[1]

April 2010

Come Bowling with us! Tri Fusion’s Family/Friends Night at North

Bowl is this Friday, April 23rd. More info. on the

calendar :)

Two Recipes,

page 11

Ironman Announces U.S. Rule Amendments for 2011 Season

New rules to take effect on September 1, 2010

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Series, announces modifications to several rules and regulations relating to the swim at U.S. races. Effective September 1, 2010, which is the start of Ironman's 2011 competition season, new rules for apparel and wetsuits will apply at all Ironman and 70.3 events in the U.S., including both World Championships. The amendments were made to further standardize rules in the Ironman/70.3 Series and ensure a fair playing field at events around the globe.

The changes will include the following:

• Swimwear and swim apparel must be comprised of 100 percent textile material, such as nylon or lycra, and may not include rubberized material such as polyurethane or neoprene. Swimwear may not cover the neck or extend past the shoulders or knees. Swimwear may contain a zipper. A race kit or trisuit may be worn underneath swimwear.

• Wetsuits cannot measure more than 5 millimeters thick.

• Wetsuits may be worn in water temperatures up to and including 24.5 degrees Celsius/76.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Athletes who choose to wear a wetsuit in water temperatures exceeding 24.5 degrees C /76.1 degrees F will not be eligible for awards, including World Championship slots. Wetsuits will be prohibited in water temperatures greater than 28.8 degrees C/84 degrees F.

“Ironman recognizes the importance of showcasing the competitive element at all events. We believe these amendments place more emphasis on performance and function and less on technology, therefore staying true with the Ironman spirit,” says Ironman’s Head of Officials, Jimmy Riccitello.

Ironman's rule changes are consistent with rule changes adopted by swimming and triathlon’s international governing bodies, FINA and ITU, respectively.

For more information on the Ironman and 70.3 Series, visit www.ironman.com. For athlete inquiries, email AthleteServices@ironman.com.

Pro

Swimming

Advice

pages 4-5

K.I.S.S.,

page 7

RR: Snake River Tri

page 6

Keeping Fit

While Injured

pages 2-3

BoD, Sponsors, Calendar,

page 12

Weight Loss Wars?,

page 8

Power Meter

Training,

pages 9-10

[2]

How to Stay Fit While Injured -Water Running!

by Ben Greenfield

Many injuries can require low-impact or non-weight bearing exercise to maintain fitness and improve blood flow to the injured area for enhanced healing. Sometimes creative, non-traditional methods are necessary to maintain peak aerobic fitness without causing damage to an injury. Research has shown that non-impact water exercise offers this benefit, and this activity is utilized by quite a few pro triathletes, marathoners, cyclists and swimmers.

Non-impact water running requires a few different pieces of equipment:

1) Aquatic Shoes (optional). I wear the AQX Aquatic Training shoe. With strategically placed vents and fins,these shoes allow you to achieve 2-3x the cardiovascular intensity when compared to simply running in your bare feet. Trust me, I also tried wearing an old pair of running shoes and they were soggy, heavy, and very non-fluid. AQX shoes make it so easy to actually get your heart rate up and keep it there, which for me was one of the more frustrating aspects of water jogging before I started wearing them. In bare feet, you have to pump, and pump, and pump the legs at a very high turnover to achieve any type of training effect heart rate. The shoes fix this, and providing resistance, flow impedance, and increased muscular recruitment.2) Flotation Belt (required). Some pools actually have these available, typically somewhere near to the pull buoys and kick boards. I personally use the Speedo swim belt, which is comfortable and doesn’t leave the little rubbing marks and blisters on my stomach like some of the belts at the pool. A belt is a must, since you must ensure that a part of your torso is above the water or youwill spend too much energy attempting to stay afloat.3.) Tunes. In my opinion, audio is a must, since there’s not much to look atwhile aqua jogging (although I have been tempted to bring all my aquajogging gear to a local lake on a sunny day).

Here is what I do:

-take a small sandwich ziplock bag-drop an mp3 player inside the bag-thread the headphones out the top of the bag-seal the bag-then affix the bag to the side of my head with my goggles strap

This homemade solution works pretty well. Another option is an actual underwater mp3 player. A relatively new one on the market, the Nu Technology 2 GB Waterproof MP3 Player is convenient because you can also use it while freestyle swimming, and it doesn’t actually mess with the audio quality like some of the other brands.

