TriFusion Newsletter - Jan.'09

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January 2009

Coming soon on February 28, 2009:

Tri Fusion Zi Spa Day!!! Watch the

Forum for details!

Dear Santa,

page 2

BoD, Sponsors, Calendars,

pages 12-13

Winter Running,

page 3

Race Report: USATF Cross Country Club NationalsBy: Matt Cusack

In the days leading up to this race, I knew this would be a battle for me, since I would be a triathlete (slow one) in a field of fast runners. My first goal was to not be last, second goal was to run a 45 (below what I was hoping to be able to pull off). I tried to ignore the weather forecast, but I couldn’t, I knew this would be worse than ice climbing in frigid temps. Morning came, I met up with Greg Gallagher and we were off to the course. First thing we noticed out there were the cold Siberian wind gusts, not helpful.

About 40 minutes before the start, the team we were running for, Brooks I.D., headed out for a warm up along the course to cheer for some of the ladies we knew in the race. A few times I got blown about while warming up , but I hoped running faster would shield me from this...yeah right.

Before the gun went off I was a little nervous, this was new to me and I didn’t want to get spiked.

Then we were off, and instantly, I was pretty much alone. I knew this would happen and I was hoping a few runners would stay close. The first lap went well, painful and cold, but well. I went by the 2 mile mark at 13:56 and knew I needed to slow just a little bit. A lot of thoughts went through my head in such a

short time, but I was mainly keeping an eye on the guy behind me. After the second lap, I knew if I didn’t totally fall apart he wouldn’t catch me, goal one down..maybe. We had a great squad out there, without them, I am not sure if I would have endured that pain. Ten kilometer races are painful enough, but add below 0 temps and 30 mph winds trying to knock you over and stopping

your breath, not making it easy. On the final lap I started to catch a runner in front of me that was fading, I kept pushing but in the end I didn’t have it in me to make up the ground in time. I finished in 45:53, which I am stoked considering the horrible conditions. This was my first open 10k race, I had only run them in Olympic distance and my PR was 49:10, so this was an improvement. I watched the last guy come across a minute later, and the 12 DNF's gave me an idea on just how bad it was out there. This was a hard starting line for me to be at, from the start I felt I shouldn’t be there. I am too slow, I am not a runner, but to others on the team that didn’t matter. They treated me like I have

been out there for years running like them, thanks guys! My fiance, Jessie was out there doing her best to keep my head up and legs moving , thanks babe, you rock! And I want to thank everyone that came out, since this was not an easy race to be a supporter and fan: thanks Tim, Jessi, Emma, Roger, Natalie, Phaedra, Teresa, Jazmin, Josh, Greg, Steve, Mike, The Barrs, and all others. It was a cold day in hell out there, all who endured are tough and dedicated!

Base Bike Training,

page 4

Ironman

Training: Track

Workouts,

page 5

Training Opportunites & Time to Rest?

Page 6

Delicious

Recipes,

pages 7-8

Avoiding

G.I. Distress,

pages 9-11

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Dear Santa,I was bad this Christmas. Despite a pretty good training protocol, Ibasically ate everything in sight. Now I have a spare tire around mywaistline and I¹m trying to figure out how to shed it quickly. Any advice?

Dear Triathlete,Good news. I have some proprietary fat-loss techniques that we use up herewith some of the Elves that go berserk on the tiramisu at our annual NorthPole potluck. We also have some bigger-boned reindeer that have reallyimproved their power-to-weight ratio using these same fat-loss strategies.Heck, after eight hundred Christmases with a solid 24 hour diet of chocolatechip cookies and very large glasses of milk, I myself have had to buckledown at the New Year on many occasions. So in no particular order, here are my top three fat loss techniques:

1. Eat during your training.Have you ever tried struggling through a multi-hour indoor cycling sessionwith as little sustenance as possible? Or perhaps headed out for a 15 milerun in the snow with only one gel, just in case you really, really need it?Struggling through the last 15 minutes of the training session light-headedand dizzy, you must have burnt boatloads of fat, right?

Wrong. While it may feel like this strategy burn is a great way to depletethe body of storage energy, in reality you’re doing just the opposite.Training starved actually decreases the amount of calories burnt duringyour training session, while also limiting potential intensity and harmingrecovery.

