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September 2008

Smart Hydration for You by the Experts at PowerBar

Don’t Miss Out! See page 4 for two upcoming events that will excite &

entice you!

Ask the Experts,

pages 3-4

Xterra Racing,

page 2

BoD, Sponsors, Calendar,

page 10

Important Announce-

ments,

page 4

Question: I am a 52 year old Ironman triathlete and my typical weight is 154 pounds. During a 3-hour training session I lose about 5 pounds, despite drinking 3-4 bottles of sport drink, and I feel that my performance suffers. I try to drink more but my stomach feels full. What can I do?

PowerBar’s Answer: The first step is to know your hydration zone. You’re able to perform at your best and avoid the adverse health effects of over-hydration and dehydration when you avoid weight gain due to excess fluid intake during exercise, and you lose no more than 2% of your body weight due to fluid loss. At 154 pounds your hydration zone is between 151 to 154 pounds. So, despite your best efforts to hydrate, you are dropping down to 149 pounds by the end of a workout, which exceeds your hydration zone by 2 pounds. This degree of dehydration can cause your performance to suffer. Realizing that it’s a challenge for you to consume fluids at a rate that keeps you in your hydration zone*, the first suggestion is to ensure that you start each workout or competition fully hydrated. Avoid carrying fluid deficits from one exercise session to the next by consuming enough fluids between workouts to return to your usual pre-exercise weight of 154 pounds.

You can also train your digestive tract to increase the rate at which it absorbs fluids by gradually increasing your fluid intake per hour during exercise. The time to do this is during training. Since you are dropping below your hydration zone by 2 pounds over a 3-hour training session, you need an additional 32 ounces of fluid over and above what you have been consuming to stay in your hydration zone. However, it is important to gradually work up to that goal. Also, be sure to start re-hydrating early in your training sessions and be disciplined in the volume and frequency of your fluid intake. In addition, make certain that your sport drink is properly mixed and not overly concentrated, is a flavor you like, and is cool in temperature as opposed to ice-cold or room temperature. All of these factors can influence the volume of fluid you consume. Finally, keep a log of your fluid intake during training, as well as your pre- and post-exercise body weight. This type of log can help you track the progress you are making in training your digestive tract to absorb fluid at a faster rate.

*To calculate your sweat rate and find recommended hydration requirements go to: www.powerbar.com/NutritionResource/ToolsArticles/SweatRateCalculator.aspx

A Sorta Race Review?

page 5

Classified Ad.

& A Recipe,

page 6

Looking

Ahead to

Ironman,

page 7

Peak Cycling &

Recipe #2, pages 8-9

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XTERRA Racing - XTREME Funby Mia Bertagnolli

I have been a triathlete for five years. Although I love these events, I find myself drawn back to my roots in mountain biking. So on our way to Wyoming last summer, my family took a quick detour so that John and I could participate in the 2007 XTERRA Wild Horse Creek race. Just south of Bozeman, Montana, the Gallatin National Forest provided a spectacular venue for this event.

At 7 am we jumped into the 55 degree, algae-ridden Hyalite Canyon Reservoir, at 7000 feet in elevation. After surviving the lung-bursting 0.68 mile swim, I hopped on my mountain bike and began a 15 mile, intense ride on single track trails and forest service roads. My heart pounded in my chest as I climbed seemingly endless hills and maneuvered down steep, technical descents. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the thrill of mountain bike racing, the mental challenge associated with this sport is as palpable as the physical challenge. You have to be constantly looking ahead, picking the best line and avoiding unexpected surprises that lay in your path – like tree branches, streams, cows and riders who can’t make it up the hill and stop right in your path.

You don’t dare let your mind wander or take time to admire the beautiful scenery, or even drink from a water bottle, all of which can result in an abrupt and painful end to the day!

About two hours into the race I hit a big boulder in the middle of the trail. The next thing I knew I became the poster child for Newton’s First Law of Motion as I did an endo off my bike and flew down a steep hill! After sliding several feet on my back, I came to an abrupt stop. Staring straight up at the endless, blue Montana sky, I lay there thinking, “This is the most fun I have ever had!”

