Letter from the Prez

Considering how busy all our athletes have been this month, brevity will be my guide.  The BTC rocked in June.  We started our summer pasta rides, drawing big crowds and serving great food.  Thank you to the Schuckies, Ann Remmers, and Jayme/Clayton for hosting our June pasta rides!  The BTC fielded a HUGE aid station at the Boulder Sprint, anchored by the entire Kinsey family and captain’d by Sally Dyer.  Whoot, whoot!  And we had a great turnout and stellar performances at the Boulder Sprint.   We had a super club gathering at Flatirons Athletic Club where we got introduced to Joga!  I was sore for a few days after that and am incorporating some of the exercises into my weekly routine.  Thanks to Warren for arranging this for BTC members.

Unfortunately the team clothing did not arrive until the week after the sprint.  The shipment got held up in customs and would not budge despite the best efforts of the Pearl Izumi staff.  But now that the team clothing is in, all I can say is WOW!  I have been wearing the clothing this week and absolutely love it.  I hope you all do, too; there is some extra inventory being sold at Full Cycle if you missed the order deadline.  Sizes are limited, so don’t delay!

We also got our technical t-shirts completed and I have all sizes still in stock with the exception of female smalls.  Track me down if you’d like a shirt – $16 for club members and $20 for BTC wannabes!  We are also working on enabling the ability to order the tech tee through the website so I’ll let you know when that is available.

I am looking forward to a great July centered by the Boulder Peak and the Club Annual Barbecue and Pool Partaay!  My mother-in-law has been gracious enough to open her huge home and pool in Gunbarrel to the BTC.  July 11^th is the date and the pool will open at 3pm – I hope to see a huge crowd there and you can find the link to the Evite on my Facebook page.  I hope many of you will be able to make it along with your family.  We also have a pretty good BTC contingent heading out to San Fran for the Alcatraz Challenge.  This has become an informal club trip and everyone is looking forward sharing the trip and race with great friends.

Have a great July and we’ll see you at the Peak and Club Barbecue.  Keep up the beat, BTC’ers.

~Graz

SEEKING PARTY FEEDBACK!

We’ve only just passed midsummer, but we’re already looking ahead to the year-end banquet. Before we wade too deep in plans, we need your feedback! This event has traditionally been a semi-formal sit-down dinner. This past year, we changed things up a bit for more of a drop-in, cocktail style feel. We’d love to know what you prefer! Please e-mail any of the leads, or all at <leads@teambtc.org>, and share your thoughts. Or, please share in person when you see us! This is a special event celebrating a vibrant season of the accomplishments, great and camaraderie within this club, and we want it to be the best it can be for everyone!

NUTRITION SPOTLIGHT

Nutrient timing, why does it matter?

When we talk about timing with customers and athletes alike, it always seems to raise an eyebrow.  Why?  Well, food is food, right?  If you eat something you should be able to perform, right?  Well not exactly.  As we all know proteins, fats, and carbohydrates each have their respective functions.  That being said, it’s the timing “around training” that seems to keep they eyebrow raised.

This is something you won’t find in the “newsstand” fitness magazine.  To start, we recommend every athlete begin with a foundation to support overall health and increase immune system response. Components such as a recovery protein, glutamine, multivitamins, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) – are the building blocks of a healthy body and are critical to losing fat, gaining or maintaining muscle mass, and endurance.  One thing to note here: getting in such nutrient rich items becomes extremely beneficial at breakfast, post training, and before bed; particularly when training on a daily basis.

Endurance training and advanced nutrient timing
Ok, here is where we help connect the dots. Endurance athletes must maintain speed and quickness while building and maintaining the muscle mass necessary for intense, extended workouts. Some of the biggest mistakes we see endurance athletes make is failing to “prime” their system w/ adequate glycogen, replace their lost glycogen, which fuels the body for the next workout.  Additionally, endurance athletes need protein: in particular, a Branch Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) both before and during can significantly decrease the extent to which the muscle breaks down.  This coupled with a lactic acid buffer is sure to make those interval sessions more than worth your while.  Intervals – lets think about that: we do intervals to increase our spread via our body’s capacity to respond: what if we could further aid this process via immediate nutrition?  Sounds like a winning combo!

We also need to look at “during training consumption” as this is popular.  Really, unless you’re over 1.5-2 hours in a training session to you then need to consume extra calories.  We know that on average a person’s liver will hold about 80-100 grams of glycogen along with 400-600 grams within the skeletal muscle – again, a fairy abundant supply for short duration/distance. On the other end of the spectrum, we see people woofing down a power bar, 2 gels, another bottle of Gatorade only to tell me that they had a side ache or kept feeling like they’d just got punched in the gut and could barely hold it down (bit of an exaggeration here ).  That said, our body can only assimilate somewhere around 60-80 grams of carbohydrate per hour while training: gels and liquid become a good option here to minimize stomach distress.

Correct timing of protein (and the right kind of protein) post workout leads to a greater recovery period, less fatigue, and increased power output, the key to sustaining optimal performance.  Why is this so important?  Well, in a nutshell, we can optimize how our bodies function metabolically by “giving it more than it expects” to allow it to “build upon” the work you just did, not simply try to “make up lost ground.”  A fast acting protein, hydration protein, along with a high performance carbohydrate and glutamine at this point is going to accelerate recovery two fold.

Here’s an example of what a 2 hr training session or brick might look like:
Pre-Workout: 1-2 scoops of Xtinguisher + 2 scoops ACM (Advanced carb matrix – the amount will vary based on your body weight and the intensity of your planned workout). Xtinguisher’s carnisine and dextrose help rapidly fuel your body for extended training periods and will buffer the burn associated with lactic acid buildup.  The three different types of carbs in ACM plays off of Xtinguisher and feeds of the ability to provide immediate fuel while the PH in the muscle is kept at a minimum.

These two effects will allow you to train at higher levels of intensity for longer periods.

Post-Workout: Speed muscle repair and growth by replenishing the glycogen you have depleted. 1 serving of glutamine, 5-10 grams of branch-chained amino acids (when performing two training sessions in a day), and a serving of hydration protein, 15-30 grams depending on the person, to speed absorption & nutrients back into your muscles without unnecessary sugar.

Additional help?
Need to shed a few extra pounds but want to sustain or increase performance?  How about helping your body dump a few extra fat pounds?

AM, Pre-workout: 30 minutes before workout- Liquid Carnitine, 300 mg CLA, & 5 mg L-glutamine
Post workout: 15-30 minutes: Protein with 5 mg glutamine & one serving of whole-grain carbs.

Post workout mea; follow post workout recovery with whole food within 60-90 minutes.

Bedtime: “ZMA” Zinc & Magnesium have proven over and over to increase recovery.  These are the two most depleted minerals in highly trained individuals leading to lack of recovery.

These are just examples and can very greatly depending on the person.  Nutrient timing can have a significant effect on performance and recovery simply because we can either help or hinder our body’s metabolic processes.  As everybody is different, this may take a bit of trial and error.  Get educated and look for a source that isn’t afraid to explain the how and why.  As always, whole food intake is ABSOLUTELY key in our performance – don’t forget it

Great thanks to letting us serve the BTC!

Craig

Director, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition

Cert. Sports Nutritionist

Many thanks to our sponsor Max Muscle for making time to address questions and concerns athletes have regarding nutrition! Please send queries for future issues directly to Craig at c. david@maxmuscleboulder.com, or to mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

COACH’S CORNER: More Than Numbers by  Amanda McCracken

Upon returning home from my disappointing Boulder Peak Olympic distance triathlon last summer, I was greeted by my housemate with, “Hail to the conqueror!” In tears I responded, “Thanks, but, I sucked! I croaked on the run and was nine minutes off my best time on that course.” “But you finished!” she continued, sincerely impressed with my effort of which I thought very little. In my head I didn’t think it was enough to have finished. Having competed in many triathlons of varying distances, my perspective had changed and I was at a loss to know how to measure my success. I struggled to feel good about my two hour and 39 minute effort after five months of training geared to succeed at that particular race by bettering my time. I had left myself no other way to measure success and had downplayed my effort despite the 100 degree heat. I cynically concluded that competing and training was a gamble, like playing the stock market: you never know if what you are investing will make a profit, break even or go belly up. My oversimplified analogy was not a fair comparison. In order to properly gauge my success, I had to reflect on what makes me “me”. At the time, I believed in the statement “what I do is who I am” rather than “who I am is what I do”. In other words, I should have realized that how I value myself determines my performance and not, how I perform determines my self worth.

Are we too focused on what we are achieving (numbers) rather than who we are becoming? We have to slow down long enough to see whether our activities and goals support our purpose in life. Have you identified your life purpose and your related purpose in doing triathlons? We should identify a variety of targets and goals for triathlon that are both consistent with our life philosophy and fluid enough to be measurable based on our potential at a given moment.

To compartmentalize or to thread

Defining the “who” in the success equation is what seems most significant. It seems perfectly natural to me as a triathlete to compartmentalize my definition; after all, I do this for each of the three disciplines. I’m assuming that very few readers of this magazine identify themselves as solely athletes. Many are professionals, parents, spouses, volunteers, students, etc. Does one’s definition of success have to be tailored differently for each role? To succeed as an athlete means achieving X; to be a successful mother is to be Y; and to succeed in a profession is to perform Z. Or, is there a thematic thread that weaves the roles together to support an overarching purpose in life?

Abraham Maslow’s theory says that once we have secured the basics of our hierarchy of needs (air, safety, food, means, security, love and belonging) we are left to reach for the ultimate goal of human existence: to be self-actualized. This is the thread. This means to be involvedin identifying and fulfilling our life’s purpose by utilizing our potential. Isn’t this process what we, as triathletes, need to employ to define our personal success?

Potential and the moment

Becoming self-actualized is a progressive act that often requires one to stop and consider potential in the moment.A former athlete of mine, suffering from severe depression, says “not giving up” is the definition of success for him at the moment. According to two-time Olympian Alan Culpepper, success is doing his best with the potential he has on any given day and having the ability to shift perspectives as his potential changes. There is a necessity to consider “the moment” in each of these definitions.

Purpose set: now what are you going to do?

Measuring success in the sport of triathlon is difficult because there are so many factors, many uncontrollable like the weather and our equipment. Balancing three disciplines and the time, intensity, and duration of workouts are other variables to be thrown into the success equation. However, a prepared athlete ought to have a variety of targets and goals that are controllable.

Targets are statements of what we physically want. Consider the metaphor Bobby McGee uses in his book, Magical Running: Targets are like magnets that pull us along in a particular direction. Consider the possible following targets:

-win your age group at a particular race

-qualify for Kona

-finish in the top 10% of a race

-improve your power output on the bike

-improve your lactate threshold on the run

-improve your mechanics in a discipline

-increase your heart rate at which you enter your lactate threshold

-finish a season injury free

-complete a new distance

-improve your time on a familiar course

-register for a race!

-feel comfortable in own body half-naked body in public

-set a variety of goals unrelated to time or place!

-incorporate more family time in your training

Goals, McGee says, are characteristics that you require to achieve targets. For example, in order to achieve target X, I need to practice and exhibit the A, B, and C characteristics in competition, training, and daily life. These characteristics might sound like, “I need to be assertive, love my body, and remember I have options as situations change.”

Goals should create awareness, serve a purpose (not hold you back), and be realistic but high. Remind yourself of these goals during the day, not just prior to and during competition. Try writing down key words to create a steady script in your head to remind yourself of the characteristics you are seeking to embody. For example, you might repeat, “body love, assert, options” in your head during training and racing. Better yet, write them on your body during a race!

Writing it down

Go ahead, the registrations are opening and there is a buzz in the air of a rapidly approaching new triathlon season. Before you rush online to sign up for a fistful of races, overestimating your body’s potential, your available training hours and your family’s patience, take time to identify how you will define success this season. There is an endless list of possibilities, but how many of us clearly state these before the start of a season?

1. Identify your purpose in life and then specifically in the sport of triathlon. Answer the question, “Why do I do triathlons?” Write it down!

2. Write down three targets that address your purpose in doing triathlons (for this season) and take ownership of those targets. Don’t create a target based on someone else’s expectation.

3. Write down three goals for each target. Consider the question, “How do I want to feel and act before, during and after a race?”

4. When determining success for the season or a race, focus on who you are now and are becoming rather than what you are achieving (place and time) which is a very narrow perspective on success. Why limit your chances of feeling good about yourself?

Perspective

It’s easy to lose perspective on why we train and why we started doing our sport in the first place. It takes a step outside the athletic world of age group rankings, lactate threshold data and race times to better understand one’s athletic identity (the who) and appreciate the exploratory beauties of the sport (the why) that often get buried beneath the gear, race schedules and statistics. When finding success in consistency seems impossible (due to uncontrollable factors) and finishing a race doesn’t seem significant anymore, remember overall success equates to a combination of achievements at particular moments and actualizing one’s purpose. When you feel like the permanent marked race number on your arm makes you just that, a number, remember who you are and where you’ve been. These, not your race statistics, make you a success.

Amanda is the D3 Women’s Coach and a skilled massage therapist. This article appeared in the June 2008 issue of Triathlete Magazine.

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Here are a few results we know about. Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to:

Kansas 70.3: Steve Pyle, 4:33:17 (1stAG, Clearwater qualifier!);  Lindsey Milliken, 5:07:52 (Clearwater qualifier!); Burke Fishburn, 5:11:38; Brent Schoeb, 5:06:58; Karin Linner, 5:19:31; Tressa Ferrell, 5:25:30; Dave McMillan, 4:47:32; Wendy McMillan, 5:36:55; Pam Buderus, 5:52:59; Jim Buderus, 5:18:43; Todd Landin, 4:58:12

Boise 70.3: Mike Ricci, 5:09:01 (8th AG); Jon Haukaas, 5:42:57; Jay Lochhead, 5:13:53; Liz Larson, 6:18:18

Boulder Sunrise Sprint Tri : ScottCejka, 3rd AG, 1st ever tri!

Big Sky Duathlon: Mary Nodine, 1:17:06 (1st female overall!); Artie Sandman, 1:15 (2nd AG!); Dave Costa, 1:26:04 (6th AG); Julie Olsen, 1:17:57 (1st AG, 2nd overall female!)

Estes Park 10K: Leena Figall (4th overall, 1st AG!)