4.) Form will be important. The AQX Aquatic Training shoes include a DVD that teaches proper form for regular deep water running, deep water cross-country skiing, and shallow water plyometrics/running drills.

Here’s the basics of proper deep-water running form:-Lean forward.-Bring the knees up towards the chest and kick back through full range of motion, exactly as you would when running, but slightly more exaggerated. Imagine you’re running up a steep hill.-Pump the arms vigorously, but leave the fists closed.-Avoid a straight up-and-down posture with a piston like up-and-down movement of the legs. This is more like bicycling, and won’t stimulate the running muscles as much as leaning forward and kicking through the range of motion.

-And yes, for those of you wondering, you can jog in a stationary space. However, it is more interesting and beneficial to actually move forward, such as down and back in a lap lane.

[3]

Water Running... (cont’d)

Finally, let’s look at workouts for water running. Depending on your level of physical activity prior to injury, you should comfortably be able to perform 2-4 water workouts per week. Do not push through pain.

Workout 1: Skills

This workout offers multiple benefits - it works on running form, intensity, and muscular strength=>- 5 minute warm-up (i.e. 3 laps running)- 1 HARD exaggerated running effort at max capacity for 1 length of the pool, then easy jog back- 1 HARD “heel-to-butt” kick effort for 1 length of the pool, then easy jog back- 1 HARD “high-knees-running” effort (knees come all the way up to chest), then jog back- 1 HARD “cross-country ski” effort (straight legs, straight arms), then jogback- Repeat these HARD efforts as a circuit, going 2, 3, or 4 times through.- Cool-down jog for 5 minutes.

Workout 2: Aerobic- This is a steady-state cardiovascular workout.- Warm-up: 10-minute easy jog

Main Set=>- 2 minutes straight leg kick; driving from the hip with toes pointed down- 10-minute steady-state run- 2 minutes straight leg kick; driving from the hip with toes pointed down- 10-minute steady-state run- 2 minutes straight leg kick, driving from the hip with toes pointed down- Cool-down: 10-minute easy jog

Workout 3: Intervals- This is a hard-easy interval style workout.- Warm-up: 10-minute easy jog

Main Set- 5x 20 seconds hard, 40 seconds easy- 4 to 6x 90 seconds hard, 3-minute easy- Cool-down: 10-minute easy jog

Workout 4: Pyramid

- Warm-up: 10-minute easy jog

Main Set=>- 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy- 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy- 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy- 4 minutes hard, 4 minutes easy- 5 minutes hard- Cool-down: 10-minute easy jog

Since water-running is non-impact, if you are pain-free with this type of activity you can perform sessions every day if desired. If water running is 100% pain-free and you want to maintain fitness, find a pool with deep water, get your gear, and begin at least one time per week.

[4]

Recently, Chuckie V. joined the coaching team at Endurance Corner and was interviewed about his swimming background. His experience is quite unique to be sure, but his lessons learned during the first year of swim training may be appreciated by anyone, in any phase of his/her swimming experience. The following is an account given by Chuckie V. during his interview:

1) I was analytical to the point of being anal: ANAL-ytical. The guys at USA Swimming led me to believe that ALL swimmers are wired as such, and that that's what the sport required. I basically could not do a single stroke without thinking about was I was doing; or what EVERY part of me was doing. To this day I simply cannot turn my brain off when in the water. Some people slice through the water in a zen-like state; I never got there. (Where are my feet in relationship to the surface? Am I kicking too hard? Hard enough? How is my head position? Can I breath to both sides equally as comfortable? Can I lift my head less as I breathe? Why so many bubbles upon hand entry? How is my rotation? Am I too flat on the water or about to rotate over on my back? Where are my elbows?! Are my hands, wrists and forearms perpendicular to the direction I'm trying to move myself as I pull? Etc, etc, etc.) I would learn within a week that the only time I could relax my brain in the pool was during non-freestyle recovery type of swimming. Otherwise, it was constant and relentless attention to detail. The gang at USA Swimming said I had done them proud: "There is no perfect stroke, only yours". I took that as a compliment, until I heard them tell every other swimmer the same damn thing!