Once I retrieved my bike, which was a good five feet lower than me down the hill, I got back on the saddle, finished the ride and started the six mile cross country run. Some of the run was on trails that reminded me of Qualchan, while other parts required scrambling up hillsides and over giant rocks. The race ended back at the reservoir where participants had the choice to swim or run to the finish line – I ran. I was elated to have completed my first XTERRA event and excited to learn that I was second in my age group. Okay, there were only two of us in my age group that day. But it didn’t matter. I was hooked!

My husband and I have since completed two other XTERRAs - one in LaGrande, OR, and the other in Ogden, UT. They are held at beautiful locations and you get great swag. We even got free lift tickets to Snow Basin Ski Resort! XTERRA races are challenging - they take me over an hour longer than Olympics, are often at high elevation, and require constant mental engagement. They vary in distance and technical difficulty. In fact, we had to carry our bikes over a step ladder in LaGrande and ride down a set of stairs in Ogden. This is extreme racing at its best. The smile on my face in the photo says it all.

To learn more about XTERRA, check out the website at www.xterraplanet.com.

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Ask the Experts: Prevent InjuriesMichael Ross, M.D. gives advice on safe training

Published Tuesday, September 9, 2008

I'm a new runner and would like to increase my training mileage, but I've heard this can cause injuries. How can I prevent them and what symptoms should I look out for?Runners who ramp up their training too quickly are my No. 1 source of patients. Most injuries that occur in running are termed "overuse" injuries, defined as repetitive damage caused by increasing training mileage or time without allowing enough time for muscles to heal in between workouts. This type of injury can also occur when running with muscle weaknesses, improperly supported feet or a leg-length discrepancy.

To prevent overuse injuries, get the right shoes for your feet. In general, your running shoes need to do two jobs: support your feet and maintain alignment. While most shoes can do both, you may need arch support or custom-made orthotics to help improve your gait.

With the right shoes and a training routine to strengthen leg muscles, preventing overuse injuries is easy. The key to success is simple: Allow enough time or recovery. The old adage, "start low, go slow" applies here. Increase your mileage by no more than 10 percent a week.

If you do ramp up your training too quickly, you risk injuring your bones or tendons. An overuse injury of the bone results in a stress fracture. Overuse of the tendons is referred to as endonitis, or tendonopathy. In the early course of tendonopathy, pain may actually reduce with exercise. But as you continue to exercise, the damage becomes more than the body can repair, and you may feel pain even at rest.

There are several things that you should do when you suspect you have an overuse injury:1. Don't ignore it. It's easy to deny you have an injury,

especially when you're working toward a specific goal. Taking care of an overuse injury sooner allows you to miss less training time, not more. Many overuse injuries are insidious; they start as mild pain or pain after running and progress to injuries that are painful at all times. If you get beyond the initial phase of pain, it can take a long time to recover from the injury.

2. Rest. You don't have to stop exercising, but you may need to switch to a form of exercise that doesn't cause pain, such as cycling, swimming, core strengthening or using the elliptical trainer. Don't be afraid to take multiple days off in a row until the pain decreases.

3. See a sports doc. If the pain persists or is severe, see a physician to create an appropriate treatment plan.

What are shin splints and how can I prevent them?Also known as medial tibial stress syndrome, shin splints are another overuse injury that affects the lower leg. Shin splints have been cited as the most common cause of leg pain in runners. Pain develops on the medial (inside) of the shin (tibia), usually along the lower two-thirds of the leg. At the onset of shin splints, you may feel pain that subsides after the beginning of exercise, only to recur after the workout.

Shin splints can be caused by factors such as harsh running surfaces, poorly cushioned footwear and training plans that rapidly increase mileage. Anatomical variables that predispose an athlete to developing shin splints are strong or inflexible calf muscles and excessive pronation (inward roll) of the feet.

Preseason conditioning may be the most effective measure in prevention, with a focus on building a solid base of flexibility and strength. Pay special attention to flexibility in the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf. Strengthening the ankle dorsiflexor muscles (the muscles responsible for tilting the foot up at the ankle) will help to balance the muscles on the tibia. Preventing pronation of the feet through the use of arch-supporting insoles can also help.