5430 Sprint: Andy Graziano, 1:27:15; Warren Schuckies1:23:35 (8th AG); Pam Schuckies1:37:54 (4th AG); Klaus Stadtler1:52:49; Mike Ellis, 1:27:38; Gail Matherly, 1:27:22 (4th AG); Valerie Trapa, 1:39:31; Brad Schildt, 1:25:52;  Rakesh Ganeriwala, 1:34:24; Liz Larson, 1:36:52; Leena Figall, 1:41:47; Jay Lochead, 1:21:34; Cisco Quintero; Charles Garabedian, 1:16:14 (7th AG); Owen Hammond, 1:16:45 (7th AG); Julie Olsen, 1:23:40 (3rd AG); Meg Flanegan, 1:30:19; Simon Butterworth, 1:34:16 (3rd AG); Pam Sinel Moore, 1:35:42; Megan Phares, 1:45:01; Joni Kozdeba, 1:46:31; Dave McMillan, 1:20:12; Burke Fishburn, 1:20:12 (6th AG); Tom Kissinger, 1:26:27; Rocky Riviera, 1:47:07; Randy Rose, 1:44:36; Melissa Mosley, 1:38:13; Gaby Larea, 1:52:46; Chuck McCash, 1:31:04; Brent Schoeb, 1:24:53; Eric Kenney, 1:13:02 (4thAG); Jeff Franke, 1:36:06; Sharon Hooper Houghton, 1:21:10 (1st AG, 8th overall); Kevin Houghton, 1:24:14; Heidi Smith, 1:21:20 (3rd AG); Bruce Wilson, 1:39:21 (3rd AG); Stephanie Murphy, 1:33:39; Craig Wilson, 1:27:41; Vickie Stubbs, 1:49:04; Rebecca Green, 2:01:56; Jay Plucienkowski, 1:20:05; Brad Culberson, 1:26:18; Doug Wendel, 1:25:02; Tom English, 1:26:19

DC Triathlon: Denise Farley, 1:20 (1st female overall!)

Loveland Lake to Lake: Mary Nodine, 2:36:12 (2nd AG); Charles Garabedian, 2:22:28 (2nd AG); Jenny Georges/Cisco Quintero relay, 5th place; Lindsey Milliken, 2:38:27 (3rd AG); Derek Cicchitto, 2:43:03; Liz Larson, 3:05:18; Jim Buderus, 2:45:27; Wendy McMillan, 3:02:16; Lauren Greenfield, 3:02:23 (10th AG); Jason Kaminski; Jay Lochhead, 2:39:24; Burke Fishburn, 2:35:27; Heidi Smith, 2:37:46 (3rd AG); Melissa Mosley (aquabike), 2:13;10 (5th AG); Rocky Riviera, 3:35:29

Buffalo Springs 70.3: Gail Matherly, 5:04:29 (4th AG); Warren Schuckies, 5:13:57;  Pam Schuckies, 6:04:30 (2nd AG and Kona qualifier! Yay!!);   Sharon Hooper, 5:05:34 (2nd AG!); Tom Kissinger, 5:38:52

…and all other competitors in June events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

July

-7 Pasta ride hosted by Artie Sandman and Tressa Ferrell

-11 Boulder Peak Tri and BTC summer BBQ/Pool party! 1 pm, 7614 Rustic Trail, Boulder

-14 Pasta ride hosted by Dieter Bruhn

-21 Pasta ride hosted by Burke Fishburn

-28 Pasta ride, host TBA

-Heads Up: We are still looking for volunteers willing to host pasta rides on the 28th and September 1st. Please e-mail Jayme at jayme_brooke@hotmail.com if you are interested.

To keep posted on the hordes of great multisport events taking place locally, check out these incredible calendars:

Racing Underground

Colorado Triathlete Multisport Calendar

ATHLETE PROFILE: Cisco Quintero

• Years competing in tris: 1984 to 2010= 26
• Worst tri mishap: my seat post broke and I had to ride the rest of the ride standing up
• Worst tri mistake: Forgetting my helmet at home,  had to borrow a helmet scoring the slowest transition ever
• Top tri tip: “The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t’ is you. And you don’t have to listen.” Nike
• Favorite sporting accomplishment: 10 times Iron-man competitor including Hawaii
• Goals for the season/next season so far: Give back to the sport that has given me so much
• Favorite pre-race food: Power Smoothie (protein power,  frozen strawberries , blue berries, banana apple honey and soy milk)
• Favorite post-race replenishment: soak legs at the Boulder creek
• Something people may not know about Cisco: Cisco has aPhD in engineering

PARTING SHOT: Who can shoulder any IM burdens with the best?

Be first to send your best guess to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

Race season is ON, and it’s clear from the stunning, varied challenges and stellar results club athletes are racking up quickly and steadily. This issue of the Beat includes key dates for your MUST DO list, as well as three great race reports, each of which highlights a unique area of the broad spectrum of racing experiences that beckon triathletes: Jason Kaminski’s candid recap of grueling IM St. George, Charles Garabedian’s James Joycian account of Escape from Alcatraz, and Denise Farley’s sleep-deprived adventure at The Relay. Additionally, Craig David provides another comprehensive, thorough response to a member’s nutrition query on plant versus animal proteins. Please be sure to take time to read through this, and send your nutrition-related questions for future issues to myself or Craig. Thanks as always for sending your ideas, photos, race plans, and updates my way (mcmillan.w@gmail.com)!

Letter from the Prez

May came off without a hitch thanks to some great BTC volunteers. The time trial series was again a huge hit thanks to Artie Sandman, Dave McMillan, Richard Streeter, Burke Fishburne, Charles Garabedian, and a host of others! The 2nd BTC duathlon also had a great turnout. When asked how he thought it went, race director Schuckies said, “Kona’s got nothin’ on this race! Heck, even Chrissie was here!”. Finally, at the end of the month, the BTC was again out in force to clean up a couple miles of roadway on 75th St. I am always amazed at the level of commitment we get from club members for all sorts of activities, and this is what sets us apart from other tri clubs.

I am happy to report that the team clothing is on track to arrive a few days before the Boulder sprint race. As well, Boulder triathlon tech T’s will become available in just a couple weeks, just in time for our Try-a-Tri clinic on June 12th. I would like to ask each BTC member to invite one friend or family member to attend this clinic. It is a great way to get more people into triathlon and grow the club.

I am looking forward to a great June and a fantastic BTC aid station at the sprint. I also look forward to seeing many of you at the Stroke and Stride, 1st club pasta ride, and another gathering at flatirons athletic club. Let it loose as race season gets into full swing and keep up the beat, BTCers!

~Graz

NUTRITION SPOTLIGHT

Q.  Whey protein has generally been regarded as a great supplement for endurance athletes, but it seems it’s got its share of controversy. Can you discuss factors to consider when choosing between plant versus animal-based proteins?

A. This question is becoming more prevalent as people take a deeper look into how and where their nutrition products are produced and come from.

To really address this, let’s first understand the differences in Proteins.

Protein is an essential nutrient and unique in terms that it not only supplies energy (4 calories per gm), but that it also contains nitrogen found in the building blocks that make up proteins called amino acids.   There are a wide variety of animal protein ingredients that can be used: whey proteins, casein proteins, milk proteins, and egg proteins.  Plant proteins can include soy isolate proteins, Hemp protein, Chia protein, proteins found in beans and legumes.

There are two major proteins found in dairy which are the whey proteins (20%) and casein proteins (80%) – this probably makes up 80%+ of the nutrition and recovery industry.  Clearly, for the world of recovery and sports enthusiast whey proteins have been in the forefront.  Rising with recognition are whey protein concentrates (WPC) and whey protein isolates (WPI).  Whey protein isolates absorb rapidly at around 30 minutes or less while whey protein concentrates absorb at around 60 minutes.  Both are considered “fast-acting” which makes them ideal for pre- and post-workout drinks.  Casein on the other hand (found mostly in dairy, primarily in cottage cheese) absorbs much slower at about 4 hours making it a “slow-acting” protein and ideal for before bedtime or for long periods without eating.

Proteins in plants still provide the same energy and similar amino profiles. The biggest controversy we see comes from plant proteins being labeled “incomplete” proteins as a resulting from the low amounts of one or more of the nine essential amino acids (building blocks to our lean muscle mass).  What this means is that your body is unable to extract the proper amount of protein from the particular plant source it needs to match up the proper alignment of amino acids, not to mention it can take twice as long to break down and digest.

This is slightly skewed however; the “incomplete” label doesn’t help distinguish to the average person which are missing or in lower levels, making it sufficient in the average diet.  In most cases (e.g. grains, legumes), levels of one or more amino acid are insufficient for human needs; hence the need to mix certain grains, legumes, and beans to get adequate amounts of protein.  We’ve dealt with this among several vegetarian athletes.   This is really why animal proteins, most commonly Whey protein, become the successor to plant proteins because of a higher “bio-availability” (a greater receptiveness from the body).   One to point out is Hemp protein.  Hemp contains relatively high levels of the branched-chain amino acids.   Soy is another common form which from the research, shows a slightly “lesser bio-availability” to the body than an animal protein.

Most animal based proteins, particularly Whey are purified by a process of ultra filtration and ion exchange.  These substances are rich in fractions needed for immunological, digestive and nutritional importance.  Whey proteins are complete proteins containing all of the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body.  In fact, the amino acid profile (proportions and ratios) found in whey is almost identical to that of skeletal muscle (the highest bio-availability).   A nutrient we often discuss with the “weekend warrior” and athlete both is “glutamine” – I could go on and on about the benefits here, both for student athletes all the way to the professional.  Muscle  glutamine levels (necessary to repair muscle from strenuous training) is also manufactured exclusively by the BCAAs.  It makes sense, that if animal proteins provide a much higher and greater concentrated levels of BCAA’s, that this would be an optimal source for the consistently active person needing the most efficient rout to recovery.  I will say however, that those who are lactose intolerant find Soy to be a great option.   On the other hand, there are folks that have an incredibly hard time digesting plant proteins because the rest of their diet lacks in providing the necessary enzymes to do so.

This is where I’d recommend you sample a few products, both in high intensity training and as part of your every day nutritional needs to find the best option.  Get educated and find something that fits your recovery need!

To a great summer of training, Craig

Director, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition

Cert. Sports Nutritionist

Many thanks to our sponsor Max Muscle for making time to address questions and concerns athletes have regarding nutrition! Please send queries for future issues directly to Craig at c. david@maxmuscleboulder.com, or to mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

IM St. George: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by Jason Kaminski

Race day started off with cool air temperatures, even cooler water temps, and a little anxiety about a potential mechanical.  Officially, IM said the water temperature was 62 earlier that week.  Unofficially, talk amongst athletes at the bike check-in on Friday sources park rangers at Sand Hollow Reservoir as saying the water was between 52 and 54 degrees.  In transition that morning, my rear 1080 Zipp felt a little soft, so I had a bike tech guy try to put some air into it.  He couldn’t get my rear valve stem to open up, so I was stuck with what I had; he assured me that 100 psi was fine for a tubular, but later on I couldn’t help thinking I was slowly losing air during the entire bike leg.

They herded us into the chilly water and at first I didn’t think it was so cold, armed with my full-sleeved wetsuit and neoprene cap.  Then, as I dove under, my face went numb.  Wow.  After the national anthem, the cannon sounded and we were off.  The swim was pretty uneventful, marked by the usual inadvertent kicking and hitting, but nothing too serious.  Although a much improved swimmer now than when I did my first IM at Lake Placid in 2001, the equalizer was the lack of a warm-up in that cold water, and my swim time was nearly identical to my first IM. I finished in 1:11.

Transition went smoothly, and I was off.  The air temperature wasn’t too bad, although I did pull on my arm warmers.  We had a nice little descent out of T1 and a relatively flat first few miles.  The climb out of the valley felt pretty good, and I was passing a lot of athletes early on.

The bike loop was a lollipop course, and entering the first loop, I was feeling pretty good with a 22-plus mph average.  A slight breeze was just starting to pick up and the sun was warming things up nicely, so I pushed my arm warmers down to my wrists and settled in.  I had driven the course when I arrived in St. George on Thursday, so I knew what lay ahead.  The bike loop takes you through a portion of an Indian Reservation, and while those red rocks are beautiful, you’re essentially climbing the entire time.  The 3- 5% grades weren’t too bad, and then there were a couple of moderate climbs before you get to a hairpin turn (think mile marker 15 up Left Hand Canyon and the final turn up to Ward) where the pavement rises to 6- 11% for about a ½ mile stretch.  If you ignored the suffering, the view into the valley was beautiful.  We had another 10 or so miles of flats and false-flats, but the major climbs were over for the time being, and the last 15 or so miles were down hill where you could pick up some speed.  The wind was really in your face, and there was a particular stretch of descent that I had to get off of my bars and sit up because of them (I had a Zipp 404 on front).

The 2^nd bike loop was slower than the first (aren’t they all?), and I started to realize that the few 70-mile rides and single century I did in training probably weren’t enough.  I was happy to get off the bike as I rolled into T2 with a bike time of 6:20, but I was feeling pretty good and still thinking I could go under 12 hours for a finishing time.  In the changing tent, the volunteers were fantastic as always.

Heading out of T2, I was determined not to walk the marathon, determination that lasted for about 5 miles into the run.  Every athlete, age-grouper and pro alike will tell you this was by far the toughest IM run.  Fortunately, there was cloud cover and the ubiquitous St. George winds were still there so at least there were cool temperatures.   Around mile 15 or so, my quads really started to cramp up and I went into survival mode by walking 100 steps and jogging/shuffling 100 steps. Seriously, I did this for the next 9 miles.  At mile 24 or so, I was determined to finish strong and started running what felt like 8:00/mi pace but was probably closer to 10:00/mi pace.  I was able to walk/jog a 5:07 marathon, and crossed the finish line in 12:51:20.

I got my post-race food, drink, and massage (I dumped the food and nearly fell asleep on the massage table), and then proceeded to slowly walk the 100 yards or so back to transition to collect my bike and swim gear.  My truck was parked another ¼ mile away.  I got back the motel room, showered, popped open a Guinness, and called the wife and parents.  After one more In-N-Out Burger, I hit the sack and dreamed of my next race.

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Here are a few results we know about. Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to:

Frederick Running Festival 1.2 Marathon: Jay Lochhead, 1:33:47 3rd AG!

Lookout Mountain Hill Climb:Richard Streeter, 23:55

Sunshine Canyon Hill Climb: Richard Streeter,  59:30, 15/25 in Senior Men 45+ Cat 4

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon: Charles Garabedian, 2:27:18, 9th AG; Mike Ellis, 2:48:18, 11th AG; Klaus Stadtler, 4:07

Wildflower Olympic Triathlon : Mary Nodine, 2:40:12, 8th AG!; Chuck McCash, 2:52:42; Derek Cicchitto, 2:42:41; Gaby Larrea, 3:55:11

White Lake Triathlon: BTC President Andy Graziano, 5:33:19; Tim Sells, 5:40:49; Brent Schoeb, 5:13:43

Ironman St. George:  Laura Riviera, 14:42:44; Mike Guzek, 10:50:58; Jason Kaminski, 12:51:20

Ironman St. Croix 70.3: Barry Siff, 5:51:51 (Clearwater qualifier!)

Blue Sky Red Stone Trail Race (14.3 miles): Lauren Greenfield, 2:25:23 2nd AG/4th female!

