2010-06 Triathlete

2010 SWIMSUIT ISSUE GEAR >> TRAINING >> RACE SCENE >> LIFESTYLE

ISLAND FEVER OUR ANNUAL SWIMSUIT ISSUE SOAKS UP SOME JAMAICAN SUN

RUN THIS WAY

TIPS FOR PERFECT FORM FASTER SPLITS

THE BEST RACES

YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF triathletemag.com

NO.314

|

JUNE 2010

SHOE GUIDE

17 NEW

REVIEWS

Eneko Llanos 2009 Xterra World Champion

ŠAmerican Sporting Goods Corporation 2010

YOUR NEXT RUN MAY DEPEND ON YOUR NEXT WALK

INTRODUCING AVIAÕ S RECOVERY FOOTWEAR THE i-QUEST MAKES DOWNTIME ACTIVITY A POWERFUL WAY OF ENHANCING RUN TRAINING FOR BOTH THE RECREATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE RUNNER. AVIAÕ S BREAKTHROUGH RECOVERY COLLECTION USES A VARIETY OF ADVANCED FREATURES INCLUDING THE i-QUESTÕ S DOUBLE-ROCKER MIDSOLE THAT MIMICS SAND-LIKE WALKING PROMOTING MUSCLE ACTIVATION TO THE LOWER EXTREMITIES.

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T H E AV I A i - Q U E S T Low density zone negative heel engineering promotes muscle activation

(womenÕ s featured)

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Avia double-rocker arch technology

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Low density forefoot PU pod engages greater muscle activity during toe off

Speed is coming.

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Sam McGlone

IRONMAN CHAMPION

CompressRx Size 0

13” calf, 17” thigh

CompressRx

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Dhani Jones

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22” calf, 31” thigh

Marcello Duarte

Sarah Hammer

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14 1/2” calf, 24 1/2” thigh

15” calf, 24” thigh

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Rory Sutherland

TWO TIME USA CYCLING NRC CHAMPION

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14” calf, 21 1/2” thigh

25% less lactic build up, 29% less percieved effort during excercise.

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17 6 12

12 DEPARTMENTS

TRAiNiNg

gEAR AND TEch

24 Editor’s NotE

120 thrEE kEy opEN-WAtEr sWiM WorkoUts

170 tECh sUpport

By JuliA BEESoN PolloRENo

26 LEttErs 29 ChECkiNg iN Starting Lines; Training Tip; Click This; Medically Speaking; Endurance Traveler; Iron Kids; Light Read; IndusTri

192 At thE rACEs NuTRiTioN 158 NUtritioN Q&A

By PiP TAyloR

160 MULtisport MENU 162 EAt right 164 rACiNg WEight

By MATT FiTzgERAlD

No. 314

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contents

JUNE 2010

By BEN gREENFiElD

126 FLoAt BEttEr: tips For MAxiMiziNg WEtsUit sWiMMiNg pErForMANCE By lANcE WATSoN

131 thE WoMAN BEhiNd MovEMENtU

By TAWNEE PRAzAk

138 sWiM

By SARA MclARTy

140 BikE

By DAN SMiTh

142 rUN

By MARio FRAioli

145 FUNdAMENtALs By lucy SMiTh

149 sports sCiENCE UpdAtE

By TiM MicklEBoRough, PhD

152 FitNEss

By chRiSToPhER kAuTz

174 triAthLEtE’s gArAgE

By AARoN hERSh

176 tri’d ANd tEstEd

By AARoN hERSh

180 gEAr BAg coluMNS 182 Up FroNt

By ANDy PoTTS

184 tiCkEt pUNCh

By SAMANThA McgloNE

186 siNgLEtrACk MiNd

By MElANiE McQuAiD

190 ENdUrANCE CoNspirACy

By TiM DEBooM

208 tiNLEy tALks

By ScoTT TiNlEy

By MATT FiTzgERAlD

154 dEAr CoACh

FEATuRiNg MARk AllEN

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june 2010

My Orbea Ordu has taken me to 3 World titles. The combination of fit, handling and feel on the road is ideal whether I’m racing Olympic, 70.3 or Ironman races. I can push heavy watts while maintaining a biomechanically neutral bike fit position so when I start the run, my legs are fresh. I would recommend this bike for anyone who takes their training and racing seriously!

Craig Alexander - Ironman World Champion, 2008, 2009

www.orbea-usa.com

LIGHT SHOES ARE ONLY GOOD IF THEY STAY LIGHT. WET SHOES ARE HEAVY SHOES. THE K-ONA IS DESIGNED WITH A FLOW COOL™ AIR SYSTEM AND DRAINAGE PORTS, SO COOL AIR GOES IN AND HEAVY WATER GOES OUT. TECHNOLOGY, FOR THE WIN.

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THE VECTOR PRO X2 WETSUIT. TRUE PERfORmanCE On RaCE day.

THiS pErfOrMANCE-DriVEN wETSuiT HAS MOrE irONMAN AND irONMAN 70.3 wiNS THAN ANY OTHEr wETSuiT iN THE wOrLD. wiTH iTS ANATOMiCALLY DESiGNED ArMS, DrAG-MiNiMiziNG SCS COATiNG, AND X-fLEX 6006 LiNEr, THE VECTOr prO X2 iS THE pErfECT pACkAGE fOr rACE DAY.

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FOR ENDURING ENERGY RECOVERY Amino Power new formula w/ AstraGin™ to increase absorption of Aminos Carbs, and Vitamins, by 50% for quick recovery during or after a performance

VO2 Max Endurance to BEAT the BURN, reduce muscle soreness, for explosive power

TH E POW E R OF SY N E RGY I N OU R PRODUCT S: E a c h n u t r i e n t i n e a c h p r o d u c t h a s i m p r e s s i v e q u a l i t i e s i n i t s o w n r i g h t. P u t t o g e t h e r, i n p r e c i s e a m o u n t s b a s e d o n t h e i r O p t i m a l C l i n i c a l N u t r i t i o n a l Va l u e, s i n g l e n u t r i e n t s a n d c o m p o u n d s e x p o n e n t i a l l y e n h a n c e e a c h o t h e r ’s b e n e f i t s . N u t r i e n t s i n t e r a c t a n d a c t s i m u l t a n e o u s l y t h r o u g h m u l t i p l e b i o l o g i c a l p a t h w a y s a n d c e l l u l a r m e c h a n i s m s, a n d i n t h e p r o c e s s e a c h p r o d u c t b e c o m e s t r u l y g r e a t e r t h a n t h e s u m o f i t s p a r t s . A l s o, p r o d u c t s i n t h e l i n e c o m p l e m e n t e a c h o t h e r t o i n c r e a s e e n e r g y, r e c o v e r y, s t r e n g t h, p o w e r a n d e n d u r a n c e. E ACH PRODUCT I S “ BE ST ” I N CATEGORY.

INTERPHASE Hypertrophy Matrix premium protein powder for muscular strength and endurance.

2 l b (907 g )

CarboPro 1200 AMINOS an advanced sports drink for pure calories for a race or century ride

THERMOLYTE advanced Sodium/ Electrolyte/Antioxidant Complex Produced in a facility that follows strict Standard Operating Procedures and Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and is compliant with state and federal (FDA) regulatory bodies. Labs are ISO 9001 certified & 17025 accredited, and do not handle any of the banned substances in the prohibited list of WADA. The products are safe, efficacious, and legal for use in any sporting event governed by USADA, IOC, and the UCI, among others.

DIRECT.COM

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no. 314

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features

June 2010

on the cover Ryann Fraser, wearing Oakley Set Top, $44, and Oakley Clash Bottom, $36, shown in sky blue • Oakley.com Photo by Tim Mantoani • Hair and makeup by Natalie Bohlin Island Fever 2010 Swimsuit Issue Run This Way Best Races You’ve Never Heard Of Shoe Guide: 17 New Reviews

46 SwimSuitS

Photos by tim mantoani

72 more than reggae, raStaS and rum Check out the top-10 must-do things around the island of Jamaica, the location of one of our top-100 races of 2010. by bethany Leach

78 deStination: moBay A practical guide to exploring Montego Bay, Jamaica, site of this year’s swimsuit photo shoot. The tropical climate, vibrant 16

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culture and scenic shores make it the perfect place to plan your next vacation, adventure or race. by bethany Leach

82 tri-town uSa

46 88 82 98

108 Skin deep

by monica scheeL, m.d.

114 triathlon? there’S an app For that

by Jim GourLey

by Jim GourLey

88 running Form

by matt FitzGeraLd

98 a new kind oF Shoe guide

by matt FitzGeraLd and adam chase, with sean mcKeon

Correction: Because of an editing error, the photograph on page 132 of the May issue was incorrectly credited. The photo is courtesy of the International Triathlon Union. june 2010

Š2010 Saucony, Inc.

WE KNOW

BECAUSE WE RUN

Introducing the new ProGridTM Kinvara. A minimalist approach with maximum performance. Your runs are about to change. saucony.com/kinvara

This monTh on

triathletemag.com

meeT The swimsuiT models Visit Triathletemag.com for video bios on each of our models featured in Triathlete’s 2010 Swimsuit Issue. You’ll also see some behind-the-scenes footage of each model during their photo shoot. Model Linda (pictured center) won this year’s Triathlete model search by submitting a couple of photos to triathletemag.com. The result: She was flown to Jamaica to take part in the feature. Think you’ve got what it takes to be the next Linda? Start snapping pics, because this year’s model search begins May 15, 2010. For details, go to triathletemag.com.

Rev3 GeTs undeRway Last year, Revolution3’s inaugural race in Connecticut made a big splash onto the racing scene. Rev3 is back in 2010 and now includes three races and an enticing prize purse offer.

If any professional athlete can win all three of the feature races in one year, he or she will take home an additional $125,000 paycheck. The opportunity to win the prize purse will kick off on May 9 in Knoxville, Tenn., and we’ll be your source for complete coverage. Check the site for pre-race analysis, course previews, photo galleries, video chats with athletes and complete results.

have a Tech QuesTion?

Gear can help an athlete go faster or farther. Enter GPS watches, motorized bike components, carbon-fiber goggles and countless other innovations made for triathletes. Sifting through marketing jargon to understand the value of these products can be a confusing, time-consuming process, but we’re here to help.

If you want to know the difference between a tri bike and a road bike, how a power meter works or have a question better suited for an engineer, our senior editor Aaron Hersh will deliver the answer.

TRicenTeR

Whether you’ve competed in hundreds of triathlons or are aiming to finish your first sprint race in 2010, TriCenter has the information you need. The news show aims to bring you the latest results and analysis from races across the world, as well as bring you closer to the professionals.

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From our very beginnings ten years ago, Nineteen has been focused on how wetsuits fit.

From our patterns and size grading to our neoprene and technical innovations, every aspect of a Nineteen wetsuit is designed with one goal in mind Ă‘ the perfect fit. For you.

nineteenwetsuits.com

First Wave 20

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june 2010

Climbing the Ranks LARRY ROSA Michael Raelert of Germany continued his half-iron distance winning streak with an impressive victory over a stacked field at the 2010 Rohto Ironman 70.3 California. Raelert powered through the course in 3:58:27, three minutes ahead of second place finisher Matt Reed.

june 2010

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First Wave

Tradition Meets Tri NILS NILSEN The inaugural Abu Dhabi International Triathlon was a worldly experience for competitors and locals alike. Caroline Steffen of Switzerland finished just shy of the podium in fourth.

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june 2010

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Justin Lee

Editor’s Note

An UnbreAkAble Spirit It started innocently enough.

In the summer of 2005 I was on assignment for a city magazine when I knocked on Jim MacLaren’s door. Jim invited me into his downtown San Diego condo and, over the next hour, shared his story with me. You may have already heard his story—it has the makings of an urban legend. Jim was in the prime of his life—he had moved to New York City after graduating from Yale, where he was an All-American football star, to pursue an acting career. He was riding his motorcycle home from a late-night rehearsal when a city bus struck him. Arriving at the hospital, he was pronounced dead. Jim’s life as he knew it may have ended, but eight days later he awoke from a coma. The lower half of his left leg was gone.

A lifelong athlete, Jim eventually regained his health and, supported by a prosthetic leg, began training for triathlon. He became one of the top amputee triathletes in the world, routinely finishing ahead of 80 percent of ablebodied athletes. He even crossed that hallowed Ironman finish line in Kona. Life was good.

Then, during a race on a closed course, Jim was two miles into the bike leg when a renegade van plowed into him, hurling him headfirst into a signpost and breaking his neck.

At that moment he adopted another identity: quadriplegic.

Seated before me in his motorized wheelchair, Jim explains that in the aftermath of his second debilitating accident he had to make 24

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a choice: Would he let this new, cruel reality define him, or would he create a new life that dwells in positivity and possibility? His answer: “I must create a life.”

You’ve likely seen “disabled” athletes in your training and racing communities. Many of these courageous, talented athletes are out there with the support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which was created to support Jim after his second near-fatal accident. As an early spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, motivational speaker and mentor to others, he has helped countless people—athletes and non-athletes—embrace their potential under even the toughest circumstances. It’s something he knows a thing or two about.

Driving home from my visit with Jim, I decided to sign up for an Ironman. My purpose was twofold: I wanted to raise money for Jim’s charitable organization, Choose Living, and I felt compelled to internalize Jim’s message of human potential realized. I’d done some sprint races but never ventured beyond the distance.

With Jim at my back, there was no question of if I could do it. Only when.

I set my sights on Ironman Arizona. I sent out a copy of my published article on Jim with a letter soliciting donations for Jim and moral support for me. By race day, I had raised $2,000. And when I crossed that finish line in the dark, I thought of Jim and felt gratitude for my race-battered body.

Turns out, that race changed my life’s course in a few ways. I met the man I’d end up marrying in the transition area that morning as we struggled into our wetsuits in the pre-dawn light. Though it’s been my only Ironman so far, that race ignited my passion for the sport. In pursuit of tri idolatry—let’s call it tridolatry—I’ve been able to ride my mountain bike in the remote jungles of Panama and swim with giant turtles in Hawaii. Most importantly, though, triathlon makes me feel like I’m living my life in full. When I’m sweaty, exhausted and pushing toward the finish line, I feel all the layers peeled away and it’s just me.

I did this. I got here.

While triathlon is an individual sport, there’s no denying the strong sense of community triathletes share. It is my goal to make each of issue of Triathlete a living, breathing gathering spot for triathletes of all backgrounds and abilities. Tell us what you want out of your magazine; you’re likely to see your ideas implemented in future issues. Or just share your own triathlon story with us. As with Jim’s story, there could be one mighty ripple effect.

Julia Beeson Polloreno Editor-in-Chief jpolloreno@competitorgroup.com

No. 314 | June 2010 Editorial Director TJ Murphy, tjmurphy@competitorgroup.com Editor-in-Chief Julia Beeson Polloreno, jpolloreno@competitorgroup.com Managing Editor Somyr McLean Perry, sperry@competitorgroup.com Senior Editor Matt Fitzgerald, mfitzgerald@competitorgroup.com Senior Tech Editor Aaron Hersh, ahersh@competitorgroup.com Assistant Editor Bethany Leach, bleach@competitorgroup.com Copyeditor Marilyn Iturri Photo Editor Nils Nilsen nnilsen@competitorgroup.com Graphic Designer Oliver Baker, obaker@competitorgroup.com Online Content Director Kurt Hoy, khoy@competitorgroup.com Web Producer Liz Hichens, lhichens@competitorgroup.com Senior Video Producer Steve Godwin, sgodwin@competitorgroup.com Video Producer Kevin LaClaire, klaclaire@competitorgroup.com Medical Advisory Board Jordan Metzl, MD; Jeff Sankoff, MD Advertising EVP, Media Andrew R. Hersam, ahersam@competitorgroup.com VP, Endemic Sales Kevin Burnette, kburnette@competitorgroup.com Director, Digital Advertising Sales Jason Rossiter, jrossiter@competitorgroup.com San Diego, CA Account Executive Lisa Bilotti, lbilotti@competitorgroup.com Account Executive Lars Finanger, lfinanger@competitorgroup.com Account Executive Justin Sands, jsands@competitorgroup.com Marketplace Sales Laura Agcaoili, lagcaoili@competitorgroup.com Boulder, CO Account Executive Nathan Forbes, nforbes@competitorgroup.com Account Executive Mark Gouge, mgouge@competitorgroup.com Account Executive David Walker, dwalker@competitorgroup.com Advertising Manager Deena Hancock, dhancock@competitorgroup.com Advertising Coordinator Lisa McGinn, lmcginn@competitorgroup.com Director, Audience Development John Francis, jfrancis@competitorgroup.com Fulfillment Manager Leslie Dodds, ldodds@competitorgroup.com Triathlete Magazine Offices

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Triathlete Magazine is a publication of

David Moross Peter Englehart Scott P. Dickey Andrew R. Hersam Steve Gintowt John Smith Bouker Pool Dan Vaughan David O’Connell Rebecca McKinnon Sean Clottu

Chairman CEO President & COO EVP, Media Chief Financial Officer SVP, National Sales SVP, Marketing VP, Digital Media VP, Western Region Sales VP, Eastern Region Sales VP, Sales Development

Le t ters BRING ON THE SWIMSUIT ISSUE

ing. So, triathletes shouldn’t worry about it. However, I do think that Ben lists five important areas to focus on and useful exercises that can be done at home. But no need to limit these exercises to the offseason. They can help maintain strength and joint stability in the targeted areas throughout the year.

I

t’s that time of year again; time to check the mailbox every day in wishful anticipation of the highly coveted Triathlete Swimsuit Issue.

I always look forward to this issue because of the quality of swimwear represented along with the beautiful backdrops. And then there are the athletes themselves, showing off their skinny bodies with all their bulging muscles.

What a treat!

Last year, some outraged readers wrote letters of disappointment for choosing Stacy Kamano for the cover. To those people I say, “Lighten up!” Since taking up this sport, I have lost 45 pounds and although I have also made enhancements to my hair color and skin tone, the improvements to my appearance, like most, have come from thousands of hours of hard work. I envy people such as Stacy who can be fit and healthy and beautiful all at the same time.

For every one of your readers who is embarrassed by the appearance of a perfect body there are 10 of us who are amazed by the dedication and hard work it takes to become that beautiful. Show us once again the most attractive people our sport has to offer in the finest swimwear available, and let us celebrate what triathlons can do for people’s bodies.

Kelly Moore Ephrata, Wash.

BIKE PRICE CLARIFICATION

T

hank you for including the Quintana Roo CD0.1 in your recent Buyer’s Guide (April 2010 issue). There are two items that need clarification. The photo is of our CD0.1 Ultegra build, but the description refers to our CD0.1 frameset. The frameset is a higher modulus carbon fiber than the Ultegra version pictured.

The CD0.1 pictured retails for $3,000 complete, not $3,400 as indicated in the guide, and the high modulus frameset also retails for $3,000. Our 2009 pricing was $3,400 for the frameset, which might have been a source of the confusion.

Mac McEneaney Director of Sales, North America Quintana Roo

SUPPORT FOR DIABETIC TRIATHLETES AVAILABLE

T

hank you for your article in the March 2010 issue regarding diabetes by Dr. Tim Mickleborough. Our organization is called Triabetes. We have at least 140 members across the U.S. and Canada and support athletes with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In 2008, we had 12 athletes toe the line at Ironman 26

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Rudy Dressendorfer, PT, PhD Rocklin, Calif.

BEST EVENTS, FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE

“W

Wisconsin and this past fall, we had even more complete Ironman Arizona. A documentary about our athletes training for and racing Ironman Wisconsin in 2008 will be released nationwide soon. We have regional groups supporting athletes in local races and also have bigger events planned throughout the year.

Often, exercising can be daunting for people with any kind of diabetes. Our goal is to help people incorporate exercise safely so they can train and race with confidence.

Triabetes is a project of Insulindependence. org, a nonprofit organization that also has a running team (Glucomotive) and hosts many other athletic and adventure events for kids and adults. One of our principal sponsors is Diabetes Training Camp, a week-long camp for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

DTC employs a team of top-level coaches, a nutritionist, sports psychologist and an endocrinologist who give hands-on help as participants exercise. Other organizations that support athletes with diabetes are Team Type 1 and Team Type 2, Diabetes Exercise and Sport Association, Fit4D.com and Team WILD (women only).

Anne Findlay San Francisco Bay Area

STRENGTH TRAIN ALL YEAR

I

n his article, “The Why and How of Base Strength Training” (March 2010), Ben Greenfield says that combined strength and aerobic training during the race season will detract from effective endurance training.

Actually, the potential interference is the other way around. Studies indicate any detrimental effect is on optimal strength development and muscle hypertrophy when combined with prolonged endurance train-

orld Triathlon Corporation, owner and organizer of Ironman and Ironman 70.3 branded-events, is a company recognized for athletic excellence, performance and quality products” [from Ironman. com]. They forgot to mention “incredible people.” I am from Colombia, and one week prior to an event while training in Bogota and during my last brick session my beloved bike was stolen from me. With very little time till race day, I approached Michael Lynn Turtle, the athlete services coordinator, to seek guidance on where to rent a bike for race day. She came back immediately with the offer to use the bike of race director Paul Huddle, who was very generous to offer his bike. I want to publicly thank them for helping one of the many participants of the race. Not only are the Ironman events the best around the world, but they also have the most caring and friendly people.

Camilo McAllister Bogota, Colombia

MILE HIGH LOVE

“L

ight Read” [from the May 2010 issue] couldn’t have come at a better time for my family. We just came back from a spring break trip to the Denver area where we decided that we should move to the fittest city and enjoy the mountains and environment Colorado offers every day. Holly’s article was a nice reminder of our dream as I rode the train on a cold Spring day in flat Chicago! It also made me wonder if an article on adjusting to mile-high training would be something you could tee up or perhaps point me to one I may have missed.

Keep up the great work.

Mike Wood Via e-mail

SPEAK YOUR MIND! Send Letters to the Editor to jpolloreno@ competitorgroup.com. Include your name, address and the best way to contact you.

Letters will be edited for clarity and length. june 2010

WORLD-CLASS SPEED. IT’S IN HIS DNA. IT’S ALSO IN HIS SHOES. CONGRATULATIONS TO WORLD CHAMPION TAYLOR PHINNEY P.R.O. Series Octane SL II Taylor Phinney won his first elite World Championship last year at the age of 18 in the 4000 meter Individual Pursuit event. On March 25, 2010 in Copenhagen he earned his second straight title with a winning margin of nearly 2 seconds. Congratulations Taylor! And congratulations to the Pearl Izumi feather-light (just 235 grams) and ultrastiff Octane shoes for keeping up with him. pearlizumi.com

© 2010 Pearl Izumi

SHAPE IS EVERYTHING Aero wheels are faster for every rider at every speed. Zipp’s two decades of research, testing and results have proven that point. We’ve also shown that fine-tuning rim shape can significantly improve aerodynamics without sacrificing weight, acceleration or handling. | Now, we’ve transferred that knowledge into the world’s most advanced aluminum wheelset, the all-new Zipp 101. Its centerpiece is the first fully toroidal aluminum rim, developed in the wind tunnel with a proprietary profile curve extending across the braking surfaces. With this patented design, the 30mm-deep 101 exceeds the aerodynamic performance of V-shaped rims with significantly deeper aero profiles. | Like all Zipp wheels, the 101 is built by hand in Speedway, Indiana, with premium Sapim CX-Ray spokes and our US-made hubs with Swiss steel bearings. Learn more at Zipp.com/101

Photo: Joe Vondersaar

1.800.472.3972 www.zipp.com/101

ChECKIng In

Nils Nilsen

Starting Lines Training Tip Click This Medically Speaking Endurance Traveler IronKids Light Read IndusTRI

june 2010

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C heC king in

Illustration by Oliver Baker

Starting Lines

Turn Your Dreams inTo Goals

By MitCh thrower “I dream my painting and then paint my dreams.”

– Vincent Van Gogh

A few years ago, I started to keep a dream journal next to my bed. I realized that once I awoke it became increasingly difficult to remember what I had dreamed the night before. Since dreams dissipate so quickly, it seemed a good idea to write them down to see what my subconscious was trying to tell me.

Dream researchers believe that dreams occur primarily during REM sleep. This is a period late in the sleep cycle in which the brain and body become active, increasing heart rate and blood pressure. The eyes move quickly back and forth, giving this stage the name rapid eye movement sleep. It usually lasts anywhere from 11 to 25 minutes, typically longer in the later sleep cycles of the night.

