tri newsletter 0308

TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO TTrriiNews

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by Rachel Richards

2/10/08

Prelude: It had been a long, long time since I had

gone “fast” in a half-marathon. I had beenunable to touch my PR, set in my very firsthalf-marathon (Silicon Valley Half Marathon,2003), which I had run with a strained hipabductor. Embarrassing. True, I had beenworking on my base and had been focusing onmy limiters, the swim and the bike. But sayinggoodbye to speed was so hard. Frustrated, I decided to try a newexperiment: if runningwas my strength, maybe itwouldn’t require mucheffort to get some speedback. To test my newhypothesis, I startedadding weekly speed workinto my program.

After 6 weeks of speedwork, I was excited aboutthe San Dieguito HalfMarathon. Delusions ofgrandeur of a speedy half-marathon danced in myhead like sugarplumfairies until I wasinformed of the difficult,

hilly course. Lots and lots of hills. However,the week before, a 16-mile long run at basepace felt great. Maybe I could do a 13.1-miletempo run at a higher intensity for SanDieguito. Did I just say 13.1-mile tempo run?I must be crazy.

Wednesday before the race, I woke up withaches, chills, and a fever. Perfect timing. Idowngraded my race goal for San Dieguito toa training run. After all, this was not an “A”race. It really was just a training run for

IM-AZ, only 9 weeksaway now (gulp!). Irested most of the weekto recover from thenasty bug. Saturday, Iwent for an “easy” 50mile bike ride at a con-servative pace. Sincewhen did a 50 mile ridebecome easy? The virushad taken its toll, andmy body informed me,loud and clear, on everyhill. I knew SanDieguito would now bejust a training run. Buta voice nagged at the

Guest and date still pending.Check TCSD website for updates.

MARCH CLUB MEETING

RACE REPORT – SAN DIEGUITOHALF MARATHON

“It gives you wings.”

TCSD Contacts 2Volunteer Members 2Board Members 2Event Calendar 2Race Discounts 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Weekly Workout Calendar 5REAL Beginners Bike Ride 6Recipe of the Month 8Ironman Conversation 9Coaches Corner 9

Health/Nutrition 18Stretch of the Month 20Application 23

2008MARCH

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DO YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE,

REQUEST, SUGGESTION OR GREAT PHOTO

FOR THE NEW TRI NEWS?

From articles to sections,recipes to stretches,

let us know what you want

and we’ll do our best to put it in print.

Please email the volunteernewsletter staff.

ENJOY THE NEW LOOK!

Triathlon Club of San DiegoP. O. Box 84211 San Diego, CA 92138www.triclubsandiego.orgSend correspondence to the addressabove or contact president BrianLong at [email protected]

Membership & RenewalSend a check made payable to TCSD to the address above. Rates forTCSD new memberships & renewals.

Newsletter ArticlesPlease send to Barbara Kase at [email protected]

Newsletter ClassifiedsPlease send to Amanda Benedict at [email protected]

TCSD e-listsSubscribe to the TCSD e-mailing listsby sending a blank email with yourname in the body to:[email protected]

Beginner Coaches Steve Koci [email protected]

Farah Hedwig [email protected]

Dean Rosenberg [email protected]

Steve Tally [email protected]

Bike Case Rentals Bob Rosen [email protected] (619) 668-0066

Bike Coach Andy Concors [email protected]

Club Apparel Devin Reily [email protected] (619) 895-0687

Club Liaison & Sponsorship Director Raja Lahti [email protected]

Email Groups

Volunteer Committee Members Michele Kuehner [email protected]

Expo Coordinators Sherry Ashbaugh [email protected] (858) 337-8839

Madonna Bentz [email protected] (619) 602-7431

Grand Prix & Member Roster Lynn Trimble [email protected]

Ironman Coach Craig Zelent [email protected] (760) 214-0055

New Members Michelle Panik [email protected]

Newsletter Editor Barbara Kase [email protected] (760) 710-7730

Newsletter Design & Production Dean Sprague [email protected] (858) 270-1605

Publication Manager Madonna Bentz [email protected] (858) 349-5504

Social Director James Delliquanti [email protected]

Track Coach Bill Gibbs [email protected]

Track Coach, North County Mike Plumb [email protected]

Web Administrator John Hill [email protected]

President Brian Long [email protected] (760) 415-3329

Vice President Dave Huff [email protected]

Treasurer Wendy Harp [email protected]

Secretary Farah [email protected]

Race DirectorCory Osth [email protected]

Club LiaisonRaja Lahti [email protected]

March 6th, Friday, 6pmTCSD Networking & Newbie Meeting Location: Hi-Tech Bikes

March 16th, Sunday, 7amMarch Club RaceLocation: Fiesta Island

March 21-23rdTCSD Vail Lake CampoutLocation: Vail LakeSee TCSD web site for full details

BOARD MEMBERS

CONTACTSVOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

2

EVENT CALENDAR

back of my head. Maybe I had rested justenough. Maybe my cold was gone. I was a darkhorse for Sunday.

Race Morning:After a night of fitful sleep, I rose at 5:45

am, had some oatmeal and a banana,changed outfits a few times and arrived atthe start with an hour to spare. I had time tostretch, scope out the scene, go to the bath-room 4 times, and thoroughly freeze my buttoff. The race was based out of San DieguitoPark, and the course wound through theheart of Rancho Santa Fe. It’s advertised asone of the most beautiful half-marathonsever, and after running it, I have to agree.

Two Red Bull cars pulled up as I was stretch-ing. I usually don’t do caffeine before a race.Nothing new on race day, a voice nagged in myhead. I decided to live dangerously. I sippedhalf a can and trotted towards the start.Knowing the first mile of the course wasdownhill, I seeded myself toward the front.I’m not fast but it wasn’t chip-timed, and noway was I going to be caught behind walkerson the first descent of the course. I knew Ihad a strong enough base to push from thestart. Plus, I love downhills. Absolutely adorethem. I was going to use every single one tomy advantage. My strategy has always been tohammer on the downhills andrecover on the uphills. Sort ofbackwards but that’s how Iroll.