Barking Dog Duathlon: Derek Cicchitto, 1:42:09 (4th AG); Tom Kissinger, 1:52:17; Pam Sinel, 2:00:18; David McMillan, 1:32:50 (2nd AG); Wendy McMillan, 1:48:58 (4th AG); Jay Lochhead, 1:48:11 (6th AG); Kevin Edwards, 1:41:30 (4th AG); Dave Costa, 1:49:43, Liz Larson, 2:14:59; Heidi Smith, 1:40:19 (2nd AG)

Longmont Summer Open Sprint: Charles Garabedian, 1:02:47 (2nd AG); David McMillan, 1:05:26; Christiana Glenn, 1:05:36 (2nd elite female); Heidi Smith, 1:06:34 (1st AG); Mary Nodine, 1:07:32 (2nd AG); Jason Kaminski, 1:09:18; Ryan O’Connor, 1:10:18; Jay Lochhead, 1:11:15; Brad Schildt, 1:11:18; Cisco Quintero, 1:12:23; Melissa Mosley, 1:16:57; Diane DeRoia, 1:17:52; Stephanie Murphy, 1:19:01; Laurie Mizener, 1:12:51 (2nd AG); Meg Flanegan, 1:16:07; Tressa Ferrell, 1:14:35; Mike Ricci, 1:05:25 (4th AG); Trent Niemeyer, 1:01:52 (3rg AG); Karin Linner, 1:12:58 (2nd AG); Jenny Georges, 1:10:43 (5th AG); Leena Figall, 1:27:02

Pelican Fest Triathlon: Jay Lochhead, 1:06:37 (6th AG); Liz Larson, 1:20:55 (5th AG)

All the awesome Bolder Boulder runners and Morgul Bismark cyclists!

…and all other competitors in this May events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

June

-3 First Stroke and Stride of the summer! http://www.racingunderground.com/strokestride/

-12 BTC hosting Try-a-Tri clinic to inform and encourage athletes new to the sport: spread the word!

-15 Club meeting at Flatirons Athletic Club: Core Workout with Joe Horwat begins at 5:30

-16 FIRST pasta ride of the season hosted by the Schuckies! 6 pm at 5843 Orchard Creek Lane. Triathlete Magazine will be writing a CLUB GRUB article about us for an upcoming issue!

-20 Boulder Sprint Triathlon, with BTC Run Aid Station (THANKS to volunteers!)

-24: Bike Maintenance Workshop, Full Cycle, 7:30 pm

-Heads Up: We are still looking for volunteers willing to host pasta rides on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. Please e-mail Jayme at jayme_brooke@hotmail.com if you are interested.

To keep posted on the hordes of great multisport events taking place locally, check out these incredible calendars:

Racing Underground

Colorado Triathlete Multisport Calendar

ATHLETE PROFILE: Mike Ellis

• Years competing in tris: Since 1997

  Worst tri mishap/ Worst tri mistake: You name it, I did it in my first triathlon (the 1997 Boulder Peak).  It included not training, going off course, wrong equipment, bad positioning, embarrassing outfit, overconfidence, and not knowing when to quit.  I was rewarded with dead last place.
• Top tri tip: 1) If you take supplements, skip them on race morning (or take them after you finish); 2) Do not use anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen) unless you are so injured that you can’t train
• Favorite sporting accomplishment: Most recently, completed Escape from Alcatraz

  Goals for next season so far: Boulder Tri Series
• Favorite pre-race food: Muesli with nuts and raisins and milk, plus secret ingredients I’m not going to share
  Favorite post-race replenishment: Veggie burritos
• Something people may not know about Mike: Mike has almost 70 issued US patents

PARTING SHOT: Who’s the ironman with the iron fist?

Be first to send your best guess to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

In order to accommodate a busy weekend of race results and some incredible content, this month’s news is being posted a little later than usual, but it’s packed with exciting material and motivation for training and racing, so take your time to digest it all! In addition to important club news and notes, we’ve got a vivid account of fitting in training in the far east from Burke Fishburn; Ann Remmers’ bike rolls with the punches at the National Duathlon Championships; Neil Smith lends hope to suffering allergic athletes; Amanda McCracken sets herself free from high school hang-ups while setting a PR in Carlsbad; BTC President Andy Graziano turns the heat up in a character-building race at White Lake, and more. Make sure to scroll all the way through for other interesting club tidbits  and profiles, and keep sending your ideas, photos, race plans, and updates my way (mcmillan.w@gmail.com)!

Letter from the Prez

May is going to be a very busy month for the BTC.  The cycling time trial series continues with heat #3 coming this Thursday. Thank you to our many volunteers who are making the TT series possible every Thu at 6pm in May.  Also, on May 6^th Full Cycle will be holding an “On the Road” repair clinic at the Full Cycle shop on Pearl Street.  If you would like to learn more about taking care of your bike during the race, including repairing a flat, this would be a great clinic to attend.  On May 10^th we will be having our big fund raiser of the year at The Elks Club in Boulder.  The auction will feature a Blue Triad frame that will be auctioned off, as well as many other killer prizes, compliments of our sponsors and supporters.  This is an event no BTC member will want to miss, and we will also have an open bar and live band at the event! Let’s get everyone out for this – start time 6:30pm.  Then, on May 16^th we will be holding our first duathlon of the year out of Tom Watson park in Boulder.  This is a great opportunity for members of all levels, so look for more details on this from our VP and Race Director Warren Schuckies.  May is quite a busy month for racing, with races popping up all across the country, so good luck to all who are racing this month.  Hope to see you out at all our many events and Keep up the Beat, BTCers!

~Graz

TRAVEL LOG: Training in Hanoi, Vietnam by Burke Fishburn

5:15am, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi Vietnam.

He wears an ugly version of Keds, 1960s cheerleaders’ shoes that slap against the pavement, baggy cotton gym shorts and singlet two sizes too big for his narrow shoulders.  With a sneaked look I see that the single hair growing out of the mole on his neck is much longer.  Tradition says it should not be plucked or cut. He is lucky or wise or both. He’s lean, limber, his running style is fluid but he is breathing hard. He passes me a few times, sprints several steps ahead, then falls behind, can’t keep my steady pace. He may be 59. He may be 95. Impossible to tell.

We must run on the street, dodging walkers, honking taxis, farmers on bikes with their enormous baskets of fruit or vegetable or flowers, beeping motorbikes, tan-uniformed cops with batons yanking unhelmeted scofflaws from their Honda Dreams. The light rain turns the streets into oily grimy soup. Stains that take a week to fade from your calves, and that never come out of socks or shoes.  The sky is low and gray. Ochre and turquoise buildings, centuries and centuries old, crumble gracefully in the mist, but many have already yielded to the developers’ hammer.

This is my Hanoi training ground.  I’ve run this 1-mile loop just about every day of my 2-3 yearly trips to Hanoi for the past 7 years.  And before that Hanoi was home.

When I don’t see him I wonder if he’s sick, visiting family, nursing an injury or dead.  He is not friendly. He does not smile. This is business. Our relationship is based on running around this lake, and his obvious pleasure in beating me.  He is confused and frustrated when I run intervals or have an easy day. For him it is all-out all the time. What’s this stopping crap, weak American? I hear him thinking.  In eight years we have exchanged maybe eight different words. My greeting, Chao Ong, his urging to go faster, Di!!Di! or Chay nahn!,  my explanation—training plan—that is met with a disgusted look. And my farewell, Tam biet, as I head towards my hotel in the Old Quarter near St Joseph’s cathedral for a bowl of noodle soup, a baguette and Vietnamese coffee that tastes like muddy caffeinated wine.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism tells me there are no professional Vietnamese triathletes. There is an Olympic distance triathlon in the ancient town of Hoi An, but only the expats, most from Hong and Singapore, compete.   Running and cycling are the sports of old men.  Cyclists won two gold medals at the 2009 South East Asian games, and a dilapidated but enthusiastic national cycling team gamely takes on Southeast Asian tours.  Long distance runners emerge and fade as quickly. Monofin swimmers make a showing in regional events, but most Vietnamese grow up afraid of the water and never venture into the lakes or China Sea except to earn a living.  Two runners and a breast-stroker were sent to the Beijing Olympics.  Soccer, table tennis, Wu Shu, badminton, these are the national obsessions.

I’ve learned to switch-up running clockwise/counterclockwise because the street cants towards the gutter, but I prefer running against the traffic as survival technique. Might makes right, which requires yielding to unsteady cyclists and motorbikes, and leaping away from taxis, cars and the crazy truckers. I’ve been clipped and bruised by rearview mirrors and truck bumpers.  Taxis delight in playing chicken. The crowds make it impossible to run on the sidewalks.

My training always takes a dive on my trips to Hanoi. I get chubby and slow on the fatty and calorie-dense soup stocks, fried dishes, too many Bia Hanoi, and the enormous lunches required by my Vietnamese counterparts despite my diplomatic protests.  Running is my only option unless I stay at the 5-star hotels. Pools are hard to access, ripe with bacteria, or lack lane markers or lane sensibilities.

Mornings at Hoan Kiem have changed a little. Around the Lake’s broad uneven snaggly sidewalks hundreds of people stroll, jog, and perform wild stretches and 1970s aerobics led by instructors in pink tights and striped tops, music shrieking from a CD player. The old people are as likely to wear tracksuits as their pajamas now. The young and middle-aged are noticeably heavier, some verging on obese. Economic progress. Bobby Chinn’s trendy restaurant has vacated its commanding corner for the West Lake area.

In the past eight years traffic has quadrupled. What were mostly bikes, motorbikes and an occasional taxi or truck is now a steady stream of motorbikes, taxis, private cars, buses, and trucks.  With each trip I must start my run 15 minutes early to avoid traffic and exhaust. Pollution is worse.  I almost always return from Hanoi with a respiratory infection. The ironic price of fitness.  On weekends I now try to head to huge West Lake where the air is cleaner and the 6-mile out-and-back is mostly car-less. I only have to dodge young lovers sitting on blankets and expats with their baby strollers.

But the mythological giant turtle still lives in the Lake, Turtle Tower still stands, Ngoc Son Temple continues to decay and be overtaken by the Ginkgos.  The old women still do Tai Chi or sword dances to tinny music over Tannoy loudspeakers. The flamboyant chap with the shiny boxing shorts still powerwalks with his fat Chihuahua skittering around him, unbelievably alive after all these years of dodging vehicles.

Today I’m running my prescribed 5 x 6:00 minute intervals.  We meet up after I finish my warm-up, a quick nod and I indicate it’s time to go fast. He keeps pace for the first interval. Today when I stop to jog, he stops, too. Odd. I wonder what’s wrong.  I tell him he can go on, this is a 2-minute rest, this is my plan.  Today he waves his hands in a polite gesture. Today he smiles then sprints off into the mist.

Running against the hurtling traffic of progress, breathing hard, alive and  evidently happy.

NUTRITION SPOTLIGHT

Q. Are there any special guidelines for athletes regarding sodium? Everyone knows endurance athletes need more sodium, but is this just during events, or also before/after? There is so much hidden salt in everyday foods, how aware should we be as athletes about trying cutting back on a daily basis?

A.  Salt, or sodium, is required in our diet. It becomes incredibly important for sustained performance during endurance events.   It helps regulate fluid balance and promotes proper muscle function. Unfortunately, our society has developed an appetite for somewhere around three times the sodium they need.

Sodium need varies slightly from person to person, but a range of 1,800 to 2,400 milligrams (this is about 1 teaspoon of salt) serves as a healthy dose to continue to perform at an optimal level.

Like fluid requirements, daily sodium needs can also vary greatly among athletes. Some athletes have a greater sodium need because they lose more sodium in sweat. The sodium needs recommended during exercise is dependent on the amount of sweat produced.

Let’s say that you sweat about 1.5 liters per hour, and your sodium losses per liter may be about 750 milligrams. This means that in one hour, you lose 1125 milligrams of sodium. If you train for three hours, your total sodium sweat losses are 3,375 milligrams of sodium. Clearly, on days when you put in even more hours of training, you will increase your total sodium sweat losses further.

It’s ok to consume some salty foods or add a little salt to  your food: this helps to replace sodium lost in sweat. Besides having enough sodium in your diet, you can also consume a sports drink that contains adequate sodium. Get familiar with the sodium content of your favorite carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage – this may save you on race day – Pay attention to how many ounces you consume per hour and estimate your sodium intake per hour. You do not need to replace all of your sodium losses. You only need to consume enough sodium to prevent sodium levels from dropping too low. If you’re eating out 4+ times a week, then you are likely getting plenty of sodium in your diet with out needing to “add extra.”

Preventing Low Sodium in Athletes

During ultra endurance events such as adventure racing and IM triathlons, inadequate repletion of sodium can lead to a dangerous condition known as hyponatremia. For most athletes engaged in prolonged exercise, however, the danger of this condition is relatively low if they remain well fuelled and hydrated. Here are a few tips on how to prevent this from happening to you:

• Consume saltier foods such as pretzels, broth, sauces, salt bagels, V-8 juice leading up to race day or AFTER a long training session.
• Hydrate during exercise with a sports drink that contains sodium – NUUN tabs are a great option and extremely convenient.
• If you are a salty sweater and you are involved in long distance events, marathons or triathlon, aim to consume 100-250 milligrams of sodium for every 8 ounces of water ingested during endurance training and racing.

Race season is upon us, don’t get caught mid season not knowing what you need or when you need it.  Let us know what questions you have!

Many thanks to our sponsor Max Muscle for making time to address questions and concerns athletes have regarding nutrition! Please send queries for future issues directly to Craig at c. david@maxmuscleboulder.com, or to mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Here are a few results we know about. Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to:

All the Haystack team and solo time trialists!

Carlsbad 5K: Amanda McCracken, 18:47

Las Palomas Triathlon: Diane DeRoia, 1:30:28, 3rd overall!

Cherry Blossom 10-miler (DC): Megan Phares, 1:27; Mary Nodine, 1:09:47

Mike Ricci’s CU Triathlon Team: Collegiate National Champions!

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon (May 2): Charles Garabedian, 2:27:18, 9th AG; Mike Ellis, 2:48:18, 11th AG; Klaus Stadtler, 4:07

Wildflower Olympic Triathlon : Mary Nodine, 2:40:12, 8th AG!; Chuck McCash, 2:52:42; Derek Cicchitto, 2:42:41

White Lake Triathlon: BTC President Andy Graziano, 5:33:19; Tim Sells, 5:40:49; Brent Schoeb, 5:13:43

Ironman St. George:  Laura Riviera, 14:42:44; Mike Guzek, 10:50:58; Jason Kaminski, 12:51:20

Ironman St. Croix 70.3: Barry Siff, 5:51:51 (Clearwater qualifier!)

Lookout Mountain hill climbers

Luck to:

Sunshine Hill Climbers

Bolder Boulder runners

Barking Dog Duathletes

Summer Open Triathletes

…and all other racers in this month’s events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

May

-4 Tuesday Night Track starts up for the summer with Mike Ricci and the D3 coaches, 6 pm at Centennial Middle School

-6 BTC TT #3 (Hill climb) and Full Cycle Repair Clinic at the Full Cycle, Pearl Street, 7:15 pm

-10 Monthly Club Meeting: Elks Lodge 6 pm, Silent Auction!