Some scientists speculate that non-REM sleep is the period in which the brain rebuilds itself and dumps non-essential information absorbed during a long and busy day. Other scientists say that REM dreaming helps dispose of unwanted memories through a mechanism called reverse learning. Reverse learning operates during REM sleep to prevent the brain from being overloaded with massive amounts of information stored during wakefulness.

What we know is that memories of dreams are not always easily retrieved while awake and 30

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that some conscious act of recording, telling a friend or recording it in a sleep journal can often help us remember our dreams. If we are jolted awake in the midst of a highly dramatic dream, the neural connections are still in play and we can often process it. But if we do not replay the dream to a friend or write it down, that dream can fade into the oblivion of the subconscious.

Then there is a waking dream, like the one so many people have when they watch their first triathlon in person, or catch Ironman’s NBC show. The dream of becoming a triathlete or taking on a new race or achieving a new level of fitness is born in subconscious emotion, not unlike love, and grounded in idealistic but rational thought. Children dream of being football heroes or movie actors or rock stars, and now, more than ever before, people are dreaming about becoming a triathlete.

While our waking dreams are grounded in reality, they face the same vulnerability to erosion over time if they are not acted upon.

Surely, we all face life’s ups and downs, and responsibility and family can put the dream of doing a 70.3 or sprint or Ironman on the back burner. If enough time passes, we can let our bodies go and, with them, our dreams.

But the ironic (and hopeful) thing is that if we latch on to a positive addiction to movement and fitness, we can retain not only the

physical capability for an adventure like the Ironman, but the acts of training and running, swimming and riding bikes can help us retain the excitement, optimism and energy we will need to be happy and make our dream adventures come true.

This week at work, I was feeling the increased stress from a host of acquisitions, proposals due and the normal tension that often comes from human interactions. During a heated phone call, I looked over at a triathlon brochure for Rick Kozlowski’s San Diego International Triathlon that someone put on my desk, and I smiled. For the entire day, I kept looking at the images of that very beautiful, alluring race in paradise and thinking about how being fit, being a triathlete and racing in such a triathlon is a perpetual dream.

Dream your life and athletic dreams, then write them down and tell someone about them. Turn your dreams into goals and then pursue them with all your being. Don’t let them fade with the abrasive force of everyday life. Record them with a bold indelible marker and then achieve them boldly.

Henry David Thoreau put it best in this familiar quote that we should apply now to triathlon: “I have learned that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Train Smart, Mitch Thrower mthrower@competitorgroup.com june 2010

Training Tip reduces power. This might also excessively fatigue the gluteals for the run and cause slower run times or cramping.

Solutions to correct this loss of power include: Shorter rather than longer crank arms to reduce the hip and knee angle at the top of the pedal stroke and reduce the lengthening of the glutes and quadriceps, allowing for improved power and reduced fatigue.

Using ovalized chainrings.

Companies such as Rotor have made rotor q rings that allow you to use, for example, a standard 53-tooth chainring that is ovalized, meaning that at the top of the pedal stroke, where you have limited force production, you are effectively using a smaller 49-tooth chainring, which is easier to push, and through the power phase of the pedal stroke, where the muscle can produce maximal force, you are effectively pushing a 56.

You can also try to skew the length-tension curve by strengthening the gluteals and quadriceps in an over-lengthened position, such as by doing a step-up on a large step or block.

ImprovIng muscle FunctIon and cyclIng power By nathan koCh Pt, atC, and Wolfgang osWald Pt, oCs Have you ever wondered why getting lower in the aero cycling position makes you lose power, or why you run poorly or experience calf or quad cramping off the bike, even with appropriate brick training?

Knowledge of muscle function is integral in understanding the reasons angle changes in the trunk and hips, knees and ankles affect cycling ability. Several phenomena that occur in the muscles, such as the muscle length-tension curve and active and passive insufficiency, affect muscle force production during the pedal stroke. Force produced throughout a muscle’s contraction looks like a bell curve, meaning that a muscle produces maximal force in its mid-range and lower forces when it’s either near maximally stretched or near maximally shortened.

One reason lowering the upper body to get more aerodynamic results in a loss of power is that the knee gets closer to the chest, resulting in an over-stretched gluteus maximus and increased knee angle, which in turn lengthens the quadriceps. Traditionally, triathlon and time-trial cycling have incorporated longer crank arms that bring the knee closer to the chest. This results in even more gluteus maximus stretching and quadriceps over-lengthening and further 32

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Reflexive inhibition is another specific muscle function that has important implications for bike position. Each muscle group has its opposing muscle group, as the quadriceps are opposed by the hamstrings. If one of these muscles is tight and is stretched to the point of tightness, it inhibits the opposite muscle from producing its maximal contraction. For example, the hamstrings have to be able to lengthen toward the end of the power phase (3 to 5 o’clock) and the bottom of the pedal stroke. If there is not sufficient length in the muscle at that point, it causes a reflexive inhibition of the quadriceps, essentially shutting them down so they cannot produce maximal force. This will result in reduced power where you need it the most—in the power phase.

Likewise, the lower a cyclist crouches in the aerobars to become more aerodynamic, the more hamstring length is required, so the same reflexive inhibition of the quadriceps can occur if the hamstrings are tight.

Solutions to correct this muscle inhibition include: Traditionally, stretching has been used for

injury prevention, but it can also be used to improve power production by reducing inhibition of the major cycling muscles.

Static and dynamic stretching of the hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and gluteals is recommended. To gain maximal lengthening of the muscles when stretching, first warm up the muscles with activity and then hold the positions for at least one minute two to three times. Do these static stretches for 30 to 60 minutes, but only post-workout, as static stretching can reduce the muscle’s contractile force by 30-plus percent. Dynamic or movement-based stretching can be performed prior to exercise and focuses on preparing the joints and muscles for the desired activity. This type of stretching does not include a hold time but rather a quickly repeated movement to increase joint mobility and muscle function.

Lever forces on joints at various angles also influence muscle function during the pedal stroke. In the power phase of the pedal stroke, when the gluteal complex and quadriceps are producing significant amounts of force, it’s the calf that is stabilizing the ankle to allow those forces to be driven through the crank and into the drivetrain of the bike. Excessive loss of ankle stability, or too much ankle movement, will cause a loss of power transfer into the pedals. Cleat position can help by stabilizing the ankle and thus reducing the amount of calf contraction needed to transfer power to the pedal. The farther forward the cleat, the less stable the ankle and the harder the calf must work. The reality of muscle function supports a more rearward cleat position to reduce the work required from the calf muscles.

Solutions to improve pedal stroke power include: Moving the cleat all the way back. If that helps and you have Speedplay pedals, you can buy the adapter plate and slide the cleat even farther back. The next progression would involve getting a custom shoe with the cleat holes drilled farther back. Moving it to somewhere between midfoot and the first toe joint may be enough to increase power output and reduce calf fatigue or cramping.

These changes might also require a change in saddle height and/or fore/aft position, which your local bike shop or fitter can help you with.

Nathan Koch and Wolfgang Oswald are physical therapists at Endurance Rehabilitation in Scottsdale, Ariz. Visit Endurancerehab.com to learn more, or for static and dynamic stretching examples. june 2010

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

C heC king in

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FRUITSANDVEGGIESMATTER.GOV ACEFITNESS.ORG A website dedicated just to fruit and veggies is a vegetarian’s dream. Hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this website offers numerous veggielicious recipes, tips and information about every fruit and vegetable imagineable as well as tips for maximizing your shopping budget.

Think you have what it takes to become a personal trainer, fitness instructor or lifestyle and weight management consultant? The American Council on Exercise can coach you toward your dream through one of its fitness certification programs, or you can just brush up on your skills with continuing education webinars.

TRIATHANEWBIE.COM Your one-stop shop for beginning triathletes.

We’re talking total beginners. The website covers everything from how to put on a swim cap, proper bike etiquette, what to wear in a race and what to do on race day. Aimed at getting people from the couch to their first sprint triathlon, it includes resources such as a list of triathlon events, categorized by state, and fields questions from readers.

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susceptible to injury, pushing too hard on a hill or trying to pass the athlete just ahead results in a hamstring strain.

When a hamstring strain happens, slow down and don’t make things worse by continuing to press ahead full force.

If the finish line isn’t too far, it’s fine to slow up and finish the race, but proximal hamstring injuries particularly are a good reason to consider a DNF. It’s generally not worth the months of aggravation that follow a bad proximal hamstring strain by pushing through this injury.

For immediate treatment, ice is key, then gentle stretching after a few days, followed by hopeful waiting. If the pain persists, see your doctor or get either an MRI or ultrasound.

Gradual return to activity, particularly speed and hill work, is key going forward.

For prevention, the point can’t be made enough: Strong gluteal and hamstring muscle groups are essential to preventing this injury.

Squats, lunges and planks will help strengthen the muscles in and around the hamstring. Isolated hamstring curls can work to strengthen the hamstring alone, but they do little for the gluteal muscles and others that are equally important. Multi-muscle strength exercises such as lunges and plyometric squats are better ways to prevent injury.

Newer treatments such as PRP (platelet rich plasma) may offer some hope for those suffering from a lingering hamstring injury.

Many sports medicine doctors are involved in clinical trials to assess the efficacy of this new method of treatment. At this point, PRP, no matter what the celebrity endorsement, is probably a treatment for a muscle or tendon injury that fails the normal healing response of about six to eight weeks.

As for Justin, he was eventually diagnosed with a proximal hamstring strain. Through strength and hard work, he is now pain-free and running well.

Avoiding And RecoveRing fRom A HAmstRing stRAin

By Jordan d. Metzl, Md Justin, a 30-year-old triathlete, comes into the office complaining about his hamstring.

“Doc,” he says emphatically, “this stupid hamstring is driving me nuts! I can’t seem to push off, I can’t do any speed work. Every time I run or cycle hard, I feel this ache in the back of my leg.”

What Justin describes—an ache or discomfort when pressure is applied to the hamstring or when the muscle group is actively loaded —has been the downfall of many a runner and triathlete.

The hamstring is a combination of the medial and lateral muscle groups that originates at the ischial tuberosity, part of the pelvis, and run along the back of the leg until they insert just below the knee. Since the muscle group spans both the hip and knee, there are two sets of forces that the hamstring is subjected to, both from hip and knee motion.

Unfortunately, the hamstring muscles aren’t ideal for sport—both the proximal hamstring muscles near the ischial tuberosity (sit bones) and the insertion near the knee have a poor blood supply. This translates into slow healing rates for muscle strains that occur proximally, the notorious “pain in the butt” hamstring strain, as well as the distal hamstring strain near the knee. The middle, meaty portion of the hamstring, the belly of the muscle group, has an excellent blood supply and heals quickly.

When the hamstring is injured, the key is to first recognize the injury. The hamstring strain is typically the result of too much speed or hill work, and most importantly, not paying enough attention to the cues of pain. Often during the run portion of a race, when muscles become dehydrated and 36

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Jordan D. Metzl, MD, Drjordanmetzl.com, is a nationally recognized sports medicine specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. In addition to his medical practice, Metzl is a 28-time marathon runner and seven-time Ironman finisher. june 2010

XTERRA PHOTOS

Medically Speaking

Endurance Traveler

C heC king in travel plans before and after the event, going by train may be a wonderful option. Renting a vehicle in Nice is generally a bad idea. The public transportation system is fabulous, so there is no need to deal with the horrendous parking and terrible drivers.

counTry Officially the French Republic, France is the third largest country in Europe and has kept its borders essentially the same since the Gaul Empire, dating to 2,500-50 B.C. Julius Caesar conquered the Gauls in the first century B.C., bringing with him the Latin language and Christianity. The rich culture of France survived and continued to flourish through the Crusades, plagues, revolutions and world wars.

Nice is the capital of the French Riviera and the fifth largest city in France. The city is part of the larger region known as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and was once under Sardinian rule. The history of Nice is still being uncovered today. The first indisputable evidence of fire domestication 500,000 years ago was discovered at the fossil beach of the Terra Amata archaeological site.

ViVe La France

By Dean Warhaft The race Ironman France, which takes place June 27, truly is a microcosm of life. It’s both brutal and beautiful, with a history dating back to the early days of triathlon. In the 1980s and ’90s, Nice was home to the other biggest race in the world, the ITU Long Course, which Mark Allen dominated for a decade. It took Georg Hochegger of Triangle, a well-known triathlon organizer, and Yves Cordier, Mark Allen’s former nemesis on these grounds, about five years to make Ironman a reality, essentially lengthening the ITU course.

The swim start is on the world-famous galets—hard, round pebbles worn smooth by the Mediterranean Sea. Viewing the course from the shoreline is somewhat confusing because of the buoy lineup. The easiest thing to do is swim out toward the very farthest buoys you see and you’ll be heading in the correct direction.

Transitions are as French as they come as there is no real separation between the women’s and men’s changing tent areas. So if you fully change your attire from one discipline to the next, make sure you’re comfortable changing in front of the opposite sex.

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Tourism The bike course is really what makes this race special. There are only two Ironman courses on sacred cycling ground, and this race has one of them. The course is flat for the first and last 20 kilometers, with a veritable rollercoaster of climbing and descending in the middle. The course takes riders through the village Gattières, which dates back to the 13th century. The 21 km climb to Plateau de Caussols is as beautiful as it is hard. Once on the plateau, the climbing isn’t over and neither are the ripping descents. The snakelike descent into Carros is a ride straight out of a movie.

On a windy day, this course rivals Lanzarote for the most challenging. The run is along the Promenade des Anglais, and it is packed with both athletes and spectators. There are no hills, no frills and no shady spots.

TraVeL Getting to Nice is easy. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is a few kilometers from the city (just look at the run turnaround on the race course map) and offers plenty of public transportation.

If you plan to travel by train, the TGV (France’s high-speed rail service) offers daily express service from Paris. If you choose to take the rail system, non-EU passport holders may purchase many different types of rail passes that include travel on multiple dates or to multiple countries. Depending on your

There is absolutely no way to take in Côte d’Azur during just one visit. Bike touring in and around Nice is a must. Athletes often get so caught up in the race mentality, they forget that riding is a ton of fun and a fabulous way to see the countryside. The trains allow an excellent opportunity to do one-way rides.

A spectacular one-day ride with plenty of stopping time is the one-hour train ride to San Remo, where cyclists can try their hand at the famous Poggio climb before simply following the coastline back to Nice through Ventimiglia, Menton, Monaco Cap-d’Ail and Beaulieu-sur-Mer. If visiting eclectic shops, sunbathing and snorkeling in tranquil crystal blue water sound more like your speed, then take the bus to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. After relaxing and recuperating, head to Antibes, 20 km in the other direction, which is known for its nightlife and the 16th-century Fort Carré.

No visit is complete without spending a full day walking the streets of Old Town and up to the observatory or sitting at a sidewalk café on Rue Masséna with a giant bowl of freshly steamed mussels.

Dean Warhaft has been racing and traveling for more than 15 years. He has raced on six continents, completing more than 30 Ironmans, more than 30 marathons and countless other endurance events along the way. He produces the “Endurance Traveler” TV series. june 2010

IronKids

with the disease. Her father passed away in early 2009, but Vinecki channeled the sadness she felt into motivation, collecting approximately $150,000 for the cause last year alone.

She plans to expand Team Winter this year, teaming up with IronKids as a national spokesperson.

“IronKids takes me across the U.S. and introduces me to other families and kids who might become inspired to help make a difference in this world,” she says. “IronKids inspires kids to become active and live a healthier lifestyle, and I encourage them to go one step beyond that and race for a cause, like I do.”

Additionally, IronKids will support the Iron Andy Foundation (IAF) by encouraging participants and their families to take part in the Iron Andy Challenge (IAC).

The IAC seeks to provide children who have diabetes with camp scholarships and empower everyone with diabetes to take a proactive approach toward managing and fighting the disease. IAC “camperships” are awarded to children who demonstrate the ability and desire to meet three criteria: embrace physical fitness challenges; give back to the diabetes community by participating and fundraising for diabetes education and awareness; and serve as a diabetes advocate and role model.

The partnership between IronKids and the IAF will also allow children without diabetes to meet an alternate set of criteria and award a campership to a child with diabetes.

“As the number of children developing Type 2 diabetes at a young age continues to grow, we feel it is imperative to raise awareness of the disease, which is linked to obesity,” says Michelle Payette, director of IronKids.

Whether choosing to support an IronKids charity or fundraising independently, the youth of the sport are on their way to do a lot more than cross a finish line.

Kids Race against canceR, diabetes

By C atie C ase A new study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that young Americans are spending an average of 7.5 hours a day on entertainment media such as cell phones, computers and TVs. While this trend might be the norm, it is certainly not telling of all children, especially not IronKids.

Take Winter Vinecki, for example, who recently formed Team Winter, an official IronKids charity partner. Vinecki, only 11 years old, began her philanthropic journey several years ago with the idea that kids can make a difference if they put their minds to it. Vinecki began competing in running and triathlon events to increase awareness of childhood obesity.

In 2008, she shifted her charitable focus to prostate cancer when her father was diagnosed 40

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To learn more about IronKids or to get involved with Team Winter or the Iron Andy Foundation, visit Ironkids.com. june 2010

Courtesy ASI Photo

C heC king in

Light Read

C heC king in Controls … check. Passengers in Economy sufficiently compressed … check. There’s a checklist for just about everything.

I wasn’t in the cockpit when U.S. Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger ditched his plane in the Hudson River in 2009, but I can guarantee that there was no, “Oh, geez!

What do we do now?” going on, nor “Hey, Skiles. You ever hit a bunch of birds and lose both engines? Remember what you did?” nor even “Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.” It was all written down. All Sullenberger had to do was execute. (This is not to minimize what Sullenberger did. That’s sort of how brain surgery works, too, with less splashing toward the end.)

Even better than checklisting your way to an acceptable outcome in the face of disaster is realizing that there is, in fact, no disaster. My own Sullenberger moment came when I was flying a little Cessna solo from suburban Chicago to West Michigan. I emphasize “solo”—that part seemed especially relevant to me when it became apparent that someone in the plane had farted, and it wasn’t me.

I confess I didn’t have a checklist for “look in the back seat for stowaway with nervous stomach,” but I did have one for “something might be wrong with the way the engine is burning its fuel.” I went through the checklist item by item. Checked each gauge, checked the performance, checked everything. According to the numbers and the way the plane was behaving, everything was fine.

Did that mean I was off the hook? No, of course not. It meant it was time to get out another checklist, one along the lines of “find an airport and land because the problem is beyond diagnosing in the air.” That’s not the checklist anybody is in a hurry to follow, but it’s a lot better than the “land the first place there’s room” checklist.

The first item on the “find an airport and land” checklist is to find an airport. I

Flying by the Seat oF your PantS JuSt inviteS ChaFing

By Jef Mallett One of my (let’s call it) quirks, according to my wife, is that everything has to be explained with a triathlon allegory. That’s not entirely true. Triathlon stuff has to be explained with some other kind of allegory.

Twenty-some years after my last solo flight, I still explain stuff with aviation allegories.

Racing triathlons and flying airplanes are both exhilarating. Both require dedicated training, a certain amount of smarts, a whole lot of good judgment and relentless attention to detail. Both are expensive and have a tendency to make some—but not all—participants throw up, though that’s getting into detail that is marginally useful and substantially less welcome. And both are sufficiently complex that the term “flying by the seat of your pants” is somewhere between a misnomer and a plain stupid idea.

It’s that complexity that makes for such a compatible allegory, and aviators have long held the solution: the checklist.

It’s easy to picture pilots running through their procedures on the ramp: Weight and balance … check. Fuel tanks full … check.

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opened my maps and looked. Closest one was Gary-Chicago International Airpo … ohhh.

Of course. I was directly above the smelters, refineries, sulfur, phosphorus and whatever else makes Gary and the airspace above it occasionally reminiscent of what middleschool boys and morning radio hosts like to call an S.B.D. (silent but deadly). Checklist says no crisis.

When you sign in at a triathlon and head to the transition zone to lay out your gear exactly the same way you always do, you’re essentially writing a checklist. A little later, when you run from the water’s edge to the transition zone, peeling off your wetsuit the same way you did the last dozen times, you’re following a checklist. When you get to the transition area and see that your slightly faster, infinitely clumsier neighbor has kicked your carefully laid-out checklist into the next row, you’ve still got a familiar mental image of the layout to follow, and you follow that one instead of succumbing to rage and panic.

The race goes on, and you eat according to the checklist, drink according to the checklist, pass your clumsy neighbor according to the checklist and measure out your effort according to the checklist. Until you throw out the checklist.

As well you should. Ernest Hemingway said journalism was great training for a writer as long as you got out of it before it ruined you. Checklists are a great way to keep track of details as long as you don’t let them blind you to the obvious. Once, my flight instructor hooded me for a while—blocked my peripheral vision and had me fly solely by instruments—and when he let me look out the window again, he killed the throttle. “Lost your engine,” he said. “Land.” I scanned the ground for options. This was rural Michigan; it took all of five seconds to find an open cornfield and settle into an approach. My instructor complimented me on my quick action. Then he pointed out his own window and added, “But if it were me, I’d have landed on that big ol’ runway over there.”

I told myself I got out of flying because it was expensive, but then I got into triathlon and put the lie to that excuse. I think I could handle only so many checklists. Maybe I like triathlon so much more because it’s a race, not the commuter flight from Columbus to Cleveland. You’re supposed to take risks, and that’s where the triathlon-aviation comparisons end.

The aviator says, “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” The triathlete says, “No guts, no glory.” My wife rolls her eyes yet again. june 2010

SIDIs just fit. Perfectly. Italian handbuilt uppers and incredibly thin, rigid soles give you every biomechanical advantage, with the engineered flex your foot needs to maintain circulation and comfort for a blazing bike split that won’t sap you for the run. Just ask any SIDI athlete, like Michellie Jones. SIDI is Italian for speed.

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TUCson To hosT 2011-2012 naTional dUaThlon fesTival USA Triathlon has announced that the city of Tucson, Ariz., will host the National Duathlon Festival in 2011 and 2012. Exact race dates have not been set, but organizers expect an April event both years. The festival will consist of three duathlons in the Oro Valley: the Age Group National Championship, a sprint-distance Citizens Race and the Off-Road Championship. Tucson boasts an average of 350 days of sunshine annually, and event participants can expect average highs of 82 degrees and average lows of 50 degrees in April. Located in the Sonoran Desert valley and surrounded by five mountain ranges, Tucson is a popular destination for triathlon training, especially among athletes wanting to get an early jump on their season training. Visit Usatriathlon.org.

QUinTana roo signs pro Kelly WilliaMson Quintana Roo has announced that American professional triathlete Kelly Williamson, formerly Kelly Handel, will be riding Quintana Roo bikes for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. She’ll compete on the 2010 high modulus Cd 0.1 and train on the Split R. She specializes in the 70.3 distance, but Williamson will focus on Ironman Coeur d’Alene, her full Ironman distance debut.

Visit Americanbicyclegroup.com.

World Triathlon Corporation has announced the 2010 IronKids National Triathlon Series schedule. IronKids, which targets youth from 6 to 15 years of age, aims to inspire and motivate youth through sport to lead an active, positive and healthy lifestyle. Now in its second year, the youth triathlon series will return to the 2009 host communities while adding several new locations to its roster.

The 2010 series kicks off May 15 in Orlando, Fla., at Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds. Visit Ironkids.com.

Top CoaChes of 2009 honored USA Triathlon has announced that Tim Crowley and Adam Zucco have been honored as the organization’s coaches of the year for 2009. Crowley was selected as USAT’s National Coach of the Year, while Zucco claimed Developmental Coach of the Year accolades. Crowley and Zucco were selected for coaching their athletes to top finishes on the national and international stages last season.

Crowley, who runs TC2 Training/Coaching

in Marlborough, Mass., coaches a number of the nation’s top triathletes, including U.S. Olympian Jarrod Shoemaker and 2008 Pan American champion Jillian Petersen.

Zucco, who is the head coach of Illinois-based Multisport Madness Triathlon Junior Team, guided his athletes—Kevin McDowell, Lukas Verzbicas and Ben Kanute—to a sweep of the podium at the 2009 Junior Elite National Championship. Visit Usatriathlon.org.