The Start: As the seconds counted

down, the anticipation rosethickly behind the start. Itwas a small field, about 1,200runners, giving the race acozy, intimate feel. The gunwent off, and within 20 sec-onds I was crossing the line.All that needless worry aboutnot being chip-timed. I quick-ly wove in and out of the packof slower runners and soonsettled into a comfortable pace. I felt good.My feet felt light and quick, and my breathing

was slow and even. This was going to be fun. I hit mile 1 and glanced at my watch. 8:00

min. Too fast, too fast! The 2nd mile flattenedout, and I slowed slightly. Mile 2: 8:30. I wassmokin’! I worried that I had started way toofast. After all, 9:00 minute miles are aggres-sive for me on long runs. But I felt good! Okay,mental check: breathing? Slow. Legs? Quick.Stomach? Silent. All systems go. I decided tohit it hard. Apparently the virus had left thebuilding and was not going to do an encore.Alright, then. 13.1-mile tempo run, here wego. I was a little nervous. I had never tried togo all out for a half-marathon before. I hadalways held back, paced myself, saved it forthe end. Not this time. Gotta live a little,right? Try something new. If I blew up at mile10, then at least I would learn something.

Let the Hills Begin:The first ascent began, steeply winding

above me like a serpent. Thankfully, thecourse held no surprises since I had previewedthe course earlier that week on my bike.Having a mental picture in my head was enor-mously helpful. I knew this hill was steep butI also knew it was followed by a false flat,where I could recover. I worked hard, main-taining my rhythm, allowing my breathing to

Race Report-San Dieguito Half Marathon, continued

To get your club discount, youmust use a mail-in applicationand include a photocopy of yourTCSD membership card. No refundsof the discounted amount will begiven if you have already sent inyour mone and application.Subtract the discounted amountfrom the total and be sure to alsowrite Triathlon Club of San Diegosomewhere on the application.

Koz Enterprises$5 off all events. Spring SprintTriathlon, San Diego InternationalTriathlon, Solana Beach Triathlon,Imperial Beach Triathlon, MissionBay Triathlon, Silver Strand HalfMarathon.

JA ProductionsContact: Heather Woodruff at [email protected]$25 off CaliforniaMan Half, $50off CaliforninaManFull.

Kathy Loper Eventswww.kathyloperevents.com$3 off all events. At least a dozenlocal 5Ks, 10Ks and halfmarathons. For a complete list goto the website

Pacific Sports LLC$10 off all events. Los AngelesTriathlon, Newport BeachTriathlon, Long Beach Triathlon,Catalina Island Triathlon, CatalinaMarathon.

Klein and Clark SportsProductions: 10% off on both theApril and November DesertTriathlon in Palm Springs.

Elite Racing$10 off Rock & Roll Marathon. See website foradditional race discounts.www.EliteRacing.com

Ventura Breath of Life Triathlon:$10 off. www.triforlife.com

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG3

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TCSD RACEDISCOUNTS

Tri Club members Nick, Rachael, and Brent basking in the glory.

4

Monday5:45 PM Ocean Swim in Carlsbad • Location: Meet at Tamarack lower parking.*6.00 PM Ocean Swim at La Jolla Shores • Location: Meet by the south end bathrooms.*6:00 PM Computrainer Cycling and ErgVideo • Location: Coastal Sports and Wellness

Tuesday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.6:15 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Moment Cycle Sports, 1357 Rosecrans.5.45 PM Track Workout, a coached session • Location: University City H.S.*6:00 PM Run 5+ miles in Mission Beach.** • Location: Mission Beach Jetty parking lot.6:00 PM Track Workout in Carlsbad, a coached session • Location: Carlsbad H.S. Track.

Wednesday5:30 PM Advanced MTB Training • Location: Penasquitos Canyon Side Park (east pkg lot).6:00 PM Bike Workout in Coronado. • Location: Starting at Holland’s Bicycles.7:00 PM Winter Spin Class • Location: Rehab United PT & Sports Performance Center.

Thursday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.6:15 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Starting at Moment Cycle Sports.6:00 PM Penasquitos Trail Run • Contact: Mark Kenny for more information (760) 271-2003

Friday6:30 AM Ocean Swim in Solana Beach. • Location: at Fletcher Cove

(I-5, to Lomas Santa Fe west)6:00 PM Ocean Swim at La Jolla Cove.*6:00 PM Ocean Swim in Encinitas.* • Location: Moonlight Beach,

Contact: Thomas Johnson (619) 987-8822.

Saturday8:00 AM Bike Workout in Del Mar. All levels welcome. • Location: Meet at Starbucks

(Hwy 101 & 15th st.)8:30 AM REAL Beginners Bike Ride

Sunday8:00 AM Ocean Swim and Run in Del Mar/Solana Beach. • Location: Meet at Powerhouse

Park, Run starts at 9am to Torrey Pines trails.

* Start after daylights saving time, but check TCSD web site for complete details.** Ends after daylight saving time, but check TCSD web site for verification.

TCSD WEEKLY WORKOUT CALENDAR


Big Kahuna Triathlon$15 off.

Auburn International Half-Ironman(formerly “world’s toughest“)TCSD members enjoy $10 off entryUse Active.com discount button,www.bradventures.com printedform or call (530) 888-9911.

Pelican Coast EventsMission Hills InternationalDUathlon, Pacific Coast Triathlonand Orange County Triathlon. Get$10off each race or sign up for allthree and get $40 off ($10 less).Use code SDTC08.

TCSD RACEDISCOUNTS

Looking for a workout partner,

companion orbuddy?

Use the TCSD web site’s forum to post a listing.

Make sure to include location

and intensity level.

Having a trainingpartner can bring

new energy to your workouts.

Sunday, March 30th, at 8:30 am

6

REAL BEGINNERS BIKE RIDE

The TCSD Real Beginner's Bike Ride takes placeon the 56 bike path and is a club ride whereNOBODY gets left behind. If you can ride com-fortably for at least 60 minutes without stop-ping (total ride time 90-minutes) then thisride is for you. Please have at least minimalcycling ability (can ride, shift, and corner yourbike adequately). Be ready for a couple mod-erate climbs on the first half of the ride, butbeginners need hills too!