As a matter of fact, when you do consume carbohydrate during a trainingsession, your body actually burns more fat and a greater number of overallcalories. This may seem counterintuitive, but multiple research studies have observed increased fat burning in the of

A Triathletes Correspondence to Santa

by Ben Greenfield, MS, CPT

caloric (carbohydrate) intake during exercise. In the same way that starving your body during the day decreases your resting metabolic rate, starving your body during exercise decreases your exercise metabolic rate.

So during your next few months of training sessions, remember this coreprinciple of physiology: fat burns in the flame of carbohydrate. Now youknow how to get rid of that giant log of fruitcake from your dear Aunt -consume it piece by piece during your long workouts! Or you could justdonate it to science.

2. Perform a 15-20 minute morning workout, sans breakfast. When you wake up in the morning after an overnight fast, your body hasprimarily burnt through the liver’s carbohydrate stores, and has amplemuscle glycogen (storage carbohydrate) to use as energy. During a window oftime prior to breakfast, you can actually jump-start the weight loss processby exercising in your body’s fat-burning, intensity zone for a brief period of time. This is usually about 50-60% intensity. You will not bonk, because your muscles can still supply the small amount of necessary carbohydrate energy to maintain exercise.

You must, however, not perform a long, marathon-style workout in thispre-breakfast window, or you will be ravenous afterwards and more likely toovereat and store fat. So stick to a brief, sustainable, fat-burningworkout, and do it every morning until you have achieved your goal weight.No excuses.

You must understand that there is no research that has studied thisfat-burning window. At least, we’re not aware of any up here in the North Pole. However, I myself, as well as dozens of fat-loss Elf clients (yes,

there are actually Elves that need to lose weight), have been able to shedseveral pounds in a 2-4 week period of time when utilizing this strategy.We’re not quite sure why it works, but it does.

3. Lift weightsCertainly I would not argue that weightlifting has been shown tosignificantly enhance triathlon performance, because it hasn’t. But, whenadded to a cardiovascular exercise program, weightlifting has been shown to significantly increase metabolic rate and fat-free body mass. In otherwords, it is a great way to get lean. Perhaps not quite as good as ourdistinct strategy of cage fighting a Polar bear, but definitely morerisk-free.

Think of it this way: your body must burn more calories to sustain a fiberof muscle vs. a droplet a fat. By adding more muscle fibers to your body,you increase your metabolic rate, and burn more calories during the day,even when you’re not exercising. Wouldn’t it be nice to watch the bigfootball game and know you’re blazing through an extra 25 calories per hour?A good weightlifting set:rep scheme for hypertrophy (an increase in thesize of muscle cells), is three to five sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. Try tochoose multi-joint motions, like squat-to-overhead-press, pull-ups, walkinglunges, and deadlifts. By lifting weights for just 20-30 minutes three timesper week, you can significantly increase your proportion of lean muscle tofat, and subsequently lose weight. And you wouldn’t believe how a few extramedicine ball lifts can help when it comes time to hoist a giant toy baginto a sled.

Obviously, there are a great many ways to lose fat. These are just a few ofthe more effective strategies that can be implemented by an athlete, whetherin the off-season or in the process of preparing for a race.

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Winter Running: Helping Your Feet SurviveBy Christine Dobrowolski

As the days shorten and the weather cools, running becomes more difficult. Many times it may seem more inviting to curl up with a good book and a warm cup of tea as opposed to bundling up and facing the elements.

For those who are motivated enough to run through the cold, dark winter days, it is important to know how to protect the feet so they too can survive the winter months.

1. Wear one pair of light or medium weight (depending on the temperature) synthetic socks. Don't wear cotton socks. Synthetic socks wick away moisture and help prevent blister formation and cold feet.

2. Consider running in a trail shoe. Trail running shoes will help protect your feet more than lighter nylon running shoes. Trail shoes also tend to have more tread on the bottom to add traction for slippery surfaces.

3. Make sure your shoes fit. If your feet tend to swell a little in the summer, then your shoes may be a little loose in the winter. If you tend to wear heavier socks in the winter, this may not be an issue. If not, you may find your cold toes are being jammed against the front of the shoes when running hills and your heel may be slipping and causing blisters.

