2010-03 Triathlete

100 BEST RACES AROUND THE GLOBE GEAR >> TRAINING >> RACE SCENE >> LIFESTYLE

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NO.311

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MARCH 2010

WETSUITS FOR 2010 BURN OFF

WINTER WEIGHT AND INCREASE CORE STRENGTH

5 TIPS TO HIT YOUR

BEST RUN SPLITS MAKING SENSE OF BIKE MAINTENANCE

GREG BENNETT

2-TIME OLYMPIAN

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contents

MArch 2010

DEPARTMENTS

GEAR AND TEch

22 StArting LineS

101 on the run

128 tech Support

24 editor’S note

104 fundAMentALS

133 triAthLete’S gArAge

26 MAiL cALL

108 Speed LAB

136 pro Bike

112 triAthLon hereSieS

138 tri’d And teSted

NuTRiTioN

coluMNS

118 nutrition Q&A

142 up front

120 MuLtiSport Menu

146 ticket punch

By MiTch ThRowER

By BRAD culP

28 checking in Training Tip; Interval of the Month; Click This; News Analysis; Kona or Bust; Kona Q&A; Medically Speaking; Endurance Traveler; Iron Kids; Light Read

155 At the rAceS TRAiNiNG 88 the Why And hoW of BASe Strength trAining

By BEN GREENfiElD

94 LAne LineS

By SARA MclARTy

97 Big ring

By MARk DETERliNE

By BRiAN METzlER

By iAN MuRRAy

By TiM MicklEBoRouGh, PhD

By AluN wooDwARD

By PiP TAyloR

122 eAt right 124 get LeAner, go fASter

By chRiSToPhER kAuTz

By JAy PRASuhN

By JAy PRASuhN

By JAy PRASuhN

By ANDy PoTTS

By SAMANThA McGloNE

148 SingLetrAck Mind

By MElANiE McQuAiD

152 endurAnce conSpirAcy

By TiM DEBooM

168 tinLey tALkS

By ScoTT TiNlEy

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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

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Pushing sPeed beyond human limitations.

Swim FaSter excluSively Online at:

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CHRIS LIETO

Fastest american triathlete

Photo © Michael_Rauschendorfer

AS FAST AS YOU WANT TO BE It isnÕ t always about the fastest bike leg. Sometimes it is about saving energy for a screaming fast run leg. Like the one Andreas had at Kona carrying himself to 3rd place. Andreas, just like all owners of a Blue Competition Cycles Triad, was able to visit the A2 wind tunnel where he optimized his position allowing him to go as fast as he wanted to on the bike. No matter if your goal is to save energy for the run or to have the fastest bike split, the Triad from Blue will take you there. Just like it did for Andreas.

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features

maRch 2010

On the COver Cover: Greg Bennett • Photo by John Segesta Makeup and Hair by Noseph Trinh using Face Stockholm 100 Best Races Around the Globe Top Wetsuits for 2010 Burn Off Winter Weight 5 Tips to Hit Your Best Run Splits Making Sense of Bike Maintenance

50 100 Best Races.

The editors have chosen the 100 best races in categories such as world’s hardest tris, best excuse for a vacation, most familyfriendly venues, best off-road tris and best post-race festivities.

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66 the a-team Associate Editor Susan Grant sits down with Greg and Laura Bennett to discuss what has gone on behind the scenes over the last decade of their relationship, why Greg really decided to move away from

50 74 88 101 128

purely draft-legal racing and what their professional (and personal) plans are heading toward the 2012 Olympic Games.

74 Wetsuit/speedsuit Guide march 2010

THIS MONTH ON

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Delly Carr/triathlon.org

Plan your 2010 race season with the Triathletemag.com event guide.

EVENT GUIDE Courtesy Ironman 70.3 Geelong

Want to learn more about some of the races featured in the event guide? Head over to Triathletemag.com to get help organizing your 2010 race schedule. You’ll find more detailed profiles of some of the races, as well as Q&As with a few of the world’s top race directors.

RACE COVERAGE While most Americans will be training indoors through the coldest days of the year, triathletes across the world will be starting their seasons. Ironman 70.3 Geelong (Feb. 7) usually brings out some of the region’s top professionals. In Asia, Ironman will make its 2010 debut in Langkawi, Malaysia, with the Ironman Malaysia triathlon (Feb. 27). Check Triathletemag.com for pre- and post-race coverage including analysis, recaps and photo galleries.

Improve your swim with training tips from the experts.

SWIM TRAINING After you use the Wetsuit Buyer’s Guide (page 72) to decide which wetsuit you’ll be wearing in 2010, go to our website to gain an early edge on your swim training. This month’s online training articles will focus on helping you become a better swimmer for the 2010 season.

VIDEOS AND PHOTOS We’ve made it a goal to provide online readers with unprecedented triathlon-related multimedia. Be sure to check out the site regularly, as we are constantly adding training, race and tech video features, as well as photo galleries featuring your favorite athletes.

TRICENTER

Triathletemag.com’s weekly news show, TriCenter, brings you all of the training and gear information you need heading into the race season.

Have a question about how to prepare for the upcoming season? E-mail your question to Tritalk@competitorgroup.com and you could be featured on TriCenter. We’ll air your question and leave it to our tri experts to give you their opinion.

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First Wave 18

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Welcome to Western Oz DELLY C ARR Age-group athletes make their way through the sweltering marathon at Ironman Western Australia on Dec. 5, 2009. The hot and humid conditions kept almost half of the professional field from finishing.

march 2010

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First Wave

“This is gonna hurt.”

TIM C ARLSON Athletes at the 25th annual Ultraman World Championships get ready for the third day of action on the Big Island of Hawaii. The race covers 320 miles, finishing with a 52.4-mile run from Hawi to Kailua-Kona.

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Starting Lines

What Genes are You WearinG? by mitch thrower While walking through Whole Foods, I thought about how in the last few hundred thousand years, we’ve increased our dietary options by such a significant factor. Passing a “sample table” with the latest gluten- and fat-free cookie, I considered that our foods are no longer confined to what’s seasonal, regional or what we can carry back to the cave. We now eat anything and everything from everywhere around the world.

But face-to-face with the “We are what we eat” philosophy is the mantra, “It’s all in the genes.” We now know enough about genetic inheritance to pinpoint which sets of genes are responsible for which traits. A simple mail-in test to websites such as Pathway.com can now provide anyone an ancestral family tree that can be traced all the way back to, well, a very long time ago. Perhaps more consequentially, a consumer genetic test can identify a person’s susceptibility to things such as heart disease and breast cancer.

Just as it is a scientific fact that you can have genetic propensities for life-threatening conditions, you can also have positive genetic propensities such as running fast and living long. The extreme examples of good genetic luck combined with the right mix of diet and lifestyle show their faces in people such as Usain Bolt and Chris McCormack, Emma Snowsill and Chrissie Wellington, who could not achieve their feats in sprint and distance racing without some unusual genetic advantages.

While the majority of people are born with an equal ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers (the kind that help you run faster) and slow-twitch 22

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muscle fibers (the kind that help you run longer), athletic superstars are often genetically blessed with a higher-than-average number of the muscle fiber types that benefit them in their specific sport. World champion sprinters have around 80 percent fast-twitch muscle fibers, world-class long-course triathletes a comparable number of slow-twitch muscles.

While you can build up either muscle group with training, you can’t do much to change your DNA—at least not yet. Your athletic abilities are indeed somewhat pre-determined.

Your genes, however, are not your absolute fate. You may have genetic propensities for certain traits, but does this mean that you’re a triathlete because your DNA has given you the ability to do something that some people just can’t, because it’s just not in their genes? Not necessarily. Does it mean that you either have ability as a triathlete or you don’t? Definitely not. Genetic fish out of water can enjoy the sport, even though their DNA may favor other sports. Motivated by passion, fast-twitchers can build up their existing slow-twitch muscles through training and have a fine time with long-course triathlons. Similarly motivated slow-twitchers can maximize their speed to a degree to enjoy sprint triathlons.

Consider your genetic traits as a hand of cards you were dealt at conception, and if you play your cards right, you can significantly improve it.

Dean Ornish, MD, a clinical professor at the University of California at San Francisco and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, insists that improving our lifestyles can dramatically change our body compositions. Though our genes are a computer code for building our bodies that we can’t fundamentally alter (again, not yet anyway), we can actually do a lot to renovate and polish the final product. Ornish cites a study that states that, “Walking for three hours

per week for only three months caused so many new neurons to grow that it actually increased the size of people’s brains.”

Ornish also noted, “When you eat healthier, manage stress, exercise and love more, your brain gets more blood flow and oxygen.”

Ornish lists stress management, chocolate, tea, blueberries and a very moderate amount of alcohol as a few of the factors that can change body chemistry for the better.

He even goes on to say that when you change your lifestyle, your skin gets more blood flow and ages less, you can reverse the onset or progression of certain diseases.

For the majority of life-threatening diseases such as cancers, genes are not inevitabilities; they are predispositions. Several famous studies on identical twins have shown that two people with the same genetic code often have very different health histories.

Our fate, can ultimately be shaped, altered and improved by the environment we choose.

And environment is something that we can, to a large degree, control. We ultimately decide what we eat and when. It’s really our call— pancakes and bacon or egg whites and fruit.

We also decide where to live, how to relax and with whom we surround ourselves.

And now that we are living in the Age of the Genome, scientists look forward with great hope to the near future when gene therapy can be used to treat disease at its genetic source.

Aubrey de Grey, a leading researcher on aging, plans to approach aging as “an engineering problem” by identifying all the components that cause human tissues to age, and designing remedies for each of them in an attempt to forestall disease and eventually push back death. He boldly predicts, “The first human beings who will live to 1,000 years old have already been born.” Imagine the length of that future age-group award ceremony.

Maybe de Grey’s manifesto is a tad grandiose in scale, but maybe not. As triathletes, we’re already ahead of the curve when it comes to staying healthy and preventing aging. We’ve known for many years that exercise and healthy eating are a proven way to reduce stress and stay healthy.

But now we’re learning that their effects can actually change our body chemistry and improve the cards we were dealt at conception.

We can proactively alter our looks and the health of our hearts, maintain youthful appearances and maximize our brain functions.

We can combat our genetic predispositions and help our bodies age more slowly and, ultimately, live longer.

Contact Mitch at Mthrower@competitorgroup.com. march 2010

Editor’s Note No. 311 | March 2010

Graphic Designer Oliver Baker, obaker@competitorgroup.com Medical Advisory Board Jordan Metzl, MD; Jeff Sankoff, MD VP, Production/Circulation Heather Gordon, hgordon@competitorgroup.com

100 Ways to Have Fun in 2010 By now many of you have probably seen “Up in the Air” starring George Clooney. In the movie Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a rather peculiar 40-something who quite literally lives on the road, flying around the country to layoff workers on behalf of corporations that have deemed it necessary to outsource that sort of thing. Throughout the film Bingham preaches the joys of living life untied to inconveniences like a home, wife or kids, and does all this in the name of accumulating an absurd number of frequent flyer miles.

I won’t spoil the ending, but the film never really answers the question of whether or not Bingham was onto something or just plain crazy. It does, however, do a good job of reminding us why we enjoy traveling: It’s just kind of nice to get away from the everyday now and again. While it’s always refreshing to spend a few days out of the office, as an athlete, traveling also provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy your sport in a new place, and to grow as an athlete.

Most successful triathletes I know have had their greatest races in rather unassuming places, simply because they needed a mental break from the same-old, same-old.

While traveling all the time would provide endless variety for your training routes, chances are that’s not possible. If you’re one of the few who has figured out a way to do that, then congratulations.

For those of you whose schedule and budget calls for limited triathlon-related travel, we hope this issue will help you find your 24

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“must-do” races and that you’ll seriously consider making 2010 the year to knock one (or more) of those races off.

For our first ever “Best Races on Earth” feature we’ve handpicked 100 triathlons from around the globe that stand out from the rest.

We stumbled upon 14 different categories and then spoke with other industry experts, interviewed foreign triathlon reporters, polled athletes and bugged people on group rides to find the 100 best events from all over the world.

If you’re looking for something new this year, and we strongly suggest you try at least one new event each season, hopefully one of these 100 races will stand out. With locations such as Laguna Phuket, Thailand, Pucon, Chile, and Nice, France, we’re confident that at least one will strike a chord.

Every now and then a reader sends me an e-mail because there’s some dough burning a hole in his pocket and he wants to spend it on triathlon before he blows it on something else.

(I get some very strange notes from readers.)

My response is always the same: Forget about upgrading your ride and spend your triathlon budget on doing triathlons. There’s always at least a hint of buyer’s remorse when you drop some hard earned coin on upgrading your gear, but I’ve never heard of an athlete regretting a trip to a race he’s always wanted to do.

Brad Culp

Advertising EVP, Media Andrew R. Hersam, ahersam@competitorgroup.com VP, Endemic Sales Kevin Burnette, kburnette@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

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

Editorial Director TJ Murphy, tjmurphy@competitorgroup.com Editor Brad Culp, bculp@competitorgroup.com Managing Editor Somyr McLean Perry, sperry@competitorgroup.com Senior Editors Matt Fitzgerald, mfitzgerald@competitorgroup.com Jay Prasuhn, jprasuhn@competitorgroup.com Associate Editor Susan Grant, sgrant@competitorgroup.com Online Coordinator Kurt Hoy, khoy@competitorgroup.com Online Editor Liz Hichens, lhichens@competitorgroup.com Editorial Intern Bethany Leach, bleach@competitorgroup.com Copyeditor Marilyn Iturri Photo Editor John Segesta, jsegesta@competitorgroup.com

Triathlete Magazine Offices

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Triathlete Magazine is a publication of

David Moross Peter Englehart Scott P. Dickey Andy Hersam Steve Gintowt John Smith Dan Vaughan David O’Connell Rebecca McKinnon Sean Clottu Heather Gordon

Chairman President & CEO Chief Operating Officer EVP, Media Chief Financial Officer SVP, National Sales VP, Digital Media VP, Western Region Sales VP, Eastern Region Sales VP, Sales Development VP, Circulation & Production

Mail Call Nice to KNow i’m Not AloNe

JANuAry ANd FebruAry issues A Hit

must say that Holly Bennett hit the nail on the head with her article “Aloha, Muffin Top” (January 2010). 2009 was my first-ever experience in Kona. My significant other won a lottery spot and I joined him on the trip as a spectator and support team. Having lived a very active lifestyle, I would be considered a fit person with an above-average healthy lifestyle. But my experience on the Big Island from the moment the plane touched down was exactly as Holly described it. I am used to being around a very fit muscle machine who participates in two Ironman events a year and trains every day, and I’m always thinking my physique is need of work. But being surrounded by hundreds of people like my significant other can be eye-opening and cause one to reflect upon their “imperfections.”

Rest assured that never stopped me from partaking in the island drinks and evening ice cream stops at our favorite dessert shop.

We spent 10 days in Kona, so my days were filled with watching the athletes get ready for the big race and recover from the big race. If anyone wants to see inspiration and motivation at its best I would highly recommend visiting Kona during the Ironman World Championships. Just leave your nagging little insecurities at home and tell yourself they are the best of the best for a reason.

Thanks to Holly for letting me know I was not the only one who felt that way in Kona.

Hopefully if my significant other makes it to Kona next year I can be in even better shape or leave my insecurities on the plane over the Pacific Ocean.

After reading Scott Tinley’s “Rooting Them Home,” (January 2010) and wiping a tear from my face, I felt it necessary to hit the keys and finally put in words what has ultimately led me to the repeated purchase of Triathlete.

Hail to Tinley for the ability to so eloquently capture and propel us into a time when the importance of Facebook or Twitter seemed unimaginable. He has repeatedly relished us with the gift of laughter, and, well if the occasional tear is jerked, what the heck, we triathletes are only human.

If Triathlete was reduced to solely the last page, it would still motivate me to a lifetime subscription. At a time where the sport of triathlon seems to be my only friend ... thanks to everyone at Triathlete [for a ] great magazine.

I

Andreas Heuser Miami

G

reat job Triathlete! You knocked it out of the park with your January 2010 issue.

There was great diversity from your Kona

results coverage, to the Xterra Worlds and cross training. Additionally, great articles on the personalities of our sport like The Pros’ Spouses Speak and How Does Chris Lieto Do It? Finally, being that the number one vice of most endurance athletes is coffee, kudos on “Bumper Crop,” about Wahine Farms. Keep up the great work!

Ty Fotheringill Captain, USMC Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

T

he February edition of Triathlete is really great. You did a fantastic job. In a time of New Year’s resolutions, goal setting and priority evaluations it did a great job of putting things in perspective. This issue helped me remember that no matter how old, or how skilled/unskilled a person is at this sport it is about just getting out there and enjoying swimming, biking and running. I am going to have fun this year. Thanks for the motivation.

Karen Hatch Via e-mail

Bonnie O’Shields Austin, Texas

I

just want to thank you for “Aloha, Muffin Top” by Holly Bennett. As an age-group triathlete, I’ve competed in every distance from sprint to Ironman. But I also identify with Holly on the body image issue. It’s difficult to avoid comparing myself to the pros that I see in your magazine and the elites I see at races and feel, well, fat. Meanwhile, all my non-athletic friends think I’m “super fit,” “picture of health,” a “triath-a-nut,” etc. It’s just nice to know that I’m not alone.

Matt Wright Climax, Mich.

speAK your miNd! Send Letters to the Editor to bculp@ competitorgroup.com. Include your name, address and the best way to contact you.

Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

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Training Tip Interval of the Month Click This News Analysis Kona or Bust Kona Q&A Medically Speaking Endurance Traveler IronKids Light Read

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Tr a i n i n g T ip

c hec KiNg iN

1. Side Plank with Shoulder external rotation with dumbbell.

Preventing Swimmer’S Shoulder

By NathaN Koch, Pt, atc When dealing with an overuse injury, the typical triathlete might not be able to ride or run, but can find solace in the fact that he can at least continue to swim. This gives one a chance to work on swim technique and maintain some level of fitness. But what happens when an injury affects the shoulder?

In triathlon training, the most common shoulder injuries are swimming-related overuse injuries and shoulder separations or fractures suffered in bike crashes. Beware of what we call the double whammy, an overuse shoulder injury that occurs because your swim volume has increased as a result of a lower extremity injury that doesn’t allow for running and cycling. The double whammy has been known to destroy the psyche of the most mentally tough triathletes.

If an overuse injury in swimming occurs in the shoulder, it typically develops over time and is related to a sudden increase in volume or faulty stroke mechanics. A study by Kammer and Young in the Physician Sports Medicine Journal reported that competitive swimmers train 10,000 to 20,000 yards or meters per day, using primarily the freestyle arm stroke.

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First, get into a side plank position with your weight resting on your forearm. Keep your head, neck, spine and legs in a straight line.

Your top arm should be bent to 90 degrees.

Place a rolled towel between your arm and body to ensure proper alignment. Using a light dumbbell (1-5 pounds), raise and lower your arm. Perform two sets to fatigue.

2. “t” on the boSu or PhySioball with back extenSion.

Rest your abdomen over a Physioball.

Keep your back extended and core tight. Place your arms straight down in front of you in the start position. Raise your arms to form a “T” while pinching your shoulder blades together. Keep your head and neck in line with the rest of your spine. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position. Perform two sets to fatigue.

3. half foam roller ScaPulothoracic Stretch.

Place a foam roller perpendicular to your spine and across the shoulder blades. You can use a pillow under your head for support.

Raise both arms over your head and keep your elbows as close to your ears as possible. Hold the position for five seconds and repeat 20 times. There shouldn’t be pain—you should only feel stretching in the spine and shoulders.

4. dynamic glute with Shoulder d2 flexion.

Stand on one leg, then lower your body into a single-leg squat without letting the

knee dip inward. Keep your chest high and slowly stand while executing upper extremity movement. Place your hand at your beltline with a rolled band facing toward the ceiling.

Begin the arm movement with the active arm straight near the stationary hand. Slowly move the arm diagonally across the body and above the head just outside of the shoulder.

Keep the motion slow and controlled. Keep the thumb of the moving arm pointing in the direction of the movement at all times.

Perform two sets to fatigue.

5. 45-degree crunch hold on PhySioball with reverSe fly.

Sit with your lower back supported by the ball and your torso at a 45-degree angle to the ball while keeping your head back. Keep your elbows straight, hands shoulder-width apart and hold onto a resistance band. While keeping your arms straight, slowly bring hands straight out and back until arms are perpendicular to body. Keep the motion slow and controlled.

Perform two sets to fatigue.

The final key ingredient in preventing swimmer’s shoulder is stroke analysis. While there are different theories on proper freestyle stroke technique, stroke assessment can be critical to determining the cause of an overuse injury in swimming. An educated swim coach with significant video analysis experience can be extremely helpful by providing the education necessary to reduce stress on the shoulder while increasing efficiency in the water. A slight breakdown in the chain of movement can create abnormal stress on the shoulder over those millions of shoulder rotations, resulting in an injury. Possible contributors to shoulder injury in the swim stroke are hand entry that crosses the midline, thumb-down entry, asymmetric body roll and unilateral breathing. As in cycling and running, body symmetry and balance in swimming are crucial to efficiency and reducing injury risk.

In the event that your shoulder injury has progressed past the point of self-help techniques, the next step is seeking the proper medical care. Expect a thorough review of your injury and swimming history, assessment of shoulder/scapular mechanics and strength, and specific testing to rule out neck issues.

Always inform your practitioner of all previous injuries since the whole human body has to work in harmony during your swim stroke.

Nathan Koch is a physical therapist and certified athletic trainer. He own Endurance Rehabilitation in Scottsdale, Ariz. march 2010

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

At an average of eight to 10 arm cycles per 25 yards, a swimmer completes more than 1 million shoulder rotations each week.

While the typical triathlete may not train with that much volume, you can understand the necessity of maintaining body balance and symmetry within your stroke to avoid injury.

Like most overuse injuries, swimmer’s shoulder is avoidable with a keen sense of early symptoms, preventive training and instruction in proper technique. Early recognizable symptoms are generalized soreness or ache.

It may progress to a sharp pain or popping in the shoulder that limits daily activity as well as swim workouts. Overuse injuries of the shoulder are typically described as anterior or posterior impingement syndrome, rotator cuff or bicipital tendinosis/tendinitis, bursitis, glenohumeral instability or labral tear.

Here are five exercises that create balance within the shoulder complex and utilize the core:

I nt er v a l o f t he Month

Aerobic bAse And Technique

coAch Troy’s Aerobic bAse And Technique WorkouT #1 WorkouT SeT Warm up

DeSCripTion oF SeT 5-15 mins of easy spinning with 3 x 30 sec. pick-ups with 30 secs of rest.

CoaCh’S noTeS Use progressively harder resistance for your pick-ups with 30-sec recovery between each rep.

10-min steady state aerobic

Aerobic effort in Zone 2-3, focused on maintaining a cadence between 85 and 95 rpm.

Use any gearing that puts your heart rate and power output at your aerobic effort of around 75 percent of your threshold.

1 min soft pedal

Recovery

Bring your effort down to 50-60 percent of your threshold.

6 x 15 secs high cadence with 15-sec rest

Use low resistance (e.g. small ring/21 gearing) and pedal at 110-120 rpm.

Stay smooth and stead. Don’t bounce or allow excessive upper body movement. Soft pedal after each rep. Focus on leg speed and fluidity, not power or HR.

1 min soft pedal

Recovery

10 x 1 min progression with 15-sec rest

Reps 1 through 5 then 6 through 10 are the same. Each rep should increase intensity slightly while maintaining a cadence range of 90-100 rpm.

1 min soft pedal

Recovery

6 x 15 secs high cadence with 15-sec rest

Use low resistance (e.g. small ring/21 gearing) and pedal at 115-120 rpm.

Stay smooth and steady. Don’t bounce or allow excessive upper body movement. Focus on leg speed and fluidity, not power or HR.

Cool down 5-10 mins

Pedal at 80 rpm.

Active recovery zone, 60-70 percent of threshold effort.

By Troy JacoBson If you consider yourself a serious endurance athlete, interval training should be part of your weekly training program. Incorporating a variety of interval training sessions into your program will yield both short- and long-term gains. Because of cold weather many people are driven indoors to ride. This month’s workout is an aerobic endurance and technique session for the indoor trainer, and is designed to increase your aerobic foundation and leg speed in a time-efficient manner. If you’re using a power meter, keep your power output in the “aerobic endurance” range of around 65 percent to 75 percent of your functional threshold power (a level of output that is sustainable for roughly one hour). With a heart rate monitor, maintain a ceiling that is around 10-15 bpm below your threshold on the bike.

Troy Jacobson is the national director of endurance sports training at Life Time Fitness and the creator of the indoor video series for cycling, Spinervals Cycling, Spinervals.com.

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Allow for the heart rate to creep into upper zone 2, low zone 3 range, but not higher. Back down on cadence and power if necessary.

march 2010

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Traveling on business and need some motivation to get through that 10-mile run? Sign up (for free) at Findrunningpartners.com, type in your location and gender and the website will find you a running partner in your area. You can find several people at once to form a group workout as well as select partners based on gender and athletic ability.

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Register at Swimplan.com (it’s free and takes about a minute to do) and customize your own swim workout based on swimming ability, distance and type of workout (speed, drills, distance, etc.) you’re looking for. You can sign up for a swim program to help get you ready for a race and ask for a lower-intensity workout on days when you’re feeling tired or tapering.

Sept 11-12, 2010 Croton Point, NY Swim1.2 miles Bike56 miles Run13.1 miles TOUGHKids Triathlon and Vendor Expo on Sept 11th

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TRIM 7 x 4.66. arch 2010 BLEED 7.25 x m 4.91

ne w s A na ly si s Pictured is the latest prototype of the eRockit. For photos of the production model visit Erockit.net/en.