We will have a brief bike talk at 8:30am, andbe rolling by 9am. Helmets are MANDATORY.We will help you change your flats along theway, but please be equipped with your owntubes to carry on the ride.

Questions? Contact Dean and ‘the Steve’s’ [email protected]

Schedule of Events:8:30–8:50: Bike Q&A • 9:00 - ??: Ride

Directions:I-5 to Carmel Valley RoadEast on Carmel Valley Road to El Camino RealSouth (RIGHT) on El Camino RealIn about 1/2 mile, RIGHT into the parkinglot for California Bank and Trust.

Monday, March 10th, at 6:00 pm

BEGINNER’S MEETING & TRIATHLON 101

Attention beginners! This month’s beginner’smeeting will be at B&L Bikes. The monthly talkis specifically designed to get you started inthe sport of triathlon, and our goal is to de-mystify triathlon, and remove the ‘intimi-dation factor.’ We will cover triathlon basicsfrom A to Z. All questions welcome!

Where:B&L Bike & Sport San Diego Store.3603 Camino Del Rio West (it’s right off the 5 at Rosecrans across from Hampton Inn)San Diego, CA 92110(619) 294-9300

Contact:Questions or comments can be sent to yourbeginner coaches Steve Tally, Dean, and Steve K. at [email protected].

Congratulations to the following TCSD members who recently completed Ironman races in faroff lands. (seconds and transitions not included in splits)

Member since: October 2005,the year I bought my first bike.

RAJA LAHTI

MEMBER PROFILE

Nickname: Not “The Indian guy in the tri club”

Age Group: W30-34

Status (S/M/NYOB): M!!

Favorite Movie: The PrincessPride… inconcievable!

Favorite Book: A Good One

Favorite Restaurant in SD:The Turquoise..YUM!

Favorite Sport of All 3:Cycling of course!

Strongest at: umm... cycling

Best Race: Danskin Los AngelesTriathlon–4th Overall Woman,1st W30-34

PR: Folsom International – 2:24:27

Most Embarrasing Moment: The inability to ride a beachcruiser.

Bike Brand: QR & TREK

Shoe Brand: SIDI, Nike Newton,and Asics

Can’t Race Without: Hair FlairIM WESTERN AUSTRALIA (BUSSELTON) ON 12/2/07 Name Time Category/Overall SplitsJennifer Evans-Wong 13:07:17 W30-34, 33rd / 280 1:21 6:45 4:58Lu Anne Hage 16:59:11 F35-39, 37 / 900 2:08 7:59 6:51

CHALLENGE WANAKA (LAKE WANAKA, NEW ZEALAND) ON 1/19/08 Rick Laird 12:42:42 M 30-39, 25 / 1:01 6:30 5:01

FEATURED RESULTS

become more rapid and shallow. I focused onreaching the top. My breathing slowed again.Mile 3: 9:00. Not bad, not bad at all. My orig-inal goal was to average 9:00 minute miles,and that last mile had been all uphill. I’ll takeit.

All of a sudden, a steep descent appearedbefore me. My pulse quickened in anticipation.“Alright!” Have I mentioned how much I lovedownhills? I elongated my stride for a fewfootfalls, preparing my legs for the descent. Ileaned into the decline, allowing gravity totake me forward. I focused on landing lightlyon my toes, picking up my feet as quickly asthey landed. My tempo increased as the gradeincreased. I felt like I was dancing on my toes.Controlled falling, isn’t that what they say? Mylungs felt great, only a slight burn in my quadsand hip flexors, as if I was doing lunges. Doesthis count as strength work? I flew by somerunners. It felt like cheating. Free speed. I justlet the descent do all the work. Mile 4 flew by,and I glanced at my watch in disbelief. 7:15?I wasn’t scared anymore. I was letting my legstake the reins and luckily, I had been invitedalong for the ride.In the Zone:

The road flattened out, and I drank in thescenery. Amazing, ridiculously ostentatiousmansions with pristine gardens commandedattention from every corner. I felt as if I werewatching an episode of the Rich and Famous.The San Dieguito Reservoir sparkled to my left.Perched atop the gate of a resident’s mansionwas a beautiful, snow-white egret, dozing inthe warm morning sun. Mile 5 snuck by unbe-knownst to me, I was deep in the zone andforgot to look at my watch.

The temperatures were beginning to rise,reaching the upper 60s, very warm for mywimpy San Diego skin after 6 weeks of winterrunning in low 50s. However, the abundanceof shady trees lining the streets of RanchoSanta Fe generously shielded me from thewarm spring day. I was sweating and slightlywarm but did not feel overheated. I diligentlysipped from my Fuel Belt every 15 minutes anddid not feel thirsty. Several people had omi-nously warned me of the unusually

high temperatures forecasted for race day. Itwas going to be in the 70s! Who complainsabout 70-degree weather? After living for sev-eral years in Wisconsin and St. Louis, I’vevowed to kick myself if I ever slip and com-plain about the weather. It was another typi-cal day in San Diego—beautiful, warm, sunny,with a blazing blue cloudless sky. After a par-ticularly chilly, wet winter, I reveled in theperfect San Diego weather I sometimes takefor granted.

Mile 6 flew by. Already halfway done? Therace was going by so fast! Apparently, friendswere waving and calling my name, as I wasinformed afterwards, but I do not rememberseeing or hearing anything. My legs were zip-ping along. The rest of me was somewhere elsein the universe. It was quite wonderful.

The Final Three: At mile 10, I did a recheck. My legs were

sore from flying down the dowhills but mylungs felt fine, and I had a lot of energy. Isuggested to a friend that the course wasn’tlong enough, irritating several runners withinearshot. Maybe we should do it twice? I real-ized even if I bombed and ran 10:00 minutemiles, at this point, I would still PR. I feltboth elated and relaxed. I was thoroughlyenjoying myself. Like a really good book, I feltalmost disappointed at the thought of reach-ing the end.

