basic nutrition hammered everyone in the June race.
the returns are massive. In exchange Your nutritional priorities during this
for your earnest hours in the saddle and phase should be to support your physical Base perspectives
trails, you can expect some handsome training. Base-building burns a great deal Life has the tendency to get in the way
returns for your cardiovascular and of fuel, and your job is to make sure of our training, and a few cushy months
metabolic systems. Known adaptations to your tank doesn’t run on empty. As your of uninterrupted base-building is
several weeks of base training include an training volume goes up, so does your sometimes impossible. That is not a sign
increase in physical heart size, the demand for carbohydrate. You likely will of defeat, but rather a call to be
amount of blood pumped per beat, total require 3–6 grams of carbohydrate per flexible with yourself and your self-
amount of blood pumped per minute, lb of body weight (7–13 grams per kg), imposed expectations. The most
total blood volume, and capillary density. depending on your training load. Your successful athletes adapt their training
These plumbing adaptations maximize protein requirements will be around 0.6– to what life allows them to do, and they
oxygen-rich blood delivery to working 0.8 grams per lb of body weight (1.3–1.8 don’t look back when unpredictable
muscles. In fact, resting heart rates and per kg), and fat around 0.4 grams per lb disruptions occur. Along these lines,
blood pressures usually drop after (0.9 grams per kg). even minimal base-training is infinitely
sustained endurance training, because better than no base-training.
[8]

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 marshmallows
8 cup whole grain low sugar cereal (ex: Kashi Go Lean, Bran/Oat Flakes)
Note: you can use 2 different whole grain cereals
1.5 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 Fries
from 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.
[9]

10. The Board of Directors, Sponsors
and The Calendar of Upcoming Events...
Board of Directors We would like to extend a
• Steve Anderson - Membership Director generous thank you to our
• Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director truly amazing sponsors!
• 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
March/April Calendar Races/Runs: Upcoming Events:
Next Social:
Training Opportunities: • March 28th: Tri-State Outfitters • Coming in April=> Tri Fusion Fastkart
Spring Duathlon in Lewiston, ID raceway social! Please
• Masters Swims @ Northside OZ on
Tues @ 6-7:30 pm, Fri. @ 4-5:30 pm & • April 3rd: YMCA Spring Sprint Tri @ watch the Tri Forum for
Sun @ 8-9:30 am Boise, ID more details soon!
• Many Sundays following the swim at • April 4th: Oceanside Ironman 70.3 @
Oceanside, CA Next Membership Meeting:
the Northside Oz, folks meet to run
long. So bring your running gear, just • April 4th: Yakima River Canyon • Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 @
in case! Marathon @ Yakima, WA 6:30 p.m.: General membership
• Masters Swims @ Valley OZ on Thurs • April 5th: New Orleans 70.3 IM @ meeting at Twigs on the south hill.
@6-7:30 pm, & Sun @ 8-9:30 am. New Orleans, LA
• Saturday am or pm indoor trainer • April 10-11th: Snake River Sprint Tri
rides or outdoor group rides posted • Next Kids Club Meeting: Coming
@ Lewiston, ID soon=> Cycling Event in April!
weekly on the forum!
• April 11th: Easter Sprint Tri @ Elma, Exact date/time/place will be
• Many more group training WA available in the near future. Keep
opportunities are posted regularly on
• April 11th: Grizzly Triathlon @ watching for more details.
the Tri Forum... check it out!
Missoula, MT
[10]