Usa TriaThlon annoUnCes hisTory projeCT With the hopes of documenting the rise of multisport from its humble Southern California roots in the 1980s to its status today as one of the world’s fastest growing sports, USA Triathlon is reaching out to its membership and beyond to help compile an all-inclusive and accurate history of the sport.

The goal is to produce a comprehensive and factual history of multisport through research and oral, written and visual histories from a 44

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wide range of sources. USAT needs the help of elite and age-group triathletes, management personnel, race directors, sponsors, family, friends and fans to gather materials that help tell multisport’s story. For inquiries, suggestions and contributions contact Verne Scott at vscott7@creativec.us or 720-371-9909 or via mail at 1331 Hecla Dr. #231, Louisville, CO 80027. Visit Usatriathlon.org for more information.

regisTraTion open for naTion’s TriaThlon MiliTary Challenge Active duty and veteran members of the military may register for the third annual Nation’s Triathlon Military Challenge. The Olympic-distance race will take place Sept. 12 and will feature a 1.5K swim in the Potomac River, 40K bike course through downtown D.C. and a 10K run along the city’s monument corridor. The sport of triathlon has increased in popularity among military audiences with a number of races devoted solely to military competitors, such as the Armed Forces Triathlon Championships, which took place last May at Naval Base Ventura County and the World Military Triathlon Championship, which took place last year in Sweden. To register, visit Nationstri.com. june 2010

Bruce Griffin

ironKids Tri series expands To 12 evenTs

CHRISSIE WELLINGTON, 3X SUCCESSIVE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPION AND COURSE RECORD BREAKER

LEARN FROM YESTERDAY, LIVE FOR TODAY, NEVER GIVE UP.

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ISLAND FEVER

What’s sexier than Jamaica’s beaches? Only our triathlete-models showing off the hottest designs in swim and race wear amidst the exotic island scenery.

PHOTOS BY TIM MANTOANI

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Oakley Compulsive Squared sunglasses, $145, in polished black/grey.

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Jaggad Sprint Shorts, $90, in pewter.

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june 2010

More than Reggae, Rastas and Rum THE TOP-10 MUST-DO THINGS AROUND THE ISLAND OF JAMAICA

BY BETHANY LEACH

Photos by Jim Smith courtesy of the Jamaica Tourist Board

The Rose Hall Triathlon in St. James, Jamaica, made our Top 100 Races list this year as one of the best excuses for a vacation during your fall racing season.

The Caribbean island of Jamaica has a rich history and incredibly lush forests; Jamdown—as it’s affectionately called in the local lingo—can pique the interest of any style of traveler.

FOR INQUISITIVE ACADEMICS

Fort Charles and the Maritime Museum

For the lover of learning, all corners of the island are chock-full of historical sites and museums. Visit the Jamaica National Heritage Trust’s website for some more off-the-beaten-path locations, or experience some vibrant culture at these must-see spots.

Port Royal All “Pirates of the Caribbean” fans should head to Port Royal, the hub of British naval power in the West Indies for more than 200 years, as well as the pirate capital of the Caribbean.

Visitors can wander Fort Charles, the only fort in town that survived the 1692 earthquake, or the Maritime Museum, located in the old British naval headquarters, which exhibits Jamaica’s maritime history with a scale model of the fort and models of ships of bygone eras. Jnht.com

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Devon House Kingston One of Jamaica’s most celebrated historical landmarks, the 19th-century Devon House mansion was the architectural dream of Jamaica’s first black millionaire, George Stiebel. The beautifully maintained house was declared a national monument in 1990 by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust and is now furnished with a collection of Jamaican, Caribbean, English and French antiques.

Devonhousejamaica.com

june 2010

National Gallery of Jamaica Kingston The island’s impressive collection of Jamaican art is housed in its National Gallery in Kingston. Art lovers and culture admirers rave about the extensive collection, which includes work by Mallica “Kapo” Reynolds, Cecil Baugh, Albert Huie, Carl Abrahams and Edna Manley. The collection attests to the vitality of the country’s artistic heritage, as well as to the rich culture it maintains to this day.

Galleryjamaica.com

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FOR OUTDOORSY ADVENTURERS For nature-loving travelers, Jamaica’s abundant beaches, mountains, rivers and waterfalls will make you swoon.

You’ll want to explore the vast natural wonders and sip divine Blue Mountain coffee in this island paradise.

Dunn’s River Falls Ocho Rios Triathletes—that adrenaline-seeking breed of athlete—will jump at the chance to climb a waterfall. Don’t expect a peaceful communion with nature during the enjoyable and invigorating 30-minute, 180-meter climb. Cascading down tiers of limestone, the falls almost have natural stair steps to climb, though they can get slippery without rubber booties. Climb at your own risk.

Dunnsriverfallsja.com

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Martha Brae

Green Grotto Caves

Old Tavern Coffee Estate

Montego Bay Journey down the picturesque Martha Brae River on a 22-foot bamboo raft.

Guided by a skilled captain, the 90-minute voyage covers nearly three miles. Travelers can take in breathtaking views of lush greenery, and even take a dip in the river.

Jamaicarafting.com

Discovery Bay Among Jamaica’s most prominent natural attractions, the Green Grotto Caves on the island’s North Coast feature a large, labyrinthine limestone cave with elegant rock formations and an underground lake. The cave has been used for shelter, as a hide-out, for arms smuggling, to store rum and even for a scene in the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die.” Greengrottocavesja.com

Portland Some of the world’s best coffee can be found in the Blue Mountains, and you can learn about the region’s coffee at Old Tavern Coffee Estate, a 30-year-old business run by the Twyman family.

They ensure the highest quality coffee for their customers, who include Jimmy Buffet. Contact them ahead of time if you want to drop by.

Oldtaverncoffee.com

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june 2010

Some websites try to sell you anything & everything.

We just sell everything you need

FOR THE TIME-STARVED TOURIST If you’re pressed for time and want to get a quick taste of the local flavor, head to these popular locales.

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Bob Marley Museum

Rick’s Café

Prospect Plantation

Kingston A visit to Kingston wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Bob Marley Museum, the reggae superstar’s former home and studio.

Learn about the legendary musician’s life after moving uptown during an hour-long tour. The house is much the same as in Marley’s day, including his star-shaped guitar left by his bed. Bobmarley-foundation .com/museum

Negril Founded by Richard Hershman in April 1974, Rick’s Café boasts an unrivaled view of the sunset from its naturally formed cliffs. Designated as one of Negril’s premier gathering spots, Rick’s also has an incredible cove, where divers put on quite the show, leaping from 35-foot platforms.

Rickscafejamaica.com

Ocho Rios Tour the property of one of the country’s oldest plantations by tractor-powered jitney, by horseback or on a camel while learning about bananas, cocoa, coffee and sugarcane. The estate features the 18th-century Prospect Great House, which has 28 loopholes designed to protect it against marauding pirates and buccaneers.

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Destination MoBay A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO EXPLORING MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

BY BETHANY LEACH

Photos by Jim Smith courtesy of the Jamaica Tourist Board

The Caribbean island of Jamaica, site of this year’s swimsuit photo shoot, is charmingly idyllic. The tropical climate, vibrant culture and scenic shores make it the perfect place to plan your next vacation, adventure or race.

Getting There Jamaica is a year-round destination, with coastal temperatures averaging a near-constant 78 to 86 degrees F. Even during the rainy season (September and October), the sun emerges after short shower bursts. Tourism season is December to mid-April, which means hotel prices are at peak. If you want to compete during your visit, the Rose Hall Triathlon, near Montego Bay, is slated for Oct. 23, and Jake’s Off-Road Triathlon, located on the south side of the island, usually falls in late April.

You can fly in to Sangster International 78

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Transportation Airport in Montego Bay, but there are also flights to Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, on the opposite end of the island.

Make sure to bring your passport and some cash. You’ll be issued a tourist card, good for up to six months.

If you’re bringing your bike, you’ll have to pay a few dollars for the Ministry of Agriculture to spray it when you arrive in customs after clearing immigration to prevent bringing in any fungus or bug that could affect Jamaican plants or crops.

The island is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut, and usually renting a car is easiest, unless you can’t handle driving on the other side of the road in this former British colony. Taxis can get expensive, but buses can take you pretty much anywhere you want to go.

june 2010

Where to Stay The Rose Hall Resort and Spa, a Hilton Resort, is the site of the Rose Hall Triathlon and is located only 15 minutes from Sangster International. The resort is all-inclusive and caters to people who lead a more active lifestyle.

It features 54 holes of golf, including a Robert VonHagge 18-hole course, a water park, a 1,800foot stretch of private beach, lighted tennis courts and an array of restaurants and bars.

Every morning at 7, guests can join a walk/ hike through all 18 holes of Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, which heads into the Jamaican june 2010

Where to Eat mountains. There are also great biking and running routes, making the area an idyllic training paradise.

The resort was built on an 18th century sugar plantation, and it has just the right mix of cultural quaintness—check out the artwork by local artists—and modern amenities, such as high-speed Internet access and flat-screen TVs in guest rooms.

You’ll have quite the selection of food at Rose Hall, but if you’re looking for something a little more rustic, head to Scotchies, a local hang-out famous for its jerk chicken. And a trip to the island would not be complete without some Jamaican-brewed Red Stripe beer to wash it down, or to replace some of those calories burned after a long workout.

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Courtesy JetBlue

Jetsetting to Jamaica

Getting to Montego Bay, or “MoBay,” is now even easier with JetBlue Airways’ nonstop service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International, Boston’s Logan International and Orlando International, which all launched during the last year.

The flights land in MoBay’s Sangster International Airport, only 15 minutes from Rose Hall Resort and Spa, the location of the Rose Hall Triathlon.

What’s not to love about a free checked bag (a rarity these days), an assortment of free drinks and snacks and the most legroom of any U.S. airline?

Plus, you have 36 channels of DirecTV on your own screen, you can listen to more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio and you can recline on plush leather seats.

JetBlue has daily nonstop service from JFK and Orlando, and a Saturday nonstop flight from Boston.

And for those summer jetsetters, JetBlue has a Wednesday flight from Boston to MoBay from May 5 to Sept. 1. In case you’d rather visit the other end of the island, you can fly a comfortable nonstop flight any day from JFK to Kingston. Happy jetting, mon.

What to Do in Montego Bay If you’d rather visit Jamaica to race than to train, try out the Rose Hall Triathlon, heading into its third year (the 2010 date is Oct. 23). It covers the grounds of Rose Hall Resort and passes the Great House, the former plantation house and home to the ghost of Annie Palmer.

As legend has it, Palmer came to Jamaica from Haiti, where she had learned black magic and voodoo. It’s believed that she poisoned her three husbands, and killed several of the slaves she had affairs with. If you have some 80

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free time, you can tour the Great House, where Rose Hall staff has claimed to see her ghost, or “duppy” in the local lingo.

Pre- or post-race, check out tourist hot spot Doctor’s Cave Beach, Doctorscavebath ingclub.com, which is famous for its white sand and crystal-clear water. You can rent beach chairs, sip a smoothie or take a dip in the water, which purportedly stays between 78 and 84 F degrees year round. Or take a 30-minute tour from Glistening Waters Restaurant, Glisteningwaters.com, to swim

in the Luminous Lagoon, home to a rare phosphorescent microbe, a dinoflagellate, that lives where the warm fresh waters of the Martha Brae River meet the salt waters of the Caribbean. The constant ebb and flow of the river causes the microbes to move and glow with a neon green color.

The zipline canopy tour at nearby Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Chukkacaribbean .com, takes you soaring through tunnels of lush tropical trees over rushing waters, and sends you flying at speeds of up to 35 mph. june 2010

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june 2010

Courtesy Battle at Midway Triathlon

Tri-Town U.S.A. Participation in triathlon is growing at a phenomenal pace, and new events are perpetually popping up, offering something new and special to racers each season. Triathlete spoke to athletes around the country in a grass-roots effort to uncover some of the lesser-known gems in triathlon racing. These are just a handful of the unique events that local tri clubs and organizers have created to give racers a taste of local flavor (ever see a battleship at a race finish?) to go along with that hard-won finisher’s medal.

By Jim Gourley

june 2010

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Birds Eye View Inc.

Ozark Valley Triathlon Tom Ewart/NWA Photography

ASI Photo

Memphis in May Triathlon

Wilmington Family YMCA Triathlon

In North Carolina, Wendy Lamb of the Wilmington YMCA Triathlon Club touts her own Wilmington Family YMCA Triathlon.

Occurring late in the season on Sept. 25, the event annually sells out of its 1,400 competitor spots. The 1,500-meter swim, 12-mile bike, and 5K run course draws an entry list of racers from around the country, who come to get acquainted with the terrain and water conditions of the Beach 2 Battleship Iron and Half-Iron distance races, rated among the top five iron-distance courses by Triathlete.

Held in November, Beach 2 Battleship is one of the last chances of the season to get in a great race before the bike goes on the trainer for the winter. And who can resist the finish line photo in front of a genuine battleship?

Setupevents.com Across the Appalachian Mountains in Tennessee, Memphis Thunder triathlon club makes the Memphis in May Triathlon (May 2223) the focus of its annual Racing for a Cause program. The races—there’s a super-sprint race the first day and an Olympic-distance race the following day—take place during the greater Memphis in May city-wide festival, which bases its theme on a different country every

year. (This year’s theme takes a Tunisian twist.)

If you’re feeling ambitious, try the Amateur Challenge. The 15 men and women with the fastest cumulative times in both the Memphis in May Super-Sprint Triathlon and the Memphis in May Olympic-Distance Triathlon win cash from the $5,000 prize purse. The course itself is incredible: As long as the wind stays down, it’s one of the fastest swim and bike courses you’ll ever experience. Come for the racing, stay for the music and the barbecue. Mimtri .racesonline.com In Arkansas, the Ozark Valley Triathlon is a favorite among members of the Fayetteville Trisport Club. If you’re looking for something exclusive, this one’s for you. The 1,000-yard swim course takes place in a lake that can only be accessed by swimmers during the triathlon. The 18-mile bike course and 4-mile run take athletes through pristine national forest areas—a major perk for nature-lovers who like to get away from congested urban areas. Ozarkvalleytriathlon.com In Wisconsin, the weather isn’t slowing down the 1,079-member strong Fox Cities Triathlon Club. They’re the host club for

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High Cliff Triathlon

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Texas State Sprint Triathlon

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Battle At Midway Triathlon

Courtesy Battle at Midway Triathlon

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the High Cliff Triathlon, produced by Midwest Sports Events, but their hosting duties extend far ahead of race day. The club holds a Tri 101 clinic in the winter to help newbies get ready for High Cliff, and it organizes several swim training sessions and practice rides on the course leading up to the event. If you’re thinking about getting into the sport, team president Alan Cherkasky makes sure the club is there to support newcomers. Note, cheeseheads are not appropriate bike helmets.

Foxtriclub.com In America’s heartland, the Triathlon Club of Oklahoma City wants you to go the distance at the Redman Triathlon, which has both an iron- or 70.3-distance option. The course is flat and fast, with plenty of aid stations and transition area support. The sixth edition of the race kicks off on Sept.

25. Redmantriathlon.com In the Lone Star State, Texas State University Triathlon Club president Neil Lucas says that nothing compares to the Texas State Sprint Triathlon, held in April. Participants—the field is limited to 300—swim in a springfed lake at the Edwards Aquifer (another

lake only accessed on race day) and you’re guaranteed to see aquatic life in the crystal clear water. There’s plenty more to see on the bike course, including a crashed rocket and statues of aliens. The run course follows a steep hill for the first mile (affectionately known as Bobcat Hill by the students who have to climb it to get to their daily classes) before following a gradual descent to the finish line. Texasstatetri.com Utah’s Desert Sharks Triathlon club is sponsored by the Battle At Midway Triathlon, a just-short-of Olympic distance event during the first weekend in August that boasts an incredibly scenic, and fast, bike course. If you’re doing well in the sprint distance but don’t feel quite ready to bite off a full Olympic distance race, the Battle At Midway offers a “BAM Lite” option that cuts the swim course to 700 meters and the run to 3.5 miles, but still lets you take on the full bike course. The Desert Sharks also host its own Shark Attack Triathlon in June for both kids and beginner adults. If you’re in the Salt Lake City area and you or your child are looking to do an event together, this could be just the ticket.

Desert-sharks.com

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John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

scientific and real-world evidence indicates the best way to improve your stride is to not think about it.

By Matt Fitzgerald nce all but ignored, running technique is now the topic of countless magazine and website articles, is taught by a growing number of running coaches and is intensively discussed in Internet chat forums and during training runs. Underlying all of this discussion is a gradually spreading consensus that running technique can in fact be effectively taught—that there is an identifiably correct way to run that every runner can learn and use to run faster and with fewer injuries. This belief that there is a single right way to run represents quite a departure from the old-school view of running technique from previous decades, which held that good running technique was essentially something that a runner was either born with or not, and that the only way to improve running technique was to simply run and let the process happen naturally.

There are some running experts who still believe that this is the case. Among these experts is Ross Tucker, an exercise physiologist at 88

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the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Tucker is not persuaded that there can be a single right way to run. In an article on his website, Tucker explains: “My personal opinion is that if there [were] a way to run faster and with fewer injuries that was guaranteed to work in all people … then it would be discovered by default. It’s difficult to fathom that millions of people, with different body shapes and sizes and leg lengths and [centers] of gravity and joint angles, could fit into one single pattern or technique. Rather, the passage of time would filter out any flaws for each person.” Tucker believes that individual runners naturally develop the stride pattern that works best for them in the normal course of training, but that this pattern is not transferable—in other words, past a certain point, what works for me is unlikely to work for you.

Scientific research on the teaching of running technique tends to support Tucker’s view. For example, a 2005 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences reported that the running economy of 16 june 2010

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high-level triathletes was actually reduced (meaning the athletes became less efficient) after 12 weeks of practicing the Pose running method. In fact, to my knowledge no study has ever demonstrated an improvement in running economy or performance resulting from technique training.

There is other evidence that consciously meddling with your stride might indeed make it less efficient instead of more efficient.

For example, in a study from the University of Münster, trained runners were asked to run for 10 minutes at a designated pace on three occasions: once while thinking about their breathing, once while thinking about their stride and once while thinking about the environment around them. Oxygen consumption was monitored during all three runs. And guess what? The runners consumed the least amount of oxygen—that is, they were most economical—while not thinking about their bodies as they ran.

In the real world, the notion that there is a single right way to run is belied by the tremendous diversity in the strides of the world’s best runners. Look at the lead pack of runners in any major marathon and you will see all kinds of variety. Some runners have a pronounced forward lean, while others are perfectly upright. Some carry their arms high, others low. Some runners are forefoot strikers, while others are midfoot strikers. Some have loose, loping strides, while others exhibit compact strides with very high turnover rates.

You can see clearly that each runner, through years of practice, has “solved the problem” of running fast over long distances by working out the optimal stride for his or her unique body.

Supporters of the notion that there is a right way to run correctly point out that there are several characteristics common to the strides of all elite runners. However, the best evidence suggests that the rest of us cannot become elite runners—or even measurably better runners than we are today—by consciously aping these characteristics.

For example, it is known that faster runners typically have higher natural stride rates than slower runners. If two runners of different ability levels run together at the same pace, the more gifted of the two will take smaller, more frequent strides than the other. The natural stride rate of the typical elite runner is 90 strides per minute. The average stride rate of the typical midpack runner is closer to 80 strides per minute. Now, you might think that consciously increasing your stride rate from 80 to 90 strides per minute would be an effective way to gain a more efficient, elite-like stride. Once again, though, research has shown that runners become less efficient, not more efficient, when they force themselves to run at any stride rate other than their natural one.

This isn’t to say that individual runners cannot improve their strides, but the facts indicate that we cannot become more efficient runners by consciously forcing ourselves to replicate some universal ideal of running form. New research by Stephen McGregor at Eastern Michigan University suggests that improvements in stride efficiency are a major factor in long-term improvements in running performance—perhaps a bigger factor than gains in aerobic june 2010

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capacity. But these improvements appear to unfold naturally and unconsciously through the normal training process as the neuromuscular system slowly learns how to sustain desired speeds with increasing fatigue resistance.

Perhaps the crucial difference between how running technique actually improves and how the one-size-fits-all technique systems seek to improve running technique is that the technique systems involve making gross motor changes in movement patterns that are usually plainly visible to the outside observer (e.g., you make your legs move differently), whereas natural improvements unfold at the fine motor level (e.g., your legs move in basically the same way, but with less muscle activation under the surface), and are visible only as a general increase in the grace of the stride. And again, the forced, conscious changes appear not to work, whereas the automatic, unconscious changes do.

The best way to improve your running technique is to not think about it and instead simply run often and run regularly to the point of fatigue at a variety of paces. In doing so you will expose your neuromuscular system to challenges that it will meet by finding a more efficient way to sustain desired speeds. Some of these unconscious discoveries will change your stride in the same ways that the technique systems try to force upon runners, but instead of making your stride less efficient these organically made changes will improve your running efficiency. For example, there is anecdotal evidence from runners who train with speed and distance devices with cadence-monitoring capability that stride rate increases naturally and without conscious manipulation as fitness increases.

I confess that until recently I counted myself among those who believe that conscious emulation of the strides of elite runners was a good idea. I learned otherwise in researching my book, “RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel.” But I greeted this finding as good news because it actually makes technique improvement easier. The running stride is resistant to consciously enforced changes (with good reason, as we have seen). Thus, making such changes stick is a tedious process that takes a lot of the fun out of running.

The better way to improve your stride is much more pleasant: Don’t think, just do it.

This article was adapted from Matt’s forthcoming book, “RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel” (Velo Press, Velopress.com).

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june 2010

Fit, Feel + Ride A New KiNd oF Shoe Guide

By Matt Fitzgerald and adaM Chase, with sean MCKeon Photos By nils nilsen

You have probably been taught that you should buy running shoes based on the structure of your foot. Specifically, if you have a low arch, you should buy motion control trainers; if you have a medium arch, you should buy stability trainers; and if you have a high arch, you should buy cushioned trainers. The rationale behind this system is that matching shoe type with foot structure reduces injury risk by controlling pronation and supination of the foot during running.

However, a new study from the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine says that assigning shoe types based on foot-arch height does not reduce injury risk. Other research suggests that injury risk is reduced when runners simply choose the running shoes that they find most comfortable.

It might be that the feeling of comfort in a shoe comes from a good fit and a combination of other characteristics that enable the runner’s joints to move naturally in their preferred patterns, minimizing strain on the lower extremities.

If comfort is the most important factor to consider when selecting 94

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running shoes, then a training shoe review should give individual runners the best possible sense of which specific shoes they are likely to find most comfortable. That’s exactly what this review does.

Each runner has distinct preferences in the characteristics that affect how a shoe fits, feels and rides. For example, some runners find a firmly cushioned impact most comfortable while others like a softly cushioned impact.

Nine major characteristics determine the fit, feel and ride of a running shoe. You will find a list of them on page 99. Take a moment to circle your preferences, then match them up against the “personality profiles” of these 17 shoes as determined by our wear testers.

A shoe need not match your preferences perfectly to merit a try-on.

We’re dealing in feelings here, not measurable attributes. But if you consciously shop for shoes by comfort and make an effort to identify your preferences as a part of this process, you will consistently take home better shoes for your needs than if you follow the old, discredited, pseudoscientific advice to shop by foot structure. june 2010

How IT woRks What sort of shoe do you find most comfortable? Go through the nine characteristics below and circle your preferences. You might find it helpful to run in a shoe you love and then circle the phrases that best describe how it actually feels, also thinking about any characteristics you would change if you could.

FIT Fit characteristics are those that affect how the shoe feels when you stand in it.

Heel Fit Super snug Very snug Snug Less snug

FEEL Feel characteristics are those that affect how the shoe feels when you walk in it.

Flexibility Very flexible Flexible Somewhat stiff Stiff

RIDE

adidas supernova Glide 2 The memory foam collar and dual-layered sock liner of the Glide 2 combine for an instant sensation of cushioning and customized fit.