A few girls flew by me at mile 11. Grrrr. Istayed within my zone and let them go, keep-ing them within my sight. Wait for it, wait forit....Mile 12 came and went. One mile left togo. Okay, I told myself. If you have it, go forit. It’s time. I began to chase down my prey.Slowly, I began to gain. I reached the long,gradual ascent up El Camino Real. I visualizedthe finish line. This is it. The last hill. There isnothing after this. You can push it. I made anexecutive decision to burn a little fuel andbegan the final attack. I reached my first vic-tim, girl in pink shirt. Continuing my hunt, Ipassed a young girl, and for a moment, just fora moment, felt guilty about passing her.

Race Report-San Dieguito Half Marathon, continuedJOIN TEAM TSCDFOR TOUR DE CURE!

Diabetes is a chronic disease for

which there is no cure. It

affects 21 million Americans. The

American Diabetes Association

(ADA) finding a cure for this

disease. Each year the San Diego

Chapter of ADA hosts Tour de Cure–

a ride not a race–to benefit those

with diabetes.

Join us Saturday, April 19, 2008

in North County San Diego. There

are rides for the newbie to the

advanced athlete with fully sup-

ported distances of century, 70,

30, or 11 miles.

Enjoy a post-ride festival with a

free lunch (Phil’s BBQ), beverages

by Vitamin Water and Glaceau, and

live music. Bike mechanics will

provide pre-ride race support. And,

you get a free t-shirt?

Requirements: $150 donation or

funds raised by day of event (this

is easy…see below); Registration

fee of $15 is waived for TCSD mem-

bers (email: Laura Parmer-Lohan

[email protected] to get a

Team TCSD reg form) or register

online at diabetes.org/tour.

Fun(d) Raising Tip–How to raise

$150 in 4 days:

Day 1) contribute $25;

Day 2) ask to family members for

$25 each;

Day 3) ask your boss for $25;

Day 4) Ask 5 friends for $10

each…you get the idea.


continued page 16

8

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:1 (10.75 oz.) can reduced-fat

cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup low-fat milk 1 cup Kashi GOLEAN cereal 8 ounces diced cooked fresh

chicken

1/2 cup grated low-fat parmesan cheese

1 cup of any of the followingcooked and diced vegeta-bles: broccoli, cauliflower,spinach, zucchini, Napacabbage

1 (4 oz.) can of mushroombuttons

Directions:Heat soup and milk in skillet.Add GOLEAN cereal, chicken,parmessan cheese, vegetables,and mushrooms. Heat, mix,and serve.

Variations: Substitute nonfatmilk and nonfat parmesancheese for a lower fat version.Use fresh mushrooms forlower sodium.

Nutritional Facts:Serving Size: 1 cup Calories 260 Calories from Fat 77 Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3.5gCholesterol 60mg Sodium 492mgTotal Carbohydrate 21gDietary Fiber 4g,Sugars 6g, Protein 27g Vitamin A 25%Vitamin C 60% Calcium 15% Iron 11%

BASIC COOKIE RECIPEHEARTY CHICKEN SOUPMADE with KASHI

This cookie recipe is great because it’s easy, itcan be tailored up or just enjoyed plain. Thecookies come out light and they are a greatworkout food or post workout treat. They keepvery well in an airtight jar. Enjoy!

Ingredients:2 cups flour1 cup sugar2 eggs1/2 stick butter1 tsp vanilla extract or

citrus rind1/2 tsp baking powder

Procedure:1) Mix sugar, vanilla and room temperature

butter until well integrated.2) Add eggs one by one and mix well in

between3) Add sifted flour and baking powder. Add a

little water or milk if needed 4) Scoop out with spoon and roll into balls.

Flatten on greased pan and bake for 15-20minutes at medium temperature (350F)

Dressing up your cookiesHere are a few alternatives.

Make cookie sandwiches with nut butter(with our without jelly)

Add 1/2 cup of nuts, leftover Easter choco-late chunks, dried fruit orm&m’s to the sifted flour. Coatwell and then mix with the restof the dough. Proceed as indi-cated.

Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the flour mix and voila!Chocolate cookies!

Swap 1/2 the flour for wholewheat, coconut flour, oats, rice, potato, orany other flour you like.

Swap the sugar with agave, brown sugar, jag-gery or any other natural sweetener, you getthe idea. Try not to bake with honey, as itshould always be consumed raw.

Craig: What was your athletic backgroundbefore your first triathlon?

Eric: I played ice hockey in high school andcollege, but took to running and biking eversince I was little. I loved to run with my Dadand take long rides out in the country on mybike.

Craig: What was your first triathlon like?

Eric: 2000 I was on deployment in Guam withthe U.S. Navy. A guy in my detachment was areally into triathlon. He packed his rollers andLitespeed Blade (I remember laughing when Iheard how much he paid for that bike) and allhis gear. I took a rusted out Specialized moun-tain bike and my surfboard. Half way throughdeployment I was talked into a triathlon spon-sored by Bud Light in Guam, I figured an easylittle workout and a few beers at the finish.Easy day….

So off we went. Him on his Litespeed andtri-suit and me on a rusted mountain bike andrunning shorts. Turns out, it changed my lifeinstantly. I raced and loved it, and funnyenough I won the thing on my crazy rustedmountain bike. There were a few laughs overthat one. OK, so there were only 25 competi-tors or so. A win is a win, right? That night Iwas on eBay looking for a tri-bike to order forwhen I got back to San Diego.

Craig: You did Ironman Hawaii in 2005.

Eric: Absolutely amazing! There are hardlywords for that feeling when you cross the fin-ish line of your first Ironman. For me, it wasdouble the emotion as it was also Kona. I wasvery fortunate to be given the honor to repre-sent the U.S. Navy on it’s team that competedin 2005. I was very intimidated by the list ofcompetitors and felt way out classed by theirprevious performances. I also had never com-pleted the distance before. Talk about pres-sure. I had done plenty of Half-Iron distanceraces, so I figured, do the same thing butmore. It kind of worked. If there is one thingI learned - experience

accounts for a big piece at those races. I hada lot to learn. Fortunately for me, I wasblessed with one of the most benign and per-fect days you can get at Kona. My only goalswere to: #1 finish, #2 beat at least one othermilitary competitor (ok so I do have a bit of acompetitive streak), and #3 have fun doing it.I was actually amazed at how fun the racecould be, out of sheer fear I had held back onthe bike because I heard so many stories ofdying on the run. Once I hit the run I was inheaven. I had never seen so much food! It wasawesome, every mile a feast. My wife (fiancéeat the time) was also able to make the trip,making the whole experience incredible. Infact, at one of the U-turns in the beginning ofthe run on the Queen K, she came out on thecourse and gave me a big hug and kiss, thecrowds of people went completely crazy and Idon’t think my feet hit the ground for the next5 miles.