If you start to develop this painful condition, reduce your training mileage and intensity significantly until walking is pain-free. During this period, you can maintain fitness through cross training.

Running in the deep end of a pool is particularly effective because it provides resistance without requiring your shins to bear any weight. Manage the pain with an ice massage. I also recommend women take a calcium supplementation of 1,500 mg/day.

After pain is gone, return to training at half the pre-injury volume and progress in 10 to 15 percent increases. Be sure to stretch, strengthen, and correct anatomical misalignments to prevent shin splints from reoccurring. If pain continues, follow up with a physician.

I am a triathlete and dread getting on my bike because of how sore my neck, wrists and shoulders get after a long ride. What can I do to reduce this soreness?

Neck and back pain are a frequent complaint among cyclists. Neck pain is especially common among triathletes who ride in a deep aerodynamic tuck. The goal of this position is to make the back completely flat, but even with aero bars, not everyone can easily achieve the proper position.

Please read on about this topic on the following page, page 4

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Ask the Experts... (cont’d)

Attaching aero bars to an existing setup is one of the most common mistakes made by beginning triathletes. This position places the hip angle in an extreme bend, and forces the elbows in front of the shoulders, requiring the neck muscles to work especially hard to look ahead.

Strengthening the abdominals, lower back, hamstrings and muscles in the back of the shoulder blades should help reduce neck pain. If this fails, find a good sports medicine doctor or physical therapist.

You may find the aero position still places too much pressure on your elbows, causing neck pain, and even a regular riding position may place too much pressure on your wrists. In this case, you may have to revert to a more upright riding position. Raise your handlebars and/or shorten your stem to decrease some of the strain on your arms. Your body weight should be distributed roughly 60 percent over the back wheel and 40 percent over the front wheel.

SAVE THE DATES!!!

Don’t Miss Out on Some Family Fun!

We are planning our second annual Greenbluff Family Day=>

• Where to meet: Starbucks on Hawthorne & Nevada

• When: Sunday, October 19th @ 2:00 p.m.

• What to bring: Your family & some money for the corn maze, yummy treats, pumpkin picking & whatever your heart desires!

End of Season Party!

When: Friday, November 21, 2008 Where: Spokane Country Club @ 2010 W. Waikiki Road

Time: 7:00 p.m.

*** Tickets are now on sale, at the September Tri Fusion meeting, through the October Tri Fusion meeting!

Questions? e-mail Trish at TCudney@mead.k12.wa.us

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Tri Not To Screw Yourself by Ben Greenfield

I woke up Saturday morning, September 6th, excited to race in the very firsttriathlon I had ever completed (six years ago) - the Palouse SprintTriathlon. Ah...the nostalgia! But while driving to the race in Moscow,Idaho, I accidentally “sat” on my way cool TN sunglasses and somehow poppeda screw out.

Since I didn't want to put out an eye while racing, I simply had to repairthose sunglasses! It was that, or waltz into the local 7-11 and pick up a $6 pairof aviators. In retrospect, this may have been a better idea.

Anyways, once I arrived at the race, I borrowed one of those microscopicPhilips screwdrivers and fixed my sunglasses. For those of you familiar withtriathlons, you're always running around transition doing a million thingsbefore the race, and I realized after fixing my sunglasses that the tinyscrewdriver was nowhere to be found.

After searching for nearly ten minutes, I finally found the transitiondirector and told him to keep his eyes open, because I had dropped thisteeny-tiny, deathly sharp tiny screwdriver on the ground in transition, andI didn't want someone to puncture a foot or a tire. Those littlescrewdrivers are pretty damn sharp...

...and then I migrated towards to the race start....

...but just immediately before the swim, I decided to stop and take onefinal pee...

...so I pulled down my shorts, and there, cradled inside my bike chamois anddirectly nestled between where my precious jewels would rest, is a tinylittle deathly sharp screwdriver...

YIPES!