My Thoughts Are Swimmingfrom Chuckie V’s blog

2) I swam a LOT. I had "enough" fitness on the bike to last a while so instead of riding all day I swam: double-days, triple-days, dry-land practice. What some elite triathletes were swimming in a week we'd do in a day. Of course, swimming allows for this craziness, whereas running does not (I learned this the hard way).

3) I swam SLOWLY. Many of us watch our form fall apart as we increase our speed and effort. The guys at USA Swimming assured me I'd never reach my potential (by now they were telling me I had "missed my calling"!) if I constantly tried to swim my hardest. About 80% of the time I was swimming at 80% of the speed of which I was capable over a given distance. If I could sustain 1:40 per 100, I was doing them in 2:00. Quite often I swam with kids a third my age, even though I could kick their little arses! "Take that, you little maggots!" (I was very mature.) Their parents, seeing a 20-something year-old in the lane with their children, thought I was "special".

4) I swam with GUIDANCE. Obviously I was extremely privileged that I had some of the best coaches in the world

in my corner. After a while I felt that I owed them MY best.

5) I swam without gear. Whereas many triathletes over-rely on swim gear (or so I feel) I was taught to learn without it, to pick up on the subtle nuances of the human body moving through water. I could (and would) then introduce gear as I gained proficiency. The coaches used to say that if I couldn't learn to swim without gear, then I sure as hell wasn't going to learn with it. It'd take me years to see what they meant, but thankfully I trusted them before I learned I

could trust them!

6) I kept things simple. Despite all the analytics going on inside my head I looked at swimming as little more than me, a body of water, and a pace clock. The goal was to decrease my work rate and the time it took to get across the pool…plain and simple. The clock would never lie, whereas I had to learn to listen closely to my work rate, to be sure I knew what it was telling me.

7) I kept BALANCED. This was one of the things the coaches always preached…"balance, balance, balance"! I thought they were nuts. I mean, really, how does one balance in water? There were no wheels! What they really meant was SYMMETRY. I always wanted to breathe to my left, since for years I'd look back for cars over my left shoulder as I rode. And so it felt natural to breathe to that side. My right side was completely foreign (in fact, the first time I traveled to England for bike racing I couldn't even turn my head back over my right shoulder, to note if there might be any cars coming up from behind).

[5]

Swimming Thoughts (cont’d) It was something the coaches would not allow for…one-sided breathing. I'm glad now too, as the benefits of bilateral breathing are numerous (improved sighting, breathing away from the current or a "splashy" competitor, more RHYTHMIC, an equal amount of stress placed on each side of the body, etc). The symmetry and rhythm would become everything.

8) I kept MOTIVATED. It was fun to improve and I loved the fact that very few people could swim fast; it made me want to join their ranks. Moreover, it was fun to kick Lance Armstrong's ass at something! (But watch out in Kona next year: he'll be a mid-50's guy.)

9) I was FLEXIBLE, both in terms of learning what it took (and in changing what I thought it took), as well as in a physiological sense. So many world-class swimmers are LIMBER and I had an "unfair" advantage of having that from day one.

10) I LOVED the bleached hair and the "swimmer's build" (both female and male).

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

Some of what I learned after my first year…

1) It's as hard to teach swimming as it is to learn it. Worse yet, we never fully learn it.

2) It took another few years to realize that open-water swimming required a different approach than did becoming a fast pool swimmer. Stroke rate is VITAL and a nice, long glide is really only meant for pool swimming. In pool swimming it is better to be slippery than it is to be strong (that is if you had to pick one of the two); in choppy open-water the need for strength and turnover is paramount.

With open-water we are dealing with constricting wetsuits, currents/waves, pack dynamics (i.e, gaps to be bridged) and tactics, turn buoys, beach runs (sometimes), a bike and run to follow(!), sharks, eels, jellyfish (i.e., fears), and so on. In the pool there is you and a wall on each end of some smooth water, and, if you're lucky, a coach or two who cares.

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

What I might have changed about my swimming experience, if anything...

Other than starting at 4 years old(!), I wouldn't have changed a thing, except perhaps to have inserted some more open-water swimming (where possible) into the repertoire, and to have included a weekly time-trial effort.

We make our biggest gains with SUSTAINED cardiac pressure and all that short "burst" swimming (ala Masters practice) simply cannot replace longer, harder efforts.

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

Tips for the 3x/per week swimmer...