The World’s FasTesT Bicycle

By Jim gourley Turning off Karl Marx Allee and driving

by Humboldt University on Karl-LiebknechtStrabe in Berlin, one becomes jealous of the cyclists. It’s a city full of sights and sounds meant to be enjoyed without the enclosure of a car blocking the view or the rumble of a motorcycle engine drowning out the street sounds. But, as in any big city, if you want to get from one place to another without drenching yourself in sweat, you have to sacrifice the bike—right?

Wrong. Enter the 50-mph electric bicycle known as the eRockit.

Weighing in at nearly 200 pounds and sporting pneumatic forks, electric turn signals and a 12-horsepower electric motor, the eRockit looks like a sleeker, taller version of the old Indian motorcycles. Depending on your cycling persuasion, you may either wonder why someone would want such a fast bicycle or why they’d want to pedal a motorcycle. The uniqueness of the eRockit’s design is matched by the imagination of its inventor, Stefan Gulas.

“I wasn’t initially trying to build a fast bicycle,” says Gulas. “I saw that electric cars are the future and wanted to build the first fun electric vehicle. Try to imagine a Harley Davidson without the sound of its engine—it just wouldn’t be exciting. The electric engine takes away part of the interface you have with the vehicle. I wanted to build something that 36

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reconnected the driver with the vehicle and made travel fun again. That’s where the idea for the pedals came from.”

Gulas explains that the pedaling doesn’t provide any power to the rear wheel. Instead, it helps to recharge the battery and actuate the acceleration of the motor. Resistance on the pedals is gentle and constant, so your rate of speed and acceleration depend on how fast you turn the cranks. For Gulas, this is the innovation that makes the eRockit all things to all people. “It provides enough resistance to be light exercise, but it doesn’t become uncomfortable enough to make the experience unpleasant. You have to pay attention to how you pedal, so now there’s a strong integration between man and machine.”

BBC News reported the debut of the eRockit last June. Gulas lined up to race an Audi and two motorcycles near Berlin’s famed victory column. With the golden statue of Victoria and cameras watching, he left everyone in his dust. As Gulas himself says with a devilish grin, “For anyone who’s ever been cut off by a car or been stuck behind a smoking exhaust pipe, this is the cyclist’s revenge!”

It’s a lot more than that, as I find when Gulas hands me a helmet and rolls out a demonstrator. After receiving a quick explanation of the controls and swiping my heel to put the kickstand up, I step up on the pedal and—holy cow!

In discussions about developing a strong connection between bike and rider, Gulas forgot to mention just how hard the eRockit will try to separate that connection.

This bicycle has serious, head-snapping acceleration. The electric motor is far more responsive than a gas engine’s throttle, delivering all the torque you want (and some you don’t) instantly. The presence of the bicycle cranks can lull you into false expectations.

Don’t let the 12-horsepower rating or the term “pedal-operated” fool you—this thing is a scream machine.

After two more false starts, I get the hang of it. With Gulas escorting me, we set out on the streets of downtown Berlin. Exhilarating isn’t the word for it. I once took a Shelby Cobra head-to-head with a Corvette Stingray between tollbooths on the Jersey turnpike at 90 mph. Passing a Volkswagen at 35 mph along a residential street on the eRockit is more fun—and a heck of a lot more satisfying. The upright seating position and shock absorbers make the bike seat comfortable enough to ride all day. It handles incredibly well, turning your average intersection into a sharp bank on a rollercoaster. It doesn’t take two trips around the block before I want one.

Gulas has already sold about 20 to customers all over the world, and he has big plans to bring the eRockit to showroom floors in the U.S. next year. “I’d like to open our first distribution center in San Francisco, and maybe another in Boulder,” he says. His business acumen is as sharp as his engineering.

Since July, the price of the eRockit has come down from 40,000 euros to just over 12,000 euros. Gulas expects prices in the U.S. to translate directly despite the exchange rate.

“Because we will establish an assembly area in America, we won’t have import fees or European-priced components,” he says. “It should start at about $12,000, and I think the price will keep coming down.”

The battery on the eRockit lasts between three and four hours, depending on the power draw, and recharges in the same amount of time. While not legal for your next race, the eRockit combines the motor vehicle’s utility and comfort, the freedom of the motorcycle and the enjoyment of the bicycle all in one machine. Thanks to Stefan Gulas, cycling enthusiasts can now eat their cake and have it, too.

RefeRence: 1. “E-Rockit Hits German Fast Lane.” Steve Rosenberg, BBC News. July 13, 2009.

2. Interview, Stefan Gulas. September 28, 2009. For more information, visit Erockit.net/en. march 2010

Courtesy erockit.net

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K o n a o r Bu s t

ThaT’s The aTTiTude

By Matt Fitzgerald I am writing these words on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. I should not be sitting in front of a computer at home in San Diego. I should be in Phoenix, having just completed Ironman Arizona. This is not a happy day for me.

All morning and into the afternoon I used the athlete tracker tool on Ironman.com to check on the progress of people I know who were in the race. It was a form of self-torture that intensified my frustration and disappointment at having missed yet another Kona qualifier. No, this is not a first-time experience for me. I have signed up for five Ironman triathlons over the years—and started one.

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To torture myself all the more I have been thinking back today on all the work I did and all the sacrifices I made over the past seven months.

Getting up at 4:30 a.m. several times and driving 140 miles round-trip to get a special (and as I discovered, totally ineffective) kind of treatment on my ruined left Achilles tendon before work.

Turning myself inside out to complete brutally punishing interval sets on my CycleOps 300PT. There is no way in hell I could have put myself through that stuff if I had known that the point of it all would be snatched away from me.

Then there is the temptation to imagine what might have been. My goal was to capture

one of eight Hawaii Ironman qualification slots in the men’s 35-39 age group. Would I have achieved that goal, had my body not mutinied? There is no way to know. But I do know that a certain fellow in my age group rode a 5:05 bike split today, and that I out-split that same fellow by 10 minutes on the bike in a half-iron triathlon six weeks ago, before my right knee exploded. And I know that I ran a 1:13:15 half marathon earlier this year, before my left heel and left Achilles tendon blew up, and I rather doubt there were many athletes in any age group with that kind of running ability competing in Phoenix today.

But if we could all use “if only” to adjust our results, we would all qualify for Kona, wouldn’t we?

Sometimes I think that God is an allpowerful jerk with a cruel sense of humor.

I say this because I was not able to ride my bike without knee pain for several weeks after that half-iron. It finally came around—you guessed it—today. Yes, on this very day, race day, I tested my knee with an anger-fueled 30-mile ride and the joint held up just fine, whereas it had proved unable to bear the stress of turning the cranks just a few days ago.

If I had been in Phoenix this morning I probably could have ridden the full 112 miles. That’s pretty funny. At least I can take consolation in knowing that I could not have completed the swim necessary to reach the bike because of a freak collarbone overuse injury (who the hell gets collarbone overuse injuries?) and am unable to run a single painfree step because my now 7-month-old heel and Achilles injuries refuse to heal.

Nothing to do but get back on the horse. I have already signed up for Ironman California 70.3, which offers three qualifying slots in my age group that are usually claimed by semi-pros like Tim Hola. My plan is to try to go sub-4:20 without training. It’s my best chance—training is just too risky for me.

Team Kona or Bust continues to be best represented by members other than myself.

The flying Dutchman, Ivar Brinkman, raced November’s Ironman Florida and raced well: his 59:47 swim, 4:51:20 bike and 3:43:48 marathon added up (with transitions) to a finish time of 9:42:18—exceeding his sub-9:45 goal that he set based on last year’s Kona qualification results in the men’s 45-49 age group. Unfortunately, this year the last slot went at 9:35:58.

“I am not resigning just yet, however,” he says. “My next race will be Ironman France in Nice in June. I have six whole months [to train] for that, so I guess I’m a privileged person.”

That’s the attitude, Ivar. march 2010

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K o n a Q& A

C HeC king in This race was twice the distance of your specialty to date, the 70.3. And it was your first-ever marathon.

What sticks in your mind as unique to the full Ironman?

The whole way on the run I kept asking myself if I was OK, if I would be able to hold onto that pace, or if I was pushing too hard. I did hold a faster pace than I originally had planned and originally thought possible, but at the time it felt right. I never felt like I was overextending myself. That’s probably one thing I’ll have to watch—in a half-Ironman I just run as fast as I can, but I know I’ll pay if I go out too hard in an Ironman.

a:

Mirinda “rinny” Carfrae

by Holly bennett Australian triathlete Mirinda Carfrae made the leap to Ironman in 2009 with a breakout performance that landed her in second place on the women’s World Championship podium.

We caught up with Carfrae in her U.S. home base of Boulder, Colo., as she shared her postIronman perspective.

Q:

Before the race in Kona, you had a positive and politically correct attitude. You said you knew what you had come to do, but also that you planned on racing Ironman for years into the future, so whatever happened the first time would be OK. Now that it’s over, tell me how you really felt. Did you think you would be in the top three?

I would have been really disappointed if I wasn’t in the top three. That’s what I was training for; in fact, I go into every race trying to win. I knew that Chrissie [Wellington] would be tough to beat, but I didn’t think she was unbeatable. I figured that with the year she had, she might even be weak in Kona. But she wasn’t—she had a fantastic race and I’m still really pleased with my first attempt, getting on the podium and putting together the race I thought I was capable of.

a:

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Q: a:

How badly did your body hurt when you finished?

Leading into the race, everybody said that the 24 hours after Ironman are more painful than the race itself. But that was not my experience at all. I didn’t really pull up all that sore, to be honest. I didn’t have sore quads or calves. I felt tired, but probably the worst of it all was just the sunburn. I didn’t apply sunblock properly before the race and I got really burnt. But otherwise the 24 hours after were only bad because I went out drinking too much the next night!

Q: a:

First-ever marathon, and you set the run course record. Have you ever considered just being a straight-up runner?

I’m not a runner, I’m a triathlete. My specialty is running off the bike. I actually think I run better off the bike. Once I retire from triathlon, I’d like to prepare properly for a marathon and see how fast I can run, but until then I’m not interested. I’m only interested in seeing how fast I can run off the bike.

Q: a:

How many people have asked if you think you could be the one to finally beat Chrissie?

Pretty much everybody who talks to me about the race. I think it’s nice that people have that faith in me, and hopefully one day I can carry out the task.

Q: a:

How did the reality of the finish in Kona compare to what you had imagined?

I’ve visualized running down that finish chute thousands of times in training. It is certainly something else, something really special. I didn’t get to enjoy it much because I

only found out with about 5K to go that I was on track for the course record, so I had to really run the last 5K. I got to Ali’i Drive with maybe 300 or 400 meters to go, and somebody gave me an Australian flag. It was just a little flag on a little stick, but I remember thinking it was so heavy. I was still trying to run really fast. I didn’t exactly know what the course record was, but I knew I was close, so I ran all the way to that finish line. I didn’t look at anyone, didn’t give any high fives. I carried that little flag but I almost wanted to throw it on the ground, it felt so heavy.

Q: a:

What about the whole race week experience in Kona—what were some things you loved about it, and some things you didn’t like?

I loved the energy and the hype. I loved that my family arrived the week before and I was able to see them. I loved that the race was finally happening, after thinking about it for such a long, long time. I didn’t like having to hide in my hotel room and put my feet up when I wanted to hang out with my family and friends and enjoy the festivities of Ironman week.

Q: a:

Now that you’ve been to the afterparty for both World Championship events in the Ironman series, how do they compare?

Clearwater in ’07 and ’08 were some of the best after-parties I’ve ever been to. Kona was certainly a lot of fun, but I made the rookie error of not eating dinner before hitting up the bar, so I don’t remember the whole night that well. I do remember being very disappointed that they closed the bar at midnight. Next year we’ll have to find somewhere to carry on the party.

Q: a: Q:

How soon after the race in Kona did you go for your first run?

The next Wednesday.

Triathletes get a lot of sleep, and typically when you sleep plenty, you dream plenty. What was the last dream you had that you remember?

I don’t remember many of my dreams. But when I’m leading into an important race, I do have a recurring dream. The dream is that I’m running late to the race, or I’ve turned up without my nutrition, and I have to race down to get into the water. It’s a really stressful dream, and I always have it a few weeks out from the biggest race of the year. But it tells me that mentally I’m definitely ready to go.

a:

Q: a:

Did you have that dream before Kona?

I certainly did. march 2010

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Med ica l l y Spe ak ing

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hoW exerCise AffeCts the immune system

By Jeff Sankoff, MD The health benefits of a regular exercise program are hard to overstate. It has long been known that maintaining a regular exercise program strengthens the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal systems. Then why is it that so many athletes succumb to colds after participating in endurance events? Can a triathlon actually make you sick? This question is one that I have been asked frequently and the answer isn’t straightforward.

The immune system is very complex. It consists of several types of cells that circulate in our blood and are collectively referred to as white blood cells. The immune system serves two purposes: to destroy anything foreign in the body and to kill cells that have mutated in some way. The first of these functions relates principally to fighting off infection while the second prevents the development and spread of many cancerous cells.

To combat an infection, the immune system has to be able to first recognize anything in the body that does not belong there. Then other immune system cells are alerted to the presence of the foreign material so that they can produce the necessary components to kill it.

Exercise has long been known to affect the immune system. Scientific experiments 42

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on animals and humans have demonstrated that when they exercise regularly at moderate intensity for periods of up to an hour a day, the number of immune cells circulating in the blood increases. Furthermore, the effectiveness of those cells is heightened, leading to greater virus-killing ability. Researchers have reported that these effects can result in a nearly 50 percent reduction in the number of colds experienced by those who exercise regularly versus those who do not.

However, prolonged efforts at high intensity cause countervailing effects. When the body is stressed in this manner, the adrenal glands secrete two hormones into the bloodstream, cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). These hormones are crucial to maintaining high-level physical effort over a prolonged period of time. Together they liberate energy stores, improve cellular metabolism and elevate the heart rate and blood pressure, and thereby enhance performance.

Unfortunately, these hormones also cause a significant decrease in the effectiveness of the circulating immune cells, and this effect lasts as long as several days.

As a result, it is not at all uncommon for triathletes to become ill in the week after

a long-course race. While these hormonal effects are seen even in Olympic-distance racing, the effects are more pronounced in longer races.

Knowing that we are more susceptible to illness after such a race, is there anything that can be done to improve our chances of not getting sick? Here are a few things you can try: Avoid exposure. You can’t get sick if you aren’t exposed to someone who is already.

If a family member is ill, try to keep some distance.

WAsh your hAnds frequently And thoroughly.

Research has shown that the routine use of hand sanitizers can reduce infection rates. tAke vitAmin C. Although the magnitude of the effect of once-daily 500 or 1,000 mg of vitamin C supplements is open to question, taking this vitamin may help prevent infection or reduce the severity and duration of symptoms if you become infected.

Train hard, train healthy.

Jeffrey Sankoff, MD, is a two-time Ironman triathlete and ER physician at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colo. For more information, visit his website at Home.comcast.net/~jsanko20. march 2010

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E ndu r a nce Trav el er

C heC king in Airport (HAK). Also, ferry service from the mainland originating from both Macau and Zhanjiang are available daily. But you can’t get to any of these places without a visa.

Heading from the airport, make sure to take a bit of Dramamine and wear your bike helmet—you may need it. China’s vehicle population increased by more than 6 million in the first half of 2009 alone. In other words, you will find a surge of new drivers, a crazy ebb and flow of honking horns and cars driving in the wrong lane and even on the bike path.

tourIsm

By Dean Warhaft This year will bring the third edition of the Ironman/Ironman 70.3 combined event and with that comes the third year of changes to the course. Murphy Reinschreiber and his team are continually looking at new roads and tweaking the course to provide athletes with a challenging and authentically Chinese experience. The course design does not necessarily look challenging on paper, but don’t be fooled. Athletes should be prepared for sun, wind, potential smog and downright hot conditions. That said, it is a well-planned and well-executed design.

The biggest change is the race date. The event will now be held on the second Sunday inMarch (the 14th this year), a month earlier than the past two years. The hope is for milder conditions all around—less wind, lower temperatures and less humidity.

The swim course is tailor-made for the less confident swimmer. It is point-to-point, wetsuit-legal (for amateurs) and downstream.

Pack that new TYR Hurricane because you’ll get to use it. The 70.3 athletes simply start 1,900 meters downstream and everyone exits the water on a small beach past the Qiongzhou Bridge. Bike course changes over the past two years have resulted in a steady climb for the first 40 kilometers of the two-loop course, then a quick descent, followed by a steep climb before a rapid final descent toward the transition area.

Country Haikou is located in the province of Hainan, the southernmost island of China, sitting like a golf ball, just off the green. The province itself is only 21 years old. The island received authorization to formulate its own 44

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provincial government in 1988.

Haikou was established under the Han Dynasty in 1100 B.C., and 200 years later became the shipping hub to the mainland under the Tang Dynasty. Under the Song Dynasty in 1858, the city of Haikoupu was established during the consolidation phase of the frontier lands. On April 23, 1950, the city was liberated by the People’s Republic of China. Shortly thereafter, the name was officially changed to Haikou and the administrative capital of Hainan island was established there. In 1988, it became the capital city of the newly created Hainan province. Sanya, the more southern jungle portion of the island, was originally supposed to be the host city for Ironman China. Although Haikou is more populous than Sanya, the diversity of city life, beach resorts, farmlands and jungles make Haikou the better choice for the event.

transportatIon All of China’s domestic airlines and those in Hong Kong have flights to and from Haikou

Great meals can be found all over Haikou.

Chinese food as it is commonly known in the Western Hemisphere is not the same in China, but that isn’t a bad thing. First off, do not order “chop suey.” Chop suey is actually an American dish containing leftover scraps thrown together. In Haikou, the food is made with fresh vegetables and meats. A great place to visit is Jinlong Road. There are plenty of traditional restaurants to choose from along this strip. Also, eating at the local seafood restaurants is a real treat. Patrons choose their meal from a wall of aquariums and then the chef prepares the seafood any way they like.

Some of the other must-see attractions around Haikou include Wugong Temples, Holiday Beach and Tropical Ocean World.

Don’t be afraid to venture out, eat the local food and explore. Remember that you’re just as much of an attraction to the locals, so go explore China and interact with the Chinese people.

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. march 2010

Photos by Dean Warhaft

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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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NutritioN ScieNce

By Kevin MacKinnon Feeding young iron kids isn’t as complicated as you might think. If you follow the guidelines set out in the American Food Pyramid at Mypyramid.gov (or, if you’re north of the border, Canada’s Food Guide), you can provide everything your young athletes need to stay healthy and keep growing, even if they are training for a triathlon.

“I try to stress that kids should have at least three kinds of foods with a meal and two kinds of food with a snack,” says Nancy Clark, author of “The Athlete’s Kitchen” and one of

America’s foremost sports nutrition experts. “So rather than just have a bagel for breakfast, kids should have a bagel, peanut butter and yogurt.”

Clark says good nutrition starts with that three-food breakfast. Starting the day with the right fuel provides kids with more energy, a sure way to help their grades and ensure they have lots of energy for afterschool play, too.

Clark’s keep-it-simple approach should provide some relief to parents who worry about their kids’ energy levels during activities. She suggests that instead of eating energy bars or drinks, young athletes should have healthy snacks during their sports activities, such as orange slices, and drink water or juice. She’s also quick to point out that kids shouldn’t be exercising so much that they need a sports drink to keep them going.

Recent studies at McMaster University in Canada back up that approach. One study proved that the recommended daily allowance of protein for kids on the pyramid or food guide was enough to keep them healthy even when training. The children consumed about 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day, almost double the daily recommended amount. When the kids’ protein intake was reduced to match the recommendations,

they continued to perform at the same level athletically and remained in a “positive balance,” meaning they had enough protein to grow and remain healthy.

Another study at McMaster showed that active kids happily drink water during their activity to avoid dehydration. According to one of the researchers involved in the study, Dr. Brian Timmins, a sports drink with salt or carbohydrate is more likely to get an inactive child drinking during exercise, but active children were happy to drink either water, flavored water or a carbohydrate-based drink during exercise. They seemed to know that they needed to take in fluids and did so regardless of the taste of what they were drinking. The research also shows that when kids use a carbohydrate drink during exercise, they burn half as much fat as they would if they weren’t using the drink.

All this research shows that if kids eat properly, they don’t need dietary supplements.

Keeping young iron kids well-fueled is easier than you might think.

Kevin Mackinnon, the managing editor of Ironman.com, has written two books on children’s triathlon training: “A Healthy Guide to Sport” and “A Healthy Guide to Competition,” published by Meyer and Meyer Sport.

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47

Light Read

Born EndurancE

By Holly Bennett Eleven pounds, 12 ounces: That’s how much I weighed at birth. My mom delivered all 11.75 pounds of me naturally, and since gaining an adult awareness of what that entailed, I’ve felt a compelling urge to apologize to her on a daily basis. Take a moment to imagine how that must have felt, and you’ll inevitably squeeze your thighs together protectively and emit a fearful whimper. It would be like birthing two average-sized babies in one fell swoop. My mom was in labor so long—more than 24 hours—that the doctor threatened to do a C-section. “No way in hell,” screamed Mom. “This baby’s coming out,” as she dug deep for the final formidable push needed to cut me loose. For that, she pretty much deserves every Ironman medal I’ll ever earn.

As an athlete, I can’t help but wonder if I picked up my mother’s innate penchant for endurance via osmosis while passing through the birth canal. Or perhaps it’s a trait I learned by example, witnessing my father’s Energizer Bunny-like approach to athletics—and all aspects of his life.

Always the active outdoorsman, Dad biked to work before it was cool, long before Bike to Work Day became a mainstay of urban culture, 48

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with volunteers serving up free flapjacks and coffee to eager cyclists. Vacations during my childhood followed a unique formula: two weeks backpacking through the wilds of northern New Mexico, far removed from all signs of civilization.

My dad, my brothers and I would set out, armed with homemade beef jerky, powdered Tang (this was the pre-electrolyte drink era) and enough fly-fishing gear and determination to snare 28 meals’ worth of trout—breakfast and dinner for the entire 14-day trip.

Nowadays, any sane adult wouldn’t let a child out of his sight in a shopping mall, much less in the wilderness. But back then, Dad would pick a rendezvous point, tell us to meet him five or six hours later, and disappear. My brothers would each scatter in their own direction, and I—at 10, 11 and 12 years old—would be left to fend and fish for myself.

I was too young to have my own fly rod, so I’d fashion a rudimentary pole from a willow branch and a length of line, find a deep blue hole in the river and while away the day.

In addition to a now total disdain for trout, I have my father to thank for my set of muscular quads and calves. At times, particularly when I’m struggling to find a perfect-fitting pair of jeans, I curse my dad for passing along these characteristics, but more often than not I’m appreciative of the strength in my legs.

Dad also taught me to be resilient. He had

Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, and as if those weren’t enough of a challenge, he also suffered a massive stroke while driving home from a fly-fishing venture, losing control of his car and flipping multiple times down the side of a rugged cliff. But leave it to Dad to make a comeback. Although this episode landed him in the hospital for several spoon-fed weeks, he returned to living unassisted soon thereafter. In fact, he experienced countless episodes related to his illnesses that would have spelled doom for any mere mortal, but Dad just kept trucking along, seemingly unstoppable. Around the time I raced my first Ironman, my dad finally had to surrender his ability to exercise independently, but he made me recount my race in excruciating detail so he could vicariously experience the entire day himself.

I suppose it’s no surprise, then, that I developed a deep faith in my own ability to persevere through tough times and tackle any endurance obstacle. After all, I had two damn good role models who prevented me from believing otherwise. And though pushing on through may not always be the wisest choice, such as when I continued racing Ironman 70.3 Cancun after a nasty crash 15 miles into the bike, complete with a head-whacking concussion and a variety of flesh wounds, it’s that mentality that drives me to every finish line. If only Mom or Dad had been a sprinter. march 2010

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100 BES T

THE

RACES ON EARTH

BY BRAD CULP

A good triathlon has to cover all the basics: proper aid stations, a clearly marked course, scenic surroundings, friendly volunteers and all those other little details that make the entry fee feel justified. A great triathlon needs to cover more than just the basics. The scenery has to be so good that you forget about your speedometer for the entire bike leg. The volunteers have to be so friendly that you’re inspired to finally volunteer at a race. For a race to be one of the greatest on Earth, participating in it should be a life-changing experience and one that you know you’ll never forget.

10 HARDEST RACES ON EARTH Picking the hardest race on Earth was a little tricky. Of course, a full iron-distance has to be tougher than a 70.3 race, but we wanted our winner to have the toughest, not necessarily the longest, course. With that in mind it was hard to pick anything other than Maryland’s Savageman Triathlon.

Savageman Triathlon Location: Deep Creek Lake State Park, Md. 2010 Date: Sept. 19 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Savagemantri.org Editor’s Choice

Altriman Location: Les Angles, France 2010 Date: July 10 50

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In this first-of-its-kind feature, we’ve carefully selected 100 events that stand out from all the rest. We first chose 13 categories of races that represent the full gamut of triathlon—from off-road to women-only to where you can find the best post-race parties. In each category we’ve selected an overall winner, explained what makes the winner worthy, and also listed a number of “best of the rest” in each category. Whether you’re looking to test the limits of your fitness on the hardest climbs in Europe or you’re just looking to unwind with an easy swim, bike and run on a tropical island, you’ll find your new favorite race here.

NOT JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL

Kyle Yost was tired of boring, flat triathlon courses, so he created his own. Now in its third year, the Savageman Triathlon has grown to be one of the most popular half-iron distance races on the planet. Why so popular? Two words: It’s hard.