While standing, I couldn't even feel the screwdriver lying there in itshappy new home. But just imagine what could have happened when I leapt ontomy bike! As soon as that hard bike saddle hit the screwdriver resting in mylittle pantaloons, there could have been some serious puncture and leakageproblems. And they don't make CO2 cartridges for fixing that.

Feeling lucky to still be in possession of two of my most cherished assets,I moved on to the race and took first place, with a new course record byover 90 seconds. Maybe I'm onto something. Next time I'm going to use abigger screwdriver.

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Smoothie This!by Kim Montecucco

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. spinach (about 4 cups)1 cup pomegranate juice1 cup soy milk1 cup blueberries1 banana1 TBSN flax seed oil

All you do is blend all the above ingredients together in your blender and enjoy.

I dare ya to try this healthy refreshing breakfast or snack smoothie!

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

City Seeking Bike/Pedestrian Coordinatorsubmitted by Sheena Shadl

This article comes from the OUT THERE magazine. The city of Spokane is looking for a bicycle advocate to put on the payroll. I thought we might have some community-minded folks out there that may have the abilities and/or interests needed to help make Spokane a better, safer place to bike/run/walk. On Aug. 11th, the Spokane City Council voted unanimously to fund a bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, officially a "project employee" at the City Planner II level. The position will reportedly pay between $38,000 and $52,000 annually and is funded for the next two years only. The coordinator will work with the Bicycle Advisory Board and city agencies, particularly the Engineering, Streets, and Planning and Public Works Departments to expand and improve the city's bicycling infrastructure. One goal of this position is "Bicycle Friendly Community" recognition from the League of American Bicyclists which will likely require Sport Routes 2010 funding to pay for support and improvements. Job responsibilities include walking and biking the city, reviewing land use plans, shepherding the Master Bike Plan to fruition, grant writing, coordinating between and among City agencies and the public, and education and training, both within the City bureaucracy and among the public.

Because the position is unlike anything the City has had, the hiring process must be worked out with the Civil Service, delaying the search until a new job description and civil service test can be developed.

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LOOKING AHEAD: Part 1Planning Your Ironman Year

LifeSport coach Alister Russellshares some tips for planning!

The term 'periodization' seems to lead to some confusion in the triathlon world. A number of articles have suggested that you move through the training year going from slower aerobic training in the general preparation ('base') period through to faster paced work closer to the racing season.

This might work if your event is the 800m on the track, or possibly even an Olympic Distance triathlon. The misconception comes, I believe, from the fact that the original concept of periodization was developed around power events and so the year was divided into out-of-season conditioning and in-season speed and power (event specific) training. The key phrase here is 'event-specific' and is what we need to bear in mind when considering periodization for Ironman.

Athletes in sports where speed and power are key, use shorter efforts to get faster through the year as the racing season approaches. We need to consider what is Ironman specific training and how should it be planned into your training year. The year is divided into distinct sections and different types of training are planned for each section. Each section and type of training has a purpose related to the overall goal of completing your chosen Ironman.

General preparation phase:During this training phase you should endeavor to become the best endurance athlete you can be.

You should strive to:• Hone your skills in all three disciplines• Increase your aerobic capacity and

efficiency• Get strong (both general and event

specific)• Get flexible • Increase your lactate threshold in

each event where appropriate• Build your strengths, reduce your

weaknesses

You should aim to make this phase last as long as possible – ‘the longer the base the better your race’. If you are a novice, the majority of your training could be defined as base, as the aim of your training is to develop the endurance required to keep moving forward for up to 17 hours. If you have more experience you will be able to add a little more intensity to your training to help develop economy and efficiency, while still working at the high aerobic load necessary to achieve success at Ironman racing.

Knowing not only the requirements of the event, but also your own strengths and limiters, is key to designing an effective Ironman training program.

Race specific training:Your race specific training has to reflect the distance you will be covering on race day, as well as the intensity that you will be racing at. Get used to moving at race intensity -- remember that your ability to process fuel decreases as the intensity of your effort increases. Your chances of having a successful day are dependent on your ability to refuel on the move, making this a key factor to your success.