I firmly believe that for the three-times-a-week swimmer, one session ideally ought to be dedicated to this end: a sustained time-trial type of effort, close to their goal race distance/duration. I don't believe that most triathletes are limited by their speed (in other words, most of us can go fast for short periods, meaning we have the 'speed' within us) but by their lack of true endurance or stamina (i.e., the capacity to maintain speed).

This is what the graphing I mentioned above can help to point out...that if our inherent speed (measured over a short distance) is okay, but our longer efforts are sub-par, a simple range of tests (over a range of distances) will show this.

So, with this in mind, at least one weekly session really ought to address it...

For example:

Monday: Recovery from the weekend (more isolated shoulder-work (i.e., paddles and/or a ankle-restricting band) and lighter "strength work" in the pool (3-4K).

Wednesday: A sustained aerobic time-trial, up to goal race distance. Warm-up, start the TT, cool-down. It's boring, but from what I've seen (and with a wide range of athletes), it's VERY effective.

Friday: Speed work (turn-over, etc), and anaerobic/aerobic capacity (Masters type of swimming!). If not this speed work, a second power or strength-related workout is ideal. Again, alluding to my very last paragraph in the post above, open-water swimming is as much strength-related as it is anything. We should embrace upper-body isolation.

Lastly (for now!), if the athlete is a poor swimmer (in relationship to his or her other activities or in relation to other competitors), he or she really ought to hire a coach (i.e., form check; this is IMPERATIVE, as technique is 75-85% of swimming fast) and swim 4-5 days a week. Frequency and consistency are vital, just as it in with running or cycling.

Of course, the logistics of getting to the pool or a lake aren't always easy (like suiting up for a run might be) but the payoff can be quite lucrative, given time. One must put in the time and then give it time!

[6]

Race Report: Snake River Sprint Triathlon by Ben Greenfield

This was the official first race of 2010, and part of my build-up to Wildflower. It was also my first chance to try out how my body feels on the new protocol from Bioletics (www.bioletics.com) - which is basically based on upping protein intake, decreasing omega 6 fat sources like my all-time favorite peanut butter (you're killing me!), supplementing my body intelligently, particularly with Vitamin D and Magnesium, and based on my metabolic type, doing more interval and intense training as a replacement for "long, slow" volume. The swim for this race took part the day before, and the following day's bike/run were seeded according to our swim splits. I'm going to attribute a large portion of my swim split to my Blue Seventy Nero speedsuit, but a 5:48 seeded me 4th on the bike.

Knowing there would be a downhill/tailwind coming back that would allow me to spin out the legs and maintain a relatively high cadence, I planned to "mash" to the 6 mile turnaround, probably averaging a cadence of around 70. Within a couple miles on the bike, I worked my way up to first, and knew if I could be in that position at the turnaround, it was pretty likely I'd stay that way into T2, since a tailwind would make it pretty tough for anyone to catch me.

My transition was fast (Vaseline, Body Glide, or chamois cream in your running shoe soles, works every time!), but since I completely forgot to start my watch and also forgot to get splits at the bike turnaround, I basically ran the first portion of the out-and-back not quite sure how close my pursuers were. At the turnaround, I saw that I had a sizeable lead, but EVERYBODY seems to look faster than you when you're being chased, and somehow my mind is able to convince me that someone is somehow going to be able to out split me by 60 seconds on that last mile - so I kept myself in a relatively uncomfortable zone running back to the finish line.

My overall time for this distance was significantly faster than last year (when I got 2nd place) and I was able to win with a 47:27. The only downer for the day was that my wife flatted a couple miles into the bike. She still looks pretty damn hot in her little tri-suit, though. Just gotta replace those Zoot's with some Avia's, dear.

This was a great way to start of the 2010 season...afterwards, I popped a few Recoverease and got in a 50 mile prep ride for Wildflower. One last interesting note is that I had a chance to wear the Under Armor mouthpiece during this race, which worked out well because the swim was separate from the bike and run, and I didn't have to eat or drink anything during the event. I think it's a great tool for sprint triathlons like this - although I doubt (due to the eating factor) that I'll use it in a half IM or IM.