BY JAY PRASUHN The Eastern Continental Divide, which rises from the southernmost tip of Florida up into eastern Canada, climbs to 2,982 feet and there looks out over an expanse of rolling hills that descend into deep valleys. The oak, maple, hickory and sweet gum that blanket the ridgeline make the area in fall look like a rolling sea on fire in beautiful oranges and reds.

Historically, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial possessions in North America before 1760.

Not quite 250 years later, in early fall of 2009, at the upper passage through western Maryland, the Eastern Continental Divide was the burial ground for many, many four-letter words (none of which can be printed here). Turning my pedals while focusing on balance and steady power (both of which I was

lacking), I launched a tirade here in August near the crest of the divide at Mile 23 of the Savageman Triathlon, a 3-year-old half-iron distance race. And at this point in my race, I was pissed. I did all the right things in gearing my bike with an 11-28 cassette to ascend the 31-percent grade Westernport Wall. But the hills after it were beating me down like a rented mule. “Forget the half-marathon to come,” I thought.

“I just want this ride to be done—and to get a brick.”

Brick? I’ll get to that. Back on the bike course, though, others were also going ballistic. Profanity could be heard throughout the bike from breathless athletes passing and being passed while moving at 6 mph. Behind me, a small woman, who I thought could have been a nun, was spouting some very nonnun-becoming words. Souls were audibly cracking. march 2010

Courtesy Savageman Triathlon

And somewhere, the duo of Greg Safko and Kyle Yost were wearing mirthless smirks.

Savageman prides itself as being the toughest half-iron distance race on the planet. But why (oh, why?!) does a race that causes aero-helmet-wearing grown men on $8,000 bikes to do “the paperboy,” weaving like drunks across the road to reduce the pitch severity, at 2 mph? Why go to a race where you have no shot of setting a PR? Why fight gravity, searching for gears that are not there, suffering indignity in your own pain cave, only to head onto a run that promises more hills—and more pain?

Well … why not? Such is the beauty of Savageman, the diabolical product of race director Safko and course designer Yost. The sport of triathlon was borne of the spirit of the challenge. But maybe, somewhere along the way, athletes lost that spirit while chasing PRs, while organizers were caving to insurance risk pressure. But out there exists a contingent of races that smack us in the face and harken back to the days when a steep climb on the bike or run helped separate the men from the boys.

While Safko and Yost are cursed during the race, they’re thanked by the athletes who survive the 5,800 feet of vertical ascent and the seven climbs of greater than 15-percent grade, not to mention the half-marathon chaser.

“When I moved to western Maryland, I learned it’s just beautiful pavement, no traffic and hilly as hell,” said Yost. “We did epic 10-mile days and Ironman Lake Placid training camps here and I thought, ‘There has to be a demand for a more extreme race, something that’s not your Clearwater, your Eagleman.’ Savageman will always be a small niche event—which is what we want. I’ve done enough races to get bored with the whole ‘Let’s see how fast I can go—can I set a PR?’ This race is hard enough—and if you got it on a cold, rainy day, it could be a lot less fun!”

Fun. Yeah. I’ll show you “fun.”

The race is true blue collar in every sense, which contributes to the charm. The course is littered with homemade signs of inspiration (or HTFU degradation), the two lung-busting climbs—Westernport Wall and Killer Miller—are packed with cowbell-clanging fans, and finishers are greeted with a pulled-pork sandwich and a cup of freshly made ice cream. Even Yost gets into a devil outfit and cheers on athletes at Westernport Wall, while manning his walkie-talkie. A post-race survey of athletes came back with a 98.9 percent rating for “would recommend the race to others.”

And beautifully, it’s a true benefit event, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation.

“Unlike many races where a portion of proceeds benefit charity,” said Safko, who’s also the foundation president, “[We are] able to direct 100 percent of all net proceeds to melanoma skin cancer education, advocacy and research—a very relevant march 2010

Distance: 3.8K swim, 193K bike, 42K run Website: O3series.org

Norseman Location: Eidfjord, Norway 2010 Date: Aug. 7 Distance: 3.8K swim, 180K bike, 42.2K run Website: Nxtri.com

Embrunman Location: Embrun, France 2010 Date: Aug. 15 Distance: 3.8K swim, 188K bike, 42K run Website: Embrunman.com

Ironman Lanzarote Location: Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain 2010 Date: May 22 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironmanlanzarote.com match and benefit for the high-risk demographic of triathletes, who train and race countless hours exposed to the sun.”

And the pros? The event’s lack of prize money is often dissuading. But Savageman offers them a homestay, a more personalized experience and a hell of a race. It was enough to draw Olympian Susan Williams and Swede Bjorn Andersson to defend, served as a distance debut for cyclo-cross legend Lynn Bessette, and lured Canadian Ironman specialist and repeat finisher Tara Norton.

“The location is absolutely beautiful, and it’s no question the hardest bike course I’ve ever done—the harder, the better,” Norton said. “Yeah, it’s not a money-maker, but it’s so low-key, so friendly, they put on such a good show, it’s worth it. This is going to be my annual race.”

Organizers admit that despite the come-one, come-all growth of triathlon, such an arduous event is not for everyone. “We’re never going to get the Team in Training athletes—and that’s fine,” Yost said. “There’s going to be appeal for this kind of race for people who see the videos, hear the stories and say, ‘I want to do that race.’”

And the brick?

“The first year,” Yost explained, “we said anyone who gets over the wall will get a true savage prize: bumper stickers. That was kind of lame. Then my wife said, ‘What if we put bricks into the wall?’ and Greg said, ‘That’s a great idea!’ That wall’s going to be paved before long!”

Every athlete who ascends the Westernport Wall without either falling or dabbing a foot for balance gets a name-engraved brick laid into the pavement at the ascent.

And you better believe I got my brick.

Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon Location: Aurland, Norway 2010 Date: Sept. 4 Distance: 1,900m swim, 94K bike, 20K run Website: Axtri.no

Silverman Location: Las Vegas 2010 Date: Nov. 7 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Silvermannv.com

Alpe d’Huez Long Course Triathlon Location: Alpe d’Huez, France 2010 Date: July 28 Distance: 2.2K swim, 115K bike, 20K run Website: Alpetriathlon.com

TriStar111 Monaco Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco 2010 Date: Sept. 5 Distance: 1K swim, 100K bike, 10K run Website: Tristar111monaco.com

Newton 24 Hours of Tri Location: Not available at press time 2010 Date: Not available at press time Distance: .24-mile swim, 11.2-mile bike, 2.6-mile run Website: 24hoursoftriathlon.com triathletemag.com 51

10 Most AnticipAted new RAces of 2010

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 2010 Date: March 13 Distance: 3K swim, 200K bike, 20K run Website: Abudhabitriathlon.com Editor’s Choice

Challenge Copenhagen Location: Copenhagen, Denmark 2010 Date: Aug. 15 Distance: 3.8K swim, 180K bike, 42K run Website:Challengecopenhagen.com

Rev3 Cedar Point Location: Sandusky, Ohio 2010 Date: Sept. 12 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Rev3tri.com

Rev3 Knoxville Location: Knoxville, Tenn.

2010 Date: May 9 Distance: • Olympic: .9-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike, 6.2-mile run • HalfRev: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run.

Website: Rev3tri.com

Ironman St. George Location: St. George, Utah 2010 Date: May 1 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironmanstgeorge.com

Ironman Regensburg Location: Regensburg, Germany 2010 Date: Aug. 1 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironman-regensburg.de 52

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Photos by Bobby McCaffrey

Apparently word has gotten out that triathletes like to travel to exotic locations to race. Literally hundreds of new triathlons will take place in 2010 and many will be staged at rather exotic locations. It doesn’t get much more exotic (or rich) than Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. That’s why the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon is our most anticipated new race of 2010.

A tAle of two cities And one tRiAthlon

Abu Dhabi, capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, once took a backseat to neighboring Dubai when it came to architecture, flair and yes, even triathlon. Nowadays, with Dubai facing a mounting debt, Abu Dhabi is leading the Middle East into the 21st century. So what does the richest city on Earth have planned for the coming year? The building of its own Guggenheim and Louvre, the opening of the world’s largest indoor theme park and a triathlon unlike any the world has ever seen.

By Brad Culp The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, towers over Dubai’s grandiose skyline.

The mega structure reaches 2,717 feet into the sky, making it almost twice as tall as Chicago’s Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. The city stands as a beacon of hope for the region—an example of what can be done when an oil-rich Middle Eastern city adopts more liberal Western ideals. But such accomplishment has come at a price. In late November, Dubai, the most populous of the seven United Arab Emirates, announced that it would cease payment of $80 billion worth of borrowed coin, a sign that the city’s unprecedented growth has finally come to a halt.

Dubai feigned an interest in triathlon in 2005, but the Tri Dubai initiative never got legs. The program, co-founded by the UAE’s prime minister, sought to attract the affluent triathlon demographic to Dubai for training and leisure. The Tri Dubai Pro Triathlon Team was started, with members including Craig Alexander, Tim DeBoom and Normann Stadler, and there were frequent talks of the city hosting a major multisport event, but little ever amounted and the team was disbanded a year after it was formed.

Head just 70 miles southwest of Dubai and you’ll come upon Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and a city with an entirely different story and perhaps an entirely different future, especially when it comes to triathlon. Many financial gurus expected the richer and more conservative Abu Dhabi to bail Dubai out of its financial tangle, but political leaders in the nation’s capital appear reluctant to do so. As of December, Abu Dhabi has pitched in $10 billion (USD) to help ease Dubai’s woes, but officials in Abu Dhabi have told their counterparts in Dubai not to expect any further donations.

Abu Dhabi’s steady, conservative approach to growth and infrastructure development once made the city play second fiddle to its neighboring emirate, but now it appears Abu Dhabi is in the driver’s seat of the region’s future. In terms of land mass, Abu Dhabi is by far the largest of the seven emirates, which is a big deal in a country bursting at the seams with oil. Its size gives Abu Dhabi control of 95 percent of the UAE’s oil reserve, which equates to an estimated 9 percent of the world’s reserve.

So much petroleum in a city with only 420,000 citizens results in some serious wealth. In 2007, Fortune ranked Abu Dhabi as the richest city in the world, noting that the average net worth of the city’s citizens is $17 million.

That’s not to say that everyone is rich, however, as the city’s approximately 1 million foreign workers (mostly from India) don’t get a slice of the incredible wealth. With a seemingly endless supply of oil money and no shortage of migrant workers, Abu Dhabi’s government-run development agencies are making their best attempt at building the next Eden. Perhaps the city’s finest achievement so far is the $3 billion Emirates Palace hotel, the most expensive hotel ever built, complete with 1,002 Swarovski crystal chandeliers.

The Emirates Palace will serve as race central for the inaugural Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, scheduled for March 13. Instead of adhering to one of the four standard triathlon lengths, race officials opted to create a unique distance. The inaugural race, which is being organized by a partnership between the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and IMG of London, will start with a 3K swim in a sheltered lagoon in front of the Emirates Palace.

Once exiting the first transition, athletes will set off on the gem leg of the race, a 200K tour of Abu march 2010

To register, visit Abudhabitriathlon.com.

American TTT North Carolina

Boulder Peak Triathlon

Location: White Lake, N.C. 2010 Date: Oct. 8-10 Distance: • Super sprint: 250m swim, 7-mile bike, 1-mile run • Olympic: 1500m swim, 40K bike, 10K run • Half-iron: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Hfpracing.com

Location: Boulder, Colo.

2010 Date: July 11 Distance: 1.5K swim, 42K bike, 10K run Website: Bouldertriseries.com/peak

Subaru Banff International Triathlon Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada 2010 Date: Sept. 11 Distance: • Olympic: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run • Sprint: 500m swim, 13K bike, 5K run Website: Triseries.ca/banff

Leon’s World’s Fastest Triathlon

Location: San Rafael, Calif.

2010 Date: Oct. 31 Distance: 1.5K swim, 22-mile bike, 10K run Website: Marintriathlon.com

Ironman 70.3 Vineman Location: Sonoma County, Calif.

2010 Date: July 18 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Vineman.com

Location: Gary, Ind. 2010 Date: June 6 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Leonstriathlon.com

Ironman 70.3 Miami Location: Miami 2010 Date: Oct. 30 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironmanmiami.com

10 Greenest races A decade ago triathlon was certainly not at the forefront of putting on carbon-neutral events. That’s changed considerably over the last 10 years, thanks in large part to people like Barry Siff of 5430 Sports in Boulder, Colo., who has won numerous awards for putting on sustainable, local events. While we give the entire Boulder Triathlon Series high marks for going green, our greenest race award goes to perhaps the country’s greenest city: Portland, Ore. As it does with many things, the city takes triathlon to new levels of greenness. The finish line is made of local flowers; the race shirts are made from bamboo and moisture-wicking charcoal. Perhaps coolest of all, body marking is done by the Portland Society for Calligraphy with non-toxic markers. It’s a number you won’t want to wash off.

So, if you’re down with bamboo bike racks, a naturopathic medical tent and locally sourced aid station supplies, head to Portland for the greenest race of your life.

Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon Location: Portland, Ore. 2010 Date: Aug. 22 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Portlandtri.com Editor’s Choice march 2010

Marin County Triathlon

Photos courtesy Freshwater Trust Portland Triathlon

Dhabi and the surrounding desert on a closed course.

The 124-mile bike course passes many of the emirate’s most extravagant structures, including the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Yas Marina Formula One circuit (yes, athletes will actually do a lap of the 5K F1 course). The 20K run course sticks to the city proper, treating runners to views of the Arabian Gulf the whole way.

The extra-long bike course coupled with an extra-short run gives athletes an opportunity to race a long-course event early in the season without taxing their legs too much for their other big events later in the year. The curious distance will certainly be a hit with Team Abu Dhabi captain Faris Al-Sultan, who won the 2005 Ironman World Championship thanks in large part to his strength on the bike. Other pros rumored to be interested in taking a shot at a slice of the $250,000 purse include American Chris Lieto, Germany’s Normann Stadler and British super-biker Phil Graves.

While the ADTA and IMG are focused on bringing some of the best athletes in the world to the inaugural event (don’t be surprised to see Chrissie Wellington toeing the start line), neither party has forgotten about the age-group competitors. The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon will be one of the few tris in the world to offer a legitimate amateur prize purse. A total of $20,000 will go to the age-group champions, $1,000 for each age-group winner. Age-groupers will also have the option of doing half the course (1.5K, 100K, 10K) and can also compete in the short-course race as a relay.

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Win for KC Women’s Triathlon

Ironman 70.3 Pucon

Location: Smithville, Mo. 2010 Date: July 31 Distance: 500m swim, 10-mile bike, 5K run Website: Winforkctri.org

Location: Pucon, Chile 2010 Date: Jan. 24 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Ironmanpucon.com Editor’s Choice

New Balance Victoria Half-Iron

Hoi An Vietnam International Triathlon Location: Hoi An, Vietnam 2010 Date: Sept. 11 Distance: 1.5K, 40K, 10K Website: Vietnamtriathlon.com

Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2010 Date: June 20 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Triseries.ca/victoria

Boston Urban Epic Location: Boston 2010 Date: Aug. 16 Distance: .5-mile swim, 10-mile bike, 4-mile run Website: Urban-epic.com/Boston

Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon Location: Philadelphia 2010 Date: June 26-27 Distance: • Sprint: .9K swim, 24K bike, 5K run • Olympic: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Phillytri.com

Rattlesnake Triathlon

Brad Culp

Location: Aurora, Colo.

2010 Date: Aug. 14-15 Distance: • Olympic: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run • Sprint: 500m swim, 12-mile bike, 5K run Website: Rattlesnaketri.com

Nutmeg State Eco-Friendly Tri

Auburn International Triathlon

Mooloolaba Triathlon

Location: Warren, Conn.

2010 Date: Aug. 7 Distance: .5-mile swim, 12.5-mile bike, 3.1-mile run Website: Endureitmultisports.com

Location: Auburn, Calif.

2010 Date: May 23 Distance: • Half-iron: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run • Sprint: 1K swim, 30K bike, 7K run Website: Auburntriathlon.com

Location: Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia 2010 Date: March 28 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Usmevents.com.au/mooltri

10 Most scenic Races While there was plenty of yelling and screaming among our editorial staff when it came to picking winners in the other categories, we all came to quick agreement on the world’s most scenic race: Ironman 70.3 Pucon, located in south central Chile. Pucon is a rather quaint ski town during the South American winter, courtesy of the 9,340-foot Villarrica volcano that sits a few miles outside of town. The diverse landscape makes Pucon an outdoor party paradise come spring and summer. There’s no better way to take in the diverse scenery of Pucon than by swimming in Lake Villarrica, riding around the base of the massive volcano and then running through one of the funkiest and safest hidden gems in South America.

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Ironman 70.3 St. Croix Location: St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 2010 Date: May 2 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Stcroixtriathlon.com

Challenge Wanaka Location: Lake Wanaka, New Zealand 2010 Date: Jan. 16 Distance: 3.8K swim, 180K bike, 42K run Website: Challenge-wanaka.com

Catalina Island Triathlon Location: Catalina, Calif.

2010 Date: Nov. 7 Distance: .5-mile swim, 15K bike, 5K run Website: Pacificsportsllc.com

Lavaman Triathlon Location: Waikoloa, Hawaii 2010 Date: March 28 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Lavamantriathlon.com

Viterra Ironman 70.3 Calgar y Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2010 Date: Aug. 1 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Ironmancalgary.com

Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans Location: New Orleans 2010 Date: April 18 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Ironmanneworleans.com march 2010

www.blueseventy.com

Guy Crawford. Pro triathlete. Rotorua, New Zealand. 7.01am. First out of the water in the new blueseventy Helix.

THE WORLD IS SWIMMING FASTER IN BLUESEVENTY.

10 Best UrBan races

The Nation’s Triathlon

Chicago Triathlon

This was a tough category in which to pick a winner. Urban races are logistical nightmares.

Dropping a triathlon in the middle of a big city creates plenty of problems and we have yet to hear of an event that’s done it perfectly.

We decided to pick a winner that best handles the chaos of metropolitan triathlon while still treating athletes to a one-of-a-kind tour of a remarkable city. With these as our criteria, the Los Angeles Triathlon stood out from some worthy competition. Putting on an Olympic-distance triathlon smack in the middle of the mess that is downtown L.A. should be impossible, but for a decade, the L.A. Tri has been one of the best races in the country. Rocketing your bike down an empty Hollywood Boulevard is an experience no triathlete should miss.

Location: Washington, D.C. 2010 Date: Sept. 12 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Thenationstriathlon.com

Location: Chicago 2010 Date: Aug. 27-29 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run/.75K swim, 22K bike, 5K run Website: Chicagotriathlon.com

Escape from Alcatraz Location: San Francisco 2010 Date: May 2 Distance: 1.5-mile swim, 18-mile bike, 8-mile run Website: Escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com

London Triathlon Location: London 2010 Date: Aug. 8 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Thelondontriathlon.com

Best 140.6-mile races Call it Ironman, iron-distance, Ironmandistance, 140.6-mile distance, call it whatever you’d like. We call it awesome and we don’t care whose logo is on the medal because finishing a race of this distance makes any triathlete worthy of a few beers in our book. By any name, the Hawaii Ironman is the best there is.

Our editors are asked all the time if the Hawaii Ironman is the greatest race on Earth or if it’s

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon Location: Los Angeles 2010 Date: Oct. 3 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run/.4-mile swim, 14.1-mile bike, 3.3-mile run Website: Latriathlon.com Editor’s Choice

Subaru Vancouver International Triathlon Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada 2010 Date: July 4 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run/500m swim, 26K bike, 5K run Website: Triseries.ca

Pittsburgh Triathlon Location: Pittsburgh 2010 Date: Aug. 1 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Friendsoftheriverfront.org

Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore Location: Singapore 2010 Date: March 21 Distance: 1.2-mile run, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironman703singapore.com

Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Location: Minneapolis 2010 Date: July 10 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Ltftriathlon.com

Miami International Triathlon

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Rich Cruse

Location: Miami 2010 Date: March 14 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Mitriathlon.com march 2010

all just hoopla. Our answer: There’s no hoopla in Kona. The Hawaii Ironman is the greatest, most inspiring, most torturous race on this planet and that will never change.

Ford Ironman World Championship Location: Kona, Hawaii 2010 Date: Oct. 9 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironman.com/worldchampionship Editor’s Choice

Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship Location: Frankfurt, Germany 2010 Date: July 4 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Ironman.de

Quelle Challenge Roth Location: Roth, Germany 2010 Date: July 18 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Challenge-roth.de

Subaru Ironman Canada Location: Penticton, B.C., Canada 2010 Date: Aug. 29 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Ironman.ca

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

Beach2Battleship Triathlon Location: Wilmington, N.C. 2010 Date: Nov. 13 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Beach2Battleship.com

Full Vineman Triathlon Location: Guerneville, Calif.

2010 Date: July 31 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Vineman.com

Israman Location: Eilat, Israel 2010 Date: Jan. 29 Distance: 2.6-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Israman.co.il

Elbaman Location: Elba, Italy 2010 Date: Sept. 26 Distance: 2.6-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Elbaman.it march 2010

Chesapeakeman

10 Best excuses For a Vacation

Location: Cambridge, Md. 2010 Date: Sept. 25 Distance: 2.6-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Tricolumbia.org

Some places are so spectacular that the location ultimately becomes more memorable than the race no matter how well you did.

Nowhere is this more true than at the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, previously known as the Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Phuket, Thailand, sets the stage for one of the most tranquil tris on Earth and it’s one hell of a place to unwind post-race. And yes, the winners get to run down the finishing chute with a little elephant. Regardless of what PETA thinks, miniature elephants are awesome.

Iron Punta del Este Location: Punta del Este, Uruguay 2010 Date: Dec. 5 Distance: 2.6-mile swim, 114-mile bike, 26.2mile run Website: Ironpunta.com

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Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship Location: Laguna Phuket, Thailand 2010 Date: Dec. 5 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironman.com Editor’s Choice

Rose Hall Triathlon Location: St. James, Jamaica 2010 Date: Oct. 23 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run/.75K swim, 23K bike, 5K run Website: Rosehalltriathlon.com

Bali Triathlon Location: Jimbaran Bay, Bali 2010 Date: June 20 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Balitriathlon.com

Ironman France Colin Dunjohn

Location: Nice, France 2010 Date: June 27 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironmanfrance.com

Honolulu Triathlon Location: Oahu, Hawaii 2010 Date: May 16 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run/.75K swim, 20K bike, 5K run Website: Honolulutriathlon.com

Tahiti Nui Triathlon Series Location: Tahiti and Raiatea, French Polynesia 2010 Date: April 9-12 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run/.75K swim, 20K bike, 5K run Website: Tahitinuitriathlonseries.com

Ironman China/Ironman 70.3 China Location: Haikou, Hainan, China 2010 Date: March 14 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run/1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironmanchina.com

Ford Ironman Cozumel Location: Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico 2010 Date: Nov. 28 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironmancozumel.com

Bonita Ironman New Zealand Location: Taupo, New Zealand 2010 Date: March 6 Distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run Website: Ironman.co.nz 58

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Spec-Savers Ironman 70.3 South Africa Location: Buffalo City, South Africa 2010 Date: Jan. 17 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Ironman703.co.za

5 Best Off-ROad Races For some athletes, no matter the destination, roads simply won’t cut it. When it comes to taking tris to the trails, the Xterra Series runs the show, and you can find an Xterra race just about anywhere there’s a trail. There are some breathtaking courses around the world, march 2010

but nothing compares to the Xterra European Championship in Sardinia, Italy. The event takes place in Orosei, on the island’s eastern coast, and tours the nearby Biderosa Natural Park, simply one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Xterra European Championship Location: Sardinia, Italy 2010 Date: May 30 Distance: 1.5K swim, 32K bike, 10K run Website: Xterraitaly.it Editor’s Choice

5 Most FaMily-Friendly races

Hy-Vee Triathlon

Sometimes you want your family to see you race. Sometimes your family wants to see you race. Whatever the circumstances, being a tri spectator isn’t as easy as watching arena football, Ultimate Fighting, or anything else that involves more contact and takes less time. So you owe it to your support crew to choose races that allow sidekicks to have a little fun. The Rev3 Triathlon Series was launched last year in Middleburry, Conn., and redefined the

Location: West Des Moines, Iowa 2010 Date: June 13 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Hy-veetriathlon.com

St. Anthony’s Triathlon Location: St. Petersburg, Fla. 2010 Date: April 25 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Satriathlon.com

Musselman Triathlon Location: Geneva, N.Y. 2010 Date: July 9-11 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Musselmantri.com

5 Best triathlon Festivals

Courtesy Riccardo Giardina

For serious tri addicts, some masochist long ago created the tri festival. A tri fest offers participants the opportunity to race more than one event on a weekend. It’s also a great way to travel with a family or group of people each racing a different event. We feel any weekendlong celebration of tri is great, but the greatest

Location: Piti, Guam 2010 Date: March 27 Distance: 1K swim, 31K bike, 8.2K run Website: Xterraguam.com

Xterra France Location: Xonrupt, France 2010 Date: July 11 Distance: 1.5K, 34K, 10K Website: Xterrafrance.free.fr

Jake’s Off-Road Triathlon Location: Treasure Beach, Jamaica 2010 Date: April 26 Distance: 500m swim, 25K mtn bike, 7K run Website: Jakesoffroadtri.com

Xterra USA Championship Location: Ogden, Utah 2010 Date: Sept. 25 Distance: 1.5K swim, 30K bike, 10K run Website: Xterraplanet.com/Utah 60

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meaning of spectator-friendly. The race takes place at the Quassy Amusement Park, which opens its doors to family and friends of athletes on race day. While you suffer on one of the toughest half-iron courses in the Northeast, your loved ones get to enjoy some of the best coasters in the region.