You also need to be able to rehearse other aspects of your race, such as being able to eat the appropriate amount at the appropriate time and to monitor your intensity. Race specific preparation goes beyond just physical training.

Spend time making a race plan – • what are you going to do in the week,

day or hours before your race • What heart rate or wattage are you

going to race at• when will you eat and drink• what will you pack in your special

needs back, if anything

You should make a written plan for all of the above. Your plan will change, especially on race day, but a plan that changes is better than none

Divide the race into sections, even based on the loops for each leg of the race. Breaking your day up like this makes it a little bit easier to work through – for example a one hour swim, followed by three, two-hour bike rides, four six-mile runs and a two-and-a-quarter mile run sounds a little easier than an Ironman, doesn’t it?

You should also include mental preparation such as visualization. You can visualize how you want to feel on race day, how the swim is going to go, how you are going to feel on the bike at various stages and how you are going to cope with the inevitable tough sections on the run. By developing your visualization and coping strategies, your whole day will be much successful.

Racing over the Ironman distance is not just a physical challenge, there are a number of other elements of preparation that must be addressed in the lead up to race day.

To help you pull all the threads together, you may want to consider hiring a qualified and experienced coach. A coach can help take a lot of the headache out of your preparations and allow you to train and race stress free!

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Achieve Peak Cycling Form for Your Last Race of the Season

By Jim RutbergTriathlete magazine

The paradox of late-season racing is this: months of long mileage, interval workouts and racing have given you a huge aerobic engine and unparalleled endurance, but you're also tired and struggling to find the motivation to stay focused. What you need to do is to inject some snap back into your cycling legs so you can take advantage of your form.

Different parts of your fitness have varying life spans. Generally speaking, the higher the power range, the shorter its life span. Basic aerobic endurance, which is a pretty low power range (about 50 to 75 percent of lactate-threshold power output) sticks around the longest, whereas optimal lactate-threshold power and the ability to repeatedly accelerate above threshold typically only last four to seven weeks.

So, as the end of the season approaches, many athletes have plenty of aerobic endurance but have already seen their best high-power performances for the year. So, how do you put some kick back in your cycling for one last big event?

Cut Back Your Weekly MileageThe early fall is a good time to take advantage of your big aerobic base. The work you did earlier in the year enables you to reduce the number of cycling training sessions to just three rides a week and shift their focus almost entirely to regaining your high-end power.

It may seem strange to go faster by doing less, but your cycling workouts are going to be strenuous, and with a season's worth of fatigue also setting in, few athletes have the emotional or physical energy left to maintain both high volume and high intensity.

Get Reacquainted With Your ShiftersCycling is a highly repetitive activity with respect to both the pedaling motion and the workouts you perform throughout the year. By now, you've probably done more long, sustained time-trial intervals than you'd care to remember, and most likely you've also settled into a predictable cadence and gear selection for your intervals and endurance rides.To regain your kick, break out of these habitual cadences and work on your pedaling agility. In this context, "agility" refers to your ability to change pedaling speed while maintaining a consistent power output, which is an important part of keeping your pace high in rolling terrain, on technical courses and in pack-riding situations.

Of your three weekly cycling workouts, the middle one should include variable-cadence time-trial intervals. Intensity for these efforts should be just below your maximum sustainable pace, about 92 to 95 percent of time-trial heart rate or 85 to 90 percent of time-trial power output.

The unique feature of this workout is that you shift gears every two minutes during a continuous 10-minute interval. Start in the gear you would normally use for time-trial intervals, and then, two minutes into it, shift down one cog to an easier gear for two minutes.

Shift back to your normal gear for the next two minutes, then down two cogs for the following two minutes, and then finish up the final two minutes in your normal gear again.

For instance, if you normally ride a 53-tooth chain ring in the front and a 15-tooth cog in the back (53 x 15), your gearing might look something like this:

0 to 2 minutes: 53 x 152 to 4 minutes: 53 x 174 to 6 minutes: 53 x 156 to 8 minutes: 53 x 198 to 10 minutes: 53 x 15

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Achieve Peak Cycling Form...(cont’d)

Perform three intervals, taking 10 minutes of easy-spinning recovery after each. During each effort, your goal is to maintain a consistent pace (or power output if you're using a power meter) even as you shift gears.