[7]

K.I.S.S. Periodizationfrom Joe Friel’s blog Periodization really doesn’t need to be as complicated as we make it out to be. Those who are new to endurance sport simply need to increase the amount of time they spend training being careful not to make rapid changes which could lead to breakdowns from injury or illness. It’s only slightly more complex for experienced and competitive endurance athletes. Let me explain. In my Training Bible books I devote three or four pages to the theory of periodization. There are entire books written on the subject, so my few pages was quite a shortened version. In later sections I discussed application of the periods of training – Prep, Base, Build, Peak, Race and Transition. I use these terms not because I want to, but because I have to. If everyone did their A-priority race on the same day every year then I could refer to time using the months of the year. If for example, everyone’s race is the last weekend in May. I could then talk about how everyone would train in November, December, January, and so on. It would be quite simple and easy to understand. But everyone’s A race is not on the same weekend, so I have to use different terms to refer to time. The names of the months won’t do. Hence, the period names.    Another way of explaining periodization is that physical stress is gradually increased over the course of many weeks. Some describe it as a methodical system for gradual physical adaptation that avoids exhaustion. Others think of it as the alternation and progression of high and low work loads. It’s also been referred to as a cyclical system for the practical application of the principles of training. This could go and on and become increasingly vague and complicated. But I believe periodization can really be boiled down to one simple sentence:Periodization means that the closer in time you get to the race, the more like the race your workouts must become.  If this is all you know about periodization and you adhere to it you’ll do fine. Because when it’s all said and done, the most important question is: Are you prepared to race? If you can answer that question affirmatively – which you can if your workouts have been like the race – then you will have a great race. If you’re not sure then you haven’t made your workouts enough like the race. It’s that simple.  So what does it mean to make your workouts like the race? It has to do with three things – how frequently you do racelike workouts, how intense your racelike workouts are and how long your racelike workouts are. Let’s take a closer look at each of these. Racelike Workout Frequency In keeping with my simple definition above, early in the year – the Prep and first few weeks of the Base period – your training is quite different from your A race. For example, the training outlines in my Training Bible books call for you to do some weight lifting.

At no time in an endurance race do you stop to lift weights. This is not racelike at all. So what do you think should happen to weight lifting as the season progresses into the late Base, Build, Peak and Race periods? You do less and less of it. It becomes infrequent.  Becoming more frequent during this same period of time are workouts that are like your race. So by the time you get to the late Build and Peak periods many of your workouts will be like mini-races. Now, obviously, you can’t do that every day. You would very quickly become overtrained if you tried to do so. So you have to have easy days and basic-fitness maintenance days between the racelike workouts. If your A race is a sprint distance triathlon or a bike criterium you can do a racelike workout about once a week in the last few weeks. In fact, you can do a lot of such races during this time. But if you are training for an Ironman or a six-hour, mountainous road race there’s no way you can do that every week. But you can do portions of the race every week, such as long bike rides and long runs. For example, I have Ironman triathletes do abbreviated Ironman races twice in the Build period with several weeks separating them. That’s frequent enough to prepare for the specific demands of the race, but not so frequent as to cause breakdown. So, the frequency of racelike workouts depends on the race you are training for. Racelike Workout Intensity For the experienced and competitive athlete the key to success is intensity. This does not mean going as fast as you can. It means training at intensities that are appropriate for your A-race goals. For example, if your goal run pace in a triathlon is seven minutes per mile then the closer you get to the race the more time you must spend running at seven-minute pace, especially after a bike ride. By the time of the race, running at that pace should be second nature for you. But in the Base period you won’t do much seven-minute-paced running. You’ll do runs that are much slower and some that are even faster.

Racelike Workout Duration Notice in the last paragraph that I did not say the key to success for the experienced and competitive athlete is how long the workouts are. Endurance athletes tend to believe the length of their workouts is what their training should be all about. That’s the case if you are new to the sport. You’ve got to build the endurance to finish the race. But once you have a good level of endurance, which you should have after about three years of serious training, duration is no longer the key to your success.  This is not to say that workout length is unimportant. It’s just less important than intensity. Early in the season, especially in the Base period, your workouts will be quite long. Your longest workouts should be in the last few weeks of Base. Then in the Build period there will actually be a slight shortening of your longest sessions as the intensity increases. That will prepare you for the race much better than if you simply did more miles slowly as most self-coached athletes do.