The toe box volume and rear foot fit were relatively standard while the midfoot hold was strong and supportive. The Glide’s flexibility and perceived lightness helped the rear-to-fore transition, especially for midfoot strikers, and it felt like an efficient trainer.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly roomy Flexibility: Flexible Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Somewhat structured Cushioning: Very soft Stability: Stable Responsiveness: Dampening june 2010

asics Gel Kayano 16 For cushioning and stability to get you through your long run, the Kayano 16 is easy on the feet and comes in various widths so you can size up or down this lower-volumed supportive trainer. Our testers found the Kayano’s ride remained remarkably stable, even during long runs, and attributed that to the stable and somewhat firm midsole.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Super close fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly narrow Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Heavy Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Stable Responsiveness: Dampening

Ride characteristics are those that affect how the shoe feels when you run in it. cusHioninG Very soft Soft Somewhat firm Firm

MidFoot Fit Less close-fitting Close-fitting Very close-fitting Super-close fitting ForeFoot Fit Roomy Slightly roomy Slightly narrow Narrow

perceived WeiGHt Heavy Somewhat heavy Light Very light bareFoot Factor Very natural Natural Somewhat structured Structured

stability Very stable Stable Somewhat free Free responsiveness Very bouncy Bouncy Somewhat dampening Dampening

YouR sHoE pRoFILE Fill in your preferences and match them with the shoes in this guide.

Heel fit: Midfoot fit: Forefoot fit: Flexibility: Perceived Weight: Barefoot factor: Cushioning: Stability: Responsiveness: triathletemag.com

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Challenged Athletes Foundation

R AC E . R I D E . B E INSPIR E D.

CHALLENGED ATHLETES FOUNDATION MILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE 4-COLOR LOGO CONTACT: HOLLIS BRAND CULTURE : 619.234.2061

Million Dollar Challenge

presented by

ChAnge geArs. ChAnge Lives. October 16-22, 2010

An unforgettable seven-day, 620-mile journey down the breathtaking California coastline from San Francisco to San Diego.

Highlights include: } Opportunity to ride along-side celebrities such as Bill Walton, professional cyclists from the Garmin-Transitions team and inspirational challenged athletes. } A comprehensive 20-week training program, world class support and service, premier accommodations, fabulous meals and amenities. } Each rider will be outfitted daily with MDC-branded cycling apparel including team jerseys, a jacket and accessories.

4-COLOR (CMYK) LOGO

Bill Walton and Scout Bassett

dAy spOnsOrs

san Diego Triathlon Challenge

ChAnging Lives, one AThLeTe AT A TiMe. October 24, 2010

A life-changing 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run distance triathlon and festival, in one of the most breathtaking parts of the country – La Jolla, California!

Highlights include: } Opportunity to race side-by-side with world-class challenged athletes, professional triathletes, celebrities and other enthusiasts. } A “Celebration of Abilities” dinner, a continental breakfast on event-day, as well as a post-event BBQ and awards ceremony. } An incredible race-bag, often called “the industry’s best schwag bag,” filled with items such as CAF branded clothing, running apparel, sunglasses, sport watches, goggles, running shoes and more! (valued at $350) presentInG spOnsOrs

www.challengedathletes.org 501(c)(3) Non-profit Tax ID #33-0739596

pLAtInUM spOnsOrs

858.866.0959

Photos by: Tim Mantoani, Luis Garcia, Janis Darlington, Ironstring Writing and Photography and Brightroom

AviA Avi-Lite iii A lightweight and well-cushioned trainer, the newest Avi-Lite is well suited for high mileage.

Testers recommended going a half size smaller because the mid- and forefoot fit was too generous for them, although they recommend it for those needing an expansive toe box. The underfoot feel provided some connection with the road but remained cushioned and allowed for a natural gait.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Close-fitting Forefoot fit: Roomy Flexibility: Flexible Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Somewhat structured Cushioning: Soft Stability: Somewhat free Responsiveness: Somewhat dampening 98

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Brooks AdrenALine Gts 10 Brooks has quite a following when it comes to the Adrenaline, and the 10th iteration will please those wanting a snugger fit (or who buy a half size larger) and need more arch support than earlier versions. The Adrenaline is a solid trainer that boasts plenty of impact dampening and support without heft or interference with the foot’s fluid motion.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Narrow Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Heavy Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy

kArhu ForwArd ride The Forward Ride is for those with a low-volume forefoot, given its small toe box that put some testers’ toes to sleep. With a slight twist on the natural running movement, the Forward Ride is all about the transition from heel to toe, allowing the foot’s biomechanics to flow with the running gait, treating our testers to freedom for ground force-absorbing mild supination and pronation.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Narrow Flexibility: Somewhat stiff Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Stable Responsiveness: Dampening june 2010

New BalaNce 905 Flexibility. That is what stood out so dramatically with the 905, a lightweight trainer that felt like a racer because of its performance.

Although testers who preferred more structure in a shoe found the 905 too minimalist, it was considered very stable by most and was a hit with neutral forefoot runners. The fit and feel earned shout-outs for being targeted for speed.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly narrow Flexibility: Very flexible Perceived Weight: Very light Barefoot factor: Natural Cushioning: Very soft Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy 100

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K-SwiSS Keahou ii The Keahou II was a hit with our testers, who found its neutral cushioning to be “just right.”

The fit was supportive without being too tight and had plenty of room in the toe box. The ride was notably smooth, and the generous cushioning didn’t seem to change over the course of long runs. The Keahou was stable without being overly corrective.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Very close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly narrow Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Somewhat heavy Barefoot factor: Somewhat structured Cushioning: Soft Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy

MizuNo wave iNSpire 6 The Wave Inspire is a svelte trainer for all but the heaviest of runners who want to log big mileage with stability that won’t interfere with a neutral stride. The fit is true to size and worked to cradle our testers’ somewhat narrow feet with a minimalist airy upper. The ride had our testers thinking performance and encouraged higher tempo toe-off motion with noteworthy stiffness in the forefoot.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Very close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly roomy Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Very soft Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Somewhat dampening june 2010

IT’S YOU VS. YOU 20% MORE POWER TO MAKE YOUR BEST EVEN BETTER.*

T H E U LT I M AT E L I N E O F P E A K P E R F O R M A N C E P R O D U C T S The breakthrough formulations of Pro Performance ® AMP are designed to increase stamina, power, endurance, energy and strength. Amplified Maxertion N.O.™ is a nitric oxide supplement formulated to help deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. It helps delay neuromuscular fatigue, increasing your power by 20%.* With Pro Performance ® AMP

by GNC, you can bridge the gap between the athlete you are and the athlete you can be.

CLINICALLY TESTED. PROVEN RESULTS. ONLY AT GNC.

IN V EST IN YOUR PER SONAL BEST. *In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 50 healthy, untrained male volunteers were given Amplified Maxertion N.O.™ or a placebo. Each subject exercised on a cycle ergometer prior to receiving the supplement or placebo and again after the treatment period was finished. Those subjects supplemented with Amplified Maxertion N.O.™ had a 20% increase in PWCFT (physical working capacity at the fatigue threshold) after four weeks of supplementation relative to the placebo group. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. ©2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S. Ad: Arnell Photo: Arnell

Nike LuNareLite An “adaptive” shoe that morphed with our testers’ strides, the LunarElite came across as feeling deep dish in its cushioning but rather free-feeling, thanks to the technologically advanced materials used in the shoe. The pronounced forefoot flex and minimalist upper of the slightly supportive lightweight LunarElite requires a confident stride despite the lulling and forgiving encased foam core and memory foam collar.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Very close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly roomy Flexibility: Flexible Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Natural Cushioning: Soft Stability: Stable Responsiveness: Bouncy 102

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NewtoN Sir iSaac A guidance trainer with a racing flat feel and one that encourages better running form sounds like too much to ask from a shoe, but, depending on foot shape and biomechanics, the Sir Isaac delivers it all. It tested light and snug and required a break-in period to get used to hitting a bouncy spot. Forefoot strikers were pushed toward their toes while midfoot runners felt they were running more toward the heel.

Heel fit: Super snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Narrow Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy

PearL izumi SyNcroFueL A close-fitting upper with a pronounced midfoot hold supported our testers’ feet in these lightweight trainers. The SynchroFuel’s ride had a nicely cushioned and resilient sensation that was amplified by the springy forefoot flex. The heel crash pad offset the snug heel cup and the ride was rated as that of a performance shoe yet with the feel of a more generous trainer.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly narrow Flexibility: Flexible Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy june 2010

IT’S YOU VS. YOU IMPROVE ENDURANCE TO IMPROVE YOUR RESULTS.

1

T H E U LT I M AT E L I N E O F P E A K P E R F O R M A N C E P R O D U C T S The breakthrough formulations of Pro Performance ® AMP are designed to increase stamina, power, endurance, energy and strength. Amplifi ed Muscle Igniter 4X features ingredients shown to improve cardio endurance by five minutes,1 delivers 300% pre-workout calorie burn 2 and increases physical and mental intensity. With Pro Performance ® AMP

by GNC, you can bridge the gap between the athlete you are and the athlete you can be.

CLINICALLY TESTED. PROVEN RESULTS. ONLY AT GNC.

IN V EST IN YOUR PER SONAL BEST. 1A study of 29 physically fi t and healthy, young adult male subjects averaging about four hours of exercise a week cycling to exhaustion at 80% VO2 max showed that these individuals were able to increase

performance measured by time to exhaustion by nearly five minutes longer than when taking a placebo. 2 In a clinical study, a group of 25 participants exercised on the treadmill on two occasions. On one occasion, they used the calorie burn blend in Amplified Muscle Igniter 4X 60 minutes before exercise and on the second occasion, they took a placebo. Results showed a 300% increase in calorie burning before exercise when subjects consumed the calorie burn blend compared to results observed on placebo. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Call 1.800.477.4462 or visit gnc.com for the store nearest you. ©2009 General Nutrition Corporation. May not be available outside the U.S. Ad: Arnell Photo: Arnell

Puma ComPlete SPeCtana Although it ran a little on the big side, the Spectana provided a snug fit that was tight across the laces but provided a spacious toe box. Testers found the midsole was much more dampening than cushioning and recommended the structured ride for those needing motion control or for larger-framed runners who are looking for a firm shoe.

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Reebok ZigteCh Reebok’s newest technology is all in the slinkyesque midsole/outsole that is said to reduce muscle wear and transfer energy. The ZigTech’s fit favors those with big feet and some mass because they are very roomy throughout the upper. The plastic plate connecting the upper to the combined outsole and midsole served to dampen the ZigTech’s sensation of impact for a protective feel and placid ride.

Heel fit: Snug Midfoot fit: Less close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly roomy Flexibility: Somewhat stiff Perceived Weight: Heavy Barefoot factor: Natural Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Somewhat free Responsiveness: Bouncy

SauCony PRogRid guide 3 As a stability trainer, the ProGrid Guide offers a secure fit for lower-volume feet and plenty of motion control, in a comfort-oriented and affordable package. Our testers found the fit on the snug side, the feel toward the luxurious end of the spectrum and the ride a mix of comfortable stability and structure. The enhanced heel cup cushioning was duly noted.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Narrow Flexibility: Flexible Perceived Weight: Light Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Very soft Stability: Very stable Responsiveness: Bouncy june 2010

Ironman Champion and Nathan athlete, Kate Major

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Ironman champion and Nathan athlete Kate Major trains in the Nathan Speed 2R Auto-Cant — the first custom-fitting hydration belt. The patent-pending Auto-Cant Disk™ instantly adjusts the position of the Flasks while a canted, limited-stretch belt solidly holds the pak in place. Flasks angle depending on body shape and the pak’s position on the body so they are always easy to remove — and never in the way of your arm swing.

Front

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Back

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Scott Makani 2 Testers who tended toward a faster pace, or at least those who ran toward the fore of their feet, appreciated the performance fit and feel of the Makani, which felt true to size and accommodated moderate-volume feet.

The feel was pleasant, merging flexibility with comfortably firm impact absorption. And the Makani performed especially well for testers who liked to push it with rapid turnover.

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Under arMoUr apparition ii Under Armour’s Apparition II delivers the kind of foot-embracing one would expect from an apparel manufacturer. Our testers found the fit elastic enough to likely keep most foot shapes and sizes comfortable. The Apparition ran a little on the firm side and gave the impression that it was providing non-intrusive structure with moderate weight and stability.

Heel fit: Very snug Midfoot fit: Very close-fitting Forefoot fit: Slightly roomy Flexibility: Stiff Perceived Weight: Somewhat heavy Barefoot factor: Structured Cushioning: Somewhat firm Stability: Stable Responsiveness: Somewhat dampening

Zoot advantage 2.0 Zoot’s foot-gripping upper got a warm reception from testers who appreciated the snugness of a shoe born out of a sockless heritage. Those not used to a triathlon shoe’s ease of entry were duly impressed, but it was the lightweight flexibility and barefoot-like freedom that left the biggest impression. The Advantage is not recommended for those needing guidance and structure.

Heel fit: Very Snug Midfoot fit: Super close-fitting Forefoot fit: Narrow Flexibility: Very flexible Perceived Weight: Very light Barefoot factor: Very natural Cushioning: Soft Stability: Free Responsiveness: Somewhat dampening june 2010

At CEEPO, we build triathlon-specific bikes that deliver maximum time power output, stability, speed, and comfort while never forgetting that the CEEPO rider still must run. CEEPO bikes also help athletes preserve their energy by reducing energy sapping frame vibration.

We have concentrated on using superior engineering, finest materials, and quality processes to design the ideal bike for each triathlete depending on their unique desires in experience, power output, and riding style. Visit ceepo.com to see our technology, product details, all models and colors, and find out which bike best fits your riding style. For dealer inquiries, please call 480-951-2453 or email us at info@ceepo.com

KATANA

VIPER

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GRACE

Skin Deep

By Monic a Scheel, MD

All that time spent in the pool, on your bike and in your running shoes—often under a blazing hot sun—can present serious skin issues that, if gone unchecked, can quickly derail your training and racing plans. Several skin issues, including sunburn, skin cancer, blisters, saddle sores, chlorine damage and chafing, commonly affect triathletes. Learn how to spot these conditions and prevent them from sabotaging your health.

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SunburnS, Skin CanCer

Delly Carr

Skin cancer and precancers are serious concerns for triathletes. Patients often have “a sore that won’t heal,” “a mole that is changing” or “scaly spots that keep coming back.” With some judicious protection, these can all be prevented or mitigated.

Your skin is especially important in racing and training because it regulates body temperature. Sunburn decreases your ability to race at your best because of increased dehydration, increased temperature and discomfort. Factors such as fair skin, total time outside, diet, number of sunburns and moles, plus genetics influence how skin copes with the free radicals produced by the sun and skin cancer risk.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer, and one in five people develop it. Most cases are basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer that rarely spreads but usually requires surgery to cure. The most deadly skin cancer is melanoma, which can occur in areas that are mostly protected from the sun. It is the sixth cause of death in men and the seventh in women and presents in one in 60 people.

Use a sport sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher on your body before you leave the house.

Spraying sunscreen on your scalp helps when sun comes through bike helmets.

Wear a cap when you swim and hat when you run.

Work out before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to avoid the most intense sun.

Remember that speedsuits offer more than just extra glide—they offer extra cover.

Long-sleeved bike jerseys in breathable fabrics let you bike without overheating.

Sunscreen is 50 percent gone in two hours and 100 percent gone in four hours, so reapply your sunscreen every two hours.

bliSterS

Blisters are a common injury and rarely one for which athletes seek medical attention. They are most often found on the feet and are more likely to occur during longer runs.

To prevent blisters, decrease the friction between your shoes and your feet by wearing socks on anything longer than a half Ironman as well as in shorter distances if you are prone to blisters. If you develop a blister that is not painful, just leave it to heal on its own. If it hurts only when you run, using a protective covering such as moleskin during exercise can help. If it hurts to walk on it, it might be best to drain it. Here are some tips to keep you blister-free: june 2010

Buy properly fitted shoes for your feet and running style.

Use a vegetable-based lubricant such as Body Glide on your feet and between your toes.

Wear socks made without seams that fit well and breathe, and that are either synthetic or wool.

Make sure your laces are snug to minimize movement in the shoe.

Keep your shoes and feet free of debris by taking time to rinse your feet.

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SaDDle SoreS

Have a professional bike fit.

Choose a saddle that works with your undercarriage.

Take your time building your mileage.

Wear well-fitting bike shorts with a high-quality chamois.

Practice good hygiene by getting out of your shorts immediately after a ride and taking a shower.

Wash your shorts after every ride.

Use a good lubricant such as Chamois Butt’r on your shorts and your body.

Avoid wearing underwear under bike shorts.

SunScreenS

so it rubs in clear, and it can be put in a waterPersonal preference, the resistant base so it can be used during sports. climate you’re training in and This is also a chemical-free type of sun protection skin sensitivities will all play a for those athletes who prefer to limit the amount role in finding the right sunscreen of chemicals they are applying to their skin. Zinc for you. Remember to test these oxide is often added to chemical sunscreens to out in training, and don’t try any- ensure both types of protection—a physical block thing new on race day. (the zinc) that sits on the skin and a chemical It’s important to find a high- block that interacts with the cells of the skin. quality sunscreen that blocks both UVB or “burning” rays, Dr. Monica’S SunScreen PickS and UVA, the “aging” rays. Both My top choice for all-around protection for wavelengths of UV light increase all three sports is Skinceuticals SPF 45 sport the risk of precancers and skin screen. For the least amount of chemicals and cancer. The SPF on a tube of full protection, I like Badger Balm SPF 30 or Soleo sunscreen only tells you about Organic SPF 30-plus. They are both water-resistant the UVB protection, or ability and contain more than 20 percent zinc oxide. for the sunscreen to keep your For convenience and price, consider Neutrogena skin from burning. You have to Ultra Sheer and Cooling Mist with Helioplex (a be knowledgeable and read the UVA stabilizer) and Banana Boat Sport Spray with ingredients to determine the UVA Avoplex. For lip protection I prefer the high SPF, protection. The most full-spectrum chemical-free, clear zinc of Liptech Solar 45. For sunblock is zinc oxide—it most efa sunscreen stick that is easy to carry and apply, fectively covers the spectrum of UVA try Vectra and Shiseido balms. and UVB rays. It can be micronized 110

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Nils Nilsen

This is a group of skin irritations or infections that can occur when you put your backside on a saddle for long periods of time. Saddle sores can start out as a mild frictional irritation but have the possibility of turning into a serious infection if not cared for properly.

Hot spots (red areas), abrasions (scrapes) and raw skin can all turn into open sores from the friction of your groin and buttocks rubbing on the saddle. These are best treated with an antibiotic ointment Band-Aid until they heal.

Folliculitis, an irritation or infection of the hair follicles, is more common after shaving or waxing and made worse by friction and bacteria. Using an antibacterial soap such as Cetaphil Antibacterial or Lever 2000 and applying an antibiotic ointment can offer relief.

Products made for ingrown hairs, such as TendSkin, are also helpful in mild cases.

Boils are infections that feel like a lump in the skin and are tender, red and sometimes drain pus. Treatment might require a doctor, and it’s possible that you might need a prescription antibiotic. Resistant Staphylococcus bacteria could be involved, so make sure your doctor does a culture. If the boils are recurrent, you could be a staph carrier, a situation that requires treatment. To prevent these problems:

Matty “Boom Boom” Reed debuted his new Fuji D-6 Signature bike in style winning the Miami International Triathlon.

Seven wins in 2009 later, including the Lifetime Triathlon Series Championship, Matt is primed and ready to tackle 2010 as he sets his sights on the 2012 London Olympics.

Helping him along the way is his new Fuji D-6 Matty Reed Signature Edition triathlon / time trial bike. Featuring innovative rear brake housing, integrated front brake cable routing and versatile independent adjust seat clamp system, it’s got as much boom as the Big Man himself.

fujibikes.com

KSRUN 3rd PG Vertical ad TRI001.pdf

03/31/10

01:37:13 PM

Chlorine

Swimming in chlorinated water can be hard on your skin and hair.

If you have the opportunity to alternate pool workouts with ocean or lake swimming, or if you have access to an ozonated pool, this will minimize the exposure to chlorine. Avoid the pool the day or two after super chlorination, when chlorine levels are at their highest. Chlorine dries out the skin. In some athletes this will lead to white spots on the skin, a type of eczema called pityriasis alba or increased bumps on the upper arms called keratosis pilaris. Chlorine can also dry out and damage hair, sometimes turning a nice blond to green. The green color comes from copper elements in the pool that interact primarily with hair that has been bleached. Some athletes are sensitive to chlorine and can get a chemical dermatitis, which can be a full-body rash of tiny, itchy bumps. To decrease chlorine effects: Rinse your body and hair before getting in the pool.

Wear a swim cap to keep chlorine from damaging your hair.

Shampoo and condition your hair and wash your skin with a mild cleanser after your swim.

Consider a chelating shampoo such as Triswim to remove the copper elements from your hair.

Use a gentle soap—the Cetaphil bar and Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap are kind to the skin.

Select a lotion- or cream-based sunscreen to apply 20 minutes before your workout. Your skin will benefit from the added moisture.

Apply a good moisturizer to the skin before bed—Eucerin, Lubriderm or Aveeno are excellent. Creams and oils are more effective than a lotion base.

If a rash or skin condition doesn’t resolve in one to two weeks, see your doctor.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

Nils Nilsen

K

Chafing

Fr ic tion is the main culprit here—the result of your skin rubbing on clothing, especially around the neck, armpits, groin and nipples. From the swim, chafing mainly occurs on the neck from wetsuits and speedsuits and in armpits with sleeveless suits.

A properly fitted suit, which means a suit that fits your neck-to-groin length and is also the correct size for your body weight, can help prevent chafing. But even with a properly fitted suit chafing can occur when mileage increases. Use a non-petroleum-based lubricant to decrease friction around the neck, axilla and even legs to help you get your suit off after your race.

Petroleum-based lubricants can break down your wetsuit more quickly.

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Cycling friction can be minimized with the use of well-fitting cycling shorts with a high-quality chamois. Apply a lubricant to your skin as well as your chamois. Use a saddle that fits your body, and make sure you have a professional bike fit.

In the run, friction occurs most often in the armpits, feet and, in some athletes, the inner thighs or nipples. Wearing a well-fitting technical shirt and shorts helps because they don’t have seams that rub. Applying a lubricant to these delicate areas before a race or training decreases chafing.

Dr. Monica Scheel is a board-certified dermatologist and triathlete in Kona, Hawaii. Last year she offered free skin cancer screenings at the Ford Ironman World Championship Expo. You’ll find her volunteering in the medical tent on race day at the Hawaii Ironman. Visit Drmonicascheel.com. june 2010

BARRACUDA USA

Triathlon?

There’s an app for that.

APPLE’S GADGET WANTS TO COACH YOU ON YOUR NEXT TRIATHLON.

BY JIM GOURLEY

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ince unveiling the iPhone in 2007, Steve Jobs has campaigned to make his wonder gadget all things to all people. Endurance athletes are no exception, and plenty of application developers are stepping up to the starting line.

From MapMyFitness, the team that first brought us MapMyTri, comes iMapMyRide. This free application turns your iPhone into a route analyzer and bike workout log. Using the iPhone’s built-in GPS and interface with Google Maps, iMapMyRide allows you to record metrics such as distance, pace, speed and elevation, and automatically uploads your ride data to MapMyRide .com, where you can store your workout history.

If you’re looking for more real-time feedback than iMapMyRide can provide, perhaps The Bike Computer app (also free) by GlobalMotion Media Inc. is for you.

This “cyclocomputer” gives you most of the same analysis tools through the developer’s website, Everytrail.com.

However, your iPhone also becomes a speedometer, odometer and total ride-time clock.

For run training, the app getting the most rave reviews is the New Balance Total Fit app, also offered for free by MapMyFitness. It gives you real-time feedback as well as the Web-based logbook, but users love the app’s integration of the iPhone’s built-in camera, allowing you to shoot on the go—without interrupting the mapping or tracking mechanisms. (Now you have visual proof of that killer hill you just tackled.)

There are also a host of apps that help track calorie intake and promote weight loss, some with limitations.

Livestrong’s Calorie Tracker ($2.99) requires users to have a Wi-Fi connection. Rodale’s popular Eat This, Not That app ($4.99) doesn’t transfer well to the iPhone because of a frustrating user interface. However, Tap & Track by Nanobit Software ($3.99) receives high marks from users for its frequent updates, large catalog, simplicity and data display.