Revolution3 Quassy Location: Middlebury, Conn.

2010 Date: June 5-6 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run/1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Rev3tri.com Editor’s Choice

Magic Mountain Man Location: Castaic Lake, Calif.

2010 Date: Oct. 10 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1mile run Website: Renegaderaceseries.com

Jay Prasuhn

Xterra Guam

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of all takes place in the middle of Nowhere, Calif., on May 1-2. Lake San Antonio, which is quite literally smack dab in the middle of nowhere, is home to the world-famous Wildflower Triathlon Festival, an annual party celebrating why triathlon kicks ass.

This year’s festivities begin with a half iron-distance race on Saturday, followed by an enormous party on Saturday night, followed by a mountain bike tri and Olympic-distance race on Sunday morning. Grab your camping gear or rent an RV; just be sure to bring plenty of beer.

Jay Prasuhn

Wildflower Triathlon Festival Location: Lake San Antonio, Calif.

2010 Date: April 30-May 2 Distances: • Long-course tri: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run • Olympic-distance tri: .93-mile swim, 24.7-mile bike, 6.2-mile run • Mountain bike tri: .25-mile swim, 9.7-mile bike, 2-mile run Website: Tricalifornia.com Editor’s Choice

Lonestar Triathlon Festival Location: Galveston Island, Texas 2010 Date: April 24-25 Distances: • Sprint: .3-mile swim, 12.5-mile bike, 3.1-mile run • Olympic: .93-mile swim, 24.7-mile bike, 6.2-mile run • Ironman 70.3: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironmanlonestar.com

Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival Location: Show Low, Ariz.

2010 Date: June 5-6 Distances: • Youth Deuceathlon: 0.5-mile run, 3-mile bike, 0.35-mile run • Aquabike: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike • Deuceman: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run • Olympic: .93-mile swim, 24.7-mile bike, 6.2-mile run • Xterra Deuces Wild: 0.5-mile swim, 15-mile mountain bike, 5-mile trail run Website: Trisportsracing.com

Neapean Weekend of Triathlon (Australia) Location: Sydney, Australia 2010 Date: Nov. 13-14 Distance: .6-mile swim, 18.6-mile bike, 6.2-mile run Website: Nepeantriathlon.com march 2010

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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

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Saipan Sports Festival Location: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands 2010 Date: March 13-20 Distances: • Xterra Saipan: 1-mile swim, 12.4-mile mountain bike, 7.4-mile trail run • Tagaman Triathlon: 1.2-mile swim, 37.3-mile bike, 9.3-mile run Website: Saipansports.com

5 Races with the Best Post-Race Festivities We believe the availability of good beer, decent food and a party atmosphere post-race are crucial factors to consider in determining the greatness of an event. Some races choose to ignore these three things, and so we choose to ignore these races. When

it comes to food, Timberman 70.3 in New Hampshire and Lobsterman in Maine are at the top of our list, but when it comes to putting it all together post-race, the Xterra World Championship in Maui does things right. No other triathletes party quite like the freaks of the Xterra circuit. So train hard, qualify for Maui and then be sure to pack a killer Halloween costume. Seriously, that’s not a trick. Make it a good costume.

Xterra World Championship Location: Maui, Hawaii 2010 Date: Oct. 24 Distance: 1-mile swim, 20-mile mountain bike, 7.5-mile trail run Website: Xterraplanet.com Editor’s Choice

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05.01.201

Timberman Ironman 70.3 Location: Gilford, N.H. 2010 Date: Aug. 22 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Ironmantimberman.com

Las Palomas Triathlon Location: Puerto Penasco, Mexico 2010 Date: April 24 Distance: .93-mile swim, 24.7-mile bike, 6.2mile swim Website: Redrockco.com

Lobsterman Triathlon Location: Freeport, Maine 2010 Date: Sept. 18 Distance: .93-mile swim, 24.7-mile bike, 6.2-mile swim Website: Tri-maine.com

Memphis in May Triathlon Location: Millington, Tenn.

2010 Date: May 23 Distance: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run Website: Mimtri.racesonline.com

5 Best Multi-stage Races For those who need more than a simple triathlon festival, there are multi-stage events popping up all around the world, especially in the U.S. While the Survival of the Shawangunks is no doubt the most unusual (the race circumnavigates an untamed portion of upstate New York via eight grueling swimming, biking and running stages over one very long day), no multisport stage race is quite like the American Triple-T in Portsmouth, Ohio. The three-day event pushes athletes through four triathlons totaling 140 miles. The Triple-T certainly isn’t for beginners. Many finishers compare the race to an Ironman in terms of difficulty. Sounds like fun, right?

American Triple-T Location: Portsmouth, Ohio 2010 Date: May 21-23 Distance: • May 21: Supersprint triathlon • May 22 (AM): Olympic-distance triathlon • May 22 (PM): Olympic-distance triathlon • May 23: Half iron-distance triathlon Website: Americantriple-t.com Editor’s Choice

Location: Ulster County, N.Y. 2010 Date: Sept. 12 Distance: 30-mile bike, 4.5-mile run, 1.1-mile swim, 5.5-mile run, 0.5-mile swim, 8-mile run, 0.5-mile swim, 0.7-mile run Website: Sostriathlon.com 64

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Courtesy American Triple-T

Survival of the Shawangunks

Ultraman Hawaii Location: The Big Island, Hawaii 2010 Date: Nov. 26-28 Distance: 6.2-mile swim, 261.4-mile bike, 52.4-mile run Website: Ultramanlive.com

Virginia Double Ironman Location: Lake Anna, Va. 2010 Date: Oct. 9-10 Distance: 7.6K swim, 360K bike, 84.4K run Website: Usaultratri.com

International Ultra Triathlon Assn. World Championship Location: Bonyhad-Dombovar, Hungary 2010 Date: June 24-27 Distance: 7.6K swim, 360K bike, 84.4K run Website: Ultraironhungary.com

5 Best Women-only Races Male triathletes can be kind of annoying, especially if you’re looking for a quiet girls’ weekend. And why not spend that girls’ weekend in California’s Russian River Valley, sipping Sonoma’s finest Pinot and racing the world’s greatest women-only race? Barb’s Race, which coincides with the Full Vineman Triathlon, offers a women-only half iron-distance race in California’s wine country with proceeds benefitting the Vineman Cancer Charities. It’s tough to beat all that.

Barb’s Race Location: Sonoma, Calif.

2010 Date: July 31 Distance: 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Website: Vineman.com Editor’s Choice

Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Location: Lake Las Vegas, Nev. 2010 Date: May 15 Distance: 800m swim, 18.6-mile bike, 3.1-mile run Website: Irongirl.com

Trek Women’s Tri Austin Location: Austin, Texas 2010 Date: May 16 Distance: 0.5-mile swim, 12-mile bike, 3.1-mile run Website: Trekwomenstriathlonseries.com/texas

SheRox Miami

Photos by Jeff Kapic

Location: Miami 2010 Date: April 25 Distance: 0.5-mile swim, 12-mile bike, 3.1-mile run Website: Sheroxtri.com

Philadelphia Women’s Triathlon Location: Philadelphia 2010 Date: July 11 Distance: 750m swim, 17-mile bike, 3.1-mile run Website: Cgiracing.com march 2010

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BY SUSAN GRANT Since he took up triathlon in the mid-1980s, 38-year-old Australian Greg Bennett has racked up multiple World Cup wins and a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

In 2007, he won all five Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series events, taking home an estimated $500,000 and the largest race paycheck in triathlon history. But what this impressive scorecard doesn’t show is his most prized winning:

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PHOTOS BY JOHN SEGESTA. the love and support of his American pro triathlete wife (and fellow Olympian) 34-year-old Laura Bennett. Triathlete sat down with the Bennetts to discuss what has gone on behind the scenes over the last decade of their relationship, why Greg really decided to move away from purely draft-legal racing and what their professional (and personal) plans are heading toward the 2012 Olympic Games.

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There are several professional triathletes out there, Craig Alexander to name one, who are very vocal about the stress their jobs place on their spouse.

There’s the traveling, the ups and downs of competition and the need for the athlete to be 100 percent focused on himself at times in order to succeed. How does this all play out in a household where both spouses are professional triathletes?

Craig has been a good friend of ours, and we have seen how they work with Neri running the home life and Craig staying focused on his racing and his training. For Laura and I, we are quite often both really tired; that just goes with the job. If you’re not tired, then you’re out trying to train a little bit more until you are.

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with sponsors and mapping out the road you want to take in your career does require us both to be 100 percent committed to the sport.

Fortunately, we both enjoy planning our years well in advance, so I know when we are going to have time to work on the house or when we are both going to be traveling somewhere for a race or for vacation.

That overall planning helps us focus in on when we have to put energy into the day-to-day things that we don’t really want to do; we can make time for it. In saying that, Laura is definitely more astute in keeping the taxes organized and getting stuff off to people and that kind of thing.

At the start, being in a triathlon marriage means there is a lot of triathlon all the time. I think for a lot of women, we tend to get in and then get out of it all. We don’t really want to live the sport quite as much as the men do. But after 10 years march 2010

together, it’s made us very savvy in the sport as well. We’ve learned a lot more because we discuss it so much more every day as a couple. It is what we surround ourselves with 11 months of the year.

Greg and I have the benefit of being at the same level and so we know exactly what the other person is going through. We know what it’s like to be down about a race or up about a race or just plain feeling tired from training. We can adapt to what the other person is feeling because of that and play the supportive role or ask them to take a nap or avoid each other. The hardest is when you’re up and the other person is down. It’s hard to stay in a good mood because you have to put energy into bringing them back up.

Greg, you seemed to have a career modification of sorts in 2005 when you march 2010

started competing more in U.S. events like the Life Time Series instead of purely the ITU circuit. Was this because of your fourth-place finish in Athens in 2004, because you wanted to focus on Laura’s run-up to 2008, or was it just that you discovered you could make a much better living at it?

Coming in fourth at the Olympics was a little disappointing. And at the same time we got married and were looking at moving from Canada and into the U.S. We had a few months out of the sport with a honeymoon and everything, and I really had time to think about things.

I felt like I had a lot to prove in World Cup racing, and my passion for it kind of flipped at that point from wanting to win races all over the world to wanting to win a lot of races in the U.S. Right about that triathletemag.com

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time I discovered that the Life Time Fitness Series was offering up a lot of money. I knew the non-drafting format of racing really suited me. I can remember Laura telling me around that time that I needed to maximize who I was and what I could do. She told me not to do the Olympics just because everybody else said I should be doing them.

I stepped back and thought about what was most important to me and what was most important to the two of us. And deciding to focus on that series was a big decision as well because of course everybody here in the U.S. was talking about doing the Ironman. I’m sure I could have stepped up and done Hawaii five or six years ago, but I understood where my natural place was with talent and speed. Ironman wasn’t necessary for me to have a career.

So these career change decisions have been very conscious on my part. Even when I put in for the Australian Olympic team in 2008 and then Australia lost its spot and I lost my chance at going again, it didn’t faze me. It simply wasn’t a priority for me at that time. I had won everything I wanted to win in 2007 and fortunately also in 2008, so I didn’t need the Olympics to complete me as an athlete. I’ve been there, done that, and now it’s about maximizing the races that we decide to do.

When we sat back in 2004 and tried to decide our next phase, one of the things we discussed was that I really wanted to go to the Games. We both decided to make [my going to the Games] a priority. And in order for that to happen, because we knew that following the Olympic dream—although your federation supports you—means financially you aren’t going to make any money trying to do it. It’s almost like a charity event to some degree because people just want to participate. Some sponsors get on board but not nearly as much as with other events like the Ironman.

Everybody in the U.S. knows about the Olympics, and it’s really the only time they check in to our sport on a national level for the most part. People don’t think you’ve done anything in the sport unless you are an Olympian or an Ironman. I wanted to check that off the list.

We knew he was amazing at non-drafting events and just around that time the Life Time Fitness Series came up and we decided that he would stay in the U.S. and make the income that year, and I’ll go do the World Cup and try to make the Olympic team. We knew that we needed one fixed income and one variable income.

You have both had the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games, and you also each achieved fourth-place finishes. Greg, how did your experience in 2000 help you prepare Laura for the 2008 Olympics, and did it also help you comfort her after her finish?

I think the beauty of Laura getting fourth is that we both got fourth. We also both should have been on the podium to some degree because they were very close finishes in each race. We also both felt we deserved to be on the podium because we knew we were at the right level. I knew how much fourth place hurt.

With Laura’s Olympic journey, we really planned out a pretty amazing block of racing during that four-year run, with 2007 being the focus point to get her on the team early with her win at Hy-Vee and her third place at the Beijing test race where she got her team spot.

Everything was running like clockwork until May 2008 when she was injured by a bike cleat twisting her foot while she was riding uphill.

She didn’t ride a bike for 12 weeks heading into Beijing. The crazy thing about her lead up to that Olympics was that I really stepped back and watched her get focused on her goal. She took complete ownership of the program. Most people would have given up.

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We’ve gone over how things could have been different in the race over and over again, and I think what we decided it came down to was had she gotten in one or two races before the Olympics and gotten in a little bit of threshold work, then the end result would have been very, very different. I really think the silver or bronze medal was available that day, but in the end it was an amazing performance to get fourth after what she had been through.

Greg, you were in a bike accident this past summer where you were struck by a vehicle traveling 40 miles per hour near your home in Boulder, Colo.

Your bike accident came just after you had recovered from an earlier injury. What are your thoughts on your overall 2009 race year, and how did you adjust your race calendar around the recovery?

2009 overall was a crazy year. Heading into the year I had 12 weeks off biking and running with an injury on my quad that held me back until April. I started biking and running in May and it was a really tough start to the year because I basically missed my whole base program. It wasn’t until I won the New York City Triathlon in July with guys like Matty Reed who had basically been winning everything up to that point that I really felt like I was back.

Then, bang! Six days later a car hits me. It was basically six weeks of doing nothing but very easy indoor training.

At the start of September after so much time off, I felt like I really hadn’t had any kind of year at all. I sat down with Laura and tried to find a way for me to get some kind of performance out of 2009. A week later we’re flying down to Florida for the Malibu Triathlon when I hadn’t even been running yet. I ended up getting second there and winning a little sprint race the next day in front of guys like [Chris] McCormack and [Chris] Lieto, which made me realize that I hadn’t really lost much fitness or speed. I still could move. So Laura and I decided to try to get to Clearwater. The last race to qualify for Clearwater was the Augusta 70.3, and we flew there and amazingly enough we both won. I was blown away because I had only been back training for three weeks. I raced in Los Angeles and Dallas after that and kind of tried to get in what I could after that. Obviously I was disappointed to not do better in Clearwater [Greg Bennett finished in 27th place and Laura finished in fifth place], but I think we have to remind ourselves that I never really had a chance to train; I really just raced as much as I could for the latter part of the season. It has really inspired me for next year, though.

Greg, you have said that one of your mentors has been Laura’s father, Paul Reback. What are some of his important life lessons about competition and life in general that really resonated with you?

By the end of the ’90s, I was kind of feeling tired of the sport. I spent four years during that time being coached by Brett Sutton and he was a fantastic trainer, but I had lost my passion. I forgot why I was doing it. I have been racing since I was 15 years old and I loved it and I also loved the people who raced. I always felt like I had an adult’s dream adventure job, and I had kind of lost that. Then, around the time that I met Laura and was able to know her dad a lot better, I really saw what the sport means to him and to all the age-group athletes. They just simply love it. They don’t have to win. They try to go a little bit quicker and maximize themselves a little bit more on an individual level.

Both Laura and I look at how disciplined Laura’s dad is and we often quote his favorite saying about fitness, which is: “Something’s march 2010

KONA 2009

The three weeks after Clearwater were really great for us. We spent a lot of time down in Southern California meeting with friends and talking about business ideas. Obviously, setting up a future for us is always in the back of my mind.

We both want to get through to 2012. We are kind of using the Olympics, whether or not Laura makes the team, as a reference point.

We are both committed to the sport for the next three years. During that time, you may find us starting something new, or adding to our careers a little bit. We’re throwing out all the ideas right now, whether it’s coaching, coached training camps, or possibly going into more media and commentary work.

We’ve had a lot of good meetings with people about all of these ideas.

For me, in terms of my athletic career, I’ll admit I don’t have a huge ego left. I feel like I’ve achieved more than I ever could have imagined starting out as a teenager. I never won a race until I was in my 20s, and it’s been a very long career, of which I’m very proud.

But there’s still more left in me. I would like to work at doing better at the 70.3 distance.

I want to see what I could do there.

Of course, I also want to be there for Laura. If Laura ever came to me and said she wanted me to help her with her training plan or if she wanted me to change my racing schedule so we focused more on her race career I would do that in a heartbeat. I don’t feel like I’m the coach right now and she’s the athlete though. We work together as a team on most things.

better than nothing.” Even if that’s just a 10-minute swim, he loves to work out and keep fit. To me it came at a really important time in my career, and Laura’s as well. Around the late ’90s, before we were even together, we were both questioning whether we even wanted to be in the sport any longer. Meeting Paul and feeling his passion for the sport, it began to rub off on me in a positive way. He’s a good example to enjoy what you have.

Greg, are you reaching the point in your career where you are ready for another shift, perhaps one where you focus more of your time on coaching Laura heading into 2012? Or are you both just going to hang up the towel and have a bunch of babies? The triathlon world needs to know!

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My bike cleat breaking last year was one of those things that was an absolute nightmare at the time but it was a positive thing in the end. I learned so much about the bike and my riding position. I essentially learned that I had been riding with an incorrect bike cleat position my whole career. Fixing that and getting back on the bike, I immediately noticed that I had much more power in my glutes and quads. I have seen improvements with this not only in my bike but also on the run. I want to explore where that will take me. I’m interested in seeing what I can do with the complete package, since the bike was always a weakness for me. It’s exciting on a personal level.

I’ll play this by ear as I go along, but I’ll plan for the next four years and see where we are at that point. I look forward to four more years of racing. Then after that, the way we both look at it after that is—kids.

We take it pretty seriously because we see what parenthood has done to our friends and we want to be 100 percent ready for it. There are a few more things I want to experience that I think will make me a better mother. We see it as just as much of an experience and a challenge as racing has been, and we want to be ready for it. We want to be able to focus on our parenting just as much as we did our racing careers. march 2010

2010

WETSUIT

NEOSPORT SPRINT FULLSUIT $189.95

GUIDE

PROMOTION FLUID DRIVE $239

Neosport offers a durable, flexible suit for an economical price. The Speed Skin neoprene is exceptionally soft and the mid-calf opening allows for lightning-quick transitions out of the water and onto the bike.

The Fluid Drive uses a super stretchy form of neoprene that gives you speed and warmth. The forearms of the suit have raised trims to give you that extra oomph during the catch phase of your stroke.

Neosportusa.com

Wetsuit.com

PROFILE DESIGN BIONIK SLEEVELESS $250

2XU TEAM $249 Australia-based 2xu may be known as a high-end brand, but they still know value and the sub-$250 Team offers plenty of bang for the buck.

We dug the free and flexible back panels and, of course, the price tag.

The Bionik Sleeveless is covered with a super composite skin to help you glide faster through the water and also uses a friction-free collar.

The sleeveless design make this a good choice for those shorter races or warmer water temperatures.

2XU.com

Profile-design.com

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march 2010

BY BRAD CULP AND JAY PRASUHN • PHOTOS BY NILS NILSEN/N2FOTOSERVICES.COM

DESOTO T1 WATER ROVER BIBJOHN $370; WATER ROVER PULLOVER $280

AQUA SPHERE IRONMAN RACER $399

The new Rover is absurdly buoyant, using up to 10mm of neoprene throughout the thigh panels to help you ride high and dry on the water.

If buoyancy is what you’re after, this is your new wetsuit.

The Ironman Racer, made of Yamamota SCS Nanoskin, offers ease of movement along with the little touches that make all the difference in long races: leak-resistant cuffs, chafe-guard under the arms and a 4.5mm thick core for optimal buoyancy.

Desotosport.com

Aquasphereswim.com

ZOOT SYNERGY $400

PROFILE DESIGN BLITZ $420

Zoot’s mid-tier offering serves up plenty of value and borrows a number of features from the brand’s top-end Zenith suit. Sized properly, this suit feels like a second skin and the buoyancy panels make your mid-section look really shredded—a big bonus.

The Blitz offers the same super composite skin coating of the Bionick, plus a reverse zipper design for fast opening that won’t open mid-swim.

The 3mm neoprene behind the suit’s legs help you move faster on land as you head into T1.

Zootsports.com

Profile-design.com

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2010

WETSUIT

AQUA SPHERE IRONMAN ICON $550

GUIDE

QUINTANA ROO SUPERFULL $550

The Ironman Icon offers many of the same features of the Racer but trims off a little weight. It also offers a 5mm core for maximum buoyancy in the water.

The 2010 edition of this wetsuit includes a new jersey material throughout critical high-stress areas on the leg for improved durability.

There is also a new internal neck gusset to prevent water flow into the suit.

Aquasphereswim.com

Quintanarootri.com

ORCA 3.8 $599 Using the buoyancy of hundreds of air cavities trapped within the suit’s neoprene, the 3.8 places your legs and torso in an optimum swimming position so you can worry about more important things-like getting to T1.

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SAILFISH ONE $599 Sailfish introduced a new top-end suit (the G-Range) this year, but we think the One is still the German brand’s best offering. We enjoyed the uber-flexible inner liner that kept the suit from disturbing our stroke.

Sailfish-wetsuits.com march 2010

2010

WETSUIT

NINETEEN FREQUENCY $600

GUIDE

TYR HURRICANE CATEGORY 5 $625

For 2010, Nineteen retains its excellent cut, but upgrades the Frequency with top-end Yamamoto 40 rubber where it counts: on the back and lats, making for a suit with uninhibited overhead reach.

We agree, that’s a lot of money to spend on a wetsuit, but when a suit feels so good that you kind of feel like you’re cheating, it may be worth more than $600. This suit is so buoyant that it might freak you out the first time you take it to the open water.

Nineteenwetsuits.com

Tyr.com

AQUAMAN CELL GOLD $630

BLUESEVENTY HELIX $640

If you’re looking for flexibility, look no further than the Aquaman Cell Gold. Using super-stretchy Yamamoto GIGA #40 neoprene on both the inside and outside of the wetsuit, the Cell Gold has unrivaled stretch where you need it most.

The Helix is a top choice among strong swimmers seeking neutral flotation, with maximal flexibility and reach. New for 2010 are paper-thin, laminated fabric panels on the forearms, reinforced to create a tactile sensation during the stroke, for greater arm position awareness.

Aquamantri.com

Blueseventy.com

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march 2010

ORCA ALPHA $665

XTERRA VENDETTA $695

The Alpha offers many of the same technologies as the Orca 3.8, along with panels of Yamamoto Aerodome neoprene on the front and rear of the torso, which generate 30 percent more buoyancy once you dive in.

This is another suit that carries a hefty price tag but does a good job making up for it with unparalleled buoyancy. Tiny air pockets strewn throughout the suit will make you feel lighter in the water than ever before.

Orca.com

Xterrawetsuits.com

ROCKET SCIENCE SPORTS ROCKET WETSUIT $699

2XU PROJECT X $899

The Rocket’s buoyancy laminated technology serve up 48 percent more buoyancy, according to Rocket Science Sports, and up to 6 percent less drag than standard neoprene. The flex panels on the leg and wrist of the suit allow for easy exit from the suit as well.

The new Project X will be in very limited supply in the U.S., reaching only 10 select dealers. It features a rollbar (for hip lift), vertical strakes for straight-line swim tracking and thin 1.5mm rubber under the arms and across the lats for added flexibility.

Rocketsciencesports.com

2XU.com

march 2010

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2010 SPEEDSUIT GUIDE

MAYSTORM SA 1 $200

AQUA SPHERE IRONMAN $160 Leave it to upstart Aqua Sphere to buck the industry trend and actually make an affordable speedsuit. The M-Dot-branded suit is extremely light, plenty hydrodynamic and it’ll leave you with a little money to actually race.

Japan-based Maystorm has made inroads on the Xterra Triathlon circuit and now aims to bring its suits to the rest of the tri scene. The SA 1 was one of the most flexible speedsuits we tested, but unless you plan to shed a few pounds, order a size larger than you usually would as they run a bit tight.

Aquasphereswim.com

Maystorm-gear.com

SAILFISH FURIOUS $249

AQUAMAN INSULATOR $220

PROFILE DESIGN MAKO $241

This unisex suit offers a super-slick SCS coating and superior Yamamoto rubber for a buoyant but pliable fit. This suit is slightly tighter than other ones, so keep that in mind when trying it on.

We can’t vouch for a silver suit actually keeping you cooler than a black one, but the shiny Mako looks cool. Don’t be scared away by the color; Profile still uses top-of-the-line SCS rubber to give you plenty of buoyancy.

Sized right, the Furious can be an extremely comfortable and flexible option.

Sailfish uses only top-dollar materials in designing this super-stretchy speedsuit. Just remember, Sailfish is based in Europe, so you may want to order one size too big.

Aquamantri.com

Profile-design.com

Sailfish-wetsuits.com

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march 2010

BARRACUDA USA

2010 SPEEDSUIT GUIDE

2XU FUSION $295

DESOTO LIFTFOIL $250

ORCA RS1 SWIMSKIN $325

The Liftfoil speedsuit does double-duty as a tri suit, meaning if you’re at a warmwater race, this is the only thing you’ll wear from start to finish. The 16-inch zipper is the shortest on the market for less drag.