[8]

Why am I not Losing Weight?by Bob Seeboharfrom USA Triathlon Life magazine

One of the cardinal rules of racing is to never try anything new in the days leading up to or on the day of a competition. There is no stronger truth to this, especially when it comes to nutrition. You know the scenario: start training again with a possible goal of shedding a few pounds but about a month or so into it, you don’t see the number on the scale budging. In fact, sometimes you may even notice a slight increase in weight. What gives? Shouldn’t the increase in training bring about the added benefit of weight loss? This is a common question that I receive frequently and one that deserves a bit of explanation. This “phenomenon” is really not a mystery and can be prevented with a little know-how.

THE SIMPLY TRUTH I am sure the term “calories in versus calories out” is somewhat familiar. While we know this is not necessarily the way to measure effective weight loss, there is a lesson in this phrase as it pertains to training load (volume and intensity). When the volume of training is low, the corresponding “calorie burn” or energy expenditure is also low. This in itself is the main culprit in the weight conundrum. Far too many athletes follow the paradigm of “training to eat,” which means justifying eating more daily calories because they are training. However, this is the complete opposite way of approaching nutrition, as it is not using nutrition to support training. Rather, food is used as a reward to training. Balancing food intake to match energy expenditure, or “eating to train” is the proper method for supplying the body with enough energy to train and also to avoid weight gain. The take-home message here is to use your daily nutrition plan to support your daily training. If you are training less, do not eat as much and vice versa. The quantity of food should be based on energy expenditure changes. The other important contributing factor to this weight phenomenon is the sudden increase in starchy carbohydrates. Nothing against these foods, as they are useful at certain times, but again, if the body does not need the extra calories to support training, the carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and foods such as nuts and beans will supply your body with enough carbohydrates. Including unnecessary starchy carbohydrates in the daily nutrition plan when they are not needed due to a lower training load will create an inefficiency of using the body’s stores of fat and may foster weight gain. These simple, easy to implement, nutrition steps will help in your quest to become more metabolically efficient, which will help solve the weight gain riddle. They will allow you to use more of your fat stores as energy and create a metabolic shift inside your body where it will learn how and when to use fat. You may even find that you will lose a little body fat at the same time.

1.Adopt a nutritional paradigm shift. As you approach your food selection and preparation, prioritize your meals and snacks. First on your plate should be a source of lean protein and healthy, omega-3 rich fat. Second up is a healthy portion of fruits and/or vegetables. Then, if you have room on the plate (no more than 1/4 of the plate), add a few whole grains and healthier starches if your training load justifies it. Focus on color. Your plate should be oozing with vibrant colors such as green, red, purple, orange and yellow. Limit the browns, light yellows and tans.2.Follow the 90/10 rule. Stay on track with eating like this 90 percent of the time and allow yourself to “miss” the other 10 percent of the time. Remember, you are human and life happens. Don’t stress out if you have the occasional miss (sweets, alcohol, chips, etc.).

Don’t be too overzealous with your food intake if your training volume and intensity do not support it. When your training load is low, combine your nutrients to eat to improve metabolic efficiency. Remember, eat to train, don’t train to eat!

[9]

Training with Power

by Troy Jacobsen, from USAT website

Training with a power meter is a great way to take the guess work out of 'how hard' or 'how much' you're doing on the bike. Simply put, a weight lifter wouldn't do the bench press without knowing exactly how much weight is on the bar and how many sets and reps he or she is aiming to complete... or workload in a given workout.

In that same vein, a cyclist produces work in the measurable form of watts (power) when riding a bike. By understanding the relationship between workload and recovery, one can then train at certain intensities in a progression that will bring about a training adaptation. Sound confusing? It's not really, and I'm going to help you to understand more by sharing my power files with you.

Now that I've turned 40, I'm planning to get back into competition as a masters athlete. With limited time to train (sound familiar?!) due to family, work, travel, etc., I need to maximize my workouts each and every session. Along those same lines, I also need to be mindful of avoiding overtraining (I'm not 25 anymore) and injury. It's a good thing I found a qualified coach who can help me in my training process.

So, after several years of simply 'exercising' by doing steady state aerobic work just to stay in shape and in the attempt to avoid the middle age spare tire around the waistline, I started doing some intervals again recently. The first step when training with power is to discover your FTP or 'functional threshold power.'