That leaves the best for last—heart rate monitoring. iTMP Technology Inc., has developed what it calls Smheart Link technology. The iPhone does not become a heart rate monitor itself; rather, a transmitter simply lets your existing monitor become compatible with your iPhone (instead of your wrist-top device) via the iBPM+ app. It has received mixed reactions from users who have had varying degrees of success in getting all the devices to sync. One thing most people agree on is the iTMP staff ’s dedication to customer support, so even the least tech-savvy athletes don’t get dropped from the pack. While the app is free, the Smheart Link device that lets your Garmin, Polar or Suunto talk to the iPhone is $150, making it one of the most expensive app configurations on the market.

On the whole, most apps cost less than $5 and new ones launch every day. That means most are well worth a try. At worst, it gives you a gimmick to look at for a workout or two, and at best it gives you an all-new enhancement. Who knows? Before long we all may drop the heart rate monitors, GPS units and bike computers and go with the one device that’s all things to all athletes. june 2010

ENDURANCE NUTRITION MADE SIMPLE

Photo: Eric Wynn

As an engineer, I tend to analyze and over-analyze everything. It’s truly invaluable to find a sports nutrition company whose entire line works as well as First Endurance. Each product is well researched, the key ingredients are prevalent in substantial quantities and they offer a complete line that takes the guesswork out of endurance nutrition.

Jordan Rapp – 2009 Ironman Canada Champion • 2009 Ironman Arizona Champion

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JENNY’S “MISSION”: TO BE A “MODEL” TRIATHLETE JENNY FLETCHER TEAMS UP WITH MISSION SKINCARE® TO HELP PROTECT, NOURISH AND HYDRATE HER SKIN

Jenny Fletcher grew up in Western Canada, testing her skills in track, volleyball, basketball and even horse jumping. She was blessed with both great talent and great looks–at age 15 she was discovered by an agency and travled to Japan to experience the fast-paced lifestyle of modeling. A year later, she was back traveling around the world competing as a modern pentathlete.

always innovating unique solutions that cater to active lifestyles so that we can protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun, keep our skin properly hydrated, and help us compete with products that are

during and after a workout,” she says. “Plus, with Vitamins A, D and E, along with ingredients like Green Tea Extracts, Ginger, Ginseng, Pomegranate, Acai and lots more, I really feel refreshed all day long. It is also critical that it is oil free, fragrance free as well as preservative and paraben free.”

“Whether I am in front of the camera or training in the hot summer sun,” says Jenny, “I have the utmost confidence in MISSION as my one-stop skincare resource!”

In her 20s, Jenny moved to New York City, where she continued to pursue her passions for oncamera work and sports, advancing from marathon running to triathlons.

Today, she has even loftier ambitions. “I’ve always wanted to one day be in the place I feel I am now—combining both modeling and sports,” Jenny says. “I have so much excitement and joy for this journey!” She adds, “One of my dreams was to become a professional triathlete, and I feel truly honored to be competing at that level now.”

Jenny’s journey as a professional has been chronicled in the pages and covers of many popular running, triathlon, health and beauty publications worldwide.

2009 was a banner year for Jenny as she earned podium finishes in numerous races, including victories at the Los Angeles and Escape from Alcatraz Triathlons.

Additionally, Jenny was honored to receive Inside Triathlon ’s Age Grouper of the Year award for 2009.

Jenny has also found a partner in MISSION Skincare®.

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T R A INING

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OPEN-WATER SWIMMING 120 | SWIMMING IN A WETSUIT 126 | MOVEMENT U 131 | SWIM 138 | BIKE 140 | RUN 142 | FUNDAMENTALS 145 | SPORTS SCIENCE UPDATE 149 | FITNESS 152 | DEAR COACH 154 |

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

Ralph Waldo Emerson june 2010

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John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

T R A INING

Open-Water Workouts to Boost Your Confidence

By Ben Greenfield

N

ow that summer has arrived, there’s no excuse not to find an open body of water in which to sharpen your race-day skills.

It can be tempting to stick to the safety and predictability of your health club or neighborhood pool, and simply approach the open water as a race week afterthought. After all, for many triathletes it can be logistically difficult or time-consuming to travel to a body of open water, change into a wetsuit, find a partner or group of swimmers to join and then perform a workout.

But once race day arrives, not only are you swimming at a far more hectic pace, but you’re confronted with an enormous range of tasks for which you need adequate physical and mental preparation. These tasks include deep-water starts, running beach starts, swimming into swells and waves, bilateral breathing, swimming a straight line, sighting, swimming into the sun, drafting behind a swimmer, drafting beside a swimmer, observing competitors around you, turning a buoy and transitioning from swimming to running onto the shore.

Does this laundry list of skills seem daunting to you? Are you stuck with only knowing a simple out-and-back workout when you swim in the 120

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open water? Use these solo and group workouts to prepare you for open-water swimming.

Workout 1: NavigatioN. This workout should be done early in the season so that harder, more physically demanding workouts later in the season can be performed with proper navigation skills. For both safety and group swim skill development, swim with a partner for all of these workouts; you will actually require a partner or group of swimmers for the drafting component of this particular workout.

Warm-up Five- to 10-minute cruise at an aerobic pace. Focus on rhythmic arm turnover in the warm-up, and especially if you are in choppier water, experiment with a slightly more rapid turnover than you use in the pool. A swimming metronome can come in handy for any of the sets in this article. maiN Set, part 1 Choose a buoy, dock, anchored boat or other stationary object that is approximately 200 to 300 yards away. Sighting every three to

five strokes, swim toward the object at a pace slightly slower than race pace. Try to establish a regular rhythm of sighting and breathing, such as: breathe right, two strokes, breathe left, two strokes, breathe and sight, one stroke, repeat.

You have two options for sighting, and you’ll need to experiment to discover which option you’re more comfortable with.

First, as you reach forward in your stroke and begin to roll your body, take your breath while looking forward (lift your head). You must do this without lifting your head too high so that you avoid sinking your feet and creating extra drag. The second option is to breathe off to the side as you extend one arm forward, and then look ahead for a quick moment as your other arm is recovering over your body. Perform three to four sets of these 200- to 300-yard sighting swims and, if possible, perform several of these workouts while swimming with the sun in your eyes. Attempt to sight without stopping forward progress or interrupting your stroke. maiN Set, part 2 With a partner or group of individuals, choose a single object approximately 800 to 1,000 yards away, or a series of three to five objects spaced by 200 to 300 yards. Swim toward the objects in a single file, or if numbers permit, a double-file line. The swimmers in front will practice sighting and the swimmers behind will practice drafting no more than 12 inches from the feet of the swimmer in front. Every 20 to 30 june 2010

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TRAINING seconds, the swimmers at the back of the line move to the front of the line. This set should be performed at race pace. When a swimmer is in front of you, practice feeling the draft and following the bubbles generated by their feet, without actually popping your head up to sight. Ideally, when you reach the destination object, such as a buoy, the entire group should turn around the buoy. Cut to the inside when possible and fold at your hip to wrap your body around the buoy while still swimming.

Workout 2: StartS & FiniSheS. Perform this workout in the final three weeks leading up to a race. In the week prior to an event, try to get into the open water every day to increase your comfort, train your brain and allow your open-water swim skills to become razor-sharp.

main Set, part 1 Perform five to seven repeats in which you or your group begin 10 yards from the water, sprint into the water, dive forward and perform 100 meters of powerful race-pace swimming, breathing every stroke or every two strokes. If You don’t necessarily have to do every race season workout in the open water, but an ideal scenario would involve getting into the open water at least once per week, beginning with Workout 1 in the early season, then progressing to Workouts 2 and 3 as your race approaches. For cool-downs, you can simply tread water and socialize, walk back to your car or swim at a relaxed pace for a few minutes. Finally, for iron-distance athletes who need to become comfortable with staying horizontal for longer periods of time, these workouts should ideally be supplemented with a weekly or bi-monthly steady 45 to 60-minute aerobic swim.

XTERRA PHOTOS

Warm-up Begin by testing the depth of the water in which you are practicing. Where does the beach end and the water begin? Where does the water become too deep to run? For five minutes, practice jogging into the water and,

when you can no longer run comfortably, practice transitioning to a swim stroke.

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TRAINING

XTERRA PHOTOS

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there are waves, practice tucking your head and diving under and through each wave before resuming your stroke rhythm. Recovery is an easy swim back to the beach.

Repeat the set, but this time begin in the water at a depth where you can barely touch the bottom or must tread water. From this deepwater start, initiate swimming by performing one very powerful frog kick with your lower body.

Main Set, Part 2 Perform five to seven repeats in which you start 50 to 100 meters off-shore and swim to the beach at race-pace intensity.

When you get to the point where your hand grazes bottom, stand and begin high-knee running or skipping until you reach the beach. If you are wearing a wetsuit, practice unzipping the suit by the time you are on dry ground. Recovery is an easy swim back off-shore.

Workout 3: race Pace training.

This strength and speed workout prepares you for the rigors of race-pace swimming and should ideally be performed four to six times prior to beginning your race taper.

WarM-uP Perform your ideal pre-race warm-up, which should consist of four to five minutes of easy swimming, with three to four 30-second surges up to race-pace intensity and a full recovery between each surge.

Main Set, Part 1 Perform a series of two to four sets of four to six minutes at race pace (at about 85 percent to 90 percent intensity), using a 2:1 work to rest ratio, which means that you rest for half as long as you worked. Recovery can be easy swimming or treading water.

Main Set, Part 2 Perform a series of two to four sets in which you take 100 hard and powerful strokes, followed by 100 easy strokes, then 75 hard strokes and 75 easy strokes, 50 hard strokes and 50 easy and finally 25 hard and 25 easy. Recover completely—until you can breathe easily—between each set. Counting your strokes will enhance your arm turnover and also eliminate the necessity to glance at your watch, which is difficult during a short power set like this. june 2010

T R A INING your torso into your armpits to get as much mobility as you can through the shoulders. Make a few arm circles to assess the range of motion.

Find some stellar open-water drills to practice in your wetsuit on page 120.

Maximize Your Wetsuit’s Performance

By Lance Watson

M

any North American triathlons and most Ironman events feature wetsuit-legal swims. Wetsuits help novice swimmers get through the swim more comfortably. However, while the buoyancy of a wetsuit improves swim speed for most swimmers, some athletes get more benefit from their wetsuits than others.

Usually this problem is solvable. Here are some important considerations for maximizing your wetsuit swimming performance.

Choose the Right Wetsuit Consider a couple of points in selecting the best suit for your needs. Sleeveless wetsuits are easiest on the shoulders, allowing for full, unrestricted range of motion. Some of the bigger, broader-shouldered guys feel constricted in full-sleeve suits. Swimmers with chronic shoulder issues sometimes feel less comfortable in sleeves, and some athletes feel they overheat in full sleeves.

The quality of neoprene has improved, providing better shoulder mobility. So if you haven’t worn sleeves in a long time, consider giving them another chance. Full-sleeve wetsuits are more buoyant, more hydrodynamic, warmer in cold water and faster.

Fit and Feel Fit is critical. A proper fit can reduce shoulder tension and the chance of chafing, minimize 126

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water flow through the suit and improve overall comfort. In the store, a properly fitting wetsuit should feel almost as if it is too small. It should be tight through the low back and the front of your hips and should fit snugly around the neck.

A good, tight suit will minimize the amount of water flowing into your suit. Note that wetsuits tend to stretch a bit after the first few uses.

Your swim performance is affected by how you put your suit on. You can injure your shoulders swimming with a suit with twisted sleeves, which will torque your arm around like a super-size Ace bandage! A suit not pulled all the way up can place restrictive pressure on your shoulders and limit body rotation.

It can take a few minutes to properly pull on a wetsuit. Don’t rush it. Slipping each foot into a plastic bag will help you slide the suit past your feet and ankles. Before you put your arms through the top half, make sure the bottom half of the suit is pulled up as high as it can go. Starting from the ankles, grab the outside of the neoprene and pull upward (make sure your fingernails are clipped, or wear gloves).

Keep pulling the suit upward just as you would do with nylons or running tights and make sure you don’t leave any wrinkles. Transfer the plastic bags from your feet to your hands to slip your arms into the sleeves more easily and then pull the suit up toward your shoulders, starting from the wrists. Pull the suit from the sides of

Incorporate some wetsuit race simulation swim sessions into your workouts. These sessions are ideal opportunities to develop an efficient race-day warm-up and to get used to “shifting gears” from race-start speed into mid-race pace.

Most triathletes do great swim warm-ups in training but don’t warm up nearly enough on race day. A good warm-up gets the body ready to perform. It also alleviates nerves and tension so you can focus on simply exhibiting your swim fitness. In a wetsuit, you feel tighter than normal, so loosening up with a good warm-up is even more critical.

A good race start is slightly faster than your average pace for the race distance. This gives you the opportunity to catch onto a faster pack and reap the benefits of the draft, which allows you to swim at a faster pace with the same level of energy output. So it is important to practice starting fast to and get used to how it feels.

After your race simulation session, take note of how you felt swimming hard after your warm-up. This will give you clues as to whether the warm-up is effective for you, or if it needs to be fine-tuned.

This session also develops the ability to find your rhythm. This means keeping yourself in check during the race and not losing your pace or falling off faster feet. Arm cadence is key.

As on the bike, maintaining a high cadence is critical to maintaining speed.

Training with hand paddles is a good way to prepare for wetsuit swims. Paddles help prepare the shoulders and lats for the extra load of swimming with wetsuit resistance. Perform paddle sets once or twice a week. Start with a total of 400 to 800 meters of swimming with a pull buoy and paddles. Break the total distance into short intervals, such as 8-16 x 50 meters with 15 to 25 seconds of rest. Increase the total distance by 10 to 15 percent per week until you can swim 1500 to 2000 meters with paddles.

On the most basic level, the more time you spend in your wetsuit, the more comfortable you will feel in it. Adapt to swimming your race distance in your suit so that on race day you are not shocked into pressing the old panic button.

LifeSport head coach Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman, Olympic and age-group champions.

He enjoys coaching athletes of all abilities who are passionate about sport and personal excellence. Visit Lifesportcoaching.com or e-mail Coach@lifesportcoach ing.com for coaching inquiries. june 2010

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

get RaCe Ready

Win a Trip to

Participate with athletes from all over the world in the WATA Rose Hall Triathlon on Oct. 23, 2010.

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To enjoy the warmth and unspoiled beauty of Jamaica all you need to do to enter is send your name and contact information to:

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Offer expires Aug. 31, 2010. No purchase necessary. Official rules are listed in the back of the magazine.

WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK?

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T R A INING

The Woman Behind the Movement

JeSSi StenSlAnd iS chAnging the wAy triAthleteS trAin, one movement At A time. her interActive performAnce educAtion iS reSulting in pr’S And mile timeS pArticipAntS never thought poSSible.

And inJurieS? JeSSi SAyS, “never AgAin.”

By Tawnee Prazak • PhoTos By nils nilsen

S

he’s known as a hardcore athlete—with more than 20 career wins, she’s raced everything from the Xterra World Championships to the Olympic Trials. You’d think she was born with an abnormally tough body, but that’s not the case.

Jessi Stensland, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science with a concentration in physical therapy, now spends most weekends conducting her MovementU workshops nationwide, during which she teaches others how to realize their full athletic potential and remain injury-free with functional training exercises and body awareness.

It’s not another quick-fix scheme, and she’s not trying to be a coach. “The goal is to create a body that can do what the mind wants june 2010

it to do,” she says. “My journey with injuries and performance inspired my knowledge, understanding and mission of MovementU.”

School for AthleteS MovementU is an interactive workshop in which Stensland teaches injury-prevention and performance-enhancing exercises that focus on proper biomechanics, form and function. There are daylong options that cover specific exercises for swim, bike and run, or half-day options focused on running and general biomechanics.

Workshops take place in gym settings, allowing participants to actively try movements and exercises while receiving feedback.

Her courses are designed to address fun-

damental movement patterns and postures essential for efficient swimming, cycling and running, which many triathletes have not properly mastered. Consequently, they unconsciously perform inefficient movements that compromise their athletic development and performance and increase their injury risk.

For example, efficient running requires the ability to squat on one leg with stability at the knee, hip, pelvis and lumbar spine. Stensland all too often sees triathletes who cannot perform this movement well. “A lot of triathletes know more about their bike than their own body,” she says.

“You wouldn’t ride your bike if the handlebars were crooked or the brake pad was rubbing.

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T R A INING run or you couldn’t maintain a neutral spine?”

Stensland teaches techniques that boost athletes’ ability to perform postures and movements for efficiency in sport. Her techniques are intended to challenge and enhance the key elements of flexibility, mobility, strength, stability and elasticity.

Of course, it’s one thing to hear about the importance of proper form. But what about sticking to a routine and—gasp—possibly sacrificing swim-bike-run time to achieve it?

The naysayers will contend there’s no more time to devote to peripheral forms of training.

“It’s not about taking more time, but rather getting the most out of the time you have,” Stensland counters. She firmly believes 10 minutes of movement training done well are worth more than an hour of aerobic training done with improper form.

She recommends preceding workouts with movement exercises. It’s a good way to check for a structurally sound foundation. If something is “off,” she says, perhaps aerobic training should be rescheduled in favor of work on movement patterns and postures. Stensland lives by such standards: If she’s unable to perform a functional movement such as a squat, she won’t run until the movement is properly executed.

Performing certain movements before a workout also gets the right muscles activated.

“Glutes especially,” says Stensland. “People think running is all hamstring-quad, and they forget to fire their glutes. I see the same problem in cycling. You’re underutilizing a powerful muscle.”

my injuries at bay.”

Meanwhile, she raced her way to top-six finishes in nearly every triathlon she did, including a win at the St. Kitt’s International Triathlon. But injury followed again.

Stensland had all but decided that her career was over, but she’d also qualified for the 2004 Olympic Triathlon Trials—her lifelong dream. It was during this bittersweet time that she encountered Mark Verstegen of Athletes’ Performance. “One day I thought I was done; the next I was training unlike ever before,” she recalls. “Twelve weeks later, I had the race of my life,” says Stensland, who finished as the sixth U.S. woman at the first Olympic Qualifier and fourth at another eight weeks later.

She took a two-year hiatus from sport and in 2008 re-emerged with a new sponsor, Under Armour, and regained pro status at Wildflower. She was stronger than ever. A year later, Stensland launched MovementU, using herself as a walking example of its success.

BRINGING CLASS TO YOU A key element of Stensland’s program comes from movement preparation. Movement prep is a dynamic warm-up that takes you through a range of motion similar to that of the sport itself, increases core temperature and prepares you for work.

Here are a few of Stensland’s favorite movement prep exercises: LUNGE WITH A TWIST Goal: Increase hip mobility From a standing position, step forward with one leg into a lunge position while keeping the hips, knees and ankles in line and the hips parallel to the ground. The forward foot should be planted firmly on the ground. Reach straight upward with the arm on the side of the trailing leg, then reach the same arm to the outside of the forward leg to get a rotational stretch. Hold for two seconds. Return to standing using the strength of your forward leg. Repeat on the other side.

MOVEMENT EVOLUTION At age 16, Stensland tore the lateral ligaments of her right ankle. The injury didn’t affect her NCAA Division-I college swimming career at George Washington University, but that unstable ankle morphed into a knee issue that came back to haunt her in triathlon.

That was just the beginning. In spring 2000 her poor form and muscle weaknesses caused asymmetrical hip rotation and chronic pain at the pubic symphysis. She incorporated physical therapy and yoga into her training while still maintaining a heavy race schedule and achieving pro status that summer. Months later, she suffered a stress fracture in her right L5 vertebrae. It was not a coincidence. “As I understand it now, that bone was taking all my weight in every step; I was done for the season,” she says.

Once recovered, Stensland used her exercise science background to do all she could to maintain a healthy body, but she was missing a piece of the puzzle. “I wasn’t yet on a mission to connect the injuries and figure out why they were happening,” she says. “The routine was simply rest, rehab and, once I could train again, do just enough to keep 132

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Stensland demonstrates the sequence for the lunge with a twist exercise.

june 2010

T R A INING M OVEMENT U MENU

Jessi Stensland is a firm believer that good nutrition is fundamental to athletic success. Therefore, she prepares healthy homemade meals for workshop participants.

SNACK: YOGURT PARFAIT ¾ cup organic fat-free plain yogurt with agave nectar Kiwi and tangerine slices Organic pumpkin flax granola LUNCH: RED PEPPER HUMMUS WRAP + QUINOA SALAD WITH LIME AND FRESH MINT + APPLE WRAP 1 whole grain wrap ¼ cup red pepper hummus Sliced raw red bell pepper Sliced raw cucumber Handful of baby spinach

Strengthen and stabilize your lower body with the monster walk.

MINI-BAND LATERAL MONSTER WALK Goal: Glute and hip activation, stabilization of hips, knees and ankles Loop a resistance band around your legs just above the knees.

Dip into a quarter squat, keeping a neutral spine (back muscles relaxed), feet

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shoulder-width apart, eyes ahead, arms bent at 90 degrees. Move to the right by pushing off with left foot and stepping with the right leg.

Repeat several times, then switch directions. Lead with the knee, not the foot, and do not let the knees bow inward.

QUINOA 1 cup quinoa 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Lime juice 2-3 fresh mint sprigs Sea salt & fresh ground pepper Handful of quartered grape or cherry tomatoes

june 2010

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Straight double threaded spokes This spoke connection is considerably stronger as it is playfree on both ends and therefore subject to smaller peak loads.

Open Crowfoot Spoke pattern with combined radial and crossed spokes for high stiffness and perfect transmission of torques.

Torx nipples Thanks to the Torx design the truing tool has a better grip on the nipple.

Rim insert The spoke inserts are supported on two sides in the rim creating a big contact surface.

The rim can be designed lighter, is airtight and tubeless compatible.

Concave rim profile The concave shaped sidewalls counteract the expansion force induced by tire pressure and spoke pull.

Tubeless For more information check out www.dtswiss.com

T R A INING THE 10-YARD SKIP Goal: Open the hips, activate glutes and emphasize good posture Start with a simple march-in-place, lifting the knees high. Maintain good posture with the elbows bent at 90 degrees.

Now begin marching forward with high knees, taking a hop step forward with the support leg as the knee of the opposite leg drives upward.

Drive the hopping foot into the ground and put the hip in full extension.

Move the arms in opposition to the legs as you do when running. March forward about 10 yards, rest briefly, and repeat.

From left, Stensland shows the correct 10-yard skip form.

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Tawnee Prazak is a USAT-certified coach, personal trainer, kinesiology graduate student and triathlete based in Orange County, Calif.

june 2010

Visualize the motion of air...

2010 Jamis T-Series Flow Visualization Testing San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel , November 2008 Photo: John Segesta - wahoomedia.com

...and then dominate it.

Xenith T1

Xenith T

Xenith T2

It’s not too much to say our Xenith T-Series frame rewrote the standard for production tri machines. The first time we hung this baby up in T1, the other guys went scrambling. Full NACA aero profiles throughout, a chainstay-mounted rear brake and that full-carbon WindShield® fork with its fully enclosed front brake that delivers a 10% drag reduction over a standard aero fork, told them we meant business. They’re still struggling to catch up.

For 2010, we employed flow-visualization testing at the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel to refine our Xenith T-Series frames. Utilizing a technique dubbed “french chalk”, which is typically used in the

aerospace industry, our product development team was able to tune and optimize airflow not only over and near the surface of the frame (like most typical wind tunnel flow visualization techniques), but ON the surface of the frame as well, totally driving development of the new 2010 Xenith-T series design.

It’s not hard to visualize. Every Jamis T-series bike is built for one thing only: Getting you to T2 faster, and with fresher legs, than the competition. Now dominate! www.jamisbikes.com

Nils Nilsen

SWIM

Swim Vocabulary Made Simple

By Sara McLarty

T

he freestyle swim stroke has several subtle parts that make up the whole. Each swim coach, program and athlete has a different way of explaining each of these small parts. Sometimes it’s confusing when different vocabulary is used to describe one part of the stroke.

Balance, body position and hip rotation are important elements of the freestyle swim stroke. A coach might critique your balance in the water but praise your hip rotation; or she might try to tweak your body position and ignore your balance. It is important to understand what each term means so you can make improvements.