-16 BTC Duathlon, Coot Lake

-18 BTC discount night #2 at Dash and Dine

-19 BTC Hash, North Boulder 6 pm, featuring hares Megan Phares and Doug Wendel

-21 Adopt-a-road Clean up followed by BBQ at the rez: meet at Dave and Wendy McMillan’s house at 4:30; more details forthcoming

-Heads Up: We will be looking for volunteers willing to host pasta rides on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. Please e-mail Jayme at jayme_brooke@hotmail.com if you are interested.

-Ongoing through Jul 3rd: 150 Years of Gears bicycles exhibit at Longmont Museum, $5 admission, $2 kids’ fee.

The bikes, dating back to the 1860s, include the boneshaker, one of Joe Breeze’s original mountain bikes, several bikes raced in the Tour de France (including the winner of one race), and much more.

www.ci.longmont.co.us/museum

To keep posted on the hordes of great multisport events taking place locally, check out these incredible calendars:

Racing Underground

Colorado Triathlete Multisport Calendar

Leaving the Boulder Bubble: An Account of the National Duathlon Championships

by Bikey Remmers (as told to Ann Remmers, Bikey’s bicycle companion/guardian)

I was adopted last week from the Boulder Trek Store by my bicycle companion/guardian, Ann Remmers.  I am a small Trek Equinox TTX 9.9 with Aeolus 9.0 wheels and a pearl/red coat.  The nice bike fitter named Matt at the Boulder Trek Store groomed me and Ann so we were a perfect fit for each other, and we set off for riding and racing adventures.

Unfortunately for me, my first stop  on our adventure was a bike kennel in preparation for air travel to Duathlon Nationals (5K run/38K bike/5K run) being held in Richmond VA on Sunday April 25^th, 2010.  My plane ticket ($200) was more expensive than my bike companion’s ($49 charge for a “free” ticket), and in exchange I got a bigger space on the airplane than did she.

Once we arrived in Richmond on the Friday before the race, I was let out of the kennel  for a tour of the course….technical and a bit hilly, but a three-loop 24 mile challenge I was ready for.  On Saturday all the other bikes and I were sent to the bike kennel to spend the night (in the pouring rain).  Luckily for me, Ann showed up on race morning to dry me off and add air to my tires.  After the first 5K run, Ann was 17/42 in her age group (45-49), and now it was my turn to make up some ground following her mediocre 5K run.  Four miles into the ride we were cruising and had passed three of her age-group competition.  Then, the unthinkable (for a bike) happened: I was hit hard in the rear Aeolus by the steel bridge expansion joint, not once but twice. I tried to stay intact but to no avail, Colorado air was gushing all over the wet and dirty Virginia asphalt.

The race was over for us. We stood on the sidelines for a while watching the other racers with fellow wounded bikes: Scott from Ohio, Cervelo from North Carolina, and Pinarello from Chicago.  Eventually, our respective bike companions hoisted us on their shoulders and gently carried us back to the race finish.

We weren’t the only wounded; based on the race results, out of ~1100 race starters, 78 other bikes and their companions never finished the bike course.  More bike injuries occurred on the streets of Richmond than on the 2010 Boulder Roubaix bike course!

We are now safely back in the Boulder bubble, where the athletes are friendly, and the roads are much more bicycle friendly.  I can’t wait for my true race debut at the next Boulder Tri Club Time Trial!

Allergen Alert: Hope for the Hayfevered by Neil Smith

Pollen levels are at an all-time high this spring. For many triathletes, so are allergy symptoms. Triathletes with allergies are easy to spot. First off, they’re riding their bikes in the mountains this time of year to escape the pollen cloud hovering over the flat lands. Also, they’re often quite adept at the “farmer blow.” If not, they’re the ones with the glowing, red noses, rubbed raw with cycling gloves or shirt sleeves. As if that weren’t enough to make them conspicuous, some even resort to wearing a dust mask while running on bad pollen days.

When you see these allergic triathletes, gently reassure them that it doesn’t have to be this way. Help has arrived! Allergy Drops therapy, an allergy treatment that is very popular in Europe, has made its way to Boulder County. This therapy uses the same ingredients as allergy shots, but is given as a drop under the tongue instead. It is highly effective like shots, but without the pain risk and inconvenience. No needles! And beecause allergy drops therapy is so safe, it is self-administered at home. Visits are required only every three months. So, patients safe a bundle of money on insurance co-pays. The best part is that allergy drops therapy works great! In fact, the World Health Organization endorses allergy drops as an effective allergy treatment.

Most people begin to experience relief from symptoms in the first one to three months after starting their allergy drops. Once the three to five year course of treatment is finished, people can expect to experience long-term, even life-long relief from their allergies. So, no more sneezing, wheezing, crying or wiping while out on the roads and trails.

The BTC’s own Neil Smith offers allergy drops therapy at Allergy Solutions clinic in Lafayette, CO. Feel free to call or email him with any questions. Or just go up to him and wipe your nose on his shirt at the next club meeting.

ATHLETE PROFILE: Stephanie Murphy

PARTING SHOT: Who was up to his eyeballs in triathlon this week?

Be first to send your best guess to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

TIDBITS

Dash and Dine Fine Moment(shared by Lance Panigutti)

“Right before the start of the dash & dine last night we announce that anyone who beats our lead biker (Charles Garabedian) will get their entry fee refunded. Ironically, Charles flats right after the first turn and rides the whole race with a flat just to beat the lead runner in! Leave it to him – he won our “grit and determination” award for the night!”

Grit and determination at work yet again!

Here’s Mud in Your Eye: hats/helmets off to the water-logged BTC team at the Haystack time trial event!

Richard, Charles, Dave and Artie post-race.

Sponsor Special: 5430 Series Massage Special: Get your body tuned up pre-race or realigned post-race.  Purchase pre or post race massages in a package of 3 for $120.  Book your appointments by June 1st to get this deal! www.ubnbalance.com or 720-985-6590

TRI-IT TRIVIA : Last month’s answer (no correct responders/cookie winners again!): Gail and Roger Matherly were both elite duathletes in the early 1990s. Stay tuned for a new trivia question next month.

Spring has arrived, and with it literal winds of change and energy. This month’s news comes a little later than usual, but the content is well worth the wait–many thanks to all who contributed!  We’re introducing a new nutrition spotlight, wherein our wonderfully knowledgeable Max Muscle nutritionists will be regularly addressing key questions and concerns as they relate to fueling for, and from, multisport. Additionally, Tressa Ferrell lends some adventurous spirit and pre-race season momentum in recounting Team 3 Tacos and a Corn Dogs’ Moab adventure race experience; Trent Mera invites everyone to walk a mile in his (minimalist)shoes; and other notes and tidbits highlight some of the talent and energy in our club.

Letter from the Prez

A couple of updates as race season begins to go into full swing.  We are very close to finalizing the club kit for 2010.  Although we are largely leaving the design alone from 2009, Pearl iZumi is adding a few touches for us.  Everyone will need to have their orders in by April 12^th.  This will give you a chance to place your order while at the same time coming to the club gathering at Full Cycle on April 12^th.  To start the year we will be ordering men and women’s tri-tops and tri-shorts and I think you will find the prices to be pretty darn good.  Let’s fill the shop up and get a jersey on everyone in the club!!

We also have the opportunity to man a BTC aid station at each race of the Boulder Tri Series.  It is a great chance to give back to members of the club who will be racing, and our participation will result in $1,500 being donated to the Boulder Community Hospital Foundation.  This is a great opportunity to have some fun with club members and also get your family involved.  Get your name to Sally or Jayme as those races are rapidly approaching.  One lucky volunteer will win a free entry to a 2011 race!!

Lastly I’d like to thank Dave and Artie for reliably organizing group rides and runs every week.  This can be a big responsibility and our weekly training wouldn’t happen without their effort.  We are always looking for a few people who can assist Dave and Artie in making sure these training events are well received, especially for new club members attending one for the first time.  If you can be available to lead or simply organize any one of the weekly training opportunities, Dave and Artie would sure appreciate the help.  I am also continuing to try to get some traction around Wed am swims at Flatirons Athletic Club.  If we can’t get the participation up we may discontinue them so if you are interested email me at andy@teambtc.org.

I hope to see a HUGE turnout at Full Cycle on April 12^th as the BTC Beat continues.

~Graz

PROPS!

Congrats, BTC! In the USAT Challenge overall category, BTC was able to collect the most miles in the Division III standings.  He’s graciously received many thanks already, but one more big round of applause to Mike Ellis for patiently and tirelessly logging in all those miles on behalf of all who participated!

NUTRITION SPOTLIGHT

Many thanks to our fabulous sponsor, Max Muscle, for taking time to answer and discuss key questions and concerns that confound athletes regarding nutrition. This will be a regular segment in our club newsletters! If you have nutritional thoughts or issues you’d like addressed, please e-mail them to mcmillan.w@gmail.com, or directly to Craig at c.david@maxmuscleboulder.com, and we will keep an ongoing compilation.

Q. There’s a lot of varying information out there concerning protein needs. Just how much does an endurance athlete need?

A. As we head into pre-season training, the questions arise: how much protein does the endurance athlete need?  How much protein do I need if I want to stay lean and not get “bulky?”  Protein needs vary based on each individual, volume of training, and type of training.  With that being said,  endurance athletes in training actually need more protein than  a typical “strength training” athlete would.  Let’s look at why…

Are you doing “2 a day” training sessions?  How many days off are you taking in a week?  How’s your sleep?  How are you fueling before a brick workout? You need to recover from multiple hours of training, right? Not just 3-4x/ week in the gym.  Think of it this way: every foot strike, revolution on the bike, stroke in the pool is a repetition; you’re contracting the muscle, doing multiple repetitions over a longer period of time.  Think about how many repetitions you do on a 5 mile run, 2500 meter pool workout: in short, a lot!  Much more than a person curling a few weights in the gym for 45 minutes!

Another concern that commonly arises is the uncertainty that women might get “bulky” from protein – this is completely un-true.  First, getting “bulky” depends on the mode of training (e.g. heavy weights at a low rep range with 48-72 hrs of rest).  Secondly, a female doesn’t have the level of hormones (testosterone) to bulk up; hence,  females have to work even harder to preserve lean mass (lean mass is our calorie burning furnace, allowing us to train).  This would indicate a need for slightly higher ratios of protein as well.  Ultimately, meeting protein needs, women are likely to get firmer and stronger.

Consider a 170 lb athlete training 12-15 hrs a week, one who needs to consume about 4000 calories.   Even on the low end, taking in 20% of calories from protein would yield 800 calories, or 200 grams of protein.  That’s about 33 grams spread out over 6 meals.  In the end, recovery is increased, soreness lessened, and  metabolism increased; moreover, this yields greater glycogen retention because of repair.

Everyone is different, and there is no “one size or formula” that fits every person and athlete.  Get educated and work on formulating a personal meal plan that fits your energy and recovery need before, during, and after training to optimize your results!

In health, Craig

Director, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition

Cert. Sports Nutritionist

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Here are a few results we know about. Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to all racers in:

Canyonlands Half Marathon: Bruce Wilson, 1:54:43; Vickie Stubbs, 2:04:45; Megan Phares, 1:55:48; Joni Kozdeba, 1:47:32; Kristin Knous,1:54:48;  Melissa Mosley, 1:49:35

Boulder Spring Marathon events: Half marathoners Julie Olsen, 1:34:38 (1st AG); Laura Rivera; 1:45:12 (1st AG) 10K:  Pam Sinel, 50:45

Showdown at Sundown Olympic triathlon: Leena Figall, 3:21:07

IM New Zealand: Jenny Arden, 12:27:04

Lake Havasu Triathlon: Mike Ricci, 1:09: 12 (6th overall, sprint); Steve Pyle, 2:08:25 (Olympic)

LA Marathon:  Debi Rose, 5:40:30 (1st marathon!); Randy Rose, 4:55:49

AXS Moab: Team 3 tacos and a corn dog (featuring Artie Sandman and Tressa Ferrell), 8:26

Luck to:

All the Haystack team and solo time trialists!

Las Palomas Triathlon: Diane DeRoia

National Duathlon Championships: Steve Pyle, Ann Remmers

Cherry Blossom 10-miler (DC): Megan Phares, Mary Nodine

…and all other racers in April events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

April

11- Platte River Half Marathon

12- Club meeting at Full Cycle, 6:30; guest speaker Gale Bernhardt at 7:15

13- Dash & Dine Tuesday 5K series starts, 6:30 pm at Coot Lake

15- BTC TT series starts! Stay tuned for specifics coming soon!

17- Haystack Mountain Time Trial, 16.5 mile loop

18- Blaster Blast Triathlon, Golden, CO

18- Horsetooth Half Marathon

24-25 National Duathlon Championships in Richmond, VA

25- Boulder Distance Carnival

26- Full Cycle Bike Repair Clinic for BTC. Look out for details forthcoming!

ADVENTURE LOG

Team 3 Tacos and a Corn Dog take on Moab Adventure Race by Tressa Ferrell

Moab Adventure Race March 27^th: the first race in the Extreme Adventure Series put on by GravityPlay

http://www.gravityplay.com/index.html

Sport Distance Adventure Race: covers ~50 miles;  Elite racers will finish in ~5-6 hours, most teams finish in 7-9 hours; 12 hour time limit. 3 tacos and a corn dog finished 8:26.

Team: Tressa Ferrell, Emily Morton, Renee Nowicki, Artie Sandman

Total Completion Time 8:26. Position 13/32 4 person teams. Splits in order of execution:
Paddle 1:18 – This time was really set by the Artie/Tressa boat, and we only made it the 7 miles or so down the river as fast as we did because of Artie’s experience with the crowds during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  He shoved his way through the crowd with me in tow and a 19 foot kayak between us.  We took off leaving our other two mates to sort their kayak out, which of course breaks the 100 yard rule.

Bike #1 2:45 – Once out of the water, now freezing, we attempted to pace line on our mountain bikes while riding the 3 miles to the trail head, where it was an all uphill climb. I think there might have been a total of 20 minutes downhill in that whole 2 hour, 45 minunte stretch. I was never so grateful for those intense anaerobic workouts we had under our belts in preparation for those hills.

Rappel /Run2:12 – Artie was the hero of our team on the Rappel. With only brief instructions on how to handle the ropes the week prior to the event, he was able to confidently walk over the edge of the 275’ cliff and drop down the face faster than anyone else on our team. We are still not sure if he had no clue that there is such a thing as brakes on ropes,  or if he watched too many movies, but he did mention that he would “look down” next time. Our run in the desert was slow following the rappel as we needed to cover ~6 sandy miles and climb back up to the point where the bikes were dropped.  Important lesson here: always take water and extra fuel when in the desert. You never know how long it is going to take you. Some of us started to bonk when we took longer than planned to get back to the bikes and fuel supplies.