The preparation was not too bad physically,however, the long hours make you feel guiltyfor all the time taken away from the family. Imust admit I did not have a great workoutplan but ensured that I did

IRONMAN CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG ZELENT


I had the pleasure recently of talking triathlon with the TCSD’s veryown Eric Rehberg. I’m certain you will enjoy getting to know him.

continued page 10

Eric with his wife, Lisa.

COACHES CORNER

TRAIN YOUR WEAKNESSES

This does not mean doing massive

mileage during the off-season or

pre-season.

Example: If swimming is your

weak sport, concentrate on

technique improvements/drills

rather than swimming 5000 yards

every day. Most swimming improve-

ments come from technique.

“Toug

h t

imes

don’t

last

bu

t to

ugh p

eople

do.”

A.C.

Gre

en

B&L Bike and SportsContact: Elliot Doyle(858) 481-4148www.blbikes.comDiscount: 10% on soft goods excluding labor,Zipp, Hed or Oakley products.

Hi-Tech Bikes 7638 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. San Diego, CA 92111(858) 715-1517www.hi-techbikes.comContact: Hank MontroseDiscount: 15% off soft goods,

10% off hard goods. Moment Cycle Sport1357 Rosecrans St. Suite A, San Diego, CA92107 in Pt. Loma(619) 523-BIKEwww.momentcyclesport.comContact: JT Lyons or Cory OsthDiscount: 10% off everything besides labor, 15% off clothing.

940 S. Coast Hwy 101 Encinitas, CA (800) 697-8007www.Nytro.comDiscount: 10% off retail for all products excluding labor, Zipp and Hed products.

Active Wellness (formerly Cassdiy’s Massage)Contact: Chris Cassidy(858) 450-4456www.cassidysclinic.comDiscount: 10% off services.

Coastal Sports & Wellness Medical CenterContact: Dr. John Martinez(858) 678-0300www.coastalsportsmedicine.comDiscount: 10% on cash paying customers

Rehab United Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, Inc. (Rehab United or RU)3959 Ruffin Road, Suite FSan Diego , CA 92123 (858) 279-5570www.rehabunited.comDiscount: 10% off services.

University City Physical Therapy(858) 452-0282www.ucpt.comContact: Gino [email protected]: 10% off cash payments.

Art of TriContact: [email protected]. http://artoftri.com

Beaker Concepts, Inc.Contact: Andrew [email protected]: 35% off all products, use code TCSD.

Road Runner Sports www.roadrunnersports.com

Rudy Projectwww.e-rudy.comDiscount: 40% helmets and sunglasses. See TCSD website for code.

San Diego Running Institute4760-B Mission Gorge PlaceSan Diego, CA 92120(619) 265-SDRI (7374)www.sdri.netContact: David Wilcox

SPONSORS OF TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO

MULTISPORT SHOPS MASSAGE & PHYSICAL THERPY APPAREL, EQUIPMENT & RUNNING SHOES

10

Xterra Wetsuits (858) 565-9500Contact: Victoria du RoureDiscount: 25% for TCSD members. See TCSD website for code.

Zoot Sportswww.zootsports.com

Chipotlewww.chipotle.comMultiple locations in San Diego including Pacific Beach, La Mesa, Encinitas, SDSU, Vista, Mira Mesa and Oceanside.

IRONMAN Organic Coffeewww.mdotcoffee.com/Discount: 25% off for TCSD members. Go to TCSD website for code.

Kashiwww.kashi.com

RunJunk.com4901 Morena Blvd., Suite 323San Diego, CA 92117(619) 793-5877www.runjunk.comContact: Robert [email protected]: 5% off all products, use code TCSD.

Blue Summit Financial GroupContact: Judy Seid(619) 698-4330www.bluesummitinvest.com

Competitor Magazinewww.competitor.com

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Ironman Conversation, continued

12

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plenty of long everything. Surprisingly myestimates for each event were fairly accurateand I was able to stay on track throughout therace without feeling like I was taking toomuch risk in any one event. I was very happywith my finish, see goal #1, and my time(11:11) was enough to take care of goal #2,turtle and the hare story was very relevant inmy case, and it was an absolute blast to bepart of such an incredible event, score goal#3.

Craig: Your wife, Lisa also does triathlons.What is that like to share the multi-sportexperience with your spouse?

Eric: This is the greatest part of our involve-ment in sport. We met through sports andtrain and race together. What a convenientand cool thing to share with your significantother. We never feel guilty or selfish takingtime to train because usually we are doing ittogether. We provide each other great motiva-tion. Those days you just don’t feel like get-ting up to train in the cold morning it helps tohave someone there to push you out of bed. Of

course it is usually me that needs the pushing!In the beginning of each year we pull out thecalendars and start the planning process. Weare pretty close on what events we would liketo do, but there is still a little horse tradingthat goes on. The nice part is we can also tiea few trips into really nice vacations (familyand friends think we are nuts). For example wedid Half-Vineman one year and post raceturned into a great excuse for staying up inthe wine country to “recover” for a few days.We also took a group up to San Francisco anddid the Alcatraz Challenge on Lisa’s birthday.This year we are all set to go do IronmanArizona (II) in November. It will be special asit is Lisa’s first IM and it just happens to fallon our anniversary. Next year I am pushing forSt. Croix, Cancun, or Western Australia.

Craig: I got to meet you through theSuperfrog Triathlon. What is that event like?