Bascially, it's a 20 minute all-out effort at your highest sustainable output. You take your average power output in watts for that 20 minute, subtract 5% and that's your 'functional threshold'. This number comes in very handy both for retesting purposes (to see if you've improved) and for setting up your power training zones. Of course, the most accurate test is to actually compete in a 40k TT (or ride your brains out for 1 hour), but it's unreasonable to go this hard too often.

In my test several weeks ago, my 20 minute result was found to yield 332 watts. That number is OK for a competitive 40 year old, but when you compare it to 440 watts that several of the grand Tour contenders are able to generate for up to 20-30 minutes in the mountains in late stages, it really tends to humble you! That, plus the fact that I weigh in at around 170 lbs at 6 ft tall and most of the guys in the pro peleton are between 140-155 lbs... which means their power to weight ratio is through the roof! Someone at a tri-camp in Tucson once asked me 'how do I climb Mt. Lemmon faster?' I quickly responded, matter of factly and without being politically correct, 'lose some weight.' Of course, it was a female athlete with a great sense of humor who asked me the question, but I was never able to live it down still to this day, even though my answer was factual!

Back to training with power. If you know your FTP, you can begin to develop training plans around that number. Every time you turn the pedals, you create work that is measured by the power meter and is recorded for analysis.

It's really interesting because you can see where you are strong (on hills?) or weak (on the flats?).

I, for example, have a rather efficient climbing technique, using the entire pedal stroke so my power numbers are really solid on uphills and into headwinds. When I'm on the flats or going downhill, my power numbers drop due to inefficiency in that downward stroke. This is something I now know I need to work on for race day.

The other great thing about training with power is that you can compare one day to the next. Since we all likely have standard routes we train on, we can record these rides in our software and measure one ride to the next and see where they differ. I have one of these rides that I did today. I call it my Rancho Time Trial Loop. The power file from my ride can be seen on the next page, and here's how you interpret it.

First of all, this is what I consider to be a 'tempo' ride, or at an intensity just near your AT (anaerobic threshold). For me, since my test for FTP yielded 332 Watts, my theoretical power at AT is around 316 Watts (or 332 less 5%). At this level of intensity, I'm hovering at or around my threshold which is a key intensity in which to boost your time trial race pace.

[10]

Powerful training (con’td)

By analyzing the power data, you'll see first that the entire workout took me about 1 hour (lunch break workout) with a short warm up followed by a series of five, 20-30 second 'pickups' where I maxed out at just over 900 watts. Then, I spun over to the starting point of my tempo ride, a rolling 7 mile stretch of road in Oro Valley, Ariz., with some steady climbs and some fast down hills. It was close to 100 degrees with a slight breeze and I was on my Litespeed Vortex road bike, so the goal wasn't speed necessary, but rather, power and effort.

For the entire ride, including the warm up, cooldown and soft pedaling in between, my average power was 228 watts with a cadence of around 88 rpms. I covered 20.23 miles and produced work equivalent to 814 kJ (kilo joules)... or burned approximately 814 calories during the ride.

If I select the actual 'tempo' effort of around 7.57 miles, we'll discover that on this day, I averaged 24.53 mph at an average power output of 318 watts and an average cadence of 93 rpms for a total elapsed time of 18:16 minutes. Interestingly, this same workout 2 weeks ago yielded a faster split of just over 25 mph, but a lower average power output. I believe this to be due in part to the fact I rode my Cervelo Sl-SLC with a Zipp 404 rear wheel... a more aerodynamic set up as compared to my Litespeed road bike with standard 32 spoke wheels.

This strongly illustrates the need for aerodynamic gear and better positioning for all triathletes and time trialists... you go FASTER with less WORK.

Once my TT was completed right in the proper power range for the workout (near my AT), I cooled down with my spin back home and then got back to work – after a quick shower, of course.

So there you have it! A quality workout in an hour that was right on target based on my current

fitness level and capabilities. Next, my plan is for an aerobic endurance ride where I'll average between 200-220 watts for about 1.5 hrs. This ride will allow for some recovery while also working on my aerobic engine and muscular endurance. I'll be careful not to push into that gray zone, so as to avoid over-training and getting flat or injured. My next quality day will likely be in 2-4 days, depending on my schedule and how I'm feeling both on the bike and with my running.