First is balance. Your upper body and your legs should share the effort of moving you through the water. Specifically, your arms should make a 50 percent to 70 percent contribution to your forward propulsion while your legs should account for the remaining 30 to 50 percent. Swimmers who drag their legs behind their body, with almost no visible kick, are missing out on the potential core power that is derived from the hips. On the other hand, if your legs are tiring long before your 138

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upper body, consider lessening your kick to conserve energy. By swimming with a two- or four-beat kick (meaning you complete two or four individual kicks per complete arm stroke cycle), you can benefit from the power in you legs without tiring too quickly.

Balance in the water also means having the movement of the stroke come easily and naturally. A swimmer with good balance is not fighting the water; she is efficiently working with the water, gravity and her own body.

Both sides of her body are making similar movements. And yes, balanced swimming requires bilateral breathing.

In terms of body position, try to maintain a constant position during the entire stroke cycle.

Strive for a horizontal position in the water with your face pointing toward the bottom of the pool and your hips near the surface of the water. You can practice floating with a snorkel or streamline kicking (that is, kicking face down with your arms at your sides) to become comfortable in this position. Your position is good if your heels just break the surface of the water with each kick.

Next, try to keep your body in a straight line. Think about being “skewered” from the top of your head, through your neck and down your spine. You can rotate on this skewer but you cannot move any part of your body laterally. Drag and resistance are minimized with a streamlined position.

Finally, there is the fine art of hip rotation, which actually refers to shoulder, torso and hip rotation. To understand rotation correctly, you must first recognize “disconnect.” Rotation occurs from the middle of the neck to the middle of the thigh. The head and legs are disconnected from the rotation. When the hips, torso and shoulders are maximally rotated 45 degrees to the left or right in the water, your head and legs should maintain a horizontal position.

This allows your kick to keep a steady beat at the surface of the water and it keeps your head still at the front of the stroke.

Your breathing is also disconnected from hip rotation. Breathe by rotating your neck just enough to get one goggle and your mouth out of the water. Head movement should be minimal and should not affect your balance, body position or hip rotation.

Sara McLarty coaches swimming at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. Submit your swimming questions to Sara at swim@competitorgroup.com. june 2010

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B ik e drills Perhaps the most effective pedaling drill is pedaling with one leg. Done properly while on a trainer, this drill all but forces you to pedal in circles. Just unclip one foot from the pedal and rest it on the trainer as you pedal with the other leg. Begin with 15 seconds per leg and alternate between the left leg, both legs and the right leg. Gradually increase the time of the drill to one minute per leg over a few weeks.

This drill is actually best done with a lower cadence, such as 80 to 85 rpm, as it keeps you from using momentum to return the pedal to the top of the stroke. Consciously pull your knee toward the handlebar on the upstroke and use a gear or resistance level that allows you to pedal smoothly through a full 360 degrees.

A second helpful pedaling drill is fast pedaling. Simply pedal with both legs at 110 rpm or faster. This drill encourages circular pedaling because a rough up-and-down pedaling style causes the rider’s rear end to bounce on the seat at such high cadences.

Pedal it Up a Notch

By Dan Smith

W

hen you see a cyclist on the road, you can immediately tell whether he is new to the sport or a seasoned veteran. Experienced riders appear at one with the bike, quietly perched atop their saddles with their upper body relaxed and legs spinning smoothly in circles. Newer riders tend to bob their heads like parakeets in time to legs pumping like pistons, straight up and down on the pedals.

As basic as the act of pedaling seems, some cyclists clearly do it better than others. But what exactly is good pedaling technique? And how can you improve your pedaling?

textbook pedaling The telltale indicator of a good pedal stroke is efficiency, or economy of motion. A study found the typical beginner operates at 140

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50 percent to 60 percent efficiency while elite cyclists operate at 80 percent 90 percent. This means the novice is expending 20 percent to 40 percent more energy to go the same speed.

Efficiency is directly related to cycling cadence. Most cyclists achieve the greatest efficiency at cadences of 85 to 110 rpm. Beginners tend to pedal slower.

Experienced cyclists typically “pedal in circles,” meaning they actively rotate the crank arms a full 360 degrees, whereas beginners push the pedals on the “downstroke” but have a dead spot on the “upstroke.”

Pedaling better, then, is about pedaling faster and in full circles. Pedaling technique tends to improve naturally through time on the bike. But three other factors can accelerate your progress: drills, technology and positioning.

There are some cool tools available to assist your quest for perfect circles. The CompuTrainer has a feature called SpinScan, which indicates areas where pedal pressure can be evened out. When riding a CompuTrainer hooked up to a monitor, the rider can see a graph that shows where more or less torque is applied and can make adjustments as he pedals.

Taking it a step further, PowerCranks have two arms that move independently. The only way to keep the crank arms 180 degrees apart, as in a normal set of cranks, is by pedaling in perfect circles. Any deviation from perfect symmetry causes the cranks to stop pulling on the chain, so you stop moving forward.

PowerCranks drive first-time users crazy, but if you stick with them your pedaling will improve.

bike position Triathletes often ride in a low aerodynamic position. In this position, the hip angle at the top of the pedal stroke is very small, making it hard to push over the top of the pedal stroke.

A more comfortable, slightly higher position on the aerobars will open up this angle and allow the hip and leg muscles to function better.

Working on your flexibility may also help.

LifeSport coach Dan Smith has been involved with multisport for more than 15 years. He has also coached and instructed cycling, sailing and sail boarding since 1981. Beginner and experienced triathletes looking to start or improve their performances are invited to join the LifeSport team. Visit Lifesportcoaching.com or e-mail Coach@lifesportcoaching.com. june 2010

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Ru n but the number of intervals should be reduced.

Running a session of 3 x 1 mile at goal race pace or slightly faster every few weeks will give you a good gauge of how your fitness has progressed and the confidence to run at goal pace on race day.

“If you can nail this workout, you’re most likely fit enough to accomplish your goals on the run,” Brown says.

As the race distance gets longer, your overall training volume will increase and the emphasis of your key run workouts changes as well. For the half-iron and iron distances, the long run becomes your most important run workout, and also the most telling of how fast you’ll be capable of running on race day. While tempo runs and interval work will help you feel fit, testing yourself from time to time in some of your longest sessions gives the best indication of how your specific endurance is progressing.

Caitlin Snow, 2008 Ironman Lake Placid champion, likes to use the data from her longest run sessions to assess how her training is coming along and to give herself the confidence that she’s ready to rip a good run off the bike.

“One of the key workouts that I do to check progress is a three-hour run split into two 90-minute sessions,” Snow says. “These are done at an aerobic pace with at least three hours in between. The second run is done off the bike, which is usually a two-hour easy spin. to get an idea of how his fitness has progressed I use the correlation between the average heart throughout the season. rate and pace to infer progress.” Specifically, run “The workout that gives me the best indica- at a constant heart rate and look for a trend tion of my run fitness is probably 5 x 1 mile on toward faster paces as you repeat the workout. the track with three minutes of rest in between,” Snow performs this lengthy workout two Brown says. “The idea is to descend the pace to three times over the course of a training throughout the workout and go for best average. cycle, and also uses shorter versions of the Because these are relatively short efforts, you same workout throughout the year when not need to have speed to post some fast times, but focusing on longer distances. the fact that you’re doing five of them means it’s “Physically, I’m pretty cooked when necessary to have a solid aerobic base.”

I’ve nailed this workout, but mentally I’m In the base phase of pumped,” Snow says.

“It’s a tough workout his training, Brown runs While tempo runs and that comes when we’re his intervals at about the pace he hopes to average interval work will help just about finished with for the full 10K distance the heavy training leading you feel fit, testing your- into Ironman—success later in the season. As his fitness progresses, self from time to time in with this really boosts the those times will drop leading into a some of your longest confidence to around 10 seconds big race.” per mile faster than his sessions gives the best goal race pace at a peak Fraioli is a freelance writer indication of how your Mario Olympic-distance event. living outside of Boston. He is a specific endurance is 2:28 marathoner and coaches When training for sprint distance races, Brown says runners through his website at progressing. the same principles apply Mariofraioli.com.

Fitness Test Yourself

By Mario Fraioli

F

or any triathlete, race day is the ultimate test of months of training and preparation. As with other big tests you’ll take, it’s helpful to quiz yourself along the way to check progress, identify areas for improvement and develop the confidence that you can pass the final exam. Week after week of workouts will surely improve your level of fitness, but in order to know exactly what you’re capable of on race day, it’s important to test that fitness a few times along the way.

Here are some running fitness-test workouts you can perform throughout the training cycle to ensure that you’ll pass with flying colors on race day.

Sprint and Olympic diStanceS For shorter events such as sprint and Olympic-distance races, taking your workout to the track every few weeks is a precise way to practice running at goal pace, as well as get an accurate idea of how far your fitness level has come. Professional triathlete and two-time USA Triathlon U23 National Champion Ethan Brown regularly performs a session of repeat miles on the track within a month of peak races 142

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june 2010

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the Warm-up: setting Yourself up to Perform

By Lucy Smith

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arming up is the last i m p or t a n t s te p i n preparing to race well. Muscles should be warm and loose and your mind should be focused on giving a maximal effort. A wellwarmed body is ready for the physiological stress of the race start, and a strong mental focus provides the concentration necessary to perform well. A good warm-up is the positive prelude to the great show to come.

A warm-up is nothing more than a period of light, specific physical activity that prepares the body for racing without tiring the body. It should last 10 to 20 minutes and end 10 minutes prior to the race start. If you warm-up too close to race start, you will feel rushed on the startjune 2010

ing line, and if you warm up too early, your body will have cooled.

Mentally, use your warm-up to get excited to race but not so nervous or anxious that tension builds in the body. If you feel nervous, take deep breaths, relax and remind yourself of your love of the sport.

Get to the race site about 45 minutes before start time to fit in a warm-up after you register, get body marked and finish setting up your bike and gear in transition. A short run warm-up is ideal, especially if the morning is cold and you’re facing a cold-water swim. The slow run warm-up is a great way to moderately raise your heart rate and muscle temperature while activating the leg muscles

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that you will use in the bike and run portions of the race. Running also seems to incite any needed last-minute emptying of bowels and bladder—always a good thing!

During a short run warmup, focus on having a relaxed mind and take deep, easy breaths.

Imagine feeling strong, running smooth and being confident after you come off the bike later in the race. Pay attention to the rhythm of your body and your breath, as this promotes relaxation and a calm mental state that set you up for a positive race experience.

Before donning your wetsuit, take a last bathroom break and have a small amount of water and a PowerGel or some electrolyte drink. You can do some light stretching at this point as well. After you have put on your wetsuit, get yourself to the swim start for another short session to activate your swim muscles.

In your swim warm-up, swim five to 10 minutes easy with 4 to 6 reps of 25 strokes of your favorite drills to reinforce good technique. Then perform 4 to 5 strong pick-ups of 25 strokes june 2010

at race-start speed. Focus on releasing your breath underwater and swimming like you do in practice. It’s easy to get anxious and tight before swim starts, so relaxing and breathing well should be priorities in your swim warm-up.

After your warm-up, stand on the beach and look at the first buoy and visualize yourself swimming the first leg and the full course. Visualize the start and imagine how it is going to feel. If you start getting nervous, just breathe.

Most athletes eventually develop an individualized race morning plan that gets them to the start line feeling confident, calm, prepared and excited to race. You can develop and practice your own pre-race routine by testing it out on key training days and on the day before the race. Taking ownership of your plan creates a sense of mastery and confidence.

Lucy Smith is a 19-time Canadian champion in running, duathlon and triathlon and a two-time World Duathlon Championships silver medalist. triathletemag.com

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sports scIence update

caffeine’s effect on time-trial performance

By Tim mickleBorough, PhD

I

n January 2004, the World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from its restricted substances list. Consequently, athletes are now able to consume caffeine in conjunction with WADA-sanctioned sports, without fear of doping code violations.

However, caffeine remains on WADA’s monitoring program, indicating that the drug is under heightened scrutiny for further tracking of trends in use and possible abuse that could ultimately place it back on the banned list.

To date, the majority of research on caffeine in sport has focused on its potential ergogenic, or performanceenhancing, properties. More june 2010

than 80 original studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals documenting caffeine’s effect on various aspects of sports performance.

The ergogenic effect of consuming caffeine on endurance exercise performance is now well recognized. It has been shown that relatively high amounts of caffeine—about 350 mg, or roughly three cups of coffee— significantly improve endurance exercise performance, and that simultaneous ingestion of glucose may provide an even greater enhancement in performance.

Studies have shown that gastrointestinal absorption of glucose is enhanced when low doses of triathletemag.com

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spoRts science update

caffeine (1.35–5.00 mg/kg) are co-ingested with carbohydrate during exercise in previously fasted subjects. The ingestion of 350 mg of caffeine, though, would likely exceed what an athlete typically ingests before exercise.

Ben Desbrow, PhD, and colleagues at the School of Public Health at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, recently performed a study designed to investigate the influence of low to moderate doses of caffeine ingestion on cycling time-trial performance and carbohydrate oxidation in fed subjects.

To their surprise, neither the low (about 125 mg) nor the moderate (about 250 mg) dose of caffeine caused an increase in time-trial performance or fuel metabolism.

The subjects in this study exercised in a non-fasted state and were allowed to consume a carbohydrate solution whenever they wished during the time trial.

Thus, the results suggest that caffeine’s ergogenic potential might change based on exogenous carbohydrate availability. This means that when carbohydrates supplied by an external source such as a sports drink is moderate, caffeine has the potential to increase carbohydrate absorption and usage by the muscles, thus potentially enhancing performance. However, when athletes are supplied with ample carbohydrates before or during exercise, caffeine might have no june 2010

additional effect.

What does this mean for you?

Since you would never wish to take in less than the optimal amount of carbohydrates before or during an event, the study by Desbrow et al. could be taken to imply that you should not bother to consume caffeine in events where carbohydrate availability is not limited for you.

However, athletes should wait for more studies to confirm the findings of the Desbrow study, which has a couple of important limitations. First, it lacked a high-caffeine dose group.

Also, it failed to distinguish between habitual and non-habitual caffeine users, which is important, as past research has shown that habitual caffeine use kills its ergogenic potential.

Until more conclusive results are obtained, the anti-doping watchdogs will continue to scrutinize caffeine and its effects on athletic performance.

Dr. Mickleborough is an associate professor of exercise physiology at Indiana University. He is a former elite-level athlete who placed 18th overall (8:55:38) and second in the run (2:52:13) in the 1994 Hawaii Ironman World Championship.

RefeRence: Desbrow, B., C.M. Barrett, C.L. Minahan, G.D. Grant, and M.D. Leveritt. “Caffeine, cycling performance, and exogenous CHO oxidation: a dose-response study.”

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41, 9 (2009): 1744-1751. triathletemag.com

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F i T ness

Ankle stability and Better Running Performance

By Matt Fitzgerald

T

he ankle is a joint of special importance.

It is responsible for establishing a stable foundation for the body, for absorbing impact forces when the foot makes contact with the ground and for efficiently transferring force from the body to the ground during movement.

To do these jobs well, the ankle joint must have adequate stability and mobility. And guess what? The ankles of most triathletes don’t have enough of either.

The ankle has different roles in swimming and cycling than it does in running. Riding a bike does not challenge the ankle stability or mobility limitations of most athletes. You just need enough range of motion to bring the heel down to the level of the toe at the bottom of the pedal stroke and enough strength in the muscles acting on the ankle joint to efficiently transfer force from the leg to the pedal.

In swimming, ankle flexibility is far more important than ankle stability. Freestyle swimmers benefit from a far greater than normal range of motion in ankle plantarflexion (toe pointing). The capacity for extreme toe pointing enables the swimmer’s foot to push water rearward instead of just downward when kicking, just as swim fins do. Increasing your ankle mobility will help you develop a more powerful and efficient kick. Ways to do this include swimming with fins on (sometimes, but not all the time!) and sitting on your heels on the floor for a few minutes each day.

Or, you can get by just fine as a triathlon 152

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swimmer with normal ankle mobility.

But running is another matter. If you suffer from reduced ankle mobility (a consequence of wearing shoes with even slightly elevated heels all the time) and the compromised ankle stability (a consequence of the foot and lower leg muscle atrophy associated with always wearing shoes) that are all but universal in our society, you stand to greatly increase your running performance and reduce your risk of running injuries by correcting these deficiencies.

According to Darwin Fogt, owner of Evolution Physical Therapy in Santa Monica, Calif., lack of adequate ankle mobility causes stride abnormalities that reduce efficiency and increase injury risk. “The body is very smart,” he explains.

“It knows how to compensate. If your heel cord or Achilles tendon is too tight to permit the optimal amount of ankle dorsiflexion, yet you insist on running anyway, your body will find a way to get the job done.”

Dorsiflexion entails lifting the toes up toward the shin, and it is required when the foot flattens out on the ground during the stance phase of the running stride, as your knee comes over your toe. If your ankle joint lacks the necessary 10-plus degrees of dorsiflexion needed to run normally, says Fogt, the body will likely compensate by artificially shortening the stride or increasing the outward (supination) or inward (pronation) roll of the foot. None of these adjustments is good for your performance or health as a runner.

To increase your ankle mobility, stretch your Achilles tendons and calf muscles daily and consider getting regular manual therapy treatments, such as myofascial release.

Instability at the ankle joint manifests as an inability to keep the ankle in its natural alignment throughout the ground contact phase of the running stride. And when the ankle falls out of alignment, the knee and hip tend to follow. Creating stability at the ankle is critical to creating stability throughout the kinetic chain when running.

Fogt helps runners and triathletes develop ankle stability by challenging their capacity to stabilize at the ankle in very simple ways. He has his clients simply stand on one foot for 30 seconds with a neutral arch. (When your arch is neutral, you could just barely squeeze a checkbook between the bottom of the arch and the floor.)

Even many high-level athletes cannot balance on one foot for 30 seconds. “And if you can’t do that, you sure as heck can’t maintain stability through a 10-mile run,” he says. Once the athlete can balance on one leg, Fogt increases the stabilization challenge incrementally, by having him balance with eyes closed, then on an unstable surface, then while throwing and catching a medicine ball, and so forth.

“It’s all very basic stuff that any athlete can do at home on his own,” he says. And every triathlete should—because the better your ankles perform, the better you will. june 2010

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Three Goals for Building Mental Toughness Featuring Mark allen Dear CoaCh, When someone asks me how I prepare for a triathlon, I respond with the usual training tips. However, I cannot help but think that no matter how much training is done, nothing can prepare you for a race like the real experience.

Is it safe to say that is where mental toughness would come into play?

Augustin “Gus” Mercado Germantown, Md.

Gus, In triathlon, one of the most essential skills to harness for a great performance is your mental toughness or focus. Think of it this way: In a race there are only three factors you can control: your pace, what and how much you eat and drink and your thoughts. There are countless moments during a race when you tell yourself something that affects your race either positively or negatively, such as: “I hate the swim start;” “I don’t like the pain;” “That guy is better than I am.” Obviously, none of these thoughts is going to give you the strength to become a champion.

Now, how about these? “The swim start sets me up for a great day.” “The pain I’m feeling really means I am working at my maximum capacity and that is a good thing.” “I’m focused on my own race.” These thoughts are 154

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the catalysts of success, and thinking them before the gun goes off makes them available in the clutch moments of competition. Here are three tools that you can use to develop your mind alongside your body.

Goal 1: have Quiet attention There is a form of self-confidence that is called quiet attention. Quiet your mind so that you simply stop thinking. Suspend the thought process. This prevents any negative thoughts from derailing your efforts and is a form of self-confidence that is impenetrable.

It will save you from the lows. It will also save you from the highs that are only mirages that get swept away in the next tough moment. Save the celebration until after the finish, when the result is final.

Practice quieting your mind in every workout. If you find yourself moving toward destructive self-chatter, just tell yourself this simple yet powerful phrase: “Shut up!” It works!

Practicing this over and over in training will enable you to access this internal place of power where you just respond to the day as it unfolds and conserve all that thinking energy so that your muscles have more to work with.

Goal 2: suspenD JuDGment There is no perfect race, but you can race

a race perfectly. Racing a race perfectly means that you deal with every situation that comes up as calmly as possible. Suspend judgment of what each challenge might mean to your finish result. Just deal with the day as it unfolds. A flat tire doesn’t really mean your race is doomed; it just means that there is a tire that needs to be changed. A competitor who slips by you looking like Godzilla is nothing more than a chance to go a little faster. And if she should end up finishing ahead of you but you give it all you had, then you have no cause for regret.

Goal 3: FinD strenGth BeFore You neeD it One of the most important questions to have an answer to before you need it is this: Where will you draw strength from when you want to quit? Most people think they won’t have to deal with this one, but if you race long enough and hard enough it will come up. What thought, image, mental cue or symbol will give you the strength to keep going when your mind intervenes with thoughts of backing off or quitting? It is usually going to be something that will endure beyond your race result: the thought of a loved one, feeling how lucky you are to even experience a triathlon or just the grand image of you crossing the finish line. Any of these things can serve as a powerful tool to help you refocus in the tough moments. Find your source of strength now.

Mark Allen is a six-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. He is also the co-founder of Mark Allen Online, Markallenonline.com, and co-author of “Fit Soul, Fit Body: 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You,” Fitsoul-fitbody.com. june 2010

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Why Endurance Athletes Need Magnesium

BY PIP TAYLOR

Q:

I recently had a blood test that showed a magnesium deficiency. What foods are good sources of magnesium? Is magnesium important for training and racing, or for general health?

A:

Magnesium is an essential mineral that demands attention when it comes to general health. It is required by virtually every cell, and it’s vital in more than 300 chemical processes, including muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve function, cardiac activity, blood pressure regulation, hormonal interactions, immunity, bone health and synthesis of proteins, fats and nucleic acids. Magnesium is also crucial for energy metabolism. A shortfall of magnesium can limit energy production, leading to fatigue, lethargy, reduced power, muscle twitches or cramps. Chronic deficiencies of magnesium are also implicated in reduced bone mineral density and increased risk of osteoporosis as well as anemia, depression and irregular heart rate. Athletes in particular might find it easy to explain away fatigue or muscle cramps, lowered immunity, and even altered heart rates, and indeed these symptoms are common and multi-faceted in cause. However, a simple magnesium deficiency could also be the underlying factor.

There is emerging evidence that magnesium

There is emerging evidence that magnesium requirements are significantly elevated in athletes, and that performance might benefit from higher intakes.

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requirements are significantly elevated in athletes, and that performance might benefit from higher intakes. Aside from being used up in the production of energy, magnesium might also assist performance by reducing accumulation of lactic acid and reducing the perception of fatigue during strenuous exercise through its action on the nervous system. Magnesium is also lost through sweat, so athletes training hard in hot and humid environments might further increase demands.

The body does not produce magnesium on its own, so it needs to be ingested daily through the consumption of magnesium-rich foods such as whole grain cereals, leafy greens, nuts and seeds. Magnesium deficiency is actually quite common—dietary surveys indicate more than 70 percent of the population consumes insufficient magnesium. This is probably because our eating habits generally rely on processed, high-starch and refined foods, which are all poor

sources of this vital mineral. There are other potentially serious factors that migt cause low magnesium, such as gastrointestinal absorption problems, physical stresses such as illness or even very cold weather, alcoholism and diabetes.

Additionally, medications, prescription and non-prescription or other supplements can interact with magnesium and its absorption or action within the body. So it’s important to discuss with your doctor medical issues that might be causing your low magnesium status and whether supplementation is required in addition to eating magnesium-rich foods.

Pumpkin seeds are one great source of magnesium and an easy addition to any diet— add them to cereal, salads, pasta and rice dishes for extra crunch or simply eat a handful as an afternoon snack. Spinach and kale are also rich in magnesium. Some common foods might also be magnesium fortified, and certain sports foods and supplements include it in significant amounts.

The recommended daily allowance for the general population is a minimum of 300 to 350 mg for women and 400 to 450 mg for men.

Research suggests that endurance athletes can safely consume 500 to 800 mg daily, and there is debate as to whether this amount should be higher still.

MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS Banana Potato (baked) Broccoli 29 25 30 Cooked beans 40 Whole-grain Spinach bread 80 85 Pumpkin seeds (roasted) 532

Rice 110 Walnuts 158 Peanuts (roasted, salted) 183 Sesame seeds 200

Almonds 300 Brazil nuts 225

(Milligrams per 100 grams).