Eric: Near and dear to my heart. This year weare celebrating 30 continuous years on April 6.In addition, we are adding an Internationaldistance race the same day called the

continued page 13

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Superseal. In 1978 Navy SEAL Philip “Moki”Martin upon hearing stories about thisIronman thing in his home state of Hawaiidecided he should develop a race to prep him-self and other Navy SEALs to tackle Ironman.The SEALs, situated in a great location on thebeach at the Silver Strand were used to longswim-runs in their daily physical training so it seemed like a logical progression. SoSuperfrog 1 was born with a swim on theStrand, a bike out to Otay, and a run aroundCoronado. It was a great success and has beenrunning and growing since. Thanks to Moki,Superfrog has kept its roots close to the orig-inal concept. It has never been about makingmoney. It was about the “guys”. For years itremained a contest among SEALs with special“team” competitions to determine the fastestcommand. Also, special invites were handedout to the budding professional communityand local “tri” club, the Horny Toads. Sincethen, thanks to the Navy, we have been ableto grow the number of civilian participants tothe point where it is about even. This year weare teaming up directly with the Naval SpecialWarfare Foundation (NSWF) so that all our proceeds will go directly to this 501-C Charity.The NSWF raises money to help the families ofthose NSW operators killed during combat ortraining. It has been an especially hard few years for NSW but the foundation has donegreat things for these families. For more information go to www.NSWFoundation.organd for Superfrog/Superseal go to www.super-frogtriathlon.com

Craig: What is your favorite triathlon story?

Eric: 2006 Superfrog was a big year for us. Weteamed up with the SEAL/SWCC recruiters andthey were going to film the Superfrog forprime time viewing. It was great to hear, butadded a lot of responsibility with three mobilecamera crews and a helicopter to add to analready chaotic scene. The event was a greatsuccess and the film crews did an awesomejob. Unfortunately they missed one of thecoolest stories I have seen in triathlon. Therewas an entrant named Mark Coburn; a greatathlete and SEAL who had done a fewSuperfrogs in the past. A few years before hehad had a skydiving accident and suffered

brain damage. It has been a long, hard recovery for him and when he approached us and asked if he could enter we were a bitconcerned. Turns out he still has unpredictableand severe seizures. Mark was adamant to dothe race. Moki, knowing all about persevering,let him enter under the same time limit asanyone else. We truly did not think he wouldfinish as Mark cannot run very well anymoreand has a distinct limp. Fast forward througha long wonderful day of competition, we werein the middle of the awards ceremony and theannouncer broke in to count down the end ofthe race. All of a sudden around the bend ofthe road comes Mark Coburn. With all but afew seconds left he crossed the line with ahuge smile on his face dragging a giant clumpof kelp caught on his leg and there was not adry eye in the whole place. The crowd wentnuts. I realized then that the true heart andspirit of competition was alive and well intriathlon.

Craig: What is your favorite part of theTriathlon Club of San Diego?

Eric: The people! They are incredible, motivat-ed, helpful, and conscious of the communityat large.

Craig: Who is your triathlon hero and why?

Eric: That would have to be Philip “Moki”Martin. He is the man! Moki, was part of theold guard culture during the birth of triathlon.I think back to heavy steel bikes, onebrand/style of running shoe, no lycra,diving/surfing wetsuits or none, there werequite a few obstacles. Basically it was a bunchof lifeguards, military, and basic nut jobs look-ing for a good workout before they starteddrinking a few beers (or all of the above at thesame time). Those guys and gals back thentoughed it out and created something. Nofrills, no support (self support), homemade t-shirts, trophies made from garage sale finds.The true spirit of competition was born andpeople like Moki brought it forward into thefuture.

For those that don’t know his history, Mokiis a retired Navy SEAL with five


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continued page 15continued page 14

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combat tours in Vietnam. In his day, one ofthe best all around athletes (that’s what theycalled the multi-sport bubbas back then), Ijust call it AADD, Athletic Attention DeficientDysfunction. In the peak of his athleticlifestyle Moki was in a head on collision onthe Silver Strand with another cyclist was par-alyzed from the neck down. It is an inspirationfor me to see his dedication and drive and howhe created and gave so much to all thosefuture triathletes that have come and goneand those yet to begin the sport.

Craig: Who is your life hero and why?

Eric: Simple as it may seem I have to go withmy parents. From my early years they fed andsupported my insatiable hunger for sportactivities and all the crazy ideas I came upwith. I remember running in the neighborhoodwith my Dad and at the end of each run wewould sprint for the finish. It was always anintense, or so I thought, neck and neck battlethat I would magically win. It took me yearsto figure out he let me win the whole time.Now I get to pass that feeling on to my ownkids, who get just as excited.

Then there is my Mom. When my Fatherpassed away a few years ago it was very hardon her. They were inseparable and did every-thing together. It could have been very easyto give up on things, but instead at age 70she became hooked on cycling and works out

everyday at the gym. She has never been sohealthy and is a great inspiration that you arenever too old to benefit from the pleasure andpain of good hard training.

Craig:: What are your triathlon goals for 2008and beyond?

Eric: Surviving Superfrog. I have a new foundappreciation for anyone crazy enough to be arace director. It is like being a wedding plan-ner for 1,000 crazy athletes, trying to make aquality and safe event, keep it challenging andstill make everyone happy. I am very pleasedwe are adding a shorter distance event and Ilook forward to watching the next generationgrow to enjoy this sport that I love so much.Also providing a role model for our kids andshowing them the benefits of a healthy activelifestyle. My parents were both teachers andhave instilled in me that if you love some-thing, it is your responsibility to pave the wayfor the next generation. As for racing, I thinkLisa and I will continue to find good excusesfor vacation races well into the future.

Craig: Thank you for sharing your story. I wishyou and Lisa the best of luck this year andbeyond with achieving your goals. I can’t waitfor Superfrog and Superseal! Those are eventsthat are MUST DO’s in our sport.

Eric: Thank you, Craig, for giving me a chanceto take a closer look at myself and the sport Ihave come to truly appreciate.