Bike #2 2:11  - Upon reaching our bikes we ate our the PB and honey sandwiches which are NOT part of my ironman nutrition plan but a special add-in for adventure racing. They tasted like the best meal we ever had. Somehow Artie managed to lose his sandwich before the race even started, but we all shared whatever treats we had and the entire team was ready to log the ~17 or so miles back to the finish line.  This included climbing out of the canyon and miles of flats before we were able to really let it fly, rattling down the fire road that nearly killed us on the ascent.

A very important aspect to adventure racing is navigational skills. We received our coordinates on Friday night and plotted out the checkpoints where we needed to have our passports stamped. Thankfully, advanced navigation skills were not exactly required for this race, and we looked up cheat sheets on the internet to figure out how plot the UTM coordinates.  I would not bank on it being that easy next time.

Lessons Learned:

1. Your team does not actually have to train together to be effective.  Strengths and weaknesses come out pretty quickly under extreme physical pressure and stronger team mates adjust to accommodate the weaker teammate by pushing, pulling or just sharing water.  Your team is only as strong as its weakest link.
2. Bring a bungee cord to pull your weaker biker up hills or a slower runner along even if you don’t think you will need it. Plan for the unexpected. At the end of the day you have to cross the finish line together and throughout the race should be no further than 100 yards from each other.
3. It is really hard to paddle a kayak while drinking from a squeeze bottle.  Wearing a small camelback seemed to do the trick for some other racers, and we will adopt this for the next race. I might wear a helmet on the next kayak ride as well to protect myself from Artie’s paddle.  It seemed to find itself perilously close to my head many times making contact at least twice.
4. Endurance Racing Nutrition Plan, think somewhere between 70.3 and full ironman nutrition for an 8.5 hr Adventure race.  Be sure to carry extra salt tablets for any old timer on your team that hasn’t heard about the wonders provided in that little white capsules. I didn’t do this and really regretted it as I doled out the 8 I had on me amongst the other tacos to keep them from cramping. It wasn’t until the last third of the race that we found out Artie had a whole stockpile of those salt tablets and didn’t know our dilemma. Communication is key.
5. Adventure racing with a team is a ton of fun especially after all those long hrs spent training solo for triathlons. With the perspective of having fun, enjoy each others’ company in a competitive environment and finish a great adventure together, and this may well become your favorite race format.

P.S. we did find Artie’s sandwich after the race under the transition tub where our gear was stored. It tasted great.

Athlete Perspective: Minimalist Shoes by Trent Mera

Running injuries?  Consider minimalist or neutral shoes.

For years, my running caused an inflammation-type pain extending several inches above the medial malleolus (the knobby inner ankle joint bone).  I looked for shoes to fix the problem, but no modern shoe technology (triple density foam soles, plastic midfoot shanks, air or gel cushioning, memory foam sockliners, stabilizing heel-pockets, you name it) seemed to help.  Orthotic-type running insoles didn’t do much either.  So ultimately I settled on limiting my runs to every other day.  Then I heard about Vibram FiveFingers and it struck me that if complicated solutions hadn’t worked, maybe a simple one would, and running in VFFs indeed immediately fixed the problem

But this isn’t a review of Vibram FiveFingers. Rather it’s to advocate trying any minimalist or neutral footwear (e.g. any racing flat) if more complicated shoes haven’t eliminated your running injuries.  Other shoes of this type that I have used include the Inov-8 Roclite 312 GTX (a neutral trail-running shoe that I can attach traction spikes to for running icy trails), and Converse Chuck Taylors for just walking around.  But the brands aren’t important: the key change that all of these shoes have made to my running (and walking) is that they have stopped my tendency to heel-strike.  Or more precisely, they don’t actively encourage me to heel strike like shoes with thick heel cushioning can.

The obvious reason that thick heel cushioning can cause heel striking is that the heel of the shoe simply sticks out more.  Cushioning might also cause heel striking by masking the pain it would otherwise cause if you were unshod (try a heel-strike gait when barefoot – you’ll stop right away!), or by making the foot stomp through a squishy surface in order to find a firm running foundation.  Additionally, heel-striking might lead to lazy arches and overpronation by allowing the runner to habitually land with an untensed arch.  So all of the pronation control that modern running shoes trade on might just be solving problems that they themselves are causing.  (If you don’t think that a shoe can instantly change your running mechanics, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/user/njsportsmed#p/a/u/2/9itkEkcQ8WM.  And then try it for yourself.

Research has revealed the benefit of barefoot running (and all of this likely applies to the use of neutral or minimal shoes).  One of the more recent studies, “The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques” shows that shod running results in increased forces on joints compared to barefoot: http://www.pmrjournal.org/article/S1934-1482(09)01367-7/abstract.  One of the more prominent researchers in the area is a Harvard Evolutionary Biology professor, whose website (http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/) links to quite a bit of the research in the field.  He also has an interesting video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE.

So, in short,  consider that maybe your feet aren’t broken, and that 2 million years of hominid evolution has naturally equipped you with all you need to run.

ATHLETE PROFILE: Tom Kissinger

PARTING SHOT: Who’s the bees’ knees?

Send your best guess to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

RED LINE REMINDER: Just a heads up, the following memberships are expiring/just expired. Please renew quickly to continue taking advantage of all the great benefits of BTC!

Expiring in April:

• Maria Stadtler
• Klaus Stadtler
• Marty Stanton
• Molly McAllister
• Terri Menghini
• Paul Santagata

TRI-IT TRIVIA (should be an easy one!): Which married local duo were both elite duathletes in the early 1990s?

Last month’s answer (no correct responders/cookie winners): Javier Gomez ran 28:58 at an event in Plymouth NZ in 2008—thanks for sharing, Steve!

Letter from the Prez

We kicked off season training with our famous BTC 10+10 run.  Despite the weather about 25 athletes showed up and a great time was had by all.  I’d like to thank Amanda McCracken and Dave McMillan for coordinating the event, without whom there would have only been a 0+0 race!  I wanted to announce that we have finalized our key sponsors for 2010 with our newest sponsor being Full Cycle!  After the unfortunate closure of Adrenaline Tri-Sport we have been in search of a sponsor who could measure up to Gail and Roger, and that’s not easy.  For a while we were considering Colorado Multi-sport but in the end felt that Full Cycle would be a better fit for our club.  Our April 12^th Club Gathering will be hosted at their shop so come out and meet Tanja, Kaj and Chuck from Full Cycle who will be great partners for us.  In addition to discounts on bikes and merchandise BTC members get great discounts on service as well.  Stop by soon and let them know you are a BTC member…I hope you will find them a great addition to our other Platinum sponsors.  Check out all the details about our sponsors at www.teambtc.org.

Our March Club Gathering will be held at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine next Monday, March 8th, offering another chance to learn more sports science from Neal Henderson.  Come on out and refine your training plan for the season as you listen to expert advice from Neal.

~Graz

UPDATE: 10 + 10 Run

This year, the BTC pulled off its own version of the Muddy Buddy in the 10 + 10 Run. Thanks to everyone who organized, volunteered, and embraced the slippery, sloppy trails, the event was a lot of fun. Here are just a few snapshots from the muddy morning.

Props to coordinator Amanda for pulling it all together!

Many thanks to Max Muscle for providing welcome refreshment!

The calves say it all. Eagle Trail especially may as well have been a pigpen!

COACH’S CORNER

Creating Baseline Tests for the Triathlon Season by D3 Coach Mike Ricci

When I start to get cabin fever in the winter I think of warm weather, blue skies, the smell of sun block, and freedom from indoor bicycle trainer rides. With race season still a few months away, and with a recent return to serious training, now would be a good time to set some training benchmarks for 2010. Establishing benchmarks allows you to see progress, evaluate plateaus and even set a baseline for next winter.

Swimming

I like to see athletes test in the pool weekly, rotating the test below every week four weeks. All tests should include 200-600 yd warm up and then 8×50 at desired test pace with 20 seconds rest. For example if you want to swim 1:30 pace for your test, your 50s should be done around 45 seconds. For a cool down I would recommend at least 200 yards of easy swimming.
Main Set #1:
8×100 on 1:00 rest. A short set like this lets you go gang busters and helps you understand pacing. The idea is to keep the 100 times within a second of each other without slowing down as the set progresses. Over time you should see your average for the 100s get faster.
Main Set #2:
4×500 on 20 seconds rest. Try to descend (make each one faster) each 500. The pace of your last 500 is likely to be your Ironman pace when rested, tapered and wearing a wetsuit.
Main Set #3:
8×200 on 10 seconds rest. Add up the total time on the 200s and this should be reasonably close to your 1500m time for an Olympic Distance Triathlon.
Main Set #4:
A long time trial (TT); be it 1,000; 1,500; 2,000; or even longer. This long time trials are mentally tough and provide a realistic look into how fast you can swim. There is nothing like a reality check!
Results:
Once you have done these tests you have a pretty good idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. If you can drill the 100s in Main Set #1 at 1:15 pace, but you fall off to 1:35 pace on the 200s, you know that endurance may be a limiter. If you can hold 1:35 pace in both the 200s and the 500s but can?t muster anything faster than 1:29 pace on the 100s, then you know you are lacking speed. If you fall apart on the 1,000 TT then it could be lack of endurance or even lack of mental toughness. Either way, you?ll know your limiter after doing all four tests and you?ll know what you need to work on.

Cycling

Preferably using a power meter or a Compu Trainer, but a Heart Rate Monitor could be substituted: Warm up for at least 15 minutes and then throw in a few near-max effort sprints to get the heart rate up and ready for the test. Your cool down should be at least ten minutes of easy spinning with high RPMS.
Test #1:
10 mile Time Trial. The test results can be best utilized over a period of time if you can repeat the conditions month after month, and this is the reason I like to use the trainer or a 10 mile flat course on the Compu Trainer. The test can be done outside, but its best if it can be done clear of traffic, stop lights, stop signs and hills.
Test #2:
2×6 miles all out ? with a 2 minute mental recovery in between. Same protocol as above.
Results:
Both of these tests are tough, although the 2x 6 mile may be slightly easier with the short break in between. What I like about Test #2 is that if you take it out too hard on the first 6 miles, you can re-adjust on the seconds 6 miles and you?ll be able to reign in your enthusiasm. With Test #1, the test is mentally longer but you could find yourself blown to bits after ten minutes. Both tests are good for benchmarking fitness and I often have my athletes alternate the tests from month to month. You can use average heart rate over the course of the tests to determine lactate threshold or a power meter to determine average power at threshold. Once you have these numbers you can plug the numbers into a reliable formula to determine training zones going forward.

Running:

Running tests can be done as an open 5k or 10k, a tempo run around a favorite course, or it can even be completed on a treadmill. The warm up for any running event should be at least ten to fifteen minutes of running and then a few fast pick ups of fifteen to thirty seconds with full recovery in between. Cool down should consist of at least ten minutes of very easy running and some stretching.
Test #1:
5k or 10k Race ? the toughest part of these tests are staying within yourself the first mile or two. Learning to pick up the pace as the race gets longer is an art and it takes experience. Try to run the race as a negative split, or in other words, run the second half of the race faster than the first.
Test #2:
Another option would be to find a local course or loop that you could run as your ?testing ground?. Same as the 5k or 10k: take the pace out easy and try to negative split the run.
Test #3:
Although treadmills get a bad rap, they are great for hill running and for testing. Setting out to run a 5k or10k on the treadmill is a great way to test baseline fitness. The test is easily repeatable and you won?t have any variables such as heat or wind disrupting your performance.
Results:
Like the cycling tests, you can use your average heart rate over the duration of these tests to determine training zones. If you decide to use a 5k race as your benchmark or anything less than 30 minutes, you should probably use 95% of the average heart rate for your LT as its easy to drive your heart rate up knowing you only have to suffer for a short period of time.

Weights:
Using a max strength test is a great way each season to see if your strength is improving. Knowing that you can leg press 2.5 times your body weight this season versus 2.3 times your body weight last season can be a boost to your confidence. Other max strength tests that can be done are squats, seated rows, and step-ups.

Keep track of your testing so you can compare from month to month and year to year. These tests can be used all season long to determine current fitness levels and will help you race mentally tougher in 2007. Good luck!

For more articles like this one, please visit the D3 website at www.D3multisport.com.

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Here are a few results we know about. Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to:

Austin marathoner Todd Landin, Boston qualified in 3:15:40!

CU Frozen Foot 5K runners braving the cold and snowy morning: Amanda McCracken, 21:27; Tressa Ferrell, 26:37; Jay Lochhead, 22:46; Artie Sandman, 26:38

Tuacahn Duathletes:  Andy Graziano, 1:56:19 (1st age group!);  Gail Matherly, 1:46:01 (1st overall female!)

Red Hot 50, 55K Moab Trail Runner Doug Wendel: 7:58:28

Surf City half marathoners: Vickie Stubbs, 1:58:44 (PR!); Bruce Wilson, 1:49:04 (7th age group!)

…and everyone I may have missed!

Luck To everyone racing:

Canyonlands Half Marathon: Bruce Wilson, Vickie Stubbs, Megan Phares, Joni Kozdeba, Kristin Knous, Melissa Mosley

Boulder Spring Marathon events: Laura Rivera (1/2 marathon), Pam Sinel (10K)

Showdown at Sundown half-iron distance triathlon in Henderson, NV: Leena Figall, Jay Lochhead

IM New Zealand: Jenny Arden

…and all other racers in March events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

March

6- Frostbite TT, Fort Collins; register online at http://www.truesport.com/register/events/flyer.asp?ID=1183 by March 4th

6- Tubbs Romp to Stomp 3K snowshoe, Frisco

7- Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Championships – 5K/10K – McCoy Park – Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado

8-BTC meeting at Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, 6:30 pm!

13- A Run Through Time – marathon/half marathon – Salida, Colorado

14- Boulder Spring half marathon, 10 mile, 10K at Boulder Res; register at http://www.bouldermarathon.com/6.html

20- Canyonlands half marathon, Moab, UT

20- The Better Half Marathon – Gateway Canyon Resort – Gateway, Colorado

20- Spring Spree 10K – Platte River Bar & Grill – Littleton, Colorado

20- Steamboat Pentathlon – (400′ Downhill Ski/3M Snowshoe/4M XC Ski/12M Mtb/5M Run)

Look ahead:

Saturday, April 10th: Big Ring Cycles Womens Cycling Team Fundraiser

Time: 5-9 pm

Location: Big Ring Cycles in Golden, CO

This is a Silent Auction and Product Raffle to benefit World Bicycle Relief, Wish for Wheels and the Big Ring Cycles Womens Cycling Team. Food and Beverages will be provided. Raffle tickets will be available at Big Ring Cycles and from members of the Big Ring Cycles Womens Team beginning March 1st. $10 per ticket for the raffle. For more info,  go to http://www.bigringcycles.com/blog/store-events/brc-womens-team-fundraiser

ATHLETE UPDATE:  Red Hot 50, 55 K Moab Trail Run by Doug Wendel

It’s not every day that one ventures into the 50K+ category and I didn’t know what to expect. But it sounded exciting! Well okay, to be completely honest, I was drunk at a bar and signed up under the influence of peer pressure. But I digress. Never before had I considered taking on a 55K, but I’m young, have great stamina, and dare I say a pretty wild sense of adventure. Knowing these things, and feeling the effects of three 9.8% ABV beers, I sent in my credit card information and hoped I hadn’t just made a giant mistake.