Australia-based 2XU didn’t see a need for seams when engineering its suit and instead welds (or “fuses”, hence the name) the wouldbe seams together. Doing so adds an extra level of comfort and flexibility.

Orca has long been at the front of the pack in the speedsuit market and continues that tradition with the RS1. We like the breathability of Orca’s Aeroskin rubber, a big help when the water temps close in on 80 degrees.

Desotosport.com

2xu.com

Orca.com

ZOOT SPEEDZOOT 20 INCH $325

TYR SAYONARA FULL BODY $375

A 20-inch inseam makes this suit a bit more water resistant than thigh-length speedsuits, but a flexible cuff ensures that your SpeedZoot will come off in a flash.

This suit ought to be outlawed on all seven continents. It’s too fast—too much like a wetsuit. But, while it’s still legal, we think you should enjoy the most buoyant speedsuit we’ve ever tested.

Zootsports.com

Tyr.com

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march 2010

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Until now, only elite triathletes in a lab had access to the kind of precision information JouleTM gives you. 18 valuable metrics including power, heart rate, time TSSTM and the ability to recreate a race course while training. Surpass your competition and your personal best. Visit cycleops.com

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T R A INING

march 2010

march 2010

TRAINING FEATURE: BASE STRENGTH

LANE LINES

BIG RING

ON THE RUN

FUNDAMENTALS

SPEED LAB

TRIATHLON HERESIES

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1

side Planks

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flutter kiCks

1 front Planks

The Why and How of Base Strength Training

By Ben Greenfield

F

or the majority of endurance athletes, cardio is king. If a workout involves slow-twitch muscle fibers, the aerobic energy system or chronic repetitive motion, it is usually prioritized.

In contrast, strength training takes a back seat in endurance sports, and is typically deemphasized to avoid bulking up, overdeveloping the anaerobic energy system and turning oneself into the Incredible Hulk.

Over the past decade, research on the effect of strength training on endurance has revealed varying results, but on balance it shows a damaging effect. In other words, while strength training increases bone density, strengthens the core, tendons and ligaments and increases the overall durability of the musculoskeletal system, it doesn’t necessarily translate into faster times when performed at the same time as endurance training.

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What these studies do not take into account, however, is the fact that strength training for a triathlete does not need to take place simultaneously to the development of the anaerobic energy system. Instead, the endurance athlete has an entire offseason to strengthen the body separately from the development of power, speed and muscular endurance. So while attempting to build strength during race season can indeed hamper your speed, spending time right now in the gym is one of the smartest moves you can make.

Now that you understand the reason for strength training, you need to know exactly what to do when you walk into the gym or wander down to the strength equipment in your basement. Here are five essential focus areas for your strength training routine.

1

Core. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you don’t need to be told the importance of strengthening your mid-section. Core training is so important that it should be included in every routine. The trick is to manage time by inserting any focused core sets, such as planks, abdominal holds and low back extensions, between your other strength-training sets. The sample routine included in this article will show you how.

Gluteus medius. This tiny external hip rotator muscle can save your hips, knees and ankles from excessive fatigue, and it also supports your low back. Like many of the smaller supportive muscles in your body, the gluteus medius isn’t strong and typically requires more repetitions with less weight. Hip hikes, fire hydrants, side leg raises and elastic band side walks are among the more popular moves to activate the gluteus medius.

2

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Lower temperatures. Less exertion per stride.

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RotatoR cuff. As the most mobile joint in the body, the shoulder is also extremely susceptible to injury. Think of your rotator cuff as the binding glue that saves your shoulder from dislocation or injury during exercise. Elastic bands and cables are extremely effective tools for rotator cuff stability exercises, which should include high repetitions of internal rotation, external rotation, abduction (movement of the arm away from the body), adduction (movement of the arm toward the body), extension (raising the shoulder forward) and retraction (pulling the shoulder back).

VMo. Short for vastus medialis oblique, the VMO is crucial for ensuring that the kneecap (patella) tracks properly in the groove of the femur. A weak VMO results in excessive patellar motion and subsequent knee pain, often referred to as patellofemoral syndrome. Machine leg extensions, knee extensions with ankle weights and elastic band front kicks can all strengthen the VMO, but the high shearing force of these exercises on the knee joint once again necessitates higher repetitions and lower weight.

Lats and shouLdeR bLade RetRactoRs. (not PictuRed) Especially weak or lengthened in individuals who sit for long periods of time, these upper back muscles must be strengthened to prevent shoulder injury and for stronger swimming and proper postural alignment while cycling and running. Most athletes spend too much time in the gym pushing and not enough time pulling, so prioritize the inclusion of pull-ups or assisted pull-ups, pull-downs and rows in your strength routine.

Your off-season strength program should focus on these five critical areas.

The routine outlined below can be performed three times per week, and utilizes the concept of supersets, or combined back-to-back sets.

4 3 exteRnaL Rotation

3 inteRnaL Rotation

5

instRuctions: Warm up for five to 10 minutes, then perform each superset three or four times, completing the core exercises during 90

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march 2010

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a rest period that occurs after performing both exercises in the superset (allowing you to rotate through each core exercise three or four times). For sets of 15-20 repetitions, use a weight or elastic band that demands about 50 percent to 60 percent of maximum force per repetition. For eight to 12 repetition sets, use closer to 75 percent to 85 percent of your one-rep max.

Off-seasOn superset 1 (15-20 repetitiOns): Elastic band side walks and fire hydrants. Core: 45-60 seconds side plank hold for each side.

Off-seasOn superset 2 (eight tO 12 repetitiOns): Lat pull-downs and seated rows. Core: 45-60 seconds front plank hold.

Off-seasOn superset 3 (15-20 repetitiOns): Leg extensions and cable kick-forwards. Core: 45-60 seconds low back extensions.

Off-seasOn superset 4 (15-20 repetitiOns): Elastic band

internal rotations and elastic band external rotations. Core: 45-60 seconds flutter kicks.

Continue doing these workouts three times per week until you are eight to 12 weeks out from your first triathlon of the season, after which you should focus on speed, power and muscular endurance for swimming, cycling and running. Although strength training can detract from the effectiveness of endurance training, most athletes still have a window of time for strength building from December through March. During the late spring and summer, you can maintain your strength by resistance training with a short, full-body circuit performed just once per week through mid-season, then returning to more focused strength training for a four- to six-week period of time in the middle of race season. march 2010

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WORLD CLASS CITY, WORLD CLASS TRIATHLON RACE DATE SEPTEMBER 12, 2010 WASHINGTON, DC

Fatima Aissaoui and the rest of the Team Lipstick Tri Club members will return in 2010 to participate in the new Tri Club Challenge race-within-a-race

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

l ane l ine s

Train Your Head to Think Positively

By Sara McLarty

T

he majority of triathletes are not strong swimmers.

I say this without any formal evidence to support my claim; it’s just a general observation derived from spending more than 15 years around multisport athletes. Anybody can ride a bike and run down the street without coaching or perfect technique.

Not so with swimming.

Everyone has an excuse when it comes to the swim. “I don’t have 94

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time to go to the pool.”

“I never learned correct technique.”

“The open water freaks me out.”

“It was too choppy.”

“I got kicked in the face.”

“A wave took off my goggles.”

Most of the explanations I hear for a poor race usually revolve around the first part of the race. If the swim goes poorly, there is little chance that an athlete can change his mindset for march 2010

march 2010

Sara McLarty coaches swimming at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. Visit her blog for daily swim sets at Ntcmastersswim.blogspot.com.

AGILITY RECOVERY PERFORMANCE

from me. I have been swimming almost as long as I have been breathing. Today, take a cue from your favorite professional triathletes. Check out their blogs, their online training plans or just the results from 2009. For them, swim practice is not just a recovery workout in the training plan.

Total weekly yardage rivals that of some local swim teams. The swim leg of triathlon deserves more than just a passing thought.

With the New Year just past and the 2010 season just around the corner, make a triathlon resolution about your mental approach to the sport. Start seeing yourself as a triathlete. Not a runner-triathlete or a cyclisttriathlete but a triathlete. Become a more confident athlete by mentally merging your weaker event with your stronger events. Ignoring your weak event does not make it go away. Improvement can come in leaps and bounds with just a little extra effort.

Think about your personal mental dialogue during a triathlon. Take the positive thoughts that easily roll around your head during the bike or run and use them during the swim. If you see yourself in a tight aerodynamic position flying by people on the bike, try adapting that same image to the swim, and see yourself in a hydrodynamic position gliding smoothly through the water. If you can easily settle into a steady pace on the run, try using the same physical cues in the water: your breathing, effort level and heart rate.

We have all heard the saying that endurance sports are 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.

Train your head this year! The race will unfold in an entirely different light if you think positively and have confident thoughts from the start. By embracing the swim instead of fearing it, you can become a triathlete.

REAL COMPRESSION

the remainder of the race. As a result, the common outlook for a triathlete is to survive the swim and then hammer the bike and run. If he makes it around all the buoys and into the transition area, the swim was a success.

This is the wrong mental approach for the sport of triathlon.

We can no longer see it as three separate entities: swim, bike and run. Triathlon is now just triathlon—one sport, very original and extremely tough.

Lately, coaches and athletes are modifying the standard training theories to accommodate this new view. In the past, triathlon legends were commonly known for their strength and speed in a single sport. Maybe it was powering to a huge lead on the bike or chasing down the leaders on the run. Because triathlon was a new sport, athletes were moving over from one of the single sports and finding success in the multisport arena.

Triathlon is now more than 25 years old. It exploded after debuting at the Olympic Games in 2000. More races are shown on prime-time television. Some of the current stars of the sport have only been triathletes. They were never just swimmers or runners—always triathletes.

The current stars of this sport are perfect examples of change in the winning strategy. In the draft-legal format, the race winners are the best runners from the fastest group of swimmers (Olympic champions Emma Snowsill and Jan Frodeno are perfect examples). Internationaldistance races frequently have a single leader from start to finish (think of Matty Reed or Sarah Haskins). Even half- and full Ironman triathlons are being won by athletes who can’t be classified with a single specialty (Chrissie Wellington and Craig Alexander are complete triathletes).

I have been honored to write the swim column in this magazine. With that said, I imagine it can be a little tough for some readers to take swimming advice

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big r ing

Accessorizing for Success Budget for gear that wIll maxImIze comfort and performance.

By Mark Deterline

A

ny fashionista will tell you “it’s all about the accessories,” which have the power to make or break even the most sophisticated design.

High-end bikes are gorgeous works of art. They inspire lust and a desire to own and, presumably, a desire to ride. Many bikes represent a significant enough investment that they motivate their owners; athletes feel committed to use a nice bike, even to be worthy of it.

But even the nicest bikes will quickly lose their luster if your ensemble isn’t working. The good news is that, unlike many haute couture trends, cycling’s No. 1 priority is function.

Form is part of the bike industry’s design challenge, but two of the primary objectives are always ergonomics and biomechanics, which serve to minimize undue stresses and facilitate performance.

Manufacturers understand that speed can rarely be attained at the expense of comfort. In fact, more often than not, success is achieved at least in part because of it. Footwear, helmets, clothing and eyewear all play key roles.

Ironically, accessories tend to be the most march 2010

daunting part of what began as a bike purchase.

Unless you have very specific reasons for getting a certain bike at a predetermined price point, many savvy bike retailers will wisely advise you to build clothing and accessories costs into your overall purchase. Instead of spending everything you have (or more!) on the rig itself, make sure you’re going to be comfortable, safe and prepared while riding it.

If the shoe fIts After a properly fitted bike, shoes are the most important consideration. This is where fashion and function can meet in glorious unison, or where something beautiful can lead to eventual frustration.

Triathlon footwear has come a long way. For years it lagged behind other sport-specific shoe development, focusing on hugging the sides and

top of the foot and providing good retention straps and buckle systems, including on-the-fly adjustment features. But it missed the mark when it came to supporting the arch, heel and natural articulation of the ankles and hips.

As important as arch support and overall comfort is a well-fitted heel. This doesn’t mean that the shoe must have a heel stabilization or adjustment feature—in my experience it doesn’t matter.

In fact, some manufacturers’ attempts to improve heel fit, usually by “pinching” the rear of the shoe, actually have the opposite effect. A well-contoured heel and anti-slip fabric seem to work best. Heel fit and grip are especially important with cycling shoes because of their rigid soles, which are designed for pedaling efficiency.

Do not expect cycling or triathlon shoes to stretch. Like many types of athletic footwear, the soles and artificial leather uppers are specifically designed not to stretch. Make sure you take enough time to determine that the fit is snug triathletemag.com

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big r ing but not too tight and that your heel won’t slip. Otherwise, they should be comfortable and either offer sufficient built-in support or facilitate the addition of a good insole or custom orthotic.

Always try on models the same way you will wear them for training and competition (sans or with socks) and keep in mind that feet generally swell a little bit during exercise, especially in the heat. You might want to have both road and tri shoes. Many manufacturers make both types so that you can have fit consistency across both models.

Helmet Head Now is a great time to buy a helmet, as designs have come far in the past few years.

This is especially true for time trial (TT) helmets, which used to come in two forms: expensive products lacking certification that often didn’t offer any real protection, and consumer TT helmets that weren’t as sophisticated as the pros’ gear, and didn’t look nearly as good.

Most TT helmets these days have all of the international safety certifications, and many are quite sleek. Some still sacrifice looks for full-on performance, but just as many are compact yet aero enough to be both fast and practical.

If you have the budget and the interest to include both a standard road helmet and an aero helmet in your quiver of noggin protection, purchase both. These days, road helmets are gorgeous, well ventilated and look pretty darn cool.

If you want to get only one helmet, a road helmet is the most versatile, and some of the world’s best triathletes contend the sport’s biggest events in road models. But at least consider one of the latest-generation aero models from manufacturers like Rudy Project; the Wingspan is designed by prominent aero expert John Cobb and is versatile, lightweight and more aerodynamic than the best road helmets.

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Get a helmet you truly like. It should fit impeccably; don’t be the girl or guy whose helmet front rides up your forehead–it’s neither attractive nor safe. Take time to adjust it properly and don’t be afraid to ask the shop where you buy it to help you fit it to your head.

It should sit firmly on your head so that it won’t shift or slip during hard efforts. It needs to remain snug and in place at all times in case you crash. It could save your life, so don’t be swayed to wear it loose.

don’t fear tHe roadie look If you’re on a bike, there is no need to fear Lycra. Tight-fitting, hydrophilic (attracts moisture) and/or hydrophobic (repels moisture) materials are among the most maligned pieces of technical gear on the planet, at least in the U.S., where there seems to be an inherent fear of them.

Ironically, roadies–the folks most susceptible to being teased for wearing tight-fitting clothing–love to give triathletes a hard time, especially the guys for their tankinis and some for even rocking the briefstyle bottoms. Why choose? I have teammates who road race in our team clothing kits and compete in triathlons without any embarrassment over their tri-kit tankini.

My recommendation is to own and proudly wear the best of both types of clothing. After all, why limit yourself to being identified as this or that when you can hold your own as both a road cyclist and a triathlete. I spell that r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

There’s a lot of good clothing these days and, more importantly, there are better-thanever chamois pads in the shorts. Make sure

shorts are plenty snug and stay in place up in there where it matters. You don’t want folds or bunching in your groin and bum areas and you don’t want shorts to snag on the nose of your

saddle when you stand up on the pedals and when you sit back down. You may need to try a few different brands and models until you find a chamois you really like. Use chamois cream to be more comfortable and to avoid saddle sores, especially on long rides.

If you’re going to ride year-round, particularly where it drops below 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.5 degrees Celsius), invest in some good cold-weather clothing. Take special care to find long-finger gloves that feel protective and comfortable and allow you to shift and grab water bottles easily. Shoe covers are also a must as fingers and toes are generally the first parts to get cold. Also, buy a skull-cap style beanie or at least an ear-cover headband; they may look a little geeky under a helmet but they make a huge difference when it’s really cold.

WindoW to tHe soul Eyewear has become a huge fashion statement in cycling but it is important to choose function over form. Be sure to find a set of shades that allow good peripheral vision to facilitate visibility of cars at cross streets and of other cyclists when riding in groups.

As important as shielding your eyes from sun and glare is finding eyewear that will protect your eyes from flying dirt, sand and even pebbles flung up by motorists and other riders. Also, if you’ve ever had a bug fly into your eye while cycling, you know it is painful and can obscure vision until you can pull over and get it out.

Good coverage of your eyes will also keep wind from bothering you and causing you to tear up, which can undermine your ability to see and your confidence while descending.

Like a good helmet, eyewear should stay in place at all times and in all situations. Good coverage and fit are largely affected by how the shades mesh with the contours of your face and the shape of your head; this also influences how good they will look on you.

Oh, and one more thing: Agents of the fashion police say that eyewear must go under helmet straps to be cool. march 2010

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Five Ways to Become a Faster runner

By BRIAN METZLER

D

o you train and train but never seem to improve your running splits? If so, you’re not alone. Even if you’re a good runner, fatigue from hard efforts in the water and on the bike can slow you on the run. Here are five ways to change things up in training to stimulate better results.

1.

Immerse yourself: The fastest way to learn a language is through immersion. In a language immersion camp, everyone is required to speak nothing but the language being studied for a week or a month or however long it lasts. A running immersion works similarly. Of course, taking on too much running too quickly can march 2010

lead to fatigue and injury, but if done right, a running immersion can help build your aerobic base into your week and train you to run while fatigued.

Be cautious when adding more mileage to your weekly running diet. Add miles slowly, with 5- to 10-percent gains over two or three weeks and as much as 20 percent over a span of two months. Immediately going from 50 to 55 miles per week shouldn’t affect you much, but you’ll definitely feel the effects of going from 50 to 70, both in leg fatigue and the mental stress of finding time to fit it in.

You’ll need to find out what works for you, but a few ways to increase your mileage

include adding three miles or so of cool-down running after an interval workout, adding a second run on a day of easy running, adding 15 minutes to weekly maintenance runs and adding 20-25 minutes to your long run every other week. But make sure you’re still taking at least one to three days off from running per week so you don’t literally run yourself into the ground. mIx It up: As triathletes, we’re often guided by a type-A, right-brain mentality. And while that’s mostly a good thing, it means we often do interval workouts on a track with a stopwatch. Makes sense, right? Because a track offers a fast and precise surface, it’s the

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on t he run body. Running on trails, especially undulating routes that twist and turn and climb and descend, breaks you out of the rut of repeating exactly the same gait pattern on every stride.

Instead, every step is different and you’re subtly shifting your weight and changing directions, and that forces your body to engage dozens of little muscles in your feet, legs and core that normally go unused while you’re using the larger, primary muscles of a consistent road or track gait. run hills: If done right, hill workouts usually aren’t fun. But hill workouts can put some pizzazz in your otherwise mundane interval workouts, and they can go a long way in building dynamic muscle strength that can come in handy when you’re fatigued and struggling to finish the last miles of your next 70.3 race. And running uphill is actually easier on your body because there is less jarring impact.

There are essentially two ways to run hills—either short and fast reps (say 8 x 20 seconds) that send you into oxygen debt right away or longer reps (8 x 200 meters) that start at a moderate pace but eventually increase in intensity because of the incline. The shorter reps, which can be done on a slightly steeper hill, build strength and power, while the longer reps, done on a long, moderately sloped hill, build speed and add horsepower to your anaerobic engine. With either type of hill workout, stress good form; a short, quick arm swing, upright posture and soft, midfoot or forefoot footstrikes maximize the training effect and eliminate unnecessary muscular strain. run a Pr: Because training for triathlons tends to give us a multisport-first perspective, we don’t often get the chance to peak for an open running race. But through triathlon training you wind up with a huge aerobic base and not nearly as much pounding and fatigue as you would suffer if you were only training as a runner. And that potentially means that, even without too much run-specific fine-tuning, you might find yourself in the best running shape of your life at some point this summer.

By running an open running race (from 5K to half-marathon) midway through your training cycle, you not only get a great all-out workout that stokes your competitive fire, but you also get a huge confidence boost (especially if you approach or set a PR). You might consider tapering a bit before an open running race to ensure maximum results, but you can always use your running race as part of an intense brick workout or the start of a weekend of high-intensity training.

4.

best and most reliable place to run 8 x 800 in exactly 2:55 or repeat miles at six-minute pace.

But if you want to break the mold a bit, consider doing more fartlek workouts and vary the length of your hard efforts. Instead of running three minutes at race pace, run hard without looking at your watch or heart rate monitor. Run hard to the next stoplight,to the next tree or until you think it’s time to back off for a rest interval. If you really want to be bold, leave your watch or heart rate monitor 102

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behind altogether. By casting aside the crutches and running more on feel, you can get more in tune with your body, especially when you’re fatigued. You’ll be surprised how good it feels to be so primal.

Go off-road: Even if it is convenient, running all of your miles on the roads can be painful and boring. Taking an extra 10 to 20 minutes to get yourself to a soft-surface trail can go a long way in maintaining your running zest and reducing the impact on your

3.

Brian Metzler is a former collegiate track runner, a running coach and senior editor of Running Times. march 2010

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Open-Water skills develop in the Pool

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By Ian Murray

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he pool is the best place to learn any new swim skill.

Even triathlon open-water skills can be practiced and mastered in the pool. Triathlons take place in all kinds of water—lakes, rivers and oceans—and with all kinds of start styles, such as run-ins (aka “Le Mans” starts), shallow-water starts where you can touch the bottom, deep-water starts and even dive starts off a boat, pontoon or dock.

Here are two such starts that can be mastered in the pool.

All swims should have a similar structure and include a warm-up; concentrated time on skill development; main set, or sets, for fitness development and a cool-down.

The warm-up should be 150300 yards, depending on your swim abilities. Do a straight swim, 104

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or break it into pieces. Warm up by swimming easily with very little effort. Cool down with that same lack of intensity for 100-300 yards. Set aside one swim a week to focus on open-water skills in the skill development and main set segments of your workout.

Dolphin StartS Begin standing in the shallow end of the pool. Instead of pushing off the wall as you normally do, push off the bottom of the pool and launch yourself both up and forward through the air.

As you thrust up and forward, extend your arms, stack your hands and tuck your head between your biceps to create a streamlined position. As you fly through the air, bend at the waist to create a pike position and carry all that energy into a dive that takes you march 2010

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both forward through the water and down to the bottom.

Return to your feet and repeat to perfect the trajectory of that dive. Find the motion that gives you the maximum distance and speed out of the leap-pike-dive sequence. Once you get comfortable with that, link two dolphin dives together. Complete the first dive so that your hands land flat on the bottom of the pool and you can get a grip of sorts on the rough pool surface with the palms and fingers of your hand (in open water, you will be grabbing sand).

Then, crunch up and plant your feet near your hands and launch into another dolphin.

Grab a breath as you sail through the air on the second breach. Successfully linking the two dives together might take a few minutes, so just practice until you have it smooth and fluid. If your pool depth allows it, link three in a row.

Set with Dolphin StartS. Pick a swim distance of 150-300 yards. Break the swim into two segments: the first 50 and the rest of the swim. The first 50 should begin with two, three or even four dolphin dives linked together in smooth and fast succession. After the last dive, push off the bottom straight into a fast freestyle swim and maintain it through the remaining distance. Do not stop and rest after the first 50; continue on to finish swimming the remainder of the distance you selected, but slow your pace to recover.

For example, if you choose a distance of 200 yards, begin with two or more dynamic dolphin dives followed by 50 yards (minus the distance covered in the dives) of fast swimming. Then go straight into the remaining 150 yards at a pace that allows you to recover. At first, do a set of three to five and get plenty of recovery after each—perhaps a full minute—to ensure greater quality in the dolphin dives and prevent loss of speed in the first 50. As you improve, reduce the

rest to 40 seconds, 30 seconds or even 20 seconds and then expand the distance you choose and/or the number of repetitions in the set.

Deep-water StartS Begin by treading water in the deep end of the pool. Here you have two options; experiment with both to see which one works best for you.

Option one: Tread water in a typical straight-up-and-down fashion where your head is out of the water and your feet are deep.

Option two: Tread water lying flat at the surface with your feet just inches beneath the surface and your head tilted up and forward for breathing.

Instead of pushing off of the wall as you would normally, start your swim without touching any hard surface.

Your goal is to get up to speed quickly by accelerating with a strong kick and fast arm turnover. Swim only 12-15 yards fast, stop briefly and start again.

Select a fixed mark on the lane line or bottom of the pool as the end of your sprint start and use the clock to time yourself with both methods. Repeat until you feel competent.

Set with Deep-water StartS. Structure a set as described with the dolphin starts above. Swim a distance that begins with a fast 50 from a deep-water start and goes straight into a longer swim at a controlled pace. Just as with the dolphin starts, incorporate a generous amount of rest and then challenge yourself by expanding the duration of the swim, increasing the number of repetitions or shortening the rest interval.

Open-water swim practice is often overlooked. Incorporate the skills and sets above to keep sharp and you’ll be ready to rip at your next race!

Ian Murray is an elite-level USAT coach, and the writer and host of the DVD box set Triathlon Training Series. march 2010

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speed l a b and people with diabetes are at greater risk for neuropathy, or damaged nerves. In addition, silent ischemia (reduced blood flow to the heart) is common in persons with diabetes, particularly if the disease is protracted.

Difference betWeen type i anD ii There are four types of diabetes: insulindependent or juvenile onset mellitus (Type I), non-insulin dependent or adult onset mellitus (Type II), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). However, you asked about Type I and II so we will concentrate on those subtypes.

The number of individuals with diabetes mellitus worldwide who use daily injections of insulin is growing. In the U.S., an estimated 1 million individuals have Type I diabetes, and a large percentage of those with Type II diabetes uses exogenous insulin as well.