Ironman Conversation, continuedFRIENDS OF TCSD OFFERING DISCOUNTS

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continued page 16

We had run almost the same pace the entireway, and she couldn’t be more than 12 yearsold. She was fantastic. I urged her on as Ipassed, “Almost there. Final stretch.” Shesmiled. Okay, final victim, girl with pigtails.She was my #1 prey. We had been passing eachother, shoulder to shoulder, glancing elbows,for the past 6 miles, and I had been extreme-ly irritated when she flew by me at mile 11. Iwanted to hunt her down so badly, I was sali-vating. I picked up the pace, digging into thehill. My legs ached and my lungs burned but itdidn’t matter. I was gaining; she was fading. Ipassed her with 1/2 mile to go. Now, I was thehunted, and she was the hunter. I continuedaccelerating. Gone was the aggression I hadfelt on the chase. Instead, it had not beenreplaced with fear. Fear a rabbit experienceswhen chased by a coyote. Not as fun as chas-ing but being chased is still solid motivationfor a speedy run.

The Finish:I reached the park and turned in to go down

the chute. This was it. My running partner

accelerated, right on my heels. Where did hecome from? I don’t think so! That was all Ineeded. Boom! I took off sprinting, kickinginto turbo gear. Where did that come from?Spectators cheered me on as I sprinted downthe chute, dropping my pursuer. I flew acrossthe finish line for a glorious PR, shaving 4’from my previous best half-marathon time.Sweet, sweet victory.

Re-Cap: This was my best ever half marathon. It felteffortless. The miles flew by, and I was almostsorry to reach the finish. I learned that I am“good” at downhill running. Who knew? Also,I learned that speed work does in fact makeyou faster. Apparently, running faster makesyou faster. Groundbreaking. This race was amuch-needed boost to my confidence. I thinkthe best PRs are the unintentional ones.

Everything clicked for me on this race. Iguess the key to a PR is to get sick mid-weekand force a good taper. I love the never-end-ing flood of self-discovery afforded bytriathlon.

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16

Race Report-San Dieguito Half Marathon, continued

If you started laughing at this last line,read on for some revealing facts about ourbodies’ requirements and diet compositionmisconceptions.

Carbohydrates, protein and fat are themacro components of our food. We needto eat all three of them in order to behealthy. The problem arises when we dis-cuss the percentage of the total caloricintake each macronutrient should supply.Protein in particular has been the lab ratof the last decade, while fat was the badguy in the 80s and 90s and now it’s carbs!

Regardless of what food regimen youchoose, it’s likely that you’re eating toomuch protein, and if you supplement withprotein powders and aminos, you could be

ingesting as much as 3 times the dose rec-ommended for athletes (already bumpedup from that for sedentary people).

The factory farming and supplementindustries have fueled this notion that weneed high amounts of protein to surviveand keep our weight in check. As an exam-ple, the USDA’s daily protein requirements(0.8g/kg) are almost double those of theWorld Health Organization (0.40-0.45g/kg).The body loses about 0.34 grams of protein per kilogram a day, so already theWHO’s daily recommendation includes asafety margin.

Consuming excess protein can cause avariety of symptoms, including liver toxic-ity, kidney failure, dehydration, breakouts,

etc. And protein deficiency is so rare, itonly occurs in cases of advanced alco-holism and starvation.

Proteins are necessary to sustain life.We use different amino acids to makestructure (hair, nails, skin), hemoglobin,antibodies, hormones, enzymes and, mostrecently discovered, neurotransmitters. Ofthe 22 naturally occurring amino acidsthat combine to make the protein mole-cules, 9 of them are called essential,which means we can’t make them in thebody, we need to ingest them.

How much we need to ingest, though, iskey. Numbers vary from less than half agram for sedentary adults to 1.2 gramsper kilogram of ideal body weight forathletes. An interesting fact to consider isthat we grow the most in our first sixweeks of life, and at that time our diet

(breast milk) is only 6% protein. Pretty farfrom the 40-30-30 and ever farther fromthe Atkins standard.

An athlete’s body will use up everythingthat comes in and then some. However,when on a high protein diet, the excesswill be used for energy – an expensive andinefficient process – or stored as fat ifenough calories were taken in for the day.Carbohydrates are a preferred source ofenergy because they break down fasterand earlier in the digestive tract; theyalready have the energy molecule in them(glucose), so nothing has to be trans-formed; and protein usually is accompa-nied by fat, especially that of animal origin. So, even though carb and proteinmolecules have the same number of calories, the net effect in the body istotally different. Veggie sources also comepacked with vitamins and minerals and are easier to digest than meats and otheranimal products; they also have fiber,which is so important for a healthy digestion.

Also, carbohydrates are the source ofenergy. Their job is to spare protein so it can be used for all those importantfunctions discussed before. The liver canbreak down protein to make glucose if wedon’t take in enough carbs (note this isindependent of caloric intake) to feed our

18

Barbara Kase, BS, CCN, LMT

Most athletes know nutrition is key to athletic performance,some even swear it’s as important as training, and accordingto the latest findings, they are right!

How Much Protein Do We Really Need?

How much we need…is key.

…1.2g per kg of ideal body weight for athletes.

brains and red blood cells. This process uses water and can leaveus dehydrated, which is one of the causes of poor athletic per-formance and overall lethargy.

There are several kinds of protein sources. Plain protein is ofno use to the body. We need to break down those molecules intothe individual amino acids. This means chicken protein does notgo into the human body and just “parks” in the muscles or skin;it has to be stripped down and transformed (digested). In thisregard, veggie sources are more efficient because the aminos aremore readily available.

Whether you choose to get your protein from meat, eggs, dairyor a combination of legumes and grains, variety is always key. Allfoods contain amino acids. Meats and animal products have com-plete protein (all 9 aa), while vegetable sources are usually lowon one or a few aminos. That’s when food complementarity comesin. But there’s no need to pull ot your calculator. Just combinegrains such as rice, wheat, oats, corn or barley with legumes(peas, lentils, beans) during the day, but not necessarily in thesame meal. Add spices, nuts and seeds, and you’re guaranteedcovered.*

A good way to figure out if your protein intake is sufficient, isto check your nails, hair and skin. Do you build muscle well (foryour body type, not compared to Arnold), do your wounds heal ina reasonable time? How about recovery from illnesses?