Source: USDA nutrient database. june 2010

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mu lti sp or t me nu Clif CrunCh Granola Bar, $3.99

This June, Clif Bar is debuting Clif Crunch, the first line of crunchy granola bars to feature indulgent ingredients such as chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter chips, pieces of macadamia nuts and naturally sweet honey. Don’t let its deliciousness fool you—it’s a great source of natural energy. Each two-bar package delivers one full serving of organic whole grains, which provides a good source of fiber, plus 4 to 5 grams of all-natural protein. Available in four flavors: white chocolate macadamia nut, chocolate chip, honey oat and peanut butter. Clifbar.com

premier nutrition titan Vanilla Caramel nut, $2.99 The people who brought you the first high-protein, six-layered crunch bar have now introduced Titan’s first non-chocolate flavor: vanilla caramel nut. This tasty treat is added to the line that includes chocolate peanut butter crunch, brownie nut and cookies and cream. The intense Titan vanilla caramel nut flavor gives you layers of delicious taste and texture.

Those six layers include a center of peanut butter nougat, layered with caramel and chopped peanuts, coated with vanilla yogurt, granola crisps, chopped peanuts and topped with peanut butter drizzle. Each Titan 80-gram bar is packed with 26 g of high-quality protein, but the vanilla caramel nut has only 4 g of sugar and no trans fat. Premiernutrition.com

Zym Catapult, $26.97 for 30 taBs Zym electrolyte drink tabs fuel endurance athletes during competitions, but without the sugar. The berry-flavored Catapult includes an extra kick with 100 mg of caffeine (in the form of guaraná) to maintain stamina and combat fatigue. The super-portable tablets dissolve in 16 to 20 ounces of water, and are great before, during and—if you’re

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prone to cramping—after workouts. There are only four calories per tablet, and zero carbs or sugar. Zym has a unique blend of electrolytes, B vitamins and other ingredients formulated to make it effective against muscle burn and dehydration, giving athletes fresh legs, natural energy and better endurance. Gozym.com

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hiGh FruCTose Corn sYrup: GuilTY As ChArGed Gram for gram, calorie for calorie, high fructose corn syrup, the most commonly used sweetener in processed foods today, is more fattening than table sugar.

That's true at least for rats, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Princeton University and published in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. Rats were given either water sweetened with table sugar or water sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at half the concentration, along with their normal diet. After several weeks, rats in the HFCS group were found to have gained significantly more fat, most of it abdominal fat, than the rats in the table sugar group. This was the case even when rats in the HFCS group did not consume more calories than their counterparts in the table sugar group. This finding suggests that the difference lies in how HFCS is metabolized within the body, not in its effect on appetite.

Tri Club Grub: AnnApolis TriAThlon Club

Once T1 and T2 are behind them, the Iron Crabs of the Annapolis Triathlon Club gather to hoist a glass at their monthly “T3” gabfest and chow down. More often than not, that’s at Dick Franyo’s Boatyard Bar & Grill. “Dick’s place is a watering hole for sailors and fishermen until we roll in, but after a couple of cold ones, triathlon stories are a lot like fish stories,” says Ashley Halsey,

the tri club’s president. “The fish always get bigger in the telling, we just keep getting stronger and faster.” Boatyard opens for breakfast and closes in the wee hours after last call, so you’re liable to stumble across triathletes there after an early morning workout or at any time of day.

Boatyard Bar and Grill is located at Severn Avenue and 4th Street in Annapolis, Md., 21403, and can be reached at 410-216-6206 or Boatyardbarandgrill.com. For more information on the Annapolis Triathlon Club, including the date of the next “T3,” go to Triannapolis.com.

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Find Good Food

Here’s what’s in season in May and June around the country. illinois new York sTATe Apples Apples Asparagus Broccoli Cabbage Cabbage Cherries Radishes Eggplant Rhubarb Leeks Spinach Lettuce Strawberries Summer Squash Onions Peas Radishes GeorGiA Rhubarb Bell Pepper Sprouts Blueberries Squash Cabbage Strawberries Carrots Cucumbers CAliForniA Greens Artichokes Melons Asian Pears Peaches Asparagus Snap Beans Avocados Strawberries Basil Sweet Corn Beets Tomatoes Vidalia Onions Black-eyed Peas Yellow Squash Broccoli Cabbage Zucchini Carrots Cauliflower kAnsAs Celery Beets Chard Broccoli Cherries Cabbage Collards Carrots Corn Cauliflower Cucumbers Chard Collard Greens Dates Eggplant Endive Figs Lettuce Grapefruit Peas Green Beans Potatoes Green Onions Scallions Kale Snap Beans Lemons Spinach Lettuce Turnips Mushrooms Oranges ArizonA Okra Beets Blackberries Passion Fruit Peaches Blueberries Peas Broccoli Plums Cabbage Potatoes Carrots Raspberries Celery Spinach Cucumbers Strawberries Figs Summer Squash Melons Tomatoes Nectarines Turnips Plums june 2010

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R a C ing W eig h t

Cut Your Calories

by Watching What You Drink

By Matt Fitzgerald

Nils Nilsen

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ecently I made a late-night run to a fast food drivethrough with my wife and a friend. (Hey, I’m human.)

Our friend ordered some kind of burger and a medium drink.

When the girl working behind the window handed me the drink I thought she had made a mistake. It was enormous.

“Is that a medium?” I asked. She just looked at me like I was stupid.

What’s really stupid is the fact that 20 percent of the calories in the average American’s diet now come from beverages. That’s one in five calories. Of all the supersizing that our diet has undergone over the past 30 years, our drinks appear to have been supersized the most.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that cutting calories out of our drinks is one of the easiest ways to cut calories from our overall diets. Drink calories do little to satisfy our appetites, so they are easier to do away with than extra calories we get from favorite foods. A recent study found that kids were more willing to give up sodas than to give up snacks or start exercising.

june 2010

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It was taken to a 2nd Place finish in Kona by triathlete Eneko Llanos. Wind cheating features include front and rear wheel cutouts, aero headtube, an extremely narrow profile and internal cable routing (with pre-molded guides for easy installation.) BH spent countless hours to get the fit right on the new GC Aero, consulting the best fit experts, retailers and journalists in the sport. The results are impressive – a 2nd place at Kona for Eneko Llanos and more power to the pedals for you.

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Many beverage companies are jumping on the low-cal bandwagon for consumers who are watching their figures.

Nils Nilsen

R a c ing W eig h t The first drinks you’ll want to give up are those that contain lots of sugar: sodas, energy drinks and the like. A 12-ounce can of cola contains 140 useless calories. Replace these with water or, if you must have sweetness, with diet soft drinks. I am no advocate of diet soft drinks, but compared to regular soft drinks they are the lesser of two evils.

Another common source of wasteful calories in drinks is caffeinated beverages such as lattes and mochas. A venti (large) latté from Starbucks contains a whopping 340 calories. These should be replaced with lightly or unsweetened coffee, non-fat lattes or tea. Remember, caffeine has no calories, so if it’s the caffeine that you’re really after, avoid getting it along with a whole bunch of calories from fat and sugar.

And then, of course, there are alcoholic beverages. In moderate amounts, alcoholic beverages, and wine in particular, are healthy. In fact, alcoholic beverages in moderate amounts might even prevent weight gain. A 13-year epidemiological study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that women who drank moderately were less likely to become overweight than non-drinkers. However, the reason is not clear.

The calories in alcoholic beverages add up quickly, though, so keep your tippling habit to one or two drinks a day.

What about fruit juice? So-called fruit juices with added sugar should be lumped together with other sweetened beverages and eliminated accordingly. One hundred percent fruit juices are OK. Research has shown no link between fruit juice consumption and obesity or diabetes.

Your efforts to reduce beverage calories need not be all or nothing. If you have a heavy soda habit, you can promote weight loss by cutting down from, say, four cans a day to one. If black coffee is an acquired taste you will never acquire, you can still reduce your caloric intake by 180 calories per day by replacing that Starbucks venti latté with a grande (medium) made with nonfat milk.

And if you limit your alcohol consumption to one or two drinks a day, you can treat yourself to the occasional exception, like when you’re celebrating a great race performance that you achieved in part because you cut the liquid calories from your diet and got leaner.

Matt Fitzgerald is the author of “Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance” (Velo Press, Velopress.com).

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TECH SUPPORT TRIATHLETE’S GARAGE TRI’D AND TESTED GEAR BAG june 2010

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T e c h S u pp or T MATT REED

Nils Nilsen

•2009 Race to the Toyota Cup Series Champion •USAT’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2008 •2008 US Olympic Team •2008 USA National Champion •USA Olympic Trials Champion

PHOTO: ERIC WYNN

how Watt-Based Training can Improve Your cycling

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ust a few short years ago, wattage-based training was the exclusive domain of professional cyclists and triathletes.

Entry into this arena was difficult for most amateur athletes because powermeters were cost prohibitive. That is no longer the case, however, and wattage-based training is becoming increasingly popular among age-group athletes. So this leads to the question: What is wattage-based training and how do you use it?

WHY TRAIN WITH POWER You might have heard people talk about power-based training, particularly in professional cycling, as TV commentators often mention how many watts the athletes can sustain. But just what does this mean? Strictly speaking, a watt is a measure of energy per unit time (1 joule per second, to be exact). The objective nature of training with power provides much more precision than either heart rate or

perceived exertion because it is a measurement of the workload you’ve done independent from speed, winds, hills and all the other variables that can change perceived ride difficulty.

This can be extremely beneficial in a number of ways. From a coaching perspective, wattbased training is useful because it provides a reliable report of the intensity, duration and total workload performed by the athlete. From a training point of view, it adds a level of precision to workouts not otherwise attainable and is also an objective measure of an athlete’s progress.

Finally, it can help an athlete develop a better sense of actual workload relative to perceived exertion, which can help an athlete learn to better modulate power output—something essential for effective triathlon cycling.

From a racing perspective, watt-based training can help an athlete know if she rode a smart race independent of the results, june 2010

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T e c h S u pp or T which can be skewed by the performance of other athletes at an event.

With all its benefits, it is no surprise that more athletes are looking to watt-based cycling as a way to improve their performance. This increased interest has also been facilitated by an increase in the availability of power-based training devices necessary for watt-based training.

Since the workload on a bike is not only related to speed but also variables such as wind force, the aerodynamic profile and weight of an athlete, hills and rolling resistance, it is not as simple as measuring how fast an athlete goes to determine workload. The primary means for calculating wattage on a bike involves measuring torque and angular velocity, or said differently, how hard and fast you push on the pedals.

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Power can be measured directly, usually at either the crank or rear wheel, or calculated indirectly. The SRM is the original direct measurement power meter. It takes its measurement at the crankset of the bicycle, which many people consider the most accurate way to measure wattage as it minimizes potential changes in measured output due to drivetrain losses.

The newest power meter on the market is also crank-based and made by Quarq Technology. From an end user’s perspective, these units function similarly, with a primary difference: SRM has its own computer and can also be used with a third-party ANT+ compatible computer such as a number of Garmin devices; Quarq does not have a proprietary computer available.

Another direct-force power meter is Saris’ PowerTap. This unit is located in the hub of a bicycle’s rear wheel. Like the Quarq and SRM, it measures applied force to calculate wattage; it simply does so farther down the drivetrain. So long as

an athlete keeps his drivetrain in similar condition over time the measurements will be consistent.

Like the SRM, it is available with a proprietary computer and also compatible with ANT+ devices.

An alternative method for calculating power is to indirectly measure watts by measuring all of the opposing forces acting on a bicycle and then calculating the watts necessary to move an athlete at the recorded speed. The only player in this segment of the market is iBike, whose devices capture data such as wind speed, percent grade of the road, and bicycle speed and combine them with inputted variables including athlete weight and aerodynamic profile. One unique feature of this device is that, when paired with any of the ANT+ compatible direct-force power meters, an athlete can measure a real-time drag coefficient, which can be useful for fine-tuning an athlete’s position on the bike.

The recent move to ANT+ compatibility by the power-meter manufacturers has been beneficial to users as it has allowed power meters to become wireless and also allowed athletes more flexibility in their computer choices.

Opening the door to the use of third-party devices with diverse functionality—such as mapping with a Garmin 705 or multisport use with the Garmin 310XT—has allowed athletes to fine-tune the data capture to exactly what is of interest to them.

A number of variables will determine which power meter and computer combination is right for you but, regardless of which one you choose, power data will certainly allow you to take a more focused and precise approach to your training.

Christopher Kautz is president of the Master Bike Fitters Assn., owner and founder of PK Cycling and one of the originators of the fit-studio concept. His clients include numerous Ironman world champions, Tour de France veterans, and Olympians, as well as thousands of age-group athletes. Visit Pkcycling.com. june 2010

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T Ri AT hl e T e ’s g A R A ge when it pushed the downtube away from the center of the bike and toward the drivetrain.

The Cd 0.1 frameset with asymetrically oriented downtube is priced at $3,000.

QR Cd 0.1 Frameset by aaron hersh

A

t first glance, the Quintana Roo Cd 0.1 looks similar to many other high-end tri bikes: clean lines, narrow profile, hidden brakes and steep geometry. While the Cd 0.1 shares many characteristics with its competitors, it boasts a unique design innovation that might give it an aerodynamic edge over other bikes on the road.

Fit QR pioneered modern tri bike geometry back in the ’80s and now is taking “long and low” to a new extreme with the Cd 0.1. The tiny head tube creates a small stack value relative to the reach, which means this bike can only be ridden steep. Very steep. Thankfully, the seat post can accommodate an effective seat tube angle up to 82 degrees. Although this tri-specific geometry has been validated over the past decade, the Cd 0.1 stack value is so short that it makes finding a comfortable position a challenge for many, even those fully committed to a steep seat-tube angle.

It lets the super-flexible ride low enough to kiss the front tire, but creates a problem for those who are not as limber. Regardless of flexibility, this position loads the front wheel with a lot of weight and makes handling squirrelly. The Cd 0.1 is controllable and corners similarly to other long and low TT bikes but it won’t be mistaken for a road bike.

Brakes and Housing The front brake hides behind the crown of the fork and requires a side-actuated caliper, 1 74

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oFFset downtuBe

which is simple to adjust. The housing routes down the side of the head tube before turning to meet the brake. This pattern leaves the housing exposed to the air but keeps the friction between the cable and housing low, which allows the brake to smoothly actuate.

The rear brake housing enters the bike behind the stem and is concealed within the frame until it pokes out beneath the bottom bracket. This elegant routing pattern keeps the housing hidden from the air and still lets the cable slide smoothly. The cable, however, runs into friction after leaving the bottom bracket because it is forced to take a sharp turn before meeting the center pull brake caliper. The center pull design prevents the brake from being easily bumped out of position, and the strong return spring helps overcome some cable friction.

Both the front and rear shift housing slot into the frame behind the stem and are guided by internal tubes all the way to the derailleurs.

Like the rear brake housing, this internal route is both aerodynamically clean and easy to use.

Although the downtube has a conventional shape, its placement on the bike is anything but standard. Rather than splitting the bike down the middle, the downtube is offset toward the drive side of the bike. The aerodynamic explanation from QR for this bizarre placement goes like this: The drivetrain contributes a major portion of the aerodynamic drag of a bicycle, so diverting air to the non-drive side reduces drag. By shifting the downtube toward the drive side, more of the air that comes off the front wheel will be directed to that side.

Pretty simple.

This progressive design comes with a nice story, but does it work? Quintana Roo says the Cd 0.1 has the “lowest drag coefficient ever,” but about a dozen other manufacturers make the same claim about their bikes. Unfortunately there is no unbiased wind tunnel data on the Cd 0.1 or the offset downtube design, so we are forced to assess the design with theory and educated guesses. That said, there is no question it’s an intriguing idea that might genuinely reduce drag. Combine the unique downtube with the proven design features found throughout the bike and the QR Cd 0.1 is a tempting rig for any triathlete dedicated to getting low.

Frame sHape QR combined successful design features from many of the top aero rigs for the Cd 0.1.

The head tube, downtube and chainstays are sleek and deep. The fork blades are bowed out far from the wheel to allow air to slip cleanly between the gap. Housing is effectively hidden, except for the front brake, and the seat post clamp is clean and minimalistic. The seat tube elegantly shields the rear wheel and brake, although some aerodynamics experts will dispute the effectiveness of a tightly tucked wheel. Every detail has been attended to.

There is nothing groundbreaking or even controversial about the tube shapes, but Quintana Roo certainly strayed from convention june 2010

The RXL Hilo gives Julie Dibens seconds.

And a lot of firsts.

Seconds—the difference between standing on the top step of the podium or a personal best, and “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.” That’s why Julie Dibens wears the Bontrager RXL Hilo. Easy in. Easy out. Lightweight.

And super ventilated. If it weren’t the fastest tri shoe out there, we wouldn’t put our name on it. And neither would Julie.

t rI’D a nD t eS teD all-out sprint. This astounding performance is credited to the powerful shifting action, elimination of cable friction and intelligent derailleur motion. But Di2 offers more than just flawless shifting.

A complete Shimano Di2 triathlon set is $4,530.

Shimano Di2

by AAron HersH

I

was skeptical. I really was. Why complicate cable-actuated shifters that already work brilliantly by adding expensive electronics that might be ruined by a poorly placed drop of water?

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After I logged some miles on a bike equipped with Shimano Di2 you can now consider me a convert. Not just a convert, actually, but a missionary preaching the greatness of Di2. It’s nearly impossible to mis-shift. The servo motor that drives the rear derailleur can fight through any awkward shift you throw at it. The front derailleur can throw the chain from small ring to big in the middle of an

When cyclists talk about the difference between triathlon and time trial bikes, they mention things such as UCI regulations and race duration. They overlook the most significant difference: A triathlon bike is the athlete’s primary bike, not a rarely used specialty machine. Riding without shifters in hand in groups, up and down hills, on busy streets and around tight corners is a major issue that triathletes deal with daily. Shimano solved this problem by integrating shift buttons into the brake levers as well as the bar end shifters.

Both shifter sets function identically and can be used interchangeably. No more reaching to shift, no more cornering in the wrong gear.

practicality Although Di2 has only been available to the public for a few months, Shimano has been testing it in the world’s harshest races for years. It has survived the Tour de France,

june 2010

Larry Rosa

Multi-position shifters

t ri’d a nd t ested this happens, the rear derailleur will still have enough juice for about 50 shifts before it dies completely and fixes the chain in the current gear. The derailleur doesn’t drop to the smallest cog.

The only drawback to Shimano’s seemingly flawless system is price. And it is seriously expensive.

A complete road kit goes for $4,640 and a triathlon set is $4,530.

Kona and the mud bath known as Belgian cyclocross. Shimano asserts that the Di2 is so water resistant “It can be used at the bottom of a pool.” But I didn’t try it.

Shimano says the lithium ion battery will last 1,000 miles per charge and about 500 total charges. That is a lot of saddle time. If charging the battery slips your mind for a month or two and it starts to lose power, front shifting will be the first thing to go. When

Performance Di2 commands this astronomical price because it is a genuine leap forward in shifting technology. It eliminates the need to think about the shift. Press the button and it happens.

The derailleurs are programmed to auto trim, which means they automatically adjust how far they move to make the shift based on the gear combination. Combine this with Shimano’s industry-leading chain ring and cassette design,

and shifts are so smooth that they can be made grinding up a hill or sprinting to a street sign.

Gears never grind. The quiet hum of the motor is the only clue the gears have shifted.

Mechanical shifters depend on smooth cable motion to execute precise gear changes.

If a little sports drink drips into the housing, it creates friction between the cable and the housing and shifts become unreliable. This problem is gone, obviously, since Di2 has wires instead of cables.

Expensive components don’t usually make a bike faster. They can save a few grams, sharpen shifts and improve braking, but these upgrades don’t make a bike significantly faster.

Di2 shatters this conventional wisdom about components because it allows the cyclist to produce power every moment of the ride.

Even though Di2 has two motors and a battery, the entire system is only 68 grams heavier than mechanical Dura Ace. If Shimano can eventually sell an electronic shifting system for $2,000, it’s game over. In the meantime, the price of admission is so high that most people won’t be able to reap the benefits of electronic shifting. But if the additional coin that it takes to jump from mechanical Dura Ace to Di2 is in the budget, Di2 delivers—and then some.

TRIATHLON Sept 11-12, 2010 Croton Point, NY Swim1.2 miles Bike56 miles Run13.1 miles westchestertoughman.com

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TOUGHKids Triathlon and Vendor Expo on Sept 11th

TRIM 7 x 4.66. june 2010 BLEED 7.25 x 4.91

gear bag Cateye adventure, $139

It doesn’t measure power, it doesn’t measure heart rate and it doesn’t measure cadence. So, if you are looking for a training tool to gauge effort, the Cateye Adventure is not that computer.

Instead, this elegant unit houses a barometer and an inclinometer that generate altitude and slope data to go along with standard speed and time functions. Combine this with legendary Cateye dependability, and the Adventure is the ideal gadget for the rider who would rather grind up a hill than cruise the flatlands. Cateye.com

ritChey torque Key, $17

Your hand is not a torque wrench, no matter how many bolts you might have tightened. The Torque Key takes the guesswork out of clamping expensive carbon components, and its tiny size and price tag make it a great item to drop in the bike box when traveling. This simple tool is limited to the preset 5Nm torque value so it isn’t a replacement for a full-fledged torque wrench, but it meets most people’s needs and costs about $200 less than adjustable torque wrenches. Ritcheylogic.com

vitaband, $20 upfront and $20 annually

More than just a dog tag, the VITAband supplies critical medical information in an emergency and doubles as a debit card in less urgent situations. The band is printed with a unique ID number that emergency personnel can use to access your medical information so personal data is kept out of view. Load a few bucks into your VITAband online account and it can be used for quick purchases on the go, making it the first medical information bracelet that is more technologically advanced than a license plate. Vitaband.net

profile design hC Mount, $15

In a sport obsessed with advanced composite materials and fluid dynamics, sometimes a simple solution is still best. The Profile Design HC Mount is nothing more than two pieces of metal and a few zip ties, but these basic parts form a reliable and stable water bottle mount between the aerobar extensions.

The bottle sits high between the bars, which keeps it hidden from the wind, but it can poke at the wrists of riders with shorter bars. Profile-design.com

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june 2010

JanuaRy 6–9, 2011 presentedby

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(menÕ s featured)

avia.com

Are You Having Fun Yet?

BY ANDY POTTS

H

t h e av i a i - q u e s t

ave you ever heard this before? “You do triathlons?” immediately followed by, “That must be so fun!”

If not, then maybe you’ve heard someone say, “Man, wasn’t that race fun?”

Still no? Then I’m sure you’ve heard, “I got into triathlon because I thought it would be fun.”

I hear things like this all the time. I am often asked, “What is the most fun part of a triathlon?” My usual answer is, “About two minutes after I cross the finish line.” For the most part, “fun” is not a word I would use to describe how I feel about triathlon.

In a warped sense I guess you could call it fun. I certainly enjoy the challenge—testing myself against my competition and against my expectations. But fun? Not so much.

Like most things, it’s all about perspective.

For many, fun can mean sitting on a lounge chair sipping a Mai Tai, the first barbecue of the year—you get the idea. The fun of triathlon is rooted in achievement, pushing your limits and overcoming obstacles. Unfortunately, sometimes that means pain.

There is pain that comes along with improvement in training and then again in racing. The pain for me starts about the third stroke into the race and doesn’t subside until I cross the finish line—as aforementioned, approximately two minutes after I cross the finish line. What could be more fun than floating in a physical state somewhere between uncomfortable and downright painful for hours on end? My thoughts exactly.

triathletemag.com

AVIA_iQUEST AD_THRDrev1.indd 1

Whenever I’m not having much fun, I like to think about how kids think of triathlon. To them, it is fun to go for a swim, ride bikes and run around. What a bonus when you add all three together. Kids pick up the sport because their best friend does it or they like the post-race festivities.

Whatever their reasoning, it usually stems from something they perceive as fun.

There is a part of me that says I get to do what I love for a living, which I admit is a fun way to go about life.

But at the same time, a little voice in my head says that I need to grind out some workouts if I am to provide for my family. Somewhere along the line I turned this sport into a livelihood.

Something that was once thought of as fun now has a lot of strings attached to it. Responsibility can have the unintended consequence of stripping away the fun factor. As with any job, I have a sense of doing my best so that I do right by my family. However, unlike most jobs, I hardly ever dread going to work.