I think I was in denial in the time between sign-up and race day. I ran no more than once per week, and that one run happened because I was coaching on Thursday nights and couldn’t avoid it. The only long run I did was almost a month before at 17 miles and then I got sick for 3 weeks and didn’t run at all. I should have been nervous but I felt almost no anxiety surrounding this event. An “off the couch” ultra? My coach would kill me. My only goals were to avoid injury, have fun, and hopefully finish the race.

The run started at Gemini Bridges. It was cold and snowy though the road proved to be gentler than its appearance would suggest. Up it went before finally leveling off for a few miles… and then shooting straight up to the top of the mesa. I can only imagine what the first participants went through in breaking trail (amazingly, the first runner still finished in just over 4 hours). Snow definitely made things a bit difficult as there wasn’t much solid surface to run on. My Nike Free shoes are also not exactly waterproof, so my feet
were wet pretty much the entire run. Surprisingly, this also wasn’t much of a factor and my feet were quite comfortable for the duration.

The trail split pretty early on, and the 55K runners did a lollipop departure from the main road. Most of the loop was covered in snow once again, but we had a good time “skiing” ourselves down and slipping up the hills. Once back to the main dirt road (read: mud), the trail picks up on a various 4-wheel drive slickrock trails, mountain biking routes, steam beds, and various other terrain. Every now and again I had to remind myself to look around and enjoy the views. I’d never seen Arches national park covered in snow – stunning! I also had to look around because at times the trail wasn’t all that clearly marked. I heard the same thing from a few other runners, and I’m pretty sure we all went slightly off course several times before discovering where to go.

I was nearing the 1/2 way point and feeling pretty awesome! It seemed nothing could go wrong with my day… until miles 16 and 20. All I can do is apologize to the trail for leaving an unwanted “deposit”. My stomach must have been giddy with all the excitement (or full of Gu) and simply couldn’t contain itself.

Anyway.

Somewhere around mile 17, my friend Gaby and I parted ways. We’d been running together, taking lots of photos, doing hand-stands, and goofing around to pass the time. Mostly it was a tactic to distract ourselves from the thought of the many miles ahead. I definitely missed her company though I met some other fun people along the 2nd
half to chat with. I felt  I was finally making good progress when I hit aid station 4 (of 5). It was located at the top of one of the mesas and the only way to get supplies up is via a 4×4 vehicle. Unfortunately there was only ONE vehicle that went up and brought very
limited water and munchies. I had re-filled my water at the previous aid station but was out and already thirsty by the time I arrived. Unfortunately, they ran out of water right when I got there and I was only able to get about 4 oz. of additional fluid. Not good! Plus there were still quite a few runners out on the course. To top it off, the next aid station was some 9 or 10 miles away on a difficult course. Sweet!

The section between aid stations 4 and 5 was challenging because I was finally starting to feel the miles and was certainly feeling the effects of dehydration. It was probably the most fun section of the course, though. So many amazing vistas, fun trail running, and
finally some drier sections to enjoy.

When I finally reached aid station 5 I was pretty dehydrated. I was dismayed to see there was nothing out on the table except gels. I didn’t really want another gel with only 2.5 miles to go. All I wanted was water! Or a beer. But mostly water. They did have some fluids it turned out; however they were rationing it as much as possible. I was lucky two mountain bikers happened to swing by at exactly that moment. They topped me off and that was enough to get me through to the end.

Despite the issues with aid stations, the challenging trail conditions, and a few GI problems, I would have to say the day was a huge success. Yes, I was very slow – right around 8 hours! However it’s all about having fun… EIGHT hours of fun (my number is
303-641-5442). Even after 50+ I felt strong. A little sore maybe, but I definitely could have gone longer. I think the wildly varying terrain and elevation profile was actually a hidden benefit as I really didn’t feel sore at the end or the next day. It was so variable
that no one part of my body took the punishment that I usually feel on long road runs. I’d definitely do it again and would recommend it highly as a great first ultra-distance run.

Thanks RH50 a happy ending! Looking forward to our next encounter. I’ll bring the water.

Winter Escape: Cozumel Tri-Training Camp by adventure girl Lauren Greenfield

I slathered my bare legs in sunscreen.  They told all. Dry.  Pale. “Winter legs.” Smooth, but only due to exposure of chlorine exposure and using public showers at the pool.

Breakfast started at 7:00, and I was excited to meet everyone from around the world, including Ironman finishers and first time Iron-athletes to be. Usually not much of a breakfast eater, I indulged in my favorite Mexican breakfast – chilequiles – definitely NOT a before-brick norm for me, but how could I resist the amazing and authentic Mexican breakfast buffet. Race day?  Stick with the known.  Training camp?  Indulge.  Mexican buffet breakfast? Go for it!

I smiled when Jorge brought over the bike that his girlfriend had generously offered to loan me for my quick visit.  It was red, white and black. The old fashioned kind, with silver pedals.  As I have been known to say on many occasions, it’s not about the equipment, but the power of the engine.  I tucked the laces of my sneakers into my shoes so they wouldn’t get caught in the chain (;-)), adjusted the helmet and was ready to ride the island of Cozumel!  Flat. Windy. Scents of sea… Ah . . . .

For a couple of the women, it was a first.  Longest distance on the road bike ever.  For one, Mexico’s National Ironman Champion, it was just a simple warm up.  For me? A vacation.  One in which I could indulge in my favorite pleasures of riding, running, swimming, and eating yummy Mexican food while meeting new triathlete friends from around the world.

At mile 40 –loosely translated from approximately 60K – our transition was fully stocked with bottled water, Gatorade and snacks.  A flat and fast three mile run would conclude the workout segment of the day before relaxing with Yoga for triathletes and down time at the pool for the afternoon, just in time to refuel at another buffet dinner for day two of activities and adventures with the Tri training group.

While many of my friends think that intense bike rides, running and swimming is anything BUT a vacation, I beg to differ.  This vacation allowed me to do what I truly love doing the most, with people who share similar interests, without having to do dishes, laundry, or even think about what might be for dinner. And I got to eat all of the Mexican food that I wanted – along with a marg!

Can’t wait to see how my new friends are doing with their training at October camp.  And just as a side note, it’s FREE to fly a bike to Mexico.  Stay in the US and they’ll get you for $50-$200 each way for your bike.  But that’s a whole ‘nother article – for next time!

For more information about my camp experience or upcoming camps, check out their website. http://www.trixperience.com/

ATHLETE PROFILE: Charles Garabedian

Charles, intently focused on "training".

• Years competing in tris: I did my first race in 1993 and took a six year break in 2002. 2009 was my first year back racing triathlons.
• Worst tri mishap: Crashed twice on the bike leg of the 2001 National Championships (hit a traffic cone and transition dismount) – made for an unpleasant 10k Run.
• Worst tri mistake: Attempted to wear a wetsuit exceeding the weight limit by 30lbs.
• Top tri tip:  1. Train.  It’s really not about dimpled wheels… 2. Weekly eat large quantities of seven layer bars throughout the season.
• Favorite sporting accomplishment:  Qualifying for Team USA. Since 1996 I had chased this dream & in 2001 I received the last slot to compete in the World Championship in Edmonton.
• Goals for next season so far:  1) Top ten @ USAT National in Alabama 2)Top five in Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Championships (I’ve been training all year)
• Favorite pre-race food:  Call me a traditionalist: Spaghetti & Meatballs.
• Favorite post-race replenishment:  Usually an IV, or a double double animal style.
• Something people may not know about you:  Scored a perfect 1600 on my SAT exam. I like long walks on the beach and speak 8 different languages.

Warm Welcome: to another cute, new athlete!

Congratulations to Mike and Melanie Ricci on the birth of their son, Brady Michael Ricci!

Brady with big sister, Hope

PARTING SHOT: Whose the handy BTCer?

a)Andy Graziano

b) Jeff Kinsey

c) Tom Kissinger

Be the first to raise your hand with the correct answer. Send your best guess to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

RED LINE REMINDER: Just a heads up, the following memberships are expiring/just expired. Please renew quickly to continue taking advantage of all the great benefits of BTC!

Expiring in March:

• Rocky Riviera
• Mark Kema
• Gabriel Reyes
• Megan Daughtry
• Michelle Grocost
• Jennifer Viola
• Steve Brown

TRI-IT TRIVIA (question courtesy of Steve Pyle, who happens to be the answer to last month’s trivia q): What is the fastest ever 10k split in an ITU event?

Last month’s first correct responders and cookie winners: Mike Ellis (partial shot) and Jeff Kinsey (trivia)

Letter from the Prez

Well, we got the season off to a great start with a terrific club gathering at Max Muscle in Boulder. We had at least 50 people in attendance, heard from a couple of our key sponsors, and reviewed the 2010 calendar. It was a great meeting – a big thank you to Max Muscle for providing food and drink and a great time. One key message I sent to the club was the importance around supporting our sponsors. Our sponsors provide so much for the club and it is critical that club members do their best to take advantage of the services and the discounts they offer. I wanted to give you a quick list of our sponsors and ask you to utilize them as much as possible. Be sure to tell them you are a BTC member when shopping at these establishments!

• Max Muscle – nutritional supplements, energy drinks and nutrition plans
• D3 Multisport – triathlon coaching
• Blue Competition Cycles – tri bikes, road bikes and more
• Boulder Center for Sports Medicine – bike fits, gait analysis, fitness testing and more
• Flatirons Athletic Club – corporate discount for BTC members
• Caledonia Wealth Management – financial planning
• Tri-Massage – sports massage
• Body N Balance – sports massage
• Boulder Running Company – athletic shoes, running gear and more
• Fleet Feet – joint training, running shoes, wetsuits and other tri gear
• Vision Source! – finest, highest quality, affordable eye care

Jeff Kinsey and I continue to work to finalize agreements with a couple of additional sponsors and I hope to be able to announce those shortly. Over the past couple of months I have been doing a lot of thinking about the Boulder Triathlon Club and what we mean to the triathlon community in Boulder. I am convinced that the BTC needs to remain and enhance its role as the fabric of triathlon here. After all, the membership of the club represents highly trained and competitive athletes, certified coaches, experienced age groupers (like me!), beginner triathletes, those considering becoming a triathlete, and leaders of organizations that promote and enhance triathlon. No other organization in Boulder can make that claim and I believe that is where the BTC shines. Keep doing what you can to invite new people into our organization because every triathlete can benefit from what the BTC offers. Keep your eye on the BTC calendar as we will start to kick off some of our planned events in February. Also, I hope to see more of you at our next club gathering on Feb 8^th.The meeting will be held at the East Boulder Rec Senior Center and will feature Mike Ricci from D3 Multisport.

Keep up the Beat BTCers,

~Graz

FEATURE

Solo and group? by Burke Fishburn

‘OK, now what?’ my wife asks when I return sweaty, exhausted, eyes glazed from a long solo run or bike ride.  I have made several major life-changing decisions on these journeys. Decided to get married. Decided to move to Vietnam. Decided to ditch a comfortable 20-year career for utter uncertainty. Moved back to Colorado after 37 years away. I have also meditated on moving the couch and whether Rogaine could be a business expense. Most of my solo adventures are not about getting faster or because I’m antisocial, but to get the neurons firing.

But I have experienced the benefits of group training. Group training got me back into triathlon after a 17-year hiatus. Living in Manila, Philippines, working 12-hour days, traveling globally one-third of the year, I desperately needed the support and friendship of committed triathletes. You could set your watch by the PoloTri’s schedule: Monday rest or recovery ride, Tuesday run intervals, Wednesday swim, Thursday tempo ride, Friday tempo run, Saturday long bike and Sunday long run, all at 5:30am. We were expected to show up at the trainings and compete in the local and regional races or suffer the displeasure of PoloTri’s founding fathers, who managed the club with an IronFist.  Training with them was fun. I made good friends, I got fit fast and it made my job and living in Manila bearable.

A few recent studies back this up. For example, the University of Oxford’s Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology studied their rowing team and found that the rowers’ pain threshold—measured by endorphin levels in the brain—was steadily twice as high after exercising in a group than after exercising alone even with the same intensity. Researchers suspected that shared goals, like winning and endeavoring to row together in synch pushed that endorphin button.  And a 2007 Ohio State University study reported that group exercise programs improved the physical and psychological well being of women being treated for early-stage breast cancer.

Should we all be training with groups all the time? Probably not.  Based on the experience of local amateurs, coaches and pros, the benefits of group training are not so clear, and may be counterproductive or at least inconvenient.

Lauren Greenfield, a former Wild Oats team Cat 3 cyclist, trains solo out of necessity and choice. She mostly bikes and runs alone because of her work and family schedule, working in her commute as bike training.  Greenfield likes the idea of group runs, but finds the typical pace intimidating.  Greenfield does join Masters swim at Longmont Recreation. “I couldn’t swim across the pool when I first started doing triathlons,” Greenfield says, “so I knew I had to get some help.” She also got coaching help from Craig Howie for her 2008 Ironman Arizona debut, and also completed the 2009 Ironman New Zealand. “I can see doing more group stuff as I get into hardcore training, but I am still not sure what I will do in 2010.”

Peer pressure can be a good thing. It got Boulder native Megan Phares into triathlon. Friends and friends of friends were triathletes and gently pressured her to join their fanaticism.  Megan, who grew up playing team sports in high school and college, made the multisport leap from running with FastForward Sports. “I am looking to improve my bike through more groups ride, but I’ve given up on my swim.”  She admits she is a terrible swimmer, but loves the camaraderie of the Boulder Stroke & Stride series. Despite her love of the social side of sport, the majority of her training is solo due to her schedule.  Phares says she has a hard time finding other BTC members who run at her pace with.  “I have quite a few friends who run at my pace, but they are not in the club.” Phares does plan to improve her running through more group training this summer.

For some triathletes, going solo helps focus their dedication, determination and discipline. Stephanie Murphy, a former elite level gymnast, admits an antisocial mind-set when it comes to training.  Priority on her family means training (and work) gets squeezed into tight schedule. Murphy is a Berthoud resident and has limited options for group training. Regardless, she does not like the pressure of group sessions, preferring hours on her CompuTrainer and intense solo track workouts. She does have help. She follows Joe Friel’s The Triathlete’s Training Bible and swims with Scott O’Brien at Longmont Masters. Is it working? Murphy has placed in the top five in just about everything she has raced. In 2009 she qualified for USAT Olympic Nationals and ITU Sprint World Championship. In 2010 she is focused on the HalfMax National Championships in 2010 with hopes of going to the ITU Long Course World Championship in 2011.