[11]

Steak Dinner Without the Steak: in 20 minutes flat!by Judy Doherty

adapted from USA Triathlon Life magazine

Ingredients:• 1 cup whole mushrooms, washed• 1 bag of frozen organic green beans• 1 salmon steak - 3 ounces• 2 teaspoons of barbecue sauce• 1 Russett, red or Yukon gold potato• olive oil spray• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley• black pepper to season• balsamic vinegar or glaze

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the potato into wedges and place on cookie sheet that is lightly sprayed with olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with minced garlic, fresh parsley and black pepper. Place in oven for 15 minutes and turn over for the last 5 minutes. Potato wedges are done when crispy on the outside, but tender on the inside.

Place salmon in baking dish and spread the top with the barbecue sauce. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish as well and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, while the potato wedges are baking.

When the potato wedges, salmon and mushrooms have 3 minutes remaining for baking time, microwave the frozen organic green beans until tender (should take 3 minutes).

Serve all four menu items together and garnish with drizzled balsamic vinegar or glaze. Enjoy!

****************************************************************************************Peanutty Energy Bars

by Amy Harrison, May 2009adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients: • 1/2 cup (60 g) raw walnuts or almonds, chopped • 1/2 cup (60 g) raw sunflower seed kernels, or pumpkin seeds, or soy nuts • 1/2 cup (80 g) craisins, dried cherries or other dried fruit • 2 cups (160 g) uncooked oatmeal, old-fashioned or instant • 2 cups (50 g) Special K cereal, or another crunchy favorite of yours • 1/2 cup (130 g) organic peanut or almond butter, crunchy or creamy • 1/2 cup (100 g) packed brown sugar • 1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup • 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Optional: 1/4 cup milled flax seed AND/OR 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:Mix together the first six ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine peanut butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until blended. Add dry ingredients from medium bowl. Stir until coated. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square pan coated with non-stick spray. Press down firmly (It helps to spray fingers with nonstick spray). Let stand about 1 hour. Cut into bars.

[12]

Board of Directors• Steve Anderson - Membership Director • Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director• Trish Cudney - Social Director• Greg Gallagher - Event & Cheer Director :)• Natalie Gallagher - Newsletter Director• Ben Greenfield - Website Director• Mark Hodgson - Mentor Director• Jim Powers - Vice President• Tim Swanson - Treasurer• Jessi Thompson - Secretary• Roger Thompson - President

• Kathy Worden & Jen Polello - Kids Club Co-Directors

We would like to extend a

generous thank you to our

truly amazing sponsors!

The Board of Directors, Sponsorsand The Calendar of Upcoming Events...

April-May CalendarTraining Opportunities:• OZ (Northside) Masters swimming:

Tues> @ 6-7:30 pm, Fri. @ 4-5:30 pm & Sun. @ 8-9:30 am. Come join the fun!

• Throughout the spring => check the Tri Forum @ Training for outdoor group rides, and/or runs.

• Whitworth Masters Swim: on Mon-Fri @ 5:30-7 am. Contact KevinWang@spokanewaves.org

Races/Runs/Rides/Swims:• April 25th: Lilac 15, 25, 50, 66

or 100 mile rides @ SFCC, Spokane, WA

• May 1 & 2nd: Avia Wildflower Long Course, MTB & Olympic Triathlons @ Lake San Antonio, CA

• May 2nd: Lilac Bloomsday 12K run race @ Spokane, WA

• May 2nd: Iron Man St. George @ St. George, UT

• May 8th: Fiasco in Pasco Duathlon @ Pasco, WA

• May 15th: Windermere 1/2 & Full Marathon @ Post Falls, ID

• May 16th: Wine Capital of Canada Sprint and Olympic Tri @ Oliver, BC Canada

Upcoming Events:

• Tri Fusion Family Bowling Night=>

Who: You & your family

Where: North Bowl, 125 N. Sinto Ave.

When: Friday, April 23rd

Time: 7:00-9:00 PM

Cost: $3.25/person for shoes

• Tri Fusion Kids Triathlon: Saturday, June 20, 2010 starting at 9:00 am. Cost $20/per child. Check out www.tri-fusion.com/kids for more information

Next Membership Meeting:• Wednesday, May 19th @ 6:30 p.m.:

General membership meeting at the north side Twigs.