The cause of Type I diabetes is thought to involve an autoimmune response directed at the insulin-secreting cells that ultimately leads to their destruction in genetically susceptible individuals, resulting in an absolute deficiency of insulin. Consequently, insulin must be supplied by injection or an insulin pump.

Training with diabetes Tim mickleborough, Phd Dear SpeeD Lab: I have just started training for and competing in triathlons, but recently I was starting to feel unwell and fatigued during workouts and have been diagnosed with non-insulin dependent diabetes. I am 41 years old and otherwise healthy. This has obviously come as a huge shock to me and now I am wondering about my future in the sport. Can I still train and compete in this sport? A colleague at work has insulin-dependent diabetes and competes in marathons, with no apparent problems.

What’s the difference between the two types of diabetes?

Ryan Vaughan San Antonio

ryan, To answer your question of whether you can train and compete in triathlons with Type II diabetes: With proper care, many diabetics can do virtually any exercise, 108

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including running marathons and competing in Ironman triathlons.

What iS DiabeteS? Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by diminished secretion of insulin by the pancreas and reduced sensitivity of insulin’s target cells to insulin. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to an elevation in blood glucose levels and is required for the normal entry of glucose into muscle cells, and for subsequent storage of glucose as glycogen in both muscle and liver.

Diabetes mellitus causes abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Individuals with diabetes are at risk for developing numerous health problems including heart disease, kidney failure, nerve disorders and loss of vision. Prolonged elevation of blood glucose can lead to a condition called microangiopathy, which is characterized by poor circulation due to damaged capillaries,

hoW athLeteS Might be affecteD The typical symptoms of Type I diabetes include excessive thirst and hunger, frequent urination, weight loss, blurred vision and recurrent infections. Glycemic management in individuals with Type I diabetes can be challenging.

Regulating blood sugar with exercise is complex and unpredictable. For example, exercise done under some hyperglycemic conditions (an abnormally high blood glucose level) can actually worsen metabolic control, due to an excessive rise in counter-regulatory hormones that may increase already high levels of glucose.

A bigger concern is hypoglycemia (a lowerthan-normal blood glucose level) resulting from exercise. Elevated levels of plasma insulin resulting from the mobilization of injected insulin can attenuate or prevent the normal mobilization of glucose and other substrates during exercise and increase muscle uptake of glucose, resulting in hypoglycemia. The risk of hypoglycemia during or after exercise is substantial when appropriate precautions are not taken to prevent it.

Exercise is not considered a component of treatment in Type I diabetes to lower blood glucose. Those with Type I diabetes are encouraged to exercise to gain other benefits, but blood glucose must be in reasonable control (less than 250 mg/dl, no ketones) for the individual to exercise safely. march 2010

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Basically, individuals with Type I diabetes should avoid exercising if fasting glucose levels are greater than 250 mg/dl (14 mM) and ketosis is present; use caution if glucose levels are greater than 300 mg/dl (17mM) and no ketosis is present. Type I diabetics should also ingest carbohydrates if blood glucose levels are less than 100 mg/dl (5.5 mM).

Type II diabetes, also known as adultonset diabetes because it generally appears after the age of 40, accounts for more than 90 percent of the diabetic population.

Exercise is considered the cornerstone in Type II diabetes management. Individuals with Type II diabetes are considered to have relative insulin deficiency since they may have elevated, reduced or normal insulin levels but still present with hyperglycemia.

The pathophysiology of Type II diabetes remains unclear and is probably multifactorial. Peripheral tissue insulin resistance and defective insulin secretion from the pancreas are common features. With insulin resistance, glucose cannot readily enter the insulin-sensitive tissues (primarily muscle and fat cells), and consequently blood glucose rises. The increase in glucose causes the pancreas to secrete more insulin in an attempt to maintain normal blood glucose concentrations. Unfortunately, this additional endogenous insulin is usually ineffective in lowering blood glucose and may further contribute to insulin resistance.

In some people, the insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas may become exhausted over time, causing insulin secretion to decrease.

The mechanisms underlying insulin resistance remain unclear but obesity significantly contributes to insulin resistance, and the majority of individuals with Type II diabetes are obese at onset.

Hyperinsulinemia (elevated plasma levels of insulin) is the clinical definition of Type II diabetes. It is caused by decreased insulin sensitivity at the target tissues; that is, by the cells’ becoming less responsive to insulin. Cosequently, more and more insulin is required to reduce circulating blood glucose levels.

In addition, Type II diabetics may present with high levels of blood triglycerides and hypertension and are therefore at increased risk for coronary artery disease.

In individuals with Type II diabetes, regular physical activity results in several beneficial changes, such as increased insulin sensitivity, improved glycemic control, improved lipid profile, lower blood pressure and increased cardiovascular fitness. Furthermore, exercise increases energy expenditure, which, when combined with appropriate changes in diet,

can lead to weight loss and decreased body fat content.

Before beginning an exercise program, individuals with diabetes should develop a program of diet, exercise and medications with their doctor.

Below is a summary of exercise guidelines for individuals with diabetes: Do not inject insulin into primary muscle groups that will be used during exercise.

This regimen may cause the insulin to be absorbed too quickly, resulting in hypoglycemia.

Exercise at the same time of day so that the amount of insulin in the bloodstream and body storage sites is always the same. This is crucial since the amount of insulin in these sites will determine the body’s metabolic response to that exercise.

Check blood glucose levels regularly. Determine the right insulin dosage, based in part on the blood glucose levels before and after exercise, using an automated blood glucose analyzer.

Avoid exercise during peak insulin activity (immediately after meals).

Always carry a rapid-acting (high glycemic index) carbohydrate (such as juice or candy) to correct for hypoglycemia.

Reduce daily insulin injections as exercise levels increase.

Consume carbohydrate snacks before and during prolonged exercise.

Increase carbohydrate intake after exercise to replenish the reduced muscle glycogen stores, thereby preventing a fall in blood glucose levels a few hours after exercise.

These guidelines are not comprehensive, but are offered simply to remind diabetics that they can exercise as much as they wish, but they must exercise with due care.

Dr. Tim 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. Contact him at Speedlab@juno.com.

SuggeSted Reading: 1. American Diabetes Association. “Diabetes mellitus and exercise (position statement).” Diab Care, 23 (2000): Suppl 1, S50-54.

2. King, D., G. Dalsky, W. Clutter, et al. “Effects of lack of exercise on insulin secretion and action in trained subjects.” Am J Physiol, 254 (1988): E537-E542.

3. Henriksson-Wallberg, H., J. Rincon, and J. R. Zierath.

“Exercise in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.” Sports Med, 25 (1998): 25-35. march 2010

t ri at hl on heresies the growing. For most of us, though, taking a nap in the middle of the day is not possible, so we need to look at getting the biggest release of hormone when we go to sleep at night. This is where nutrition comes in.

InsulIn and hGh: noT The BesT of frIends

optimal recovery: nutrition and hGh

By Alun WoodWArd

W

e have always heard that the time immediately after our training sessions is all about the carbs, carbs, carbs. We understand the importance of refueling the muscles after exercise to allow optimal recovery and maximize performance in the next training session. But is muscle refueling really the path to optimal recovery?

While it is true that we need our muscles fueled to perform our next training session, this simply ensures that we have energy to complete the session. It does not mean that we are recovering and adapting optimally to the training session we have just done, which is, in fact, exactly what we are looking for as athletes to improve performance.

So how do we optimize recovery and adaptation to training? The answer: hormone production.

The human body is controlled by hormones. Our strength, mood, energy levels, growth and adaptation to training, among other things, are all controlled by hormones. So if we want to maximize our training effect, we need to look at how we can optimize hormone 112

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production post-training.

The major hormone that we need to look at optimizing to enhance recovery is human growth hormone (HGH). This hormone is well known now and in the news regularly for all the wrong reasons. It has become the drug of choice for sports cheats as it has a huge effect on recovery and on how hard athletes can train. It is, however, possible to greatly improve our natural production of HGH and enhance recovery and performance cleanly.

The release of hGh To optimize HGH release we need to look at the times it is released into the body naturally.

This happens: In the first hours after falling asleep Following heavy weight training and maximum-intensity exercise In a fasted state Let’s first look at the HGH release that occurs when we sleep. This HGH release is why pro athletes take a nap during the day—and is also why babies take regular naps, as HGH release during sleep enables rapid growth in

Insulin and HGH are the two main hormones that control metabolism. Insulin works when we are in a “feasted” state and HGH works when we are in a fasted state. The release of both hormones is regulated in relation to the amount of glucose in the blood stream. The more carbohydrate (digested and broken down to glucose) we eat, the more insulin is released to transport glucose to the tissue cells that need it.

We can only start producing HGH after insulin has done its job and blood insulin levels have declined. This reality creates problems for athletes who follow a traditionally recommended high-carbohydrate diet. If you eat a high-carbohydrate meal in the evening after a post-work training session, then you go to bed with high insulin levels in our blood. The result is that at the optimum time for HGH release, it is inhibited by the presence of insulin.

So how can we change our evening nutrition habits to ensure maximal HGH release at night? Quite simply, we want to cut carbohydrates from our evening meals. In order to do this, we need to ensure that we are adequately fueled going into our evening training session.

We need to consume carbs during this session if it is a long one and after the session we should have a small carbohydrate-rich snack. Then that’s it for carbs for the rest of the evening.

The evening meal should consist of protein and fat combined with a side of salad or vegetables.

It is important to ensure that you get enough calories in this meal. Remember, vegetables are not high-calorie foods, so the fat and protein content of the “main course” needs to be high.

By following these recommendations, you should have low insulin levels by the time you go to sleep at night. And when you fall asleep, you will experience an optimal release of HGH. This will aid recovery from the day’s training and other stresses as well as: Enhance the quality of sleep Increase lean muscle tissue Burn fat

hIGh-InTensITy exercIse. The body also produces HGH in response to high-intensity anaerobic activities, such as sprinting and weightlifting. To get the hormone response we are after, these activities need to be done at near-maximum intensity. Let’s look at these activities individually to see how to march 2010

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t ri at hl on heresies stimulate our body’s natural production of HGH and how nutrition also plays a critical role here.

Sprinting An all-out sprint of no more than 40 seconds is going to recruit a large number of muscle fibers and will create a large lactate build-up in the muscles. The result is that we get a great workout by training a wide range of muscles fibers, and that we also get a hormone boost to aid recovery from our endurance training. I think it’s easy to know if you’re getting this right as you will be making some funny faces for the last 10 seconds if the intensity is high enough. Also, you will suddenly feel very sleepy about 60 to 90 minutes after this type of session as your HGH levels peak.

Sprinting carries inherent risks, and the activity of choice needs to be determined considering your history of injury and sportspecific training. If you have chronic Achilles injuries, don’t hit the track to run sprints but do them on the bike or in the pool instead.

WeightS Besides aiding the release of HGH, weight training can also pay big dividends for endurance athletes in terms of strength development. But

most athletes miss out on the gains despite—or should I say due to—spending hours in the gym.

To get the HGH release and strength gains from weight training, we need to lift heavy weights in exercises that recruit large muscle groups and the body’s core. Examples of these exercises are squats, dead lifts and pull-ups.

There are some golden rules to follow in doing these exercises to get the benefits we’re seeking. It’s important to know that we are not after lactate tolerance; we simply want to create a build-up of lactate in the muscles. We do this by performing the activities all out and taking long recoveries so that we are as fully recovered as possible for the next lift or sprint.

Examples of sessions that have been shown to be most effective are: Sprinting: 6-8 x 40 seconds all out with up to three minutes of recovery between sprints Weightlifting: Five sets of five lifts at the heaviest weight with which you can maintain good form The total duration for the sessions needs to be kept short: no longer than 40 minutes.

Doing any more than this will overstress the body and produce a lot of cortisol, which counteracts the HGH we are looking to produce.

I suggest doing a maximum of three exercises in a weightlifting session.

Let’s now consider the role nutrition plays here. The same principle applies to nutrition as to sleeping: Any insulin flowing through the blood is going to inhibit HGH production.

Heading to the gym after a high-carbohydrate meal or following your session with a meal or drink containing carbs will reduce the effectiveness of your session. Similarly, sitting in the changing room after this session and having your Gatorade to recover will be counterproductive—save the energy drinks for after your endurance training.

Heading to the gym in either a fasted state or after a protein meal is the best option to get the maximum benefits from your high-intensity session. You’ll head home with HGH flowing through your veins.

Athletes have also noticed that they get their best night’s sleep after one of these sessions performed in the late afternoon or evening and followed by a high-protein or high-fat meal, or no meal (so that they have gone to bed in a fasted state).

Alun “Woody” Woodward is the certified Ironguides coach for the U.K. and Hungary.

2009

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NU T RI T ION

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

NUTRITION Q&A 118 MULTISPORT MENU 120 EAT RIGHT 122 GET LEANER, GO FASTER 124 march 2010

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nu t r i t ion Q& A

Left: Gary Geiger

Contact Pip with your nutrition questions at Piptaylor.com.

Boost Your immune System with Good nutritional Choices

By PiP Taylor

Q:

I seem to constantly have a cold. I am never that sick, but just enough to miss sessions or compromise my training. What can I take to help avoid getting sick?

Maintaining a healthy immune system is paramount for any athlete, and it determines his ability to handle sufficient training and get to the start line in good shape.

While it might be impossible to avoid ever getting sick, there are definitely precautions we can take to support our immune systems, and these include dietary factors.

Exercise actually strengthens the immune system, but a very high volume and intensity of training put stress on an athlete’s immune system—meaning that elite and serious athletes are often more susceptible to picking up colds and flu. You can give your body a little assistance by ensuring that you are fueling it well, not only for performance but for health. Here’s how: Eat a variEd diEt—fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains, and limit processed and refined foods. Try to get as much color on your plate as possible. In particular, load up on foods high in vitamins A, C and E, B6 and B12 along with iron, zinc, selenium and adequate amino acids

A:

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(proteins), which are critical components for maintaining immune health.

ModEratE your total EnErgy intakE. Both very high and very low energy intakes compromise the immune system and increase risk of infection. If you are aiming to lose weight, make sure it is at a safe and realistic rate—no more than 1 to 3 pounds per week.

Drastically restricted energy intakes will leave your body with insufficient energy for effective training and will add pressure on your immune system, further reducing your ability to train. Go into workouts adequately fueled and pay attention to recovery nutrition; this will combat some of the negative effects of hard training on immune function. avoid low-carbohydratE diEts, some of which have been associated with increased levels of stress hormones and decreased immunity.

And if you happen to already be suffering from a cold, boost your carbohydrate intake. watch your fat intakE. Too much fat will impair the immune system. Reduce your intake of saturated fats and instead concentrate on essential fatty acids. includE yogurts with livE bactEria (probiotics) for digestive and immune health.

Studies have shown that probiotics help fight illness by activating gut bacteria.

Eat gingEr, garlic and chili, which have antibacterial and antiviral properties, and fresh herbs, which are a concentrated source of micronutrients.

Maintain good fluid intakE. Being dehydrated adds stress to immune function. considEr taking a broad-spEctruM vitaMin supplEMEnt, which may be beneficial as insurance against inadequate diets, but should not be relied on or used as an excuse to not eat well. Vitamin deficiencies are associated with a suppressed or impaired immune system, but over-supplementation or megadoses can be more dangerous as high levels of some vitamins and minerals are toxic to the body and can have severe consequences.

strEssors on iMMunE hEalth High levels of fatigue associated with training or work might compromise the quality of your food preparation and consumption.

Good planning is necessary to help you eat healthy.

Always wash your hands and pay attention to hygiene.

There is an elevated risk of respiratory tract infection after hard training, so stay away from crowded areas and avoid sick people.

Get plenty of sleep and try to reduce stress from other areas of your life. march 2010

mu lti sp or t me nu samBazON aNTiOxidaNT elixir ($2.99/BOTTle).

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past year, you probably know that the Brazilian acai berry is an antioxidant powerhouse. But being the triathlete that you are, you’ve probably also noticed that those acai smoothies and acai bowls can pack a calorie wallop as well.

Sambazon has found a way to get the nutritional benefits of acai without the sugar or calories. Its Antioxidant Elixir comes in three delicious flavors: acai berry, acai passion fruit and acai blackberry, each containing a mere 70 calories per serving and 600 percent of the daily value of vitamin C. Each elixir is sweetened with agave nectar and blended with the finest botanical extracts.

Delicious, nutritious and hassle-free—now that’s a triad triathletes can live with. Sambazon.com

PrOmax all NaTural eNergy Bars (Prices vary) Promax Energy Bars taste like that naughty treat you allow yourself after a workout—except with 20 grams of protein, 18 vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and between 250 and 300 calories each, these bars are the perfect post-workout recovery meal. In delicious flavors such as cookies ’n’ cream, chocolate chip cookie dough and nutty butter crisp, your taste buds will swear you’re ruining your workout instead of enhancing it. Promaxnutrition.com

BONk Breaker Bar ($1.99/Bar) Sometimes when you’re out on the race course you want a little comfort. Sucking down gels and other scientifically manufactured food that doesn’t taste, look or feel like real food can get old quickly. Why not get something straight out of the oven? Bonk Breaker Bars taste like they come from your mother’s kitchen, with flavors such as peanut butter

and dark chocolate chip, peanut butter and jelly and peanut butter and banana. Bonk Breaker Bars are dairy-free and wheat-free to keep your stomach happy out on the course, but packed full of rolled oats, blackberry jam and organic peanut butter. Bonk Breaker Bars also contain easily digestible and fast absorbing whey protein isolate to keep you from, well, bonking. Bonkbreaker.com

Numi OrgaNic Puerh BleNded iced Tea ($2.49/BOTTle)

Puerh (pu-er) tea comes from 500-year-old wild tea trees in China’s Yunnan Mountains and has been prized in the country since ancient times for its delicious, rich taste. The tea’s unique fermentation process results in a maltlike taste and elevated antioxidant levels. Numi iced teas are blended with a touch of organic honey and agave nectar, and are flavored with real fruits and herbs, never chemical flavorings.

Numi iced teas come in six delicious flavors: honey lemon, mango passion, Moroccan mint, magnolia jasmine, Earl Grey and peach nectar.

Numitea.com

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3.13 3.27 3.28 3.28 4.18 4.18 4.24 4.25 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.8 5.16 5.16 5.23 5.23 5.23 5.30 6.5 6.6 6.12 6.19 6.20 6.20 6.26 6.26 6.26 6.26 7.11 7.11 7.17 7.17 7.17 7.18 7.18 7.24 7.25 7.25 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.8 8.14 8.14 8.14 8.15 8.15 8.22 8.22 8.22 8.22 8.28 8.29 8.29 9.25 10.24

XTERRA Saipan // Northern Marianas XTERRA Guam // Piti, GU XTERRA Miami // N. Miami, FL XTERRA REAL // Granite Bay, CA XTERRA Muleshoe // Spicewood, TX XTERRA Caloosahatchee // Ft Myers, FL XTERRA Ft. Yargo // Winder, GA XTERRA WEST CHAMPIONSHIP // HENDERSON, NV XTERRA Epic // Ruston, LA XTERRA Gator Terra // Ruston, LA XTERRA Uwharrie // Uwharrie, NC XTERRA Del Valle // Livermore, CA XTERRA King Of The Hill // Lebanon, NJ XTERRA Red River // Ardmore, OK XTERRA SOUTH CENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIP // WACO, TX XTERRA ACE Big Canyon // Oak Hill, WV XTERRA Last Stand // Augusta, MI XTERRA Smith Lake // Fort Bragg, NC XTERRA Four Corners // Farmington, NM XTERRA Deuces Wild // Show Low, AZ XTERRA Eureka Springs // Eureka Springs, AR XTERRA Solstice // La Grande, OR XTERRA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP // RICHMOND, VA XTERRA Torn Shirt // Brighton, MI XTERRA Pipestem Creek // Jamestown, ND XTERRA Dawg Dayz // N. Little Rock, AR XTERRA YMCA Scales Lake // Boonville, IN XTERRA Tahoe City // Tahoe City, CA XTERRA EX2 // Flintstone, MD XTERRA Vashon Island // Vashon Island, WA XTERRA MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP // AVON, CO XTERRA Hammerman // Anchorage, AK XTERRA Lock 4 Blast // Gallatin, TN XTERRA Sky High // Grafton, NY XTERRA ONE // Ravenna, OH XTERRA DINO Versailles // Versailles, IN XTERRA First Coast // Jacksonville, FL XTERRA Wild Horse Creek // Bozeman, MT XTERRA Race at the Rez // Essex, VT XTERRA Appalachia // Indiana, PA XTERRA Snow Valley // Running Springs, CA XTERRA Panther Creek // Morristown, TN XTERRA Forest Drive // Aberdeen, SD XTERRA Sugar Bottom // North Liberty, IA XTERRA Black Diamond // Black Diamond, WA XTERRA Iron Will // Jonesboro, AR XTERRA STOAKED // Hanover, NH XTERRA Indian Peaks // Nederland, CO XTERRA MountainMan // Kualoa Ranch, HI XTERRA DINO Logansport // Logansport, IN XTERRA B.O.L.T. // Raymond, NE XTERRA Portland // Forest Grove, OR XTERRA Dirty Grizzly // Macungie, PA XTERRA Camp Eagle // Rocksprings, TX XTERRA Lake Placid // Lake Placid, NY XTERRA Wild Ride // McCall, ID XTERRA Charlottesville // Charlottesville, VA XTERRA Austin // Austin, TX XTERRA Lake Tahoe // Incline Village, NV XTERRA Lory // Bellvue, CO XTERRA Schiff Scout // Wading River, NY XTERRA USA CHAMPIONSHIP // OGDEN/SNOWBASIN, UT XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP // MAUI, HI * Tentative, subject to change

FIND YOUR

ADVENTURE One root, rock, and mud puddle at a time with the XTERRA AMERICA TOUR. There are races at sea level and altitude, with swims in lakes, rivers, and oceans from the desert to the mountains.

XTERRAPLANET.COM CALL TOLL-FREE 877-751-8880

E at r ig h t

nutrition HigHligHt> resveratrol The phytochemical resveratrol has been something of a buzz supplement lately, touted most notably for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits. In a 2001 study by the American Assn. for Cancer Research, resveratrol was shown to have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic properties, suggesting possible cancer-fighting abilities as well. While it’s often sold in supplement form, it can also be found in foods such as wine, grapes, blueberries, cranberries and peanuts.

“If you eat foods with resveratrol in them, you are also getting all the other bioactive compounds along with the resveratrol, giving you the added benefits that a supplement alone can’t give

you,” says Jennifer Adler, a nutritionist and professor at Bastyr University in Seattle.

Adler says the fermentation process of winemaking does not appear to alter the benefits of resveratrol; however, heat can degrade its potency by as much as half. “It’s best to eat whole foods with resveratrol in them raw,” she explains. Adler also cautions against believing that the benefits of resveratrol give someone free reign to drink several glasses of wine every day. “If you have some really good red wine that goes with your dinner, then go ahead and have some. But always choose quality over quantity,” Adler says.

DiD you know?

The American Heart Assn. recently reported that the heart-healthy benefits of omega 3 fatty acids are largely nullified if you eat fish that is fried, dried or salted. The study found that boiling or baking fish provided the most benefits, and adding tofu or low-sodium soy sauce to boiled or baked fish enhanced the benefits even further.

Waldorf Salad redux

Try This!

Picturing a Waldorf salad might conjure up images of New York City housewives lunching in between trips to Bergdorf’s. But this new spin on the old classic is low in fat, high in flavor and protein, and rich in resveratrol from the grapes, cranberries and peanuts.

March is the perfect time for this salad as grapes are in their prime season. Roast the nuts for some extra flavor if you wish, but remember the effect of heat (see above) on resveratrol’s potency.

ingreDients

1 ½ cup dried cranberries 1 cup chopped red apple (with skin on) 1 cup chopped green apple (with skin on) 1 ¼ cup chopped celery (cut thin) 1 cup seedless green grapes, halved 1 cup seedless red grapes (halved) ½ cup chopped peanuts 1 teaspoon agave nectar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 8-ounce carton non-fat Greek yogurt

Directions: Toss lemon juice with chopped apples in large bowl. Add in other ingredients except yogurt and stir. Slowly add in yogurt and toss to coat evenly over other ingredients.

Cover and chill for two hours. Stir just before serving.

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tri Club grub The Texas A&M Triathlon Team, Triathlon.tamu.edu, knows that their hard training miles deserve a delicious (albeit greasy) reward: fried chicken.

That’s why after a recent track workout the team members headed to their favorite place, Layne’s of College Station in College Station, Texas. “We had everyone pushing really hard and deserving the delicious chicken fingers after a 1-mile warm up, 5 x 1-mile repeats at a 5K pace and 1-mile cool down,” said club president Jordan McGowen.

The menu is simple: chicken fingers, chicken finger sandwiches, potato salad, fries, Texas toast and Layne’s “to die for” signature secret sauce. “The atmosphere is extremely relaxed and everyone writes funny quotes on their receipts and posts them on the walls,” explains McGowen. This small-town chicken finger establishment is an institution in the Texas A&M area, much like the triathlon club itself. Founded in 2003 with just 10 members, the club has grown to include more than 100 members, and has sent team athletes to the ITU World Championship in Australia, the USAT Age Group National Championships in Alabama, and dozens of triathlons throughout Texas, Colorado and California.

Layne’s of College Station, Layneschickenfingers.com, is located at 106 Walton Drive in College Station, Texas, 979-696-7633.

march 2010

GE T L E A NER , GO FA ST ER

Jim Vance PERSONAL: Raised in the Midwest, Jim Vance, 32, now lives in San Diego with his wife.

OCCUPATION: Vance is a triathlon coach and professional triathlete.