If you are serious about the sport, D3 Multisport’s Mike Ricci says you have to ask: What is the ultimate goal? What is the level of the athlete? And perhaps most importantly, is there a coaching component? Groups can provide motivation, but without correct technique, proper pacing and plan, it is just social time.  Ricci says a good example of this is Master’s swimming programs, where many people struggle to maintain the lane pace and lose all technique and don’t get proper coaching.  “The swim is about form, form, form. Not everyone can swim like Phelps because they don’t have the physiology so [coaches can help you] adapt techniques.”

It’s all about executing a specified training plan and learning to swim, ride and run at an appropriate pace.” Ricci insists, often tripling his emphasis. “In our American, Type-A culture, triathletes have a tendency to push, push, push.  I want to get better, get faster and so I do more, more, more and do it harder, harder, harder.” Ricci says that many amateurs begin to breakdown instead of getting stronger or faster. In any given training there should be no more than three hard workouts, such as one hard swim, one hard bike, and one hard run.  Doing every workout with a group can result in too many hard sessions that will ultimately break you down or result in injury.

Ricci says that the structure of group training has its benefits and can be a good entry point for the sport. For example, biking in a group is easier than on your own. You can learn a lot: learn to corner, descend, get other good tips, and learn to fix a flat.

“There is a time and place for solo and group training and you need to integrate both into your approach,” says pro triathlete Joanna Zeiger. There is hardly a Boulder triathlete who has not seen Zeiger out on solo runs or solo rides on her pink Guru.  But group training figures in her mix as well.  She came from a competitive swim background and still craves the same organized structure of swim sessions, which Dave Scott is happy to provide.  “Learning proper swim technique on your own is hard, so having a coach on-deck really helps.” Zeiger mixes it up on the bike, doing intervals and intense rides with men and long rides on her own.  For the run she does track and pace sessions with a loose group of training buddies who share similar goals and attitudes, and long runs on her own.  Zeiger has coached a lot of women, “Who tend to wind it up with the boys all the time and end up overtraining.”  Her advice is that most women should limit group efforts and not turn every workout into a race.  “In my younger days it was a sin to get dropped, but I am smarter now.”

Lessons learned. The choice to train with a group or solo—with a focus on improving performance—is not mutually exclusive but getting the mix right. Here are few suggestions:

Swim.  Masters swimming can be boon or bane, especially in uber-Boulder.   Without proper technique you may struggle to keep the lane pace, reinforcing bad habits and getting discouraged.  Beginners should consider some one-on-one coaching, training alone for a while then consulting with the Masters coach on proper lane assignment before jumping in. Need some time for drills and to work on technique? Go solo.

Bike. Conventional [roadie] wisdom says triathletes are hapless, unskilled cyclists. Ride with roadies, on a road bike if you can, and learn peloton skills, but be prepared to be dropped and do not take it personally. Develop a thick skin. Once you learn the proper handling spend some quality time out on your own. Unless you are almost exclusively focused on UCI draft-legal races, the benefits of always riding with a group will be limited. Most triathlon races are non-drafting, so learn to ride aero and on your own.

Run. Know thyself. Invest in a speed/distance heart rate monitor. Keep to your pace, nail-down your heart race zones, know your threshold. Long-distance running legend Haile Gebrselassie is famous for his three sets of training partners precisely calibrated for his “slow” recovery runs, tempo-pace, and fast runs. Consider the same approach. Just don’t tell your running partner that he is your “slow pace” buddy. When it is time to go fast, go fast. And when it’s time to go slow, GO SLOW. Save it for race day.

Shared goals. Seek out training partners with similar goals, training philosophies and plans, schedules and pace. Many BTC members will race the Boulder series (Sprint, Peak and new Ironman 70.3).

In the end, going group or solo is about what motivates you and makes you fall in love with the sport every day. Use the best of both worlds. Use group training to get started and learn technique and gain knowledge, but also do a significant portion of training on your own.

As a BTC Member you will be able to take advantage of many opportunities.  Whether for training gains or meeting your new training partner or life partner, take advantage of the ramped-up events in 2010.  Or forget the training and have a few drinks with BTCers at the next party. Like me, you can still sneak in that life-changing solo run the next day.

Need some help with your training, group or solo? Following is just a sample of group training as well as coaching options for the Boulder County-based triathlete:

BTC Sponsors

• Mike Ricci and D3 Multisport team offer discounted one-on-one coaching services, group training, and the training plans as well as Tuesday night run interval training starting late Spring, free to BTC members. D3 USAT-certified coach and Body Balance massage therapist, Amanda McCracken, also offers female beginner triathletes
• Flatiron Athletic Club.  BTC members get a discounted rate and free access to the following:  Masters swim classes with such as Dave Scott and Wolfgang Diettrich, and Boulder Aquatic Masters (BAM) mama, Jane Scott; Spinning classes and Winter-season indoor trainer bike sessions with Simon Lessing; Runner’s conditioning with Colleen and Darren DeReuck.

Boulder Recreation

• North Boulder Recreation Center,  25 yd pool BAM swimming
• East Boulder Community Center 25 yd pool, BAM swimming, indoor cycling
• South Boulder Community Center, 25 yd pool, BAM swiiming
• Scotty Carpenter pool (outdoor 50 m) and Spruce Pool (outdoor 25 yd), summer BAM swimming

Longmont Recreation

• Centennial 25 yd pool, triathlon training programs, indoor cycling
• Longmont Recreation pool, 25 yd, Longmont Masters

COACH’S CORNER

Winter Training and Maximizing Time by Coach Eric Kenney

We all have different ideas on winter training. For some it is a vital time of year, laying the foundation for a big race mid-summer, or tuning speed for early season duathlons.  For some, winter will be a success if they gain less than 10 pounds. Whatever your motivations for this winter, balancing a structured plan with a good dose of spontaneity will get you in the best form ever, physically and mentally.

Outlook: If you live in the northeast or anywhere typically snowy, and you’re not a pro, you simply can’t train as much in the winter. With darkness coming around 4:30pm, frigid morning temps and icy roads render some workouts impossible. Let’s not even begin to get into jobs, girlfriends, kids, wives, the Bronco’s game schedule, etc…

So, once  we’re at peace with the fact that we simply can’t put in as much time as we may want, we can focus on what to do with the time we have.

Getting started: Find a routine. With cold temps, warm beds, and stale indoor air, it is easy to get “off track”. Try to find some kind of routine. This could be 1 workout or rendezvous with a friend per week ( ie. “every Wednesday morning john and I run together, no matter what.”  “Thursday night I do the spinning class at my gym.”)  Even with only one appointment per week with your body, you can maintain your fitness. Find something that works with your schedule so it will be easy to keep this commitment and not get side-tracked. This can work for you in a great way if your one workout focuses on your weakness. I have known athletes to turn their swim from 5 minutes down to 1 minute up, over the course of the winter!

The bike: Time constraints really hit hard when trying to work on your bike, especially if you are training for an early season half or full Ironman.  First thing to do is invest in the proper warm clothes: water/wind proof booties and gloves; warm tights; thermal cycling jacket; hat or helmet cover.  Investing in proper cycling winter gear will make your cold rides more enjoyable, more effective, and maybe a bit longer. One trick for the cold feet is to use shoes 1 size too big and put in two insoles. And don’t jam your feet in there with too many socks. You’ll restrict circulation and have lumps for wood in place of feet in less than an hour.

The trainer can be your worst enemy and your best ally all at once. If you are going to improve your riding, regular visits to the trainer will be a must but they don’t have to be torture. Here are a few tips to add appeal:

-Don’t do the same thing day in, day out. Mix up trainer workouts and the amount of time you spend on them. Try something new once every 2 weeks or so,  like watching football with your buddies 3- 4 hours with big gear climbs every commercial, sprints every field goal, and hard tempo every time your team is on offense would make even Mark Allan slump over the handle bars by the final 2 minute drill.

-Keep your mind busy. When your not with your friends watch tv, listen to the radio, etc…

- Stay focused. I have just given you ways to distract yourself from your work, but the best way I find to make time fly is to have specific workout and stick to it, to the second. Warm up, cool down, some 10 minute strength intervals, rest intervals. You’ll find that riding for less than an hour becomes pretty difficult.

Take care: It’s important that you take care of both your body and your equipment with the same care as you would in the summer months. Proper nutrition and stretching is vital to staying healthy and on the upward path. Care for your bike and trainer is also a must. Just because you’re not out in the rain and dirt doesn’t mean you can just get off your bike and be done with it. Salt will build up on your bike and trainer and will destroy both if you don’t clean them. They will surely fail you when you need them most.

Work outs:

1. Low RPM tempo: One of my favorites!

3×8-10’ (4’ rest) interval is done at 50-60 rpm’s in Z3.

This 30’ of work will give you the muscle fatigue of 90 minutes or more of tempo (Z3) riding at a normal cadence.  This will boast the intensity of your workout, giving you better endurance adaptations; it will strengthen your riding muscles while keeping an “endurance” focus on the training session. This workout will have you resisting fatigue better than ever with less time on the trainer!

Technique work is something that can be and should be incorporated into every workout on the trainer. A clean efficient pedal stroke is something that every triathlete and cyclist can reap huge benefits from, more so than most realize.

2. One leg pedaling:   30 sec. each leg x3.  Pedal with one leg. focusing on pushing the pedal all the way around the circle. Keep pressure light and body still.

*incorporate this into your warm-up and cool-down every time you ride the trainer.

3. Fast Pedals: Great for technique and neurological function/ durability.  Pedal in an easy gear with your cadence 10+ beats higher than you normally ride.  Relax and try to keep your PE and HR low, in Z2.   This will raise your HR and your excretion level a bit but the better your adaptation become the faster you will be able to pedal and easier it will get.  This adaptation will leave your leg felling fresher after the bike and have you ready to run, fast!

Check out more articles and programs at   http://ekendurancecoaching.com

RACING

Congratulations to everyone as always on great performances and sporting accomplishments! Please send me your PRs and achievements…or, boast on behalf of your modest and amazing friends!

Congrats to Phoenix marathon, half marathon, and 50K runners: Marathoners Dave McMillan 2:57, Artie Sandman 3:11, Wendy McMillan 3:15, Denise Farley 3:22; Half marathoners Derek Cicchitto 1:26, Jay Lochhead 1:34, Anne McDonough 1:59; Barry Siff 4:15 for 50K.

All the Oatmeal Quicker Quaker 5K runners–nice BTC turnout!

Ann Remmers, 10th division in 1:08 at Chilly Cheeks, and any other duathletes!

Luck To:

Todd Landin in first straight-up marathon, Austin Feb 14^th

Doug Wendel, Red Hot 50, 55K trail run in Moab, Feb 13^th

All the CU Frozen Foot 5K runners!

…and all other racers in February events!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Upcoming Events

February

3- Eldora Nighthawks series continues on Wednesdays (3rd, 17th, 24th)!

8- BTC Club Meeting, East Boulder Recreation Senior Center, 6:30 pm. Features Mike Ricci, D3 Multisport.

13- Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon

13- Sweetheart Classic 4 Miler, Loveland: looks like a very fun couples race! Results based on cumulative times.

14- Screamin’ Snowman Snowshoe Race, 5K, 10K, Eldora

14- Valentine’s Day 5K Washington Park, Denver

19- ABCDEFG Haiti: Fundraiser led by Mike Ellis. Elks Lodge, 3975 28th St. in Boulder. The event, titled ABCDEFG Haiti, will run from 7 p.m. to midnight and feature performers including Chris Daniels,  Ayo Awosika, Jaden, Megan Burtt, Rob Drabkin, Kyle James Hauser, and other special guests. The Mardi Gras-themed event will be hosted by Rockin’ Robin Abb, organizer of Niwot’s Rhythm on the Rails. Attendees will enjoy gourmet food, cash bar, dancing, silent auction, costume contest and more. Tickets cost $25. All proceeds will be given to the American Red Cross for its Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

20- Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series # 3, Cherry Creek State Park

20- Pedal Power Winter Triathlon, Leadville

21- CU Frozen Foot 5K Click to register online now for this fun local race guaranteed to have an awesome turnout!

27- BTC 10+10 run; details forthcoming!

ATHLETE UPDATE

Photo from Hardwater race website...not of Lauren! : )

Hardwater Snowshoe Adventure by Lauren Greenfield

Once we enter the world of endurance sports, living in Boulder County, it is not uncommon for our perspective on things and distances to become . . . well, a bit warped.  So I thought in telling a several friends I was going to embark on a 30K snowshoe race in mid January. Four weeks out, upon completing a 14.5 mile run on the road with some dirt and ice, I had a rather defining moment when I realized what I was truly thinking of.  Thankfully, shortly thereafter, the race director announced an 11 mile option.  Okay – 11 miles is SO doable!

Now, I might tell you that while I have enjoyed snowshoeing for many years, about two-three times per year, it is definitely NOT “my thing,” as MY thing has two wheels, skinny tires and a pink saddle.  Everything else I do is to “complement” my cycling.  Or to be social.  Or, simply to reach the finish line in triathlons.

January 9th. I arrive at 8:55 am.  For a 9:00 am start.  No time to get nervous.  No time to pee.  There would be plenty of opportunity for the latter once on course.  The pack (of 25) stuck together as everyone went out at a relatively easy pace – some chatting while others more competitively vying for position.  The snow was packed, the sky blue.  The day could not have been more perfect.  Course.  Weather.  Conditions.  Solitude.  My goal: to enjoy the day.  To reach the finish line.  Not to reach it first.  Not to put my race face on.

The three and half hours on the course provided physical challenge with a different kind of mental challenge.  While I might have a time “in mind” for an 11 mile running race, I had no expectations with my “adventure” that day. My Garmin went off and on I went in and out of trees, sometimes slowing down enough for it to go on auto-pause. And I smiled.  I was okay with that. The smells.  The footprints.  The snow.  The trees.  Slow enough to see it all. Take in everything.  Fast enough to get to the finish line before any of the 30Kers. I stayed present.  I fell down.  I laughed.  And I reached the finish line.  I wasn’t DFL.  I wasn’t in the money.  I was smiling, even more so that I had opted for the 11 mile snowshoe.  An incredible adventure.

ATHLETE PROFILE: Run Coordinator David McMillan

• Years competing in tris: 1
• Worst tri mistake: Not putting sunblock on my pale British skin at Vineman and getting FRIED!!
• Top tri tip:  Two things:  Don’t neglect transitions and do single sport races for improvement.
• Favorite sporting accomplishment:  Swimming 50yds for the first time ever as a 30 something newbie swimmer
• Goals for next season so far:  To race at least 15 times and set some straight up running PR’s
• Favorite pre-race food:  I pretty much have an iron stomach so anything goes.  You can’t beat the traditional pasta carbo-load for long races.
• Favorite post-race replenishment:  Chocolate milk and Ice Cream, not usually together.
• Something people may not know about you:  I can speak 7 languages.