There are many aspects of my life that are actually quite fun. My wife and I joke that the neighbors must think we’re crazy. We are always home during normal working hours.

We are constantly having things delivered to our door—to the point where we are on a first name basis with the USPS, FedEx and UPS guys. (Who tips the delivery guy in PowerBars?)

A few of our neighbors know what I do for a living, but not all. They probably think, “Man, he must do something fun for a living.”

I guess there is fun in the knowledge that I get both instant and delayed gratification in triathlon. The instant part is knowing that I am improving when I compare my most recent workout results to previous workouts. The delayed, and perhaps more gratifying part, is getting to see the fruits of my labors after I race.

Why is the two minutes after the race the most fun part of my race? It’s because I know that it has taken every ounce of energy to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. I know that there were challenges along the way both in training and during the race that I had to overcome. Overcoming obstacles and personal excellence are two things that I think are fun.

Come to think of it, it is fun to inspire others to do their best. It is fun to motivate people to lead an active life. It is fun to teach others. It is fun to learn from others. It is fun to reach my goals and achieve new things in life.

So, on second thought I think triathlons are fun. june 2010

4/13/10 12:07:13 PM

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

your next run may depend on your next walk

UP F RON T

Race photos by Bakke-Svensson/Ironman

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The Trudgers

BY SAMANTHA MCGLONE

I

t was only a short paved trail, but the view was second to none: a winding path along the ocean, skirting the shore of one of Hawaii’s most scenic beaches. Luxury hotels dotted the perimeter, and families on vacation played in the sand and surf. In all respects this was paradise and should have yielded smiling, blissed-out vacationers all escaping the winter blasts of the rest of the country on a perfect, 80-degree January day.

So why did everyone look so miserable?

I jogged along the path for a warm-up to the open-water swim session to come, and I noticed that not one of my fellow joggers was smiling.

There were some determined-looking German tourists walking purposefully with their long hiking poles. (Do they bring those things from home? The path was wheelchair accessible for goodness sake—not exactly an epic trek up the volcano.) At particularly scenic viewpoints, the trail was clogged with camera-happy tourists taking the requisite photos of crashing surf and breeching whales.

But the exercisers all looked to be on some sort of mission; there was little enjoyment on any of their faces. It was still early by holiday 184

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trudge. These people were walking or jogging with heads down and a determined air, as if they were on a schedule. Their body language seemed to say, “Let’s get this over with so we can get down to really enjoying ourselves.” It made me sad to see the attitude toward daily exercise—something to be endured instead of a welcome respite to long days behind a desk in stale, recycled air. The trudgers were there to get a job done, not bask in the glow of a sunrise over the ocean.

I was in Maui because I was at winter training camp, one of the huge perks of my job, I’m the first to admit. We were training hard, doing three, sometimes four sessions a day and we were tired, sore and starting to feel the miles in our legs. If anyone should have been trudging along, we might have been forgiven for doing so. But as tired as we were, I saw a spring in the steps of the athletes—they still marveled at the scenery while they weaved and dodged through the other joggers as if it were a game. After a run and a 90-minute hard ocean swim, we were tired and ready for breakfast. Yet the simple joy of playing in the waves, bodysurfing and snapping silly underwater photos kept us on the beach long past the end of the workout. These were professional athletes, world champions and Olympic medalists, but on the beach they were running and splashing like kids in the waves. Sprinting in and out of the water, dolphin diving and bodysurfing are all open-water skills that are considered standards, 8 a.m., so these were the purposeful important training for triathletes, yet these types that had risen early to walk or jog along guys were all just having fun. The lungs burned the ocean for 30 minutes before heading in and the legs begged for mercy after sprinting to the buffet. The exercise was a chore to be through sand and knee-deep surf, but the ticked off before the real job of lazing by the attitude was that of a children’s game of tag: pool or beach began in earnest, punctuated Run as hard as you can, then stop and rest only by periodic trips to the nearest resort bar. and do it all again a few hundred times. It I am not faulting the fact that hard-working was pure fun. people want to enjoy their vacations in a mostly As I looked up from the beach at the prone position—far from it. I have logged some trudgers on the oceanfront path, I realized serious sand time in my day, hydrated by Lava the sad irony in the fact that while we were Flows and fresh coconuts, performing nothing technically “at work,” we were playing and more strenuous than flipping over to even out enjoying the perfect day more than the my tan. The thing that really struck me was people who were on vacation, who were that people spent hardjust diligently logging earned money to travel to some miles so that they It made me sad to see could get on with their an exotic locale, they were out in the fresh ocean air the attitude toward daily day, guilt-free. So standtaking in some of the on that beach I made exercise—something to ing most gorgeous scenery a resolution: As soon it in the world, yet not one be endured instead of a stops being fun, as soon person looked like they I become a trudger, it welcome respite to long as were enjoying themselves. will be time to move on days behind a desk in from triathlon. But until The only word to describe their journey along the then, I am just going to stale, recycled air. oceanfront path was a head out and play. june 2010

Nils Nilsen

T ICK E T PU NCH

Nils Nilsen

SINGLE TR ACK MIND

Inspiration for Self-Discipline

BY MELANIE MCQUAID

G

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iven how uncertain my vocation is, I am surprisingly averse to change and uncertainty.

I am willing to take risks in order to pursue my dreams, but I prefer to take a relatively conservative path to get there. When my path suddenly presented an obstacle that demanded a change in direction, I spent the first week struggling to focus on anything in my life unrelated to that issue. After a week or so I decided the best way to overcome my inertia was to ramp up my selfdiscipline to avoid the pitfalls of depression and move forward in a productive and focused manner.

Steve Pavlina, author of “Personal Development for Smart People,” talks about self-discipline as having five pillars: acceptance, will power, hard work, industry and persistence. I adopted these principles and applied them to my life and my training, starting with one principle per day.

ACCEPTANCE Acceptance was a good place to start. There are two levels of acceptance. The first is accepting the change as past tense. As they say, “It is what it is.” The second step is to accept the challenge presented to you in searching for a higher level of self-discipline.

Accept that you need to be a better swimmer, biker or runner.

Maybe you need to be tidier, more organized, more prompt or more patient. Whatever it is, focus on what you can change, not what you can’t change. First, I accepted the new reality in my life. Then I accepted that the swim portion of my races was increasingly more important in deciding whether I would be in a position to win and thus required greater priority. I also accepted that I needed a new and different training program than I have used in the past to effect the change I was looking for in my performance as an athlete. june 2010

single tr ack Mind This was probably the scariest of all the challenges I set for myself, as I couldn’t 100 percent predict the outcome. As Albert Einstein said, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” I accepted the risk of making a mistake in order to seek a new and greater reward.

WillpoWer My schedule is determined largely by me, so I’m only accountable to myself for accomplishing daily goals. I feel responsible to sponsors on race day, but the actions leading up to the day of the race are a reflection of my commitment to myself and my goals. The only way to get yourself to do this stuff with limited obligation to other people is willpower. The toughest hurdles I face with willpower include early mornings, 35-kilometer swim weeks, lateness, untidiness and latenight chocolate urges. I found it easier to summon willpower when negative thoughts about the “change” would come up.

Unhappy thoughts would motivate me to get to the pool on time, early in the morning, ready to complete 35K of swimming that week. As time passed, the unhappy thoughts were reduced and I was left with good habits reflecting better self-discipline and a new level of fitness.

Hard Work My focus on willpower automatically triggered the next pillar: hard work. All triathletes love the struggle, the pain and the suffering. We all possess selfdiscipline if only in this particular way. However, sometimes the hard work isn’t in the work itself; it’s the recovery. I worked hard on recovery and took off many more weeks in the off-season than I would normally have to balance out the weeks when I trained so hard I couldn’t believe I finished. Sometimes I had tasks to complete to help my recovery: get a massage or do Pilates, yoga or stretching. Other times the thing 188

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to do was sip a recovery drink while lying on the floor. I did this despite wanting to do something more strenuous. Hard work for me is doing nothing at all.

industry Then came industry, which essentially means keeping busy.

In a time-crunched triathlon lifestyle, this one comes easily but it’s hard to make it focused.

All of us have to-do lists every day, and we like to pick and choose the “do’s” to cross off the list and rewrite the list with items we chose not to do. I make my list and stick to it. By increasing my productivity I got more done because I pushed away thoughts of lethargy and apathy. Industry is good for anyone. Feeling as if you have really accomplished something in your day feels good no matter what kind of personality you have. I highly advise taking on this particular challenge.

persistence The last pillar was persistence. Having a sudden burst of motivation is great for getting started, but it takes persistence to keep at it. Until you have made your new routines into habits, it is difficult to stay on track with your goals. There have been many occasions in which I wanted to look back and have things return to what they were, but that was only during uncomfortable phases. You have to keep reassuring yourself that to get where you want to go, you have to do things differently.

You have to change. In the face of changes you don’t want, it’s positive to make changes that you do want.

I am a Taurus, and we bulls like to live relatively stable lives.

Using self-discipline to combat negativity arising from change means you can control your reaction to the uncertainty. This creates some consistency in your surroundings that might help when the road is uncertain. If you work really hard, self-discipline can create changes that you have always wanted. june 2010

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Training Without the Numbers

BY TIM DEBOOM

W

ith a sample size of one, I conducted a yearlong experiment that yielded this conclusion: I do not want a triathlon coach.

Want is very different from need. In my case, I neither want nor need a coach, but “want” is the more important word to focus on here.

When I decided to work with a coach for the first time in my 15-year professional career, I was searching for ways to get better. That is the one true constant in all my years of racing: I have never been satisfied and I always want to continue improving.

Most often, the only way to learn if something is right for you is to jump in headfirst, give it your best effort and evaluate the outcome. I don’t regret the decision to work with a coach because it was the only way I could learn that having a coach was not right for me. It’s the same way I’ve learned most things in my life— by a process of elimination.

When I started my college education, I did not know what I wanted to do for a career, and I was still unsure by the end of my collegiate 190

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years. However, I did eliminate several things that I did not want to do with my life, and sometimes that is just as useful in finding one’s true calling.

After all these years of self-coaching, I was relieved to put my training into a coach’s hands.

I did everything to shut my brain down and not question anything. I wanted to trust his knowledge and see if I could intellectually return to my high school swimming days and just train.

I did not want to question whether I should do a certain ride or run; I wanted him to make the call and have the data to back it up. There is nothing worse than getting to the starting line of a race and then questioning your own training. Did I do enough? Did I do too much?

My coach would take all those worries away.

At first, the relationship was exciting, and my coach added elements to my training that were fresh. He included all the lactate and VO2 testing that the textbooks describe as beneficial to determining the proper training zones. He put together a schedule and I followed it.

Initially, I enjoyed the novelty of using a power meter on the bike and a GPS on my runs.

Real-time training data seemed like a good thing.

I even wondered what had taken me so long to jump on the gadget bandwagon. That is, until they began to suck the fun out of everything I enjoyed about training. I constantly stared at my power and pace. Was I in the right zone?

I downloaded all the numbers and files and sent them off to my coach after each workout.

Even though my life has been dominated by numbers since I became a swimmer at 8 years old, this was not the challenge of counting strokes and manually taking my pulse after a hard sprint. This was a completely new league of information overload. When I started to see power files in my head as I failed to fall asleep, I knew my strategy of following blindly was over.

Questions needed answers, and I was the only one who really had those answers.

My wife likes to tell me that after all my years of racing, I have a PhD in triathlon. I am finally beginning to believe her. I am the only one who really knows me. I know when I am working hard and when I need to work harder.

I know when I need to go easy on myself as well. I know how tired my body is and when it needs some time off. I also know when I need to push through that fatigue and reach a new level of fitness. I know when something is not feeling quite right, and only I know when everything is feeling perfect. I know all this without looking at any data, and I definitely know it better than anyone else looking at that data for me.

I know my body. Three decades of endurance training is worth something. I do not intend to let a computer or a coach tell me that my numbers are off a little, and I’m not ready to race at my peak. I know that sometimes you can have the race of your life when all the numbers say that you shouldn’t. That’s the beauty of sport. For all the perfect preparation, there are just as many great surprises.

Maybe I am one of the exceptions to the notion that everyone can benefit from a coach.

I am not trying to say that coaching is unnecessary, or that I know more than any coach.

However, I do think there are many examples of the blind leading the blind in the triathlon coaching world. Oftentimes you can get just as much information from reading a couple of magazines, searching the Web and asking a few local studs some genuine questions.

Whether you work with a coach or not, my advice is to learn as much as possible about your body because you alone cross the finish line. After all, I believe the best coaches are those who teach you to coach yourself—with or without all the numbers. june 2010

a t t he r a c e s “Watch out for the climb at mile 12!”

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Rated 8 times

LLanos, Dibens Take inauguraL abu Dhabi TriaThLon TiTLes

The pro men kicked off the race in the calm, 75-degree salty waters of the Emirates Palace private marina.

Abu DhAbi internAtionAl triAthlon March 13, 2010—Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 3K swim, 200K bike, 20K run WoMEn

Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Julie Dibens (GBR)

39:18 5:07:43 57:48 7:08:25

2. Leanda Cave (GBR)

39:19 5:10:52 58:10 7:12:23

3. Virginia Berasategui Luna (SPA) 44:26 5:09:39 59:27 7:18:23

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40:40 5:22:39 54:05 7:21:01

5. Carrie Lester (AUS)

43:29 4:05:59 58:36 7:23:04

MEn

Swim

1. Eneko Llanos (SPA)

38:00 4:44:56 51:04 6:34:37

2. Dirk Bockel (LUX)

37:54 4:45:06 51:26 6:35:30

3. Rasmus Henning (DEN)

37:53 4:45:03 52:05 6:36:07

4. Fraser Cartmell (GBR)

37:50 4:44:57 51:52 6:36:12

5. Frederik Van Lierde (BEL)

37:56 4:44:20 51:59 6:36:31

Bike

Run

Total

june 2010

Photos by nils nilsen

Spain’s Eneko Llanos shot to the front on the two-lap, 20K run to capture the win.

4. Caroline Steffen (SWI)

a t t he r a c e s “Super challenging, but fun!”

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Rated 5 times

RaeleRt, CaRfRae Come out on top at 70.3 CalifoRnia

Defending champion Matt Reed of the U.S. turned in a bike split of 2:19:23, helping him capture the runner-up spot.

Germany’s Michael Raelert surged ahead on the bike, entering T2 with a two-minute lead and maintained it through his 1:17 half-marathon.

Rohto IRonman 70.3 CalIfoRnIa March 27, 2010—Oceanside, Calif.

1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run WOMen

Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS)

26:15 2:33:14 1:17:34 4:20:29

2. Lesley Paterson (GBR)

27:45 2:34:10 1:18:28 4:24:31

3. Samantha McGlone (CAN) 26:17 2:33:04 1:23:37 4:26:43 24:09 2:34:39 1:27:29 4:29:56

5. Kate Major (AUS)

27:04 2:35:45 1:23:37 4:30:15

Men

Swim

1. Michael Raelert (GER)

22:38 2:15:31 1:17:15 3:58:27

2. Matt Reed (USA)

22:49 2:19:23 1:15:49 4:01:17

3. Rasmus Henning (DEN)

22:50 2:21:32 1:14:10 4:02:07

triathletemag.com

Run

Total

4. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 22:47 2:21:30 1:15:37 4:03:02 5. Tim O’Donnell (USA)

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Bike

22:47 2:20:36 1:16:57 4:03:21 june 2010

Photos by Larry Rosa

Australian Mirinda Carfrae pulled away on the run, beating her own run course record by three minutes and finishing the run only 19 seconds slower than Raelert.

4. Leanda Cave (GBR)

a t t he r a c e s “The volunteers were amazing!”

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Rated 12 times

Frintova, KahleFeldt Win World Cup opener in Mooloolaba

An international field of elite talent toed the line at the 2010 Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup in Queensland.

American Laura Bennett led into both transitions but was passed on the run.

Mooloolaba TriaThlon March 28, 2010—Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run WoMen

Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Vendula Frintova (CZE)

21:53 1:04:54 35:54 2:03:15

Aussie Joshua Amberger, with countryman James Seear, led during the bike, with Amberger fading during the run and Seear finishing third.

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3. Liz Blatchford (GBR)

20:43 1:05:30 36:51 2:03:43

4. Kate Roberts (RSA)

21:02 1:05:14 37:08 2:04:04

5. Sarah Groff (USA)

20:50 1:05:21 37:20 2:04:19

Men

Swim

1. Brad Kahlefeldt (AUS)

18:39 1:00:45 31:36 1:51:31

2. Stuart Hayes (GBR)

18:42 1:00:40 31:45 1:51:41

3. James Seear (AUS)

18:31 59:04

4. Dan Wilson (AUS)

18:37 1:00:45 32:22 1:52:17

5. Danylo Sapunov (UKR)

19:01 1:00:25 32:35 1:52:37

Bike

Run

Total

33:50 1:51:58

june 2010

Photos by Delly Carr/triathlon.org

2. Tomoko Sakimoto (JPN) 21:08 1:05:10 36:23 2:03:27

the only way to succeed is to

the next great race... outer banks triathlon festival sprint, olympic and half events september 18-19, 2010 roanoke island, north carolina

www.obxtriathlon.org presented by:

supporting sponsors: City Beverage Company, Inc.

This project funded in part by the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

interested in other great races on the outer banks? outer banks marathon november 12-14, 2010 www.obxmarathon.org

flying pirate half marathon spring 2011 www.flyingpirate.org

Jet to your next race in comfort with the most legroom in coach*.

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a t t he r a c e s

“That water was COLD!” Wouldn’t it be nice to read about a race before you sign up?

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Rated 5 times

Scott Neyedli of Great Britain closed his gap to as little as 20 seconds during the run but finished as the runner-up.

Photos by Delly Carr

Vernay, Lester win 25th anniVersary ironman austraLia

Aussie Carrie Lester won on home turf in her debut Ironman race.

SWEEPSTAKES RULES 1. No purchase necessary. To enter without ordering, send a single entry on an index card to: Triathlete Win a Trip to Jamaica Sweepstakes, 9477 Waples St., Ste. 150, San Diego, CA 92121, with your name, address and phone number.

Entrants should be prepared for travel with adequate travel documents, including a current passport.

2. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Competitor Group, Inc., 9477 Waples St., Ste. 150, San Diego, CA 92121.

3. All entries must be received and postmarked by Aug. 31, 2010. Triathlete is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, illegible or postage-due mail.

4. One entry per person will be eligible for the drawing.

5. One winner will be selected no later than Sep. 17, 2010 from among all eligible entries received. Winner selection will take place under the supervision of Triathlete, whose decisions are final. Each entrant consents to transfer all information contained in the completed entry form to other companies.

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Taxes, where applicable, are the sole responsibility of the winner.

8. Potential winners will be notified by mail, telephone or e-mail. Potential winners must follow the directions contained in any of the correspondence and return all forms correctly completed within 7 days if the date of correspondence. Noncompliance will result in disqualification and the naming of an alternate winner.

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11. For the name of the winner, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and letter of request to: Triathlete Win a Trip to Jamaica Sweepstakes, 9477 Waples St., Ste. 150, San Diego, CA 92121.

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207

and There it is …

by Scott tinley “I never knew what you all wanted so I gave you everything; all that I could pillage, all the spells that I could sing.”

—Bruce Cockburn, “Pacing the Cage”

It takes hard-boiled self-observation to find the truth in sport. It also takes humility, a trait that has never been the best of bedfellows with athletic performance. Racing for the top prize taught me to deny the empathetic. Reading and writing taught me that I just ain’t that cool.

This drove the stories, ideas and rants found on this back page for 292 consecutive months. I made a lot of mistakes in both sports and words but I always tried to articulate that which is hardest to make right.

Modern sport is a grand paradox and as much sweetness and light that it might possess, there are still issues that need to be rolled out into the cold light of dawn. I don’t really know why we shave our legs. But I do know that we could provide better opportunities for the underprivileged to experience triathlon.

These were the kinds of ideations that

immortal present is to be celebrated before it too is sunburnt and subsumed. Things happen pretty damn fast in this sport.

The 2000s was a decade of reconciliation, what Triathlete magazine founder William R. Katovsky called “the paradox of the hard body and the soft mind.” Some months I’d ask, “Where can a man find grace and style in a hard-edged sport?” And after years of “Groundhog Day” scripts, I found redemption in the seams ofthose threaded lines that link training with racing, competition with camaraderie and the past with the present.

Style is not what you wear to an awards banquet but is better found in the truth of dawn when the glitter and the rouge are stuck to the downy pillow of yesterday and that early morning 20-mile run takes you places well beyond the here and now. Grace is constituted in how you lace up your shoes, saddle your thoughts and make tracks.

The sport has never been more vibrant and eclectic—soft and semi-tough bodies, growing and developed minds and crusty old salts—all dipping a toe in the reflecting pool, wondering what a few extra laps and dripping beads of sweat will show them next week or next year.

And who’s to say if deep self-reflection is the task of the aficionado or the burden of the neophyte; some unnecessary and selfconstructed obstacle? If I attend a beginner’s yoga class, all that I’m looking for is a good stretch without the phone ringing, not a path to personal enlightenment or an anthropology lesson on Sanskrit linguistics. In yoga basics I’m no different than some kid who bought this magazine at a 7-Eleven by accident but stayed up late wondering how he could save up for a bike like that. We both find things where we aren’t looking.

Lest we forget, part of the joy in any sport is the attempt to do it well. That requires technical advice. One person’s immersion in Sanskrit is another’s much-anticipated “10 Steps to a Faster Transition.”

This whole magazine gig has been more than a quarter century of testing some budding concepts of what triathlon is and what it isn’t.

Something happened when I followed Alice down that rabbit-hole of endurance sports and ended up on the page that lets you back out. It was both a wonderland and a looking glass to all that it could be.

Much of life and sport cannot be explained when dripped in ink. And sometimes just being downright silly explains it all.

Triathlete (ISSN08983410) is published monthly by The Competitor Group, 9477 Waples St., Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121; (858) 768-6805. Subscription rates: U.S., one year (12 issues) $34.95; two years (24 issues) $59.95. Canada $58.95 per year; all other countries $90.95 per year, U.S. currency only. For subscription inquiries please call (800) 441-1666 or (760) 291-1562 or email triathlete@pcspublink.com. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, CA, and additional mailing offices. Single copy price $5.99. Triathlete is copyright 2003 by The Competitor Group. All rights reserved.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Triathlete, P.O. Box 469055, Escondido, CA 92046-9513. Ride-along enclosed in all book region 2 copies.

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Publication mail agreement NO. 40064408, return undeliverable Canadian addresses to, Express Messenger International, P.O. BOX 25058, London BRC, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8

kept me up at night for two and a half decades and my editors who wrung their hands until chafed. At times, readers were confused. Well, hell, yeah, so was I. In the ’80s, with a “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” score in my head, I wanted to write about a sport that was embracing the struggle to define itself. And on occasion, I found in the writing that I was doing the same thing to myself.

But there is a fine line between humor, disgust, denial and wonder.

I’d imagine that more than a few readers made a face every month.

In its young history, triathlon has had so many iterations that it must feel like a character in the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. For years, the true identity of the sport lived in a vacuum. Who or what was to define it? Numbers of participants?

Ironman records? Magazine advertising revenue?

In the early ’90s, playing the role of Peter Pan in spandex, it was good to be king, if just for a day. But soon enough the present began to run roughshod over the past; “Apocalypse Then” and what have you done for me lately? As the decade wore on and I wore out, I milked the nostalgia from Mauna Kea’s breast. And it was a mistake to think that anyone cared about the past like I did. For the nuances of a daysgone-by narrative were necessarily scrutinized alongside Lance’s possible Ironman splits.

That’s just good editing.

Triathlon’s 35-year-ish history is more than a generation, a bicentennial in dog and endurance athlete years. Growth signals diversification and polarization, opportunities and information sources for the old canines and the young pups.

And a responsibility to those that will come next, but who and what will define it?

We might bequeath the territory but let them find their own maps; let them decide between the meanings that dance and dangle as if nerve endings between Chrissie Wellington’s smile and the new USAT Rule Book.

Still, any new generation should not be saddled by the past but given the chance to peer into it, to see how and where they will fit and/or change the mold. Theirs is not the responsibility but the opportunity of remembering. Their

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