TRIATHLON EXPERIENCE: “I decided to try an off-road duathlon in early 2003,” Vance says. “I beat a bunch of pro triathletes and duathletes, finishing a close third, when I wasn’t in any kind of shape.

People started telling me to learn how to swim and I would be pretty good.

I didn’t know how to swim, so it took a little time to convince me to try to learn.” Since then, Vance has won an Xterra amateur world championship (2004), an ITU world championship in the men’s 25-29 age group (2005) and finished third overall at Ironman Florida (2006).

BEFORE TRIATHLON: Vance ran cross-country and track in high school and earned a full scholarship in those sports at the University of Nebraska.

TRAINING APPROACH: The training philosophy that Vance applies to himself and every athlete he coaches is very simple.

He says: “The least amount of work, for the most amount of gain. Repeat.”

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: “I try to recognize when I’m eating out of boredom, and eliminate that,” Vance says. “I also don’t fill up my plate, so I don’t feel compelled to eat it all, but if I’m hungry I can go back for more. I also eat Forze bars, which I find help control my appetite.”

ADVICE TO OTHER TRIATHLETES: Vance encourages his clients to log not just what they eat but why they eat it. This gets them thinking about what purpose is ser ved by everything they put in their mouths. “If you recognize the emotional attachments you have to certain foods, or snacking, you can eliminate or control them,” he adds.

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Nils Nilsen/n2fotoservices.com

Every month, ForzeGPS and Triathlete feature an age-grouper who exemplifies the performance-bodyweight connection.

GE A R A ND T ECH

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

TECH SUPPORT TRIATHLETE’S GARAGE PRO BIKE TRI’D AND TESTED march 2010

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and 3,000-4,000 for a front tire are common replacement ranges. Remember that age can also dry-rot tires. Inspect rim strips for potential issues when replacing tires.

Inspect pedal cleats and replace if worn.

Clean and lubricate pedal/cleat springs.

Inspect, clean and lubricate cables and adjusters and check brake and derailleur cable adjustment.

Lubricate pivots on wheel and brake quick releases. Be sure to keep lubricant away from braking surfaces.

True wheels, make sure spoke tension is even and inspect rims for damage.

Check bottom bracket, wheel and headset bearings for rough operation and/or play and adjust accordingly.

Inspect frame and wheels for damage.

Verify that bike is still set to your proper riding position.

Every 5,000 miles, or after each riding season, whichever comes first:

the Bike Maintenance checklist

By Ian Buchanan Dear Tech SupporT, I’m looking for a list of what I should be inspecting and replacing on my bike and when in order to keep it running well.

Susan Via e-mail

SuSan, A bike is a piece of performance equipment and it will work to its potential only if it is kept in good mechanical shape. A maintenance schedule can ensure that you stay on top of each important item.

A lot of maintenance intervals will be rider and condition dependent. For example, drivetrain components tend to wear significantly quicker if they are used in dirty, salty and wet winter riding compared to dry summer riding.

In this context I will provide some general guidelines based on mileage ranges that will cover most riders and conditions.

Before every riDe: Mechanical SkillS requireD: low.

Inflate tires. High-pressure tires can lose a lot of pressure overnight, so fully inflate before each ride.

Make sure quick-release levers on wheels and brakes are properly adjusted and tight.

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every 100-300 MileS: Mechanical SkillS requireD: low.

Clean and lubricate drivetrain. Note that lubricant is designed to work on the bushings inside the chain, not the outside. After allowing the lubricant to soak in, wipe off excess lubricant from the outside of the chain as it will just attract grit otherwise.

Regardless, follow the instructions for your particular lubricant.

Inspect tires for damage. every 1,000-2,000 MileS: Tune up. Mechanical SkillS requireD: MoDeraTe. Measure chain for wear and damage and replace as required. Chains wear out in 1,5002,000 miles on average, but modern 10- and 11-speed chains can wear out in as little as 1,000 miles for some riders, especially in poor weather conditions, while other riders can get more than 4,000 miles from a chain.

Check bolt tightness and, especially on sensitive carbon parts such as handlebars, stems and seat posts, remember to not exceed torque specifications. A torque wrench is recommended.

Check bar tape for wear and replace as needed.

Check brake pad wear and replace as needed.

Check tire wear. While mileage can vary significantly, 1,500-2,000 miles for a rear tire

overhaul enTire Bike. Mechanical SkillS requireD: aDvanceD Note: An overhaul is an excellent time to consider a bearing upgrade.

Strip the bike down to the frame and thoroughly clean all parts. Check for cracks, loose fittings and other suspect areas on components, frame and fork.

Touch up paint chips with factory touch-up paint, automotive touch-up paint or nail polish. Apply Frame Saver to steel frames.

Remove your crank and bottom bracket, clean all surfaces, generously coat frame threads with grease or anti-seize and Teflon tape cup threads (helps prevent creaking) before reinstalling. Grease any serviceable bearings according to manufacturer recommendations or replace bearings as needed.

Remove axles and clean. Inspect and grease or replace bearings. If cassette body is removable, clean and lubricate pawls according to manufacturer recommendations.

Clean and inspect headset cups, races and bearings for pitting or roughness. Grease or replace bearings.

Pedals: Inspect, lubricate and grease or replace serviceable bearings and any worn parts.

Remove front and rear derailleur, cranks, chain and cassette, and replace heavily worn parts and thoroughly clean (a solvent or ultrasonic cleaner makes this much easier) all others. Lubricate chain after installation.

Inspect wheel spokes for even tension and rims for trueness. Adjust as needed. Scrub braking surfaces on alloy rims with steel wool and then rubbing alcohol to clean off brake pad and road residue. march 2010

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

t e c h su p p or t

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tri.avia.com

t e c h su p p or t

Inspect brakes for wear and replace pads as needed. Deglaze pads and flatten braking surface with file or sandpaper. Realign to rims and lubricate pivots on the calipers.

Use a flex hone in the frame seat tube to remove any corrosion and burring if your seat post is not easy to remove. Before reinstalling post, apply grease to the inside of the seat tube in aluminum or steel frames, apply titanium anti-seize on titanium frames and gritty carbon paste (aka “Assembly Compound”) on all carbon surfaces. Lightly lubricating the clamp that holds the saddle rails can prevent creaks.

Remove handlebar from stem and clean the clamp surface. Apply gritty Assembly Compound to clamp surfaces before reassembly.

Do the same with aerobar clamp surfaces.

Replace corroded bolts with stainless steel or titanium hardware.

Replace cables and housings. This is an inexpensive way to vastly improve shifting and braking on many bikes. It also helps to prevent your bike from letting you down at an inopportune time. Stretch your new cables before riding to minimize adjustment on the road.

Tighten all bolts to torque specifications.

Check torque again after your first postoverhaul ride, but don’t tighten beyond the torque specifications.

triathletemag.com

avia_third_mar.indd 1

Replace handlebar tape. Not only does new tape look great, but using the same old tape for many seasons can be unsafe as sweat can build up beneath tape and corrode alloy handlebars and mold. Do yourself and your mechanic a favor and replace it.

Additional Annual Equipment Inspection.

Mechanical Skills Required: Low. Restock tools and spare parts: Make sure you have the right tools and that you restock cables and housing, tubes, chain, brake pads and lubricant so that spares are available before you need them.

Inspect your helmet for wear and cracks: Helmets are designed to absorb one impact and protective foam breaks down with time and exposure to the atmosphere. Head injuries are often forever, and manufacturers recommend replacing helmets at least once every three years regardless of use or wear; replace accordingly.

Review saddle condition: Like a pair of worn-out running shoes, a worn saddle can cause comfort and positioning problems and should be replaced.

Ian Buchanan is co-owner of Fit Werx with locations in Waitsfield, Vt., and Peabody, Mass., and offers cycling and triathlon products, specialty bicycle fitting and analysis services, consultation and technology research.

Visit Fitwerx.com. march 2010

1/4/10 3:59 PM

TRIaThle Te’s gaR age

scott Contessa Plasma

By Liz HicHens

I

am often asked to test triathlon bikes from a variety of bike companies, but I usually have to turn down the opportunities because my petite 5’3” frame makes it difficult to be properly fit to most bikes on the market.

A few weeks into training for Ironman Arizona, I had the chance to try out a brand new 2010 Scott Contessa Plasma. I could ride it through my training and, if I liked it, give it a real test ride in my first Ironman. I was excited to learn that the Contessa Plasma came in an XXS frame (47 cm). But I was less excited to see that even the XXS frame came with 700c wheels. So far, the only bikes I had been comfortably fit on had 650c march 2010

wheels. So I was a hesitant about how the bike would fit.

My first impression of the built bike was how beautiful it was.

Scott does the best job of creating female-specific bikes that offer a feminine look without going overboard with flowers or a pink paint job. The neon green and electric blue on the white background are fun and spunky without being too flashy.

Next up was getting fit to the Contessa Plasma at Nytro Multisports in Encinitas, Calif.

The fit was much quicker and smoother than I had anticipated.

Nytro’s Walt Downey took all of my measurements and got the bike to fit me perfectly, but not triathletemag.com

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DECADES OF EXPERIENCE

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R

multisports.com | P.O. Box 235150 | Encinitas, CA 92023-5150 | T 760.635.1795 | F 760.943.7077

TRiaThle Te’s gaR age before a nerve-wracking moment. feel confident on the turns.

Unlike most bike manufacturFour weeks later I brought the ers, Scott makes its bike with an Contessa Plasma back to Tempe integrated seatmast. That is, the for Ironman Arizona. I was excited seat post is a part of the entire to see that only Linsey Corbin and frame. Achieving the proper seat I had the 2010 version. Although I height means cutting the actual didn’t bike a 5:05:07 like Corbin, I frame. Downey would have to cut couldn’t have picked a better bike the seatmast as low as it will go. to take on the 112 miles. I had After triple checking the ridden on the Beeline Highway in measurement, he cut the seatmast the past, and I knew the headwinds and there was no going back. If could be brutal. you are also a petite female, be Race day did not disappoint aware that purchasing the Contessa Plasma I put the bike through its means that sharing first real test at the Soma or selling your bike in the future means half-iron distance triathlon you’ll have to find in Tempe, Ariz. I couldn’t someone with similar measurements. have picked a better race to It also makes test show the difference in riding riding tough.

Luckily, the fit 700c versus 650c wheels. and feel of the Contessa Plasma mean that you are unlikely to want to let and strong westerly winds plagued anyone borrow or buy this beauty. the course. I was thankful to be on While it took a few pedal strokes a comfortable bike heading into to get used to the 700c wheels, I the wind. Not once on the first was impressed with the bike from lap did I feel the need to get out the beginning. of my aero position.

The biggest difference beOnce on the ride back to tween the Contessa Plasma and town, I put my head down and other bikes I have ridden is that let the aerodynamic frame push the bike’s geometry lends to a me. With little effort, I more than more comfortable aero position. made up for the slow ride out of I have had similar fittings on other town. During laps two and three, bikes but have never felt so natural my focus was less on the feel of in the aerobars. I took this as a the bike and more on the pain of good sign that I should be riding my stomach. Luckily, I was comthe Contessa Plasma in my first fortable out of the aero position Ironman race. and the saddle provided enough After a few months of riding, support that sitting up for much I put the bike through its first real of the bike did not translate into test at the Soma half-iron distance lower back pain on the run. triathlon in Tempe, Ariz. I couldn’t Now with several training have picked a better race to show hours and two long-distance races the difference in riding 700c versus logged on the Contessa Plasma, 650c wheels.

I am thankful I gave the bike a The three-loop bike course chance. Not only is the bike good features a few tight turns and looking, comfortable and efficient, several 180-degree turnaround the 47 frame on the 700c wheels points. The day before the race I has allowed me to share race practiced 180-degree turns over wheels and avoid the frustrating and over again, but my confidence experience of searching for equipwas still lacking. Bigger wheels on ment for 650c wheels. a smaller frame mean less control on tight turns. But in the race, it The Scott Contessa Plasma sells for took one lap on the bike for me to $3,850. march 2010

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Pr o b i k e saddle ISM Adamo Racing

aerobar Oval Concepts A900 Carbon/Oval Concepts R900 Carbon RBT stem with titanium bolts, 80cm

GrouPset SRAM Red rear derailleur, Shimano Dura-Ace cassette, 11-23, Shimano Dura-Ace front derailleur, Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 front brake, Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 10-speed chain

Frame Cervelo P4, 51cm

Headset Full Speed Ahead IS2C

Hydration Cervelo integrated bottle, horizontally mounted aerobar carbon cage

tires Vittoria Corsa EVO CX, 700 x 21mm tubulars

Fork Cervelo FK25

travel Case Pika Packworks Soft Case bike Fitter Chris Bastie, husband and Cervelo technician

Pedals Speedplay Zero LightAction pedals, titanium spindle Crankset Zipp VumaChrono, 170mm, 54/42

CHain droP Guard Rotor Chain Catcher

WHeels Zipp ZedTech 1080 rear tubular, Zipp 404 front; ControlTech titanium Allen key skewers

Tereza Macel’s Cervelo P4

By Jay Prasuhn fter winning Ironman Korea in 2006, Canadian Tereza Macel experienced a downturn in results and nearly called it a career before she ran into coach Brett Sutton a year ago. A season under TeamTBB’s legendary coach brought not just a resurgence, but a jackpot 2009 season with victories at Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Canada, capped by a fourth-place finish in 9:23 at last year’s Hawaii Ironman.

Macel was one of the few in triathlon to race the P4 last year. And absent a cycling governing body shutting down its design features, it was used as intended, with the frame-integrated aero bottle used to complete one of the most tested and proven (see Macel’s stellar year) designs in cycling, with its hidden rear brakeset, dropped downtube, new seatstays and generally clean design.

And neatly accented in pink, Macel made plain black pop, even at speed.

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Photos by Jay Prasuhn

A

march 2010

TO DO LIST

1. Pick a Triathlon 2. Register online at envirosports.com 3. Train 4. Have fun racing 5. Create memories for life!

Enviro-Sports 2010 Triathlon Series

May 1: Napa Valley Vintage Triathlon (half-iron distance) May 2: Napa Valley Sprint Triathlon Jun 20: Alcatraz XXX Triathlon “Escape from the Rock” Sep 13: Seattle “Escape from the Rock” Triathlon Oct 8: Tri, Girl, Tri (All-Women’s Triathlon) Details and Registration online at www.envirosports.com

HIP

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3T Zeffiro Team

By Jay Prasuhn

I

recall two years ago when I heard that 3T was being reborn as “the new 3T.” Yawn—I’d seen this all before. An Italian brand says it’s coming strong, and it doesn’t come at all. The last time I’d heard of anything tech coming out of 3T (or TTT, which stands for Tecnologia del Tubo Torinese, or Turin Tube Technology, as it was called back in the ’80s and ’90s) was the, ahem … quill stem.

So you can see my skepticism.

Then I met one of 3T’s new hires at Interbike—former Formula I motorsports engineer Richard McAnish. I asked him every hard question, and he answered. My opinion was turning. Then he showed me his (at the time) new creation, the Ventus aerobar, and explained the company’s partnership with Cervelo TestTeam. I was sold.

Last year, 3T surprised me with a new product whose time had come. One of 3T’s teams, Garmin-Slipstream, showed up at last year’s hilly Giro d’Italia team time trial at Cinque Terre with a road drop with a flat, wide, aero top. Attached was a unique aerobar extension. I’ve seen that, I thought. McAnish

showed me that same bar the year before in a raw, welded alloy prototype form. Now here it was in action, and being used quite well. My instant thought? Triathletes will dig this one.

At least hilly-course specialists will.

And, of course, ITU pros. On its face, the Zeffiro is an ITU athlete’s delight; since the flat cross-section is wide enough for forearms, separate pads aren’t necessary. And instead of an upturned extension, the Zeffiro uses a “Pi” extension—flat and disc-shaped. The less stuff, the quicker and easier it is to access the brakes, a nice feature when riding in packs.

But that doesn’t affect us non-drafting triathletes. My test on the Zeffiro Team (allcarbon, but a slightly heavier layup than the top-tier Zeffiro Pro) took place at the 2009 SavageMan half iron-distance triathlon. Installed aboard my Felt AR2 aero road bike, the Zeffiro was the perfect set-up for a course with 5,800 feet of climbing within 30 miles, and flat roads for 20. If ever there were a course where a road bike was a better choice than a bar-end-shifter-equipped tri bike, this was it. And there are plenty of races where one march 2010

T ri’ d a nd T esT ed the fleshy part of the forearm onto the basebar’s built-in gel pads, making it surprisingly comfortable. The extensions could be a bit longer; with the extensions at max length, I had to wrap my wrist down a bit in order to grip the extension.

And if over time you like the bars and find you didn’t like the extensions? 3T offers standard ski-bend extensions that can sub out the Pi extension. You can even take them out altogether if your ride did double duty as a road racing bike.

One unspoken feature is the fact that the

Zeffiro’s drops are so darned shallow. Anytime I wanted to change position, the move to the drops didn’t change my relative upper body position at all.

So the takeaway? If you’re one of the select group of athletes who likes to attack hilly courses on a road bike, yet still put a premium on weight and aerodynamics, the Zeffiro is a fantastic new alternative to a pretty ho-hum category. It’s ideal for hilly Olympic-distance riding, maybe a half-Ironman. You can find more on the Zeffiro Team at Thenew3t.com.

Be a part of the Cayuga Lake Triathlon: Swim in a pristine lake, bike through wine country, and run through a gorge below a waterfall three stories higher than Niagara Falls.

Photos: www.jonreis.com and Jamels Photography

may sway toward a road bike: Escape from Alcatraz and Wildflower’s Olympic-distance course come to mind.

One group that might shy away from the Zeffiro (and should stick with standard clip-on aerobars) is novices on road bikes; the lack of armrest pads could be not only slightly less comfortable, but it’s also a much less stable base for a novice cyclist. Further, placing forearms onto the basebar (instead of higher-rise armrests) could be too aggressive a position for a less experienced, less flexible newbie.

After it was installed, I did indeed have to rearrange my saddle; if I was gonna go aero, I had to be able to comfortably reach the bars.

So it was saddle forward and slightly up in order to hit that low position.

After riding it, I’d submit that the Zeffiro is just a faster bar than a standard road drop with clip-ons. Why? For one, with no clamps to speak of, its integrated, adjustable-length design is lighter, with less hardware cluttering the cockpit, and meant I could access the brakes, shifters and my computer while climbing or descending with much greater confidence than if there were forearm brackets in the way. Clean, confident multitasking.

But the greatest benefit came once the roads went flat. From the front, there’s zero evidence of an aerobar, with 3T’s Pi extension sitting in line with an already low-frontalarea aerobar top and your stem faceplate.

That wide bar top meant I could get right down, grab the extension and comfortably settle in, as though I had armrests. It was surprisingly comfy.

The nature of the extension shape adds to the aerodynamics; holding the extension in a 45-degree inward-rotated manner takes some getting used to, but doing so also places

Register today!

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IthacaTriathlonClub.org

Cayuga Lake Triathlon Sunday, August 1, 2010 Taughannock Falls State Park Trumansburg, NY Jay Prasuhn

Intermediate, Sprint and Youth race distances Local/Regional Travel Info: VisitIthaca.com march 2010

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Risk: Making the Most of Yourself

BY ANDY POTTS

The biggest risk I ever took in my life was taking up triathlon. I was 25 years old and working as a sales rep when I got the itch.

T

he word “risk” comes in two different parts of speech. As a noun, risk can be defined as a possibility for loss. Loss in this sense could mean anything from financial loss to emotional loss to physical loss and everything in between. As a verb, it can mean to expose oneself to danger. In my case, when I am swimming in hazardous water conditions or riding at extreme speeds or pounding my

joints with mile after mile of running, I expose myself to danger. However, both functions of the word risk are part of the territory when talking about triathlon.

When the topic of triathlon comes up, risk isn’t something that is naturally a part of the conversation. Most people talk about risk when they talk about their investment portfolio or their job prospects. Well, triathlon

is a lot of things, including a job for some as well as an investment for most. Risk fits the bill on both ends.

Pessimists would look at the loss only when calculating risk. Optimists choose to look at the other side of the equation and see the potential gains. I look at risk like a professional gambler and understand that I am willing to lose some to gain even more. The optimist in me says that if you always play it safe, you will never win big. By the same token, you will also never end up too far on the negative side if you play it safe. Anyone who has ended up on the extreme positive or negative side of the ledger, I would assert, has also risked the most.

The biggest risk I ever took in my life was taking up triathlon. I was 25 years old and working as a sales rep when I got the itch. At that point in my life I had a steady paycheck but I was looking for my next passion in life.

Instead of logically testing the waters and trying a few triathlon races before fully committing myself to an unknown endeavor, I went all in.

The gambler in me thought that I was a pretty good swimmer and I had the skill set to excel as a triathlete. However the conservative in me said that lots of swimmers take up triathlon without making it their profession.

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John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

UP F RON T

Up F ron t The gambler won out; before I even did my first race I quit my job and moved out of my apartment in Chicago to move back in with my parents. If you think I was a bit crazy, you would have loved the conversation I had with my mom the day I quit my job.

“What are you going to do now?” my mom asked.

“I’m going to move in with you and Dad,” I casually replied.

Mom tried again. “I mean, what are you going to do about making a living?”

“I’m going to be a professional triathlete,” I said matter-of-factly.

“But you’ve never even done a triathlon,” Mom said in her attempt at reason.

“I’m going to make it work,” I told her.

“Are you willing to start over? Start from nothing?”

“I’m not starting from nothing, but I will be starting from scratch. That could be a good thing; this way I don’t have any bad habits.”

“And you think that you can just move back in with us?” It was more a statement than a question.

march 2010

I hesitated, then said, “Well, it’s only temporary.”

What parent welcoming a child back to the nest hasn’t heard that line before? I could feel her trepidation about my quest over the phone. However, if anyone believed I could pull it off, my parents did. They understood the risk involved but also realized that if I were to succeed, I would have a new path in life that could lead to happiness. Plus, they also knew that my risks were reduced because of my swimming background as well as my willingness to work hard.

Risk certainly was involved with my leaving the business world to try my hand in the sports world. However, my overwhelming feeling while making these rash but crucial decisions was that the potential for loss was worth the risk. I was miserable in my job and it was affecting my drive and desire in life. I think this is the definition of a quarter-life crisis. Since the upside to making the physical as well as figurative move was so big, I was willing to go without a paycheck for the foreseeable future.

Maybe I wouldn’t appreciate triathlon as much if I had gone straight from my college swimming days to being a triathlete. If anything,

the risk I took in leaving my job and taking up triathlon showed that I was willing to commit myself to something despite the inherent potential for loss. That was a powerful first step and would set the stage for many more risks down the road. I knew that I had found my new passion and I was willing to fight to make the most of it.

Whether you talk about risk as a verb or a noun, it is all about perspective. Even though there is the potential for loss and the exposure to danger, I choose to see risk as the possibility to gain.

My biggest successes are when I take the chance to go out in a blaze of glory. I will either go down in flames or I will walk across the finish line in victory. In my mind it has always been that the bigger the risk, the bigger the success.

I’m not saying that you should quit your job and become a full-time triathlete. Rather, ask yourself: How do you look at the decisions you make in life? There is always some level of risk involved, calculated or not.

I’d like to leave you with a quote from one of my favorite authors, Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

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T ICK E T PU NCH

A Traincation Cut Short

Tim Mantoani

BY SAMANTHA MCGLONE

T

he snow started falling hard on Jan. 2, the night before we were to leave for an early training camp. The winter storm that hit the East Coast in the winter of 2002 was one of the worst in recent history. Roads were buried, towns were without power, interstates were closed completely.

Broke and time-crunched, we only had a week to squeeze in some warm-weather training before returning to the depths of winter in Montreal for more months of frostbitten cheeks and endless indoor workouts. So we persevered, loaded up the car at 4 a.m. and hit the road for South Carolina, the warmest place we could reach in one long day’s drive.

The border guard figured we were crazy— heading into a blizzard with two fancy road bikes, each worth more than the car that carried them, strapped to the roof. “Get a hotel and stay warm,” he recommended. “You ain’t going anywhere today.” Briefly thwarted by the closure of the I-90, we were forced to travel the back roads and tailgate snowplows. Our old Corolla wagon had seen better days with its balding tires and the bungee cord holding the rear door shut. I can’t remember if the heater worked, but I doubt it. We were on a mission and would not be denied the promise of beaches and palm trees, and feeling the sun on our faces and the breeze at our backs.

The drive was slow and arduous, but when we reached our cheap motel in Myrtle Beach the air was balmy and smelled of the ocean.

The next morning it snowed. The locals swore it was the first snowfall in 50 years. Schools were closed, and little old ladies in Buicks littered the ditches. More sensible people would have pushed on—they would have headed for Florida and cut the training camp down to a few days.

But we were determined to stick it out, so we headed out for a brisk run along the beach. The sky was gray, the wind howled and it wasn’t long before we admitted defeat and tracked down an indoor pool. This would not be the week of epic rides and big miles we had been hoping for, but 146

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we had to make the best of it.

Needless to say the training was marginal.

We shivered through some magical rides through the mountains of South Carolina and found a warm pool where the staff took pity on us. There were too many aborted workouts and shortened runs and not enough hard miles to really count as training camp. There was the morning spent peering through the windows of the local diner at the icy frost on the roads outside, nursing endless cups of hot coffee and stacks of waffles instead of turning the cranks (we were dressed in bike gear and we talked about riding so surely we must have benefited on a less tangible level).

We did get to run on the beach and discover some great roads, but we also discovered the local happy hour schedule. By 4 p.m. each day, it got too dark and cold to train, so we ventured inside to drown our sorrows with cheap beer and 20-cent wings.