PARTING SHOT: Which BTC member got rid of this gut?

The guts will be spilled in next month’s Athlete Profile. Send your best guess to mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

RED LINE REMINDER: Just a heads up, the following memberships are expiring in January. Please renew soon to continue taking advantage of all the great benefits of BTC!

Expiring in January:

• Gail Matherly
• Jim Buderus
• Adam Hodges
• Jen Foley
• Sarah Vieweg
• Jeffrey Kern

Expiring in February:

• Todd Hotham
• Kevin Reinsch
• David McGuire
• Lynn Chance
• Thomas English
• Sue Buxton
• Ryan O’Connor

TRI-IT TRIVIA: Which BTC athlete raced more than 1000 bike races, yet never passed his HS swim test (because he was racing in Belgium at the time, but also couldn’t swim)?

We’re trialing a new newsletter format, and would love your feedback! Finally you can access the Beat online via the website, thanks to our Master techie, Craig Wilson.   Our 4th Beat issue focuses in large part on the founders, in recognition of  the 10th anniversary of the BTC this year.  Check out “BTC Beginnings” as well as “Tidbits” for some added perspective on the club’s evolution, courtesy of info provided by a few folks who have been there from the start, including Mike Ricci, Jason Kaminski, Tim Sells, Kevin Edwards, and Richard Streeter. Also, be sure not to miss Mary Nodine’s race report on her decisively butt-kicking 3:17 Maine marathon; it’s great motivation for all those training for marathons and more. Other sections include the usual racing and calendar info, an athlete profile, and an update on membership. Missing this month is a message from our stalwart president, but his attention was best focused on Cozumel, clearly affirmed by a stellar performance! November has been a great month for club IM achievements, actually, including those of several first-timers.  We’ve certainly got many great race reports to look forward to. Congrats, all!

BTC Beginnings

The original club logo

Thanks to Kevin Edwards, Mike Ricci, Tim Sells, Richard Streeter, and Jason Kaminski for their stellar memories and great info!

Given Boulder’s staunchly deserving reputation as the triathlon mecca, it may be surprising that our beloved haven didn’t claim its own triathlon club till merely a decade ago.   Further, once a club was established, loose organization and shaky turnouts made leadership roles feel much like “herding ducks”,  according to numerous founding members. On the other hand, one might look at BTC’s humble start as fair representation of the sport of triathlon: within the incredible camaraderie exemplified at races, in training, and through supportive connections amongst athletes of all levels, this unique sport has a special draw for independent, driven spirits; with three unique disciplines to work on,   triathletes in general are committed to challenging and bettering themselves; they are focused to an admirable extreme, possessing mental toughness that perhaps tends to the inflexible at times. Even so, being goal-oriented doesn’t have to mean going solo, and Boulder had to have a tri-club. Thanks to the    efforts of charter members,   including the likes of Max Bowman, Mark Sunderland, Mike Ricci, Richard Streeter, Kevin Reinsch, Jason Kaminski, Rob Klaus, Tim Sells, Kevin Edwards, Gordon Selkirk, Jessica Xavier, Chris Shiver, Keith Watson, and others, late in 1998, it finally did…almost.

Logo as sported on the first club T-shirt

The first meeting of the Boulder Triathlon Club took place in October, 1998, under the direction of Max Bowman, a local massage therapist. The club wasn’t actually incorporated until the following year, however. Coach Mike Ricci recalls meeting Max as a client; during the massage, Max ruminated on the idea of putting together a tri-club, offering Mike the “first” spot (apparently, the enticing slot #1 was promised to   several candidates simultaneously). A loosely structured board was formed including Mike, Eric [whose last name seems to have escaped], Gordon Selkirk, Jessica Xavier, Richard Streeter, and Chris Shiver; meetings were held in Chris’s office. Although interest seemed plentiful, the independent triathlete spirit proved tough to manage. “I used to coach the TNT (Tuesday Night Track), and for about 2 years it was AJ Johnson and Jason as the only people who would show up,” Mike muses. “I couldn’t believe Boulder didn’t have a good tri-club.” Perhaps it didn’t help that the Prez admittedly wasn’t all that great at working with people (for instance, dropping the F-bomb about 5 times in as many minutes at an early meeting). In acknowledgment of the shortcomings of his personal style, Max handed the presidential reins to Eric in 1999; Mike Ricci took over in 2000, and in August stepped down for Mark Sunderland, whom  founders agree created a turning point for the club with his energy and organizational abilities. “Bringing his great enthusiasm, he ended up doubling the size of the club,” Mike says. “Sundy was the man!”

Since then, as with all things, much has changed, yet much has stayed the same, true to the character of the sport. The annual banquet has been a favorite tradition since Jason Kaminski applied for and was awarded a USAT grant. That year, the grant funded the first semi-formal event, held at the UMC. Coach Ricci’s summer Tuesday Night Track workouts still whip all who attend into great shape for attacking their upcoming goals. For all who choose to take advantage of it, club membership includes some phenomenal benefits in the form of great offers from fabulous sponsors. And of course, the best part remains the central purpose of any organization, a community of individuals who share a passion and support one another in goals and  progress. Big thanks to the BTC founders, who braved the duck-herding and stuck with the idea that a Boulder Triathlon Club was something worth growing. Happy Birthday, BTC!

One of the early time trial groups

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

A warm welcome to new members who have joined since October! Thanks to our organized and efficient secretary, Pam, for providing a list!

Danny Peleg
Robin Hooge
Agnes Sauvage
Trent Mera
Steve van Schouwen
Ehren van Melle
William Spencer
Kristin Knous
Andrew Halperin
Kathy Pegion
Karin Linner
Martha Dudley
Tim Barnett

Remember, beginning January 1, club membership fees will be increasing for the first time in 10 years, to $65.  Join, renew, OR (for current members)  extend an additional 12 month. Just sign up online at the BTC website  prior to December 31; click to sign up online before December 11th if you plan to attend the Banquet!  Also, feel free to email secretary Pam Schuckies, secretary@teambtc.org, with any questions about membership.

RACING

Congratulations to everyone on great performances! Here are some highlights that we know of from last month. Don’t be shy to share your PRs and accomplishments! Let us know so we can celebrate with you!

IM Florida

• Sharon Hooper, 3rd division, 10:30:15!
• Kevin Houghton, 11:34:52

Clearwater World Championships 70.3

• Warren Schuckies, 4:41:47
• Brian Reid, 5:53:06

San Antonio Marathon

• Jeff Kinsey (injured!), 5:42
• Jen Kinsey, 4:32

IM Arizona

• Owen Hammond, 9:57:09
• Lynn Chance, 1st ironman!, 13:51:02
• Vicki Stubbs, 1st ironman!, 15:19:12
• Bruce Wilson, 13:12:37

IM Cozumel

• Club Pres Andy Graziano, 11:25
• Sally Dyer: 1st ironman!, 12:37
• Jay Lochhead: 10:45, 8th age group and 45 minute PR!

Luck To:

All the Phoenix marathoners and half marathoners; we’ve got a great BTC crowd going! Half: Derek Ciccito, Anne McDonough, Tressa Ferrell, Leena Figall, Jay Lochhead

Full: Barry Siff, Artie Sandman, David McMillan, Wendy McMillan, Denise Farley, Brendan Dillon, Melinda Rider, Quentin Rider, Dave Miller

…and all other racers in December events!

Athlete Update: The Maine Marathon 

-Mary Nodine

When Wendy asked me to write this race report, I thought it would be kind of boring for a couple reasons: Number 1, it was a marathon. Not a triathlon. This means all I did was run.  No bike.  No swim.  No transitions! 2. I had a great day. And what’s a race report without some disasters, or at least mishaps? But then I remembered that I had at least one interesting thing going for me: my marathon performance began with a prophecy.

My marathon goal was 3:20.  I had run around 3:35 in two previous marathons, but I’d made mistakes in both and I had a feeling that I was capable of doing much better.  Plus, I was training in Boulder and I was going to run the race at sea level…I figured that ought to help.

A few weeks before the marathon I was doing an early morning track workout at the Fairview High School track.  As I was finishing my warmup this older guy jogged up to me and asked what I was doing for a workout. I told him: six by one mile, 6:30 to 6:40 pace.  He asked if he could join me for a few intervals, and I agreed.  It was great to have some company and we averaged 6:36 or so.  As we were recovering, he asked me what my weekly mileage was, and I told him.  “Well,” he said, “I’ve coached a lot of marathon runners.  Based on your weekly mileage and your pace in this workout, I think you’ll run a 3:17:30.  Give or take.  Depending on the weather.”  I was flattered and heartened but hesitant to believe it.

Fast forward three weeks: it’s the starting line of the Maine Marathon.  I’m nervous. Tapered and antsy.  It’s in the 50’s and humid, threatening rain.  I am wearing shorts and a long sleeve shirt but most people are in short sleeves.  I worry I made the wrong choice.  And man, do I hate being too hot.  No point in worrying about it now, I guess.

Go time.  I repeatedly remind myself to run steady and chill out.  My first mile is 7:44.  All is well.  My parents are cheering around Mile 2 and I am psyched to see them.  Something else happens around Mile 2….I start to get warm. Oh, man.  This could be bad.  The thing I feel like doing even less than running 26.2 miles(hard) is running 26.2 miles (hard) overheating in my long sleeve shirt in the gray humidity.  Around Mile 3.5, at a very picturesque point in the course, where we ran right along the coast…the course is very scenic by the way. (That’s my Maine plug right there.) I decide I have to do something about it.  My brilliant solution: unpin my number from my shirt and pin it to my shorts. This is no easy task and probably takes a good .2 miles to complete and definitely draws a little blood.  But I do it. I guess at Mile 3.5 this wasn’t a   SOLUTION so much as a security blanket mechanism. Now I can remove my shirt on a whim. I am free.

There’s not much else interesting to tell for a while. I ticked off the miles. They ranged from 7:33 to 7:55 in the first half depending on hills. At one point I chatted with some dude from Seattle.  He was feeling good and didn’t want to have much of a conversation with me. He forged on ahead and I kept my pace steady. I saw my family at Mile 10.  My shirt stayed on.  I went through the half-marathon feeling strong in 1:38:32. I was feeling confident but a little scared.  You never know what will happen in a marathon.  And I’d never run that many sub-8-minute miles in a row before.

The marathon was a lollipop out-and-back course, so I knew I’d see my family around Mile 17 at the same location I’d seen them at Mile 10.  Sometime after the half-marathon I started legitimately getting hot, and I started scheming to get rid of my shirt.  I got really excited about it.  Three miles before it actually happened, I was fantasizing about it.  (Oh, the things you get excited about during grueling endurance events.  You IronPeople know this.)  When I saw my family, I flagged down my sister to run with me, and said, “Emily! I need your help.”  I handed her my water bottle, stripped down and handed her my shirt.  Her comment: “Holy sh*t you’re running fast!”  (This was probably because the last time she ran with me in a marathon was during my 11-minute miles at the end of Boston in 2008.  Ugh.)  She gave me back my bottle, and with that, I was bare-torsoed and free.  Reportedly some lady told her small children to cover their eyes during my stripping episode.  The whole thing was videoed by my mom and is posted on Facebook…

I kept ticking off the miles (wow, marathon race reports are boring, huh?).  Around Mile 21 I saw antisocial Seattle dude.  “Hey Seattle,” I said. “You’re looking smooth,” he said.  I passed him.  I made up rhyming chants in my head about the miles coming up.  I was wearing racing flats and my legs were killing me.  But deep down I was thrilled…and also scared that I might fall apart at a moment’s notice.  But I kept on not falling apart…7:30 mile after 7:30 mile.

I saw the family again at Mile 24.  My Grandpa was even there with a cowbell.  My sister jumped in with me again, for about a quarter mile, and I got so excited that she was running with me that I picked up the pace.  I also surrendered my sticky, sweaty, Gatorade-covered water bottle to her.  And the Mile 25 marker came sooner than I expected….7:05.  Seriously?

I crossed the finish line in 3:17:01.  Needless to say, I was thrilled, not to mention impressed with my fortune-teller’s prediction.  I don’t think there was any secret to what I did, except I was feeling great and everything just came together when I needed it to.  Although I will admit, when I crossed the finish line and the announcer said I was from Boulder, Colorado, part of me wished he hadn’t told my secret….I felt like I was cheating by training at 5,000 feet!

Mark Your Calendars!

Upcoming Events

December

5– Rock Canyon Half Marathon, Pueblo

5– Rudolph Ramble 5K, Denver

5– Jingle Bell 5K, CSU Oval, Fort Collins

6– Washington Park 4.4 miler, Denver

6– Colder Boulder 5K, CU Boulder

12– Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #1 Cherry Creek State Park, Denver

13– Jingle Bell Run 5K, Denver Washington Park

13– Christmas Classic 4M, Fort Collins

27– Eagle-Vail Holiday Snowshoe Run 5K/10K, Eagle/Vail Pavilion

31– Resolution 5K Denver

31– Resolution Run 5K Fort Collins

Look ahead

See you on Friday, December 11th, 6:30 onwards,  for the annual BTC Banquet!  Don’t miss it!

Eldora Nighthawks ski and snowshoe series will begin next month, Wednesday nights from Januray 20th through February 24th. Let’s bring it, BTC!

Athlete Profile: Social Chair Jayme Margolin 

Tidbits

• BTC bids so long but not farewell to Abe Morrison, heading out to LA! We’ll miss you, but will catch up with you at Wildflower, Abe!

• Welcome to the newest and cutest BTC addition, Maxon Jacob! Congratulations to Mike and Melanie Guzek.
  

• In honor of its 10th anniversary, take a look back at a few club high notes:
  

- First speaker: Mark Plaatjes

- Best Bash: Tim Sells’ Halloween party, the first year

- Best Hook-up: Mike and Melanie Ricci

Mike: “We used to have track workouts at Fairview. One Tuesday night in OCT 2000  we had a bunch of people getting ready for IMFL – we had about 15 people on the track that night. This one girl kept trying to beat me in 200s. I was like ‘wow, she’s fast’ – and put the thought out of my head. Then on 1.3.01 Sundy hosted the Wed night Spin and this same girl was next to me on her trainer. We hit it off etc. 2 weeks later we had the BTC Christmas party at Koenig on the CU Campus. Well, I ended up talking to this same girl again and we went on a date a few weeks later only to be married less than 18 months after that.”

Part-ing Shot

Guess who?

a) Mike Ricci

b) Warren Schuckies

c) Charles Garabedian

The Butt of this joke will be revealed as next month’s athlete profile. E-mail your answer, plus feedback and ideas for upcoming issues to Wendy at mcmillan.w@gmail.com.

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