In conclusion, for most Westerners that eat a variety of foods,protein intake is not a challenge. If you bump up the total calories you consume in a day to fuel your work out, the proteiningestion will increase in the form of aminos or complete protein.If you consume enough carbs for energy, then the protein will beused more efficiently and your performance will increase.

* For a detailed chart of food combinations, check The Nutrition Almanac, by Lavon Dunne.

How Much Protein Do We Need?, continued


20

Multisports Coaching & Personal Training(858) 361-0761 or (858) 231-5267

The Official Training Program of The San Diego Triathlon Series

IntroductionAmong the various aspects of training(cardio, strength, power, etc.) flexibilitymay be the most controversial. In the olddays, pulling your arm across your chestand your heel to your butt for 20-30 sec-onds was considered a good way to con-clude a warm up before racing. Why? Notbecause scientific evidence supportedthose methods, but because that’s howyour coaches were taught to stretch so it’sthe way they taught you. Current researchsuggests that this type of stretching maynot only be suboptimal, but can actuallyhinder performance. Yet, we still read andhear from numerous sources the necessityof including stretching in a program. Theconflicting evidence can easily confuse anathlete or a coach – if you are unsureabout when to stretch, how to stretch, or whether to stretch at all…continuereading.

Static vs. Dynamic StretchingIn both static and dynamic stretching, thepurpose is to take the muscles though a greater than normal range of motion(ROM). Static means that the stretch isbeing held and the muscles are at a constant length (e.g. the standard quadstretch). Dynamic stretching implies thatthe muscles and joints are moving as you stretch (e.g. a body squat). Duringdynamic stretching, we are steadily loading (increasing length) and unloading

(shortening) the muscles across multiplejoints. This method assists with takingjoints through a greater than normal ROMwhile also warming up the mind-muscleconnection.

Chronic vs. Acute StretchingWe can further define stretching tech-niques as either acute (a single session)or chronic (long term – over weeks ormonths). An acute bout of static stretch-ing will not likely increase performanceand, as mentioned, may decrease perform-ance in some sports; studies reveal thatstatic stretching inhibits performance inexplosive sports such as sprinting andweightlifting. Research is less clear,though, as to the effects of acute staticstretching on endurance sports – it likelydoes not have the same negative effectsfor low-power sports (such as endurancerunning and triathlon). Acute stretchingalso appears to have little effect on injuryprevention, although long-term flexibilitytraining likely will decrease risk of injuryand can definitely improve function andperformance (1). Thus, the optimalmethod is to incorporate some combina-tion of static and dynamic stretches inyour flexibility training to improve ROMover time.

Physiology Behind StretchingMuscles act like rubber bands keepingjoints together, aligning joints for move-

ment, and propelling limbs through three-dimensional space at varying speeds.Evidence strongly supports the fact thatthe body functions best when muscles areat ideal lengths (based on the sport’srequirements). This “ideal length” forendurance athletes is often achievedthrough the chronic stretching methodsdescribed above. Athletes must under-stand that the longer a rubber bandstretches (up to a point), the farther itwill shoot. – this principle describes whyemphasizing loading and unloading mus-cles at their optimal length in all planesof motion (sagital, frontal, transverse)enhances flexibility and sport-specificstrength.

If we rely on this principle alone, how-ever, we may pull the rubber band tooquickly and risk snapping it (never a goodidea if you’re looking to finish the racewithout a limp). Therefore, we also teachto avoid ballistic stretching (bouncing) atspeeds that do not allow relaxation tooccur within the muscle fibers. Knowingthat muscles rely on internal componentssuch as muscle spindles and Golgi tendonorgans (“buzz words” for you sciencebuffs) to monitor tension and report backto the nervous system during movement,it makes sense to develop a stretchingmethod that complements the neuralneeds associated with the contracting/relaxing patterns in sport. These tech-

Brian Wilson, MPT, USA Cycling Coach, Triathlon Coach & Justin Robinson, MA, RD, CSSD, CSCS

Dynamic Flexibillity for Endurance SportsREHAB UNITED STRETCH OF THE MONTH:

21

niques are gaining popularity as athletesfind themselves able to push farther intothe lengthened zones with increased com-fort.

Fundamentals of Stretching1) 3-Dimensional: Load the muscles and

tendons in three planes; stretching themuscle in only one plane does not ade-quately change the length of the mus-cle.

2) Sport Specific: Important to create awarm up and flexibility program thatmimics the actions of the sport in aneffort to produce improved awarenessof body positioning (e.g. performingarm circles before swimming)

3) Controlled Movement: Perform eachstretch at a speed slow enough toallow the nervous system to relax themuscles, thus, not interfering with thepurpose behind the stretch.

SummaryRegardless of all the current controversywith stretching, we know this much:increasing flexibility (joint ROM) over timecan improve performance and reduceinjury risk. Your warm-up (before a work-out or race) must always include dynamicflexibility exercises that take the jointsthrough a greater than normal ROM in all three planes. Acute, static stretchingmay decrease explosiveness, but it’s requisite in a comprehensive flexibilityprogram. Good luck with the upcomingseason and as we say – always Train theWay You Play™.

Reference: Stone, M., O’Bryant, H., Ayers, C., & Sands, W. (2006) Stretching: Acute and chronic?

The potential consequences. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 28, p. 66-74.

EXERCISE EXAMPLES3D HIP DRIVES (DYNAMIC)

• Place foot on a box (a bench or chairworks as well) and lunge forward as youdrive your arms.

• Return to the starting position after eachdrive.

• When driving arms to the left or right,push the hip in the opposite direction.

• Make sure the back foot faces forward andthe back knee remains straight.

Starting Position

Overhead Arm Swing (Sagittal Plane)

Right Side Drive (transverse, frontal)

Left Side Drive (transverse, frontal)

3D HAMSTRING STRETCH (STATIC)Hold each position for 10-30 secondsSwing or reach arms to both sides 5-10times each.

Forward Reach

Inside Reach

Outside Reach

Inside Swing

Outside Swing

22

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