Heart rate may not be a great indicator of intensity for these intervals, as it responds to changes in cadence and may fluctuate widely as you pedal faster and slower. As a result, athletes training with a heart-rate monitor will need to pay more attention to maintaining a consistent pace.

Learn to SurgeOne of the most important aspects of cycling performance that tends to disappear late in the season is the ability to initiate or cope with repeated surges in pace and power output.

You may, for instance, find you have one speed right now, and it might be a pretty fast one because of all the training you've done, but you lack the ability to accelerate or power up short hills. You can get this ability back in just a few weeks by incorporating Over/Under intervals into your first and third ride each week.

The basic idea of Over/Under is to alternate between a sustainable pace under lactate threshold and an unsustainable pace over it during each interval. You should complete three 10-minute intervals in a workout, and the first three minutes should be completed at 92 to 95 percent of time-trial heart rate or 85 to 90 percent of time-trial power output.

For the next two minutes, ride as quickly as you can, and then settle back to your original intensity level for another three minutes. Finish the interval with another two minutes as hard as you can go. These intervals are very hard, so take 12 to 15 minutes of recovery after each.

By incorporating these workouts into just one three-week training block, followed by a taper or recovery week, you will see significant improvements in your cycling performance. End the season on a high note, with a ripping performance on the bike, and you'll have a great memory to see you through the dark and dull days of indoor training this winter!

If you want to make this a protein bar, simply add 2 cups of protein powder and add an extra 1/2 cup of honey. This is a good bar for straight after an intense workout, but it tastes like a dessert!

Ingredients=> * 1 cup natural-style peanut butter * 1 cup honey * 3 cups dry uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal

Directions=>1. Combine peanut butter and honey

in a large nonstick pot and warm up over a low heat until runny and mixed.

2. Mix in the oatmeal (and protein powder if using).

3. You don't want to cook it, just heat it up enough to stir everything together nicely.

4. Press into a 9x9-inch pan.

5. Let cool, then cut into 16 equal bars.

6. Wrap each bar in foil and store in plastic bags. - No need to refrigerate as the ingredients are natural.

Nutrition Facts=>Serving Size 1 bars 52gRecipe makes 16 barsCalories 217 Total Fat 9.1g 13% Total Carbohydrate 30.8g 10% Dietary Fiber 2.5g 10% Sugars 19.1g Protein 6.5g 13%

NO-BAKE PROTEIN BARS

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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...

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

Tuesday evenings: BLTs @ 5 & 6 @ rotating places around 7-Mile. Watch the Tri Forum for details!

Saturdays @ time TBA: Probable outside bike ride meeting location & time posted weekly on the Tri-Forum.

Mon. & Wed. evenings @ 5:30: Open water swim, starts at the Liberty Lake Village Beach. Always a variety of

swimming levels, so please feel welcome to join the fun!

Races/Runs:• Sept. 20: USAT Age Group National

Championship at Portland, OR

• Sept. 21: Kirkland Spring Tri & Duathlon at Kirkland, WA

• Sept. 27: Endurance Duathlon Festival at Pocatello, ID

• Oct. 4: Colbert Autumn Classic 1/2 Marathon at Colbert, WA

• Also Oct. 4: Leavenworth Marathon & 1/2 Marathon at Leavenworth, WA

• Oct. 11: Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI

• Oct. 12: Spokane Marathon, 1/2 Marathon and 5 Miler at Spokane, WA

Upcoming Events:

Clinics:

Wednesday, Sept. 24th: Off-season Nutrition Clinic at Champion Sports @ 6:30-8:00 pm!

$10/Tri Fusion Members $15/Non-Members

Next Membership Meeting:October 15th, 2008 @ 6:30 p.m.: General membership meeting at location TBA.

Next Tri Fusion Kids Club Meeting: Wednesday, October 9th @ Brentwood Elementary from 6:15-7:45 p.m.