The purpose of a winter training camp should be to train hard for a week with none of the usual life distractions. The goal is to return home fitter and faster, with renewed motivation to train hard for the upcoming

season. A vacation, by definition, is meant for relaxation, to sleep in and skip workouts and just try not to return home too completely and hopelessly out of shape.

Winter ’02 blurred the lines between training and vacation. In that respect, I would call it a wash; we didn’t gain, we didn’t lose (personally I think those few long cold rides may have given the training camp designation a little edge). The real experience was just exploring a new place and learning to go with whatever nature threw at us.

Now I live in a training camp destination.

Tucson, Ariz., has perfect weather year-round, unbelievable riding and phenomenal trails. But that trip still sticks in my mind with a certain nostalgia. At the time, we complained about our lousy luck at scoring even lousier weather on the one week we had off all winter. But endless sunny days all blur together after a while, each perfect 75-degree day interchangeable with all the others.

Gritting it out in the snow of South Carolina is a memory that still makes me smile. And I will carry that training camp with me, for better or for worse, for a long time.

TRAINCATION DESTINATIONS

biking and running and lots of local races, it’s the perfect traincation destination.

Hotels on the strip offer amazing deals but I always stay at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas—unparalleled luxury, amazing food and one of the best hotel gyms I have seen anywhere.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. Yes, it’s attached to one of the biggest, most sprawling cities in the U.S. but Scottsdale is really its own little world.

The trail running at McDowell Mountain Park is amazing, outdoor pools abound and the price of a swim? Two bucks.

Early races like the Desert Classic Duathlon provide the perfect opportunity to stick around for a week at a fancy resort.

Hit a post-workout breakfast at La Grande Orange—its English muffins are life-changing.

Organized training camps are great, but why not pick a fun destination and wing it yourself? With a little research and planning you can craft a DIY “traincation” that fits your style. Here are some of my favorite places: PORTLAND, ORE. The 40 miles of single-track running of the Forest Park Wildwood Trail and the recycled Duniway Park Track downtown alone make this a worthwhile trip. The coffee at Barista and post-run treats at Voodoo Doughnuts only sweeten the deal.

Want to plant your trip around a race?

Hulaman in August is a great local race with beautiful scenery and a fun crowd.

LAS VEGAS. No one thinks of Sin City for training, but with perfect weather, great mountain

march 2010

known as yin and yang, in which yin foods are considered overly stimulating and are limited, while yang foods are more strengthening, thus forming the platform of the diet (Kushi). Not included in the regimen are processed foods or the nightshade vegetables, which are considered extremely yin. I wasn’t sure why they suggest that the nightshades be avoided, so I looked into it.

The nightshade family includes more than 2,800 plants including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, cherries, peppers (sweet and chili peppers, but not black pepper), paprika, petunias and morning glory. Also included in the nightshade family are many stimulating, medicinal or poisonous plants such as tobacco, henbane, mandrake and belladonna, which is known as the deadly nightshade (Stanchich).

The herbaceous nightshades were first used pharmaceutically.

The best-known nightshades used pharmacologically were mandrake and belladonna. They contain alkaloids of three types: tropane (belladonna), pyridine (tobacco) and steroid alkaloids including solanine (potatoes).

The foliage and green, unripe fruit of most nightshade plants contain varying levels of solanine, with the berry most often being the least toxic part. Earl Mindell states his concerns with potatoes in his book “Unsafe At Any Meal:” “Solanine, present in and around these green patches and in the eyes that have sprouted, can interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses and cause jaundice, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.” Nightshades were grown as ornamentals until the 1800s, when they were recognized as toxic to livestock. It was not until Europeans were introduced to tomatoes by South Americans that nightshades were considered edible plants (Stanchich).

Some holistic practitioners recommend avoiding nightshades because they might exacerbate inflammatory conditions. Whether or not this is due to food intolerance or actual toxicity of the food is up for debate. The alkaloids in nightshades act as a variation of vitamin D, thus affecting calcium metabolism (Seymour).

Judy MacKenney, a counselor at the Kushi

Macrobiotics: Shedding Light On Nightshades

BY MELANIE MCQUAID

L

ast spring, I spent a weekend with my friend at her brother’s place in Beverly Hills, hiking in Runyan Canyon right near the Hollywood sign, shopping on Rodeo Drive and eating delicious meals in trendy restaurants.

What struck me about the menus was the number of macrobiotic options. Macrobiotics is the theory or practice of promoting well-being and longevity mainly with a diet composed of whole grains and beans.

According to the medical journal A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, it is not recommended for pregnant women or children because it is low in vitamin B12, iron and vitamin D required for calcium absorption (“Unproven methods”).

The point is to follow a principle of balance 148

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Institute, a macrobiotic educations institute in Massachusetts, says, “Nightshades are high in oxalic acid which inhibits the absorption of calcium” (Seymour). This claim, however, doesn’t seem to be supported by research.

A doctor at Rutgers University, Dr. Norman Childers, studied the role of nightshades in poor health in the 1970s. Dr. Childers suggested that by avoiding nightshades, arthritis and cancer can be controlled or eliminated, according to (Noarthritis.com). His research is disputed by many scientists who have found that other compounds in nightshade vegetables—lycopene in tomatoes for instance—are beneficial to the human diet and thus should be included.

It is true that most of the references cited by Childers are reflective of his own experiences.

During the same time period, Dr. Collin H. Dong in San Francisco published two books extolling the benefits of a traditional Chinese, largely macrobiotic diet, known as the Dong Diet, in managing his advanced arthritis (Balch 1992). Similar to Childers’ sentiment, he felt arthritis was exacerbated by food allergies and a diet that excluded the allergens would manage symptoms. However, since eggplant, peppers and tomatoes do not contain solanine and since the oxalic acid contained in these vegetables is neutralized by the alkaline properties of the vegetables, science does not support the toxicity of these alkaloids (Seymour). Therefore, the anecdotal evidence provided by these two doctors may only indicate that each had a food allergy to nightshades, if the nightshades were even related to their arthritic symptoms at all.

No clinical research has been done to prove or refute their claims since. Mark Erwin, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Toronto, said, “I am not aware of any studies in peer-reviewed journals that prove or disprove that they affect arthritis. There are a lot of references to it, but the evidence is mostly anecdotal” (Seymour). Few research articles are available to prove any of these medical claims aside from one case-control study published in 1993 on patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

The study indicated that the patients lived 177 months versus 91 months and enjoyed a better quality of life while consuming a macrobiotic diet (Carter).

Eliminating a few vegetables from our diet is not that difficult a task. The main issue would be avoidance, particularly given the prevalence of tomatoes and potatoes in the North American dietary culture.

The most difficult for me to give up would be tomatoes, given that salsa and tomato sauce are the anchors of some tasty meals. I am not sure I am interested in following a macrobiotic march 2010

Nils Nilsen/n2fotoservices.com

SINGL E T R A CK MIND

Singl e t r a ck Mind diet, but given that the only vegetables the deer won’t eat in my garden are the tomato and potato plants, maybe I should consider some of its principles.

Now, all of this should be considered carefully. Even researchers suggest controlled tests to see if certain foods caused adverse reactions before elimination altogether. Many practicing

macrobiotic followers also believe that certain foods should not be eaten because the energy will be transferred to the recipient (Kushi).

For instance, most red meat should be avoided because the doctrine suggests it encourages herd mentality. Chicken contributes to henpecking and obsession with trivia and details. Eggs create a shell around a person that makes it difficult to communicate with others. Instead of “You are what you eat,” the thought is, “You become what you eat.” Fish and seafood create sharpened senses and mental acuity, but people who eat a lot of fish develop a group identity like fish swimming in schools. Since nightshade vegetables all grow together or alone, not in the company of other vegetables and essentially act like loners, they are not considered balanced.

Eating tomato e s t u r n s yo u into James Dean?

Come to think of it, I have seen this behavior when humans are con-

suming one particular nightshade: tobacco.

Maybe there is more truth to the myth and magic than I thought.

SourceS: 1. Balch, P.A., and J.F. Balch. Prescription for Dietary Wellness, 3rd ed., Indiana: PAB Publishing, Inc., 1992. 155-156.

2. Balch, P.A. and J.F. Balch. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd ed., New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2000.

3. Carter J.P., et al. “Hypothesis: Dietary management may improve survival from nutritionally linked cancers based on analysis of representative cases.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition; 12 (1993): 209-226.

4. Kushi, M. The Macrobiotic Way: The Complete Macrobiotic Diet & Exercise Book, 3rd ed. New York: Penguin Group, Inc., 2004.

5. Mindell, E. and H. Mundis. Unsafe At Any Meal: how to avoid hidden toxins in your food (Revised and updated), New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. 155.

6. Seymour, R. “4 Myths About Nightshade Vegetables.” Best Health Magazine September 2009. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2009, from Besthealingmag.ca.

7. Stanchich, L. “All about nightshades: explore the hidden hazards of your favorite food with macrobiotic nutritionist Lino Stanchich.”

New life Journal April-May 2003. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2009, from Findarticles.com.

8. “Unproven methods of cancer management: macrobiotic diets.”

CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 34 (1984): 60-63. Retrieved Dec. 12, 2009, from Bccancer.bc.ca.

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2. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Triathlete, 10179 Huennekens St., 100, San Diego, CA 92121.

3. All entries must be received by May 31st, 2010. Triathlete is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, damaged, illegible or postage-due mail.

4. Prize winner will be selected no later than June 16th, 2010 from among all entries received. Winner selection will take place under the supervision of Triathlete, whose decisions are final. Each entrant consents to the transfer of all information contained in the completed entry form to other companies.

5. The odds of winning are determined by the total number of eligible entries received. Taxes, where applicable, are the sole responsibility of the winner.

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Potential winners must follow the directions contained in any correspondence and return all forms correctly completed within 7 days of the date of correspondence. Non-compliance will result in disqualification and the naming of an alternate winner.

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9. For the name of the winner, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and letter of request to: Triathlete Look Sweepstakes, 10179 Huennekens St., 100, San Diego, CA 92121.

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ENDUR A NCE CONSPIR A C Y

Finding Inspiration in Films

Don Karle

BY TIM DEBOOM

I

like movies of all types. I can sit though almost any movie and find something I like about it, but I tend to gravitate to those I can relate with as an athlete. I’m not against popping in an Ironman DVD or one of Lance’s tour victories to watch while I spin out some intervals on the trainer, but when I need some real motivation, I reach for the character movies about athletes. The determined tortured souls who eventually find their way (or not) are the characters with whom I can relate and who ultimately inspire me.

Few of my favorite films have been praised as Academy Award quality, but they definitely make my personal Oscars list. There is something about these movies that successfully gets inside the head of an athlete and brings it to the screen. Very few have anything to do with swimming, biking or running. Not that there are many great endurance sports movies anyway, but it shows that, no matter the playing field, athletes share similar traits that help them succeed. Now it’s time to pull up your Netflix account and start updating your queue.

“Downhill Racer” is one of the best movies ever made about sports, largely due to Robert Redford’s portrayal of Olympic skier David Chappellet as a man so complete yet so tragic.

He demonstrates that to be a champion, you have to be, to some degree, fanatical about your sport. Chappellet is so focused on winning and success on the slopes that he is incapable of much else. He seems to experience life only through the pure exhilaration of winning.

It is one of the rare movies that keeps you wondering whether he’ll win or lose, and what his reaction will be to the outcome. The movie is also a great inside look at the lifestyle and passion of pure amateur athletes, as it was based in the late ’60s before any professionals were ever involved in the Olympic Games.

“Vision Quest” is another favorite of mine.

In my high school, the swimmers and wrestlers were always the first to arrive at school early in the morning for practice and the last to leave 152

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in the evening. We did born to play the game If you sit through the finale and the obstacles he not always agree on things, but when this of this film and don’t want to must overcome to movie came out, one prove that he is “the go out for a run afterward, best there ever was.” thing we could agree on was that we were “North Dallas then there really is something the hardest working Forty” and “Any Given wrong with you. athletes in the school.

Sunday” are the two Louden Swain, most realistic football played by Matthew Modine, is a high school movies ever produced. In the former, when wrestler who sets a goal so lofty that everyone Nick Nolte’s character gets out of bed after considers him crazy. He says it is because he is a game the previous day, you can almost feel almost 18 years old and has not done anything the abuse he has put his body through. It’s “great” yet. The soundtrack and training scenes probably what it feels like post-Ironman on alone should be enough to keep this movie in a daily basis. your rotation. Add to that Louden’s unwavering “Wind,” with Matthew Modine, is fantastic commitment and the response of his teammates as well. It’s set in the world of America’s Cup and friends rallying around him, and you have sailing and the defining quote of the film is, a movie to help you through the tough patches “The only thing better than winning the Cup, in your own quests. is losing it, and then winning it back.”

Another, often overlooked, but all-time The final film, I’m not ashamed to say, great movie, is “For Love of the Game,” starring brings tears to my eyes every time I watch Kevin Costner. it. “Running Brave” tells the true story of In this, Costner’s third movie about baseball American Indian named Billy Mills, who (the others are the fantastic “Bull Durham” and won the Olympic 10,000 meters at the 1964 “Field of Dreams,” which are both honorable Tokyo Olympic Games. Actor Robby Benson mention candidates for this list), he portrays does a phenomenal job playing the hero. He Billy Chapel. Billy is a prodigy pitcher who rises above the prejudices he faces and his has played his entire career with the Detroit own family’s tragic legacy to become a true Tigers. The film takes place on the mound of American icon. If you sit through the finale Yankee Stadium as the 40-year-old pitches in of this film and don’t want to go out for a what may be his last major league game. He run afterward, then there really is something fights his failing body and reminisces about wrong with you. his career and the sacrifices he has made to This list of favorites continues to grow, reach his goals. Even if the movie storyline as I’m always on the lookout for new motivadoesn’t appeal to you, it is worthwhile just for tion. However, I have to admit that I also the “clear the mechanism” scene that shows his include movies that have nothing to do with focus on the mound in the hostile environment sports. Movies have been there when I need of Yankee Stadium on a day when all the odds a reminder to get out the door and get busy are stacked against him. living my life. If you need a jumpstart in this If the above films are my current top direction, you might want to try “Joe Versus three, the following are on my honorable the Volcano,” “Stranger Than Fiction” or my mention list. “The Natural” is another ag- favorite, “Joe Dirt.” After all, as they say in ing athlete-themed baseball movie, starring Hollywood, “All of life’s answers can be found Robert Redford. It tells the story of a man in the movies.” march 2010

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

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Rated 8 times

“Frodo” blazes new course record in phuket, thailand

The Laguna Phuket Triathlon has consistently attracted the world’s best athletes to Southern Thailand for 15 years.

Czech Radka Vodickova finished in 2:44:40 to win by more than five minutes.

Photos by Colin Dunjohn

2008 Olympic champ Jan Frodeno set a new course record of 2:24:26, winning by more than 12 minutes.

march 2010

Team TBB’s Matthieu O’Halloran battled through the heat and humidity to finish second.

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

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Laguna Phuket triathLon Dec. 6, 2009—Phuket, Thailand 1.8K swim, 55K bike, 12K run Women

Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Radka Vodickova (CZE)

25:02 1:30:52 46:27 2:44:40

2. Belinda Granger (AUS)

25:16 1:30:36 51:28 2:49:51

3. Rachael Paxton (AUS)

27:26 1:33:48 48:39 2:52:16

4. Tereza Macel (CAN)

25:11 1:35:14 50:15 2:53:05

5. Virginia Berasategui (ESP) 27:11 1:33:46 51:16 2:54:45

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Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Jan Frodeno (GER)

21:54 1:20:15 40:48 2:24:56

2. Matthieu O’Halloran (CAN) 22:39 1:26:37 45:38 2:36:58 3. Balazs Csoke (HUN)

22:47 1:27:31 45:45 2:38:18

4. Kevin Clark (GBR)

23:52 1:29:45 42:59 2:38:49

5. Yonatan Malka (ISR)

23:47 1:29:47 43:41 2:39:24

march 2010

Colin Dunjohn

Aussie Belinda Granger capped a huge 2009 season with a runner-up finish in Phuket.

men

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Armstrong, ribeiro tAckle the big islAnd’s toughest event

Ultraman racers spent the third and final day running a double marathon.

Ultraman World Championships Nov. 27-29, 2009—Kona, Hawaii 6.2-mile swim, 261.4-mile bike, 52.4-mile run

Shanna Armstrong en route to winning the 25th anniversary of the Hawaii Ultraman.

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Swim (10K)

Bike 2 Run Total Bike 1 (144.8K) (171.4mi) (52.4 mi) (320 mi)

1. Shanna Armstrong (USA) 2:51:29

6:08:40

8:39:40

8:08:57

25:48:46

2. Kathy Winkler (USA)

3:00:13

6:14:41

9:04:14

7:45:46

26:04:54

3. Ann Heaslett (USA)

3:44:48

6:27:24

9:07:26

7:12:07

26:31:45

4. Trix Zgraggen (SWI)

3:11:30

6:05:14

8:39:58

9:16:47

27:13:29

5. Kimmie Rouse (USA)

3:55:29

6:41:09

9:24:02

8:52:39

28:53:19

meN

Swim (10K)

Bike 2 Run Total Bike 1 (144.8K) (171.4mi) (52.4 mi) (320 mi)

1. Alexandre Ribeiro (BRA)

2:53:42

5:14:56

7:30:35

6:30:59

22:10:12

2. Miro Kregar (SLO)

2:46:30

5:37:29

7:55:08

6:20:07

22:39:14

3. Peter Kotland (USA)

2:47:01

5:42:19

7:47:47

6:47:49

23:04:56

4. Mike LeRoux (AUS)

2:43:19

5:23:52

7:55:46

7:04:07

23:07:04

5. Rip Oldmeadow (USA)

2:41:46

5:45:02

8:10:37

7:39:50

24:17:15 march 2010

Photos by Tim Carlson

WomeN

a t t he r a c e s

“Plenty of porta-potties!”

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Rated 15 times

Crawford, Verney top Ironman western oZ

Kiwi Gina Crawford made it back-to-back wins in Busselton, winning by almost four minutes.

1,309 triathletes stormed the Indian Ocean for the start of the sixth annual Ironman Western Australia.

Ironman Western australIa Dec. 5, 2009—Busselton, Australia 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

160

triathletemag.com

Swim

Bike

1. Gina Crawford (NZL)

50:10

5:00:30 3:22:17 9:16:52

2. Christie Sym (AUS)

58:53

4:56:58 3:21:25 9:20:41

3. Sarah Pollett (AUS)

50:11

5:09:05 3:19:10 9:21:33

4. Charlotte Paul (AUS)

56:32

5:07:37 3:25:36 9:33:05

5. Kate Bevilaqua (AUS)

1:03:22 5:01:30 3:37:42 9:45:53

men

Swim

Bike

1. Patrick Vernay (NCL)

48:33

4:35:06 2:47:48 8:13:59

2. Scott Neyedli (GBR)

47:24

4:35:41 2:51:16 8:17:47

3. Jimmy Johnsen (DEN)

48:36

4:30:31 2:59:37 8:21:11

4. Courtney Ogden (AUS) 48:33

4:35:24 2:55:22 8:22:06

5. Matty White (AUS)

4:33:26 3:08:45 8:35:03

50:09

Run

Run

Total

Total

march 2010

Photos by Delly Carr

New Caledonia’s Patrick Vernay picked up his fifth Ironman win on Aussie soil and second win in Busselton.

Women

a t t he r a c e s “The volunteers were amazing!”

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Rated 12 times

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An InstAnt Gem: InAuGurAl IronmAn Cozumel A bIG hIt

Belgian Rutger Beke, forced to sit out Kona with a foot injury, won the inaugural event with ease.

A sold-out field enjoyed the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico for the 2.4-mile swim.

Ford Ironman Cozumel Nov. 29, 2009—Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run

Dutch superwoman Yvonne Van Vlerken made the most of her vacation, winning by more than 15 minutes.

Swim

Bike

Run

Total

1. Yvonne Van Vlerken (NED)

51:06 5:03:44 3:08:04 9:06:58

2. Bella Bayliss (SCO)

50:01 5:13:32 3:14:34 9:22:34

3. Edith Niederfriniger (ITA)

46:50 5:17:14 3:22:54 9:30:44

4. Bree Wee (USA)

46:39 5:17:18 3:37:32 9:45:24

5. Annett Kamenz (GER)

56:12 5:23:37 3:35:17 9:59:20

MeN

Swim

1. Rutger Beke (BEL)

46:38 4:34:27 2:53:56 8:18:40

2. Viktor Zyemtstev (UKR)

44:27 4:49:15 2:52:14 8:29:10

3. Sebastian Pedraza (ITA)

46:37 4:34:43 3:08:45 8:33:28

4. Tyler Butterfield (BER)

46:11 4:56:12 2:52:42 8:39:56

Bike

Run

Total

5. Alejandro Santamaria (SPA) 46:43 4:57:36 3:10:03 8:57:04 162

triathletemag.com

march 2010

Courtesy Ironman Cozumel

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1 67

By Scott tinley I’m nearing Mile 20 of the marathon at the 1983 Ironman in Kona. It’s not called the world championship but anybody who counts knows it’s the cruelest, baddest, toughest one-day show in all of endurance sports. The man who leads me by nearly six minutes with just more than six miles left knows that. And I know it too. But in that one-minute-per-mile chasm lay the difference—Dave Scott respects it, but I only acknowledge it.

We’d started the run together; had ridden the last few miles through town trying to size up each other’s heart, soul and lactic acid level.

I was the runner learning to swim well, Dave was the swimmer who had run 2:46 in his first marathon. We’d both won the Ironman in that previous and anomalous year, 1982, when races had been held in both February and October.

This was before Mark Allen had lifted his Kona curse, before Scott Molina discovered salt pills and before the Europeans became enamored with the sport and invaded Kona in all their underwear and Jesus-sandal glory.

This race was bigger than a world title. This time the El Dorado kingdom was at stake—

Triathlete (ISSN08983410) is published monthly by The Competitor Group, 10179 Huennekens St, Suite 100, 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. 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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march 2010

Publication mail agreement NO. 40064408, return undeliverable Canadian addresses to, Express Messenger International, P.O. BOX 25058, London BRC, Ontario, Canada N6C 6A8

Thirty-Three and Change

Northern versus Southern California, just after Mile 23 and I had concluded the worst. two golden places in triathlon history, Standing on the side of the road, no obvious two blond kids chasing some Valhalla vehicle in sight, just an empty, pre-Costco Kona of their own making. landscape and the hint of a stale onshore breeze.

As the afternoon clouds rolled Was it an illusion or an omen? A ghost in and my confidence slipped away, who seemed to know tenacity better than I I could only focus on how easy it knew myself. was to lose. Dave Scott had garnered Dave doesn’t look so good, she said. He’s not the fastest split times in all three running as perky as you. sports at the October 1982 race. I Perky? Where’s your computer and your kept thinking that when I had told poker face? Can you please just leave me alone? a reporter that Dave was now “the I’ll see you at the finish line, OK? Just a few more man” I would soon regret the as- miles to stomp on my integrity. signment of that label.

Two-twenty, she said, you’re only two minutes We’d passed the airport turn- and 20 seconds behind Dave. off on our way back to the pier, Was that possible? And if so, what the hell but I wondered if I were the only am I supposed to do with that information? one who could see out over the There are times in an athlete’s life that polower Hamakua Coast and all that larize all that happens in their careers, chasm it would come to mean to both of moments that you can still viscerally evoke even us. There was a helicopter hovering in those sunset years when a plaid blanket covers in the distance but it appeared as a your spindly and aged legs that rock in a corner bothersome fly that won’t leave your of the frighteningly still room. Like a death, a peripheral vision regardless of your birth or an airplane near-disaster, nothing you swatting hands. do afterward will ever be the same as before.

I take a deep breath and jump.

I came up on Dave’s spotter, Pat Feeney, I don’t care if it’s 2:20 or 22 minutes. If I’m a likable professor of physics who could look at my stride length and calculate the amount going to lose I’ll do it on my own terms. An of potassium, water and sheer luck that Dave increasing tempo catalyzed by a thing much would have to ingest to win the event. deeper than the self-pity that had drained my Pat—I gave him my best puppy dog look– resolve, something primal and essential began How far up is Dave? to rise from the blood in my shoes. And when Nothing. it settled somewhere between my heart and my I watched the whiz kid plug some numbers eyes I realized that there are both tragic irony into a breadbox-sized computer and jump into and great lessons in the world of sport. a waiting town car.

If a 6:30 mile pace feels better than 7:30, It’s meaningless, I kept telling myself. There why not run six minutes or faster? What is pain is no way that you can catch Dave. He’s “the but a feeling as transitory as regret or guilt? It’s man.” You told everybody that. And had meant it. always better to burn out than to fade away.

Between Mile 20 and Mile 23 my world I round the corner onto Ali’i Drive and was doing its best to shift on its axis. There’s know that the sport and my respect for it would something here for the taking, one voice would say. never be the same. I’d tanked, and the knowledge You can’t take what you didn’t earn, another of that would drive me, empower me, haunt voice would argue. Then a third: me for the next 15 years.

Do you know the difference between dignity I saw Dave being loaded onto a medical and illusion? stretcher before I saw the finish line.

My legs were pounding and my new white Thirty-three seconds. Might as well have shoes had red racing stripes streaking from been 33 years. the toe box. Funny, He’d taken his I thought, I’ve never body to places that Like a death, a birth or an seen red running a daring mind airplane near-disaster, nothing only shoes before. would allow. I envied That’s when my you do afterward will ever be him for his strength wife, Virginia, apand loved him for the same as before. the gift that it had peared as some haunting apparition. It was I take a deep breath and jump. given me.

John Segesta/johnsegesta.com

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