4. Avoid tight footwear in cold weather. Tight shoes may decrease circulation to the toes. The cold weather also will decrease the circulation to the extremities, and the combination can lead to problems.

5. Pair your socks and shoes. Don't assume your heavier socks will work with your summer running shoes. The reverse is also true. Your summer running socks may not work with your winter or "muddy" running shoes.

6. Don't pull out your old shoes for winter running. You may not want to wear your new running shoes in the rain, but make sure you do not start your winter running in shoes that have 400 - 500 miles on them. This could lead to injury.

7. Warm up slowly. Your muscles will take longer to warm up in colder weather. Without proper warm-up time, you will increase your chance of injury.

8. Minimize running on uneven ground. When running on uneven terrain, your body needs to quickly adapt to the rocks, roots or dips. In cold weather, it is more difficult to adjust to uneven terrain because your muscles do not react as quickly. This will increase your chances of developing muscle strains and sprains.

9. Break in your shoes. Make sure you have at least 75 - 80 miles of running on your shoes before wearing them in a winter marathon.

10. Consider cross-training. If you are feeling more stiff and sore than usual or are experiencing foot, ankle or leg discomfort, take a break from running. Overuse injuries occur more frequently in the winter as runners unconsciously alter their gait to adapt to slippery, hard-to-see surfaces. Consider occasional visits to the gym or embracing the elements on cross-country skis or an indoor training ride.

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Simplified Base Bicycle TrainingFrom Joe Friel’s blog

If you are now in your early base period of training there are only three things you should be focusing on in your training: aerobic endurance, force and speed skills.

I write about this topic a lot this time of year, it seems. That’s probably because I see so many athletes doing so little in their training now to optimize fitness in these three critical areas. Most are in a hurry to get into muscular endurance, anaerobic endurance and power training. In fact, those who burned out last July or so have been training these abilities since September when they started to get their enthusiasm for training back. They are flying now. That’s why I call them “Christmas Stars.” By about May motivation will start to wane again and will be totally gone by June or July when, in most parts of the northern hemisphere, racing is still going strong and has a few months to go.

Patience is the key to success in endurance sport. I’ve also written about that idea many times. One must be patient with training. When passed by a group of Christmas Stars on the road now you’ve got to have the patience to hold back and stick with your planned base fitness training. It helps to have a coach, someone who will hold you accountable for what you do in workouts. I seldom have to remind the athletes I train that they need to stick with the plan while avoiding Christmas Star group rides. Down deep we each understand the benefit of building deep levels of fitness in these three key abilities before starting to do the high intensity stuff later on. We realize that if we are patient now and just grind out the miles as planned, the reward later on will be much greater.

There are three simple ideas I build into the workouts of the riders I coach to help them get benefit from every workout this time of year. Here’s the gist of what I have them do in the form of training suggestions for you. There’s more to it than this. You can read one of my books to get all of the details. But it can all be boiled down to three basic elements of training for early base training…

1. Aerobic Endurance. Maximize 2-zone training time each week. For now, try to get about 40% of your training time each week in this zone. And higher doesn’t count as part of the 40%. Pay close attention to your power meter or heart rate monitor. Ride steadily. Avoid high and low numbers. No sprinting and no coasting. You’ll have a big aerobic engine after a few weeks of this.

2. Force. Climb all hills on certain select rides each week staying in the saddle. This will do wonders for building hip and knee extension strength improving your riding power overall. After a few weeks of this you will be a stronger rider, just in time to start the high intensity training. This is a simple stepping stone workout for great sustained power.

3. Speed Skills. Put a 25T or 27T cassette on your bike and pedal at high cadence on all terrains, including hills, at least three days a week. “High” cadence means at the upper end of your comfortable cadence range. Most riders are comfortable from about 75 to 95 rpm. So ride a lot averaging about 95. Your power will drop down some. That’s okay. It will rise in a few weeks as you become more economical. Improved pedaling skills will pay off in faster racing later in the season.

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Three Track Workouts for Ironman PerformanceBy:Carmichael Training Systems

September-12-2008

Why would an athlete preparing for an event that lasts more than 8 hours want to spend time running around a track, and for what benefit? Though they can seem contrary to the spirit and demands of Ironman distance triathlons, track workouts are actually an integral part of preparing your body for a faster and stronger performance in your next, or first, Ironman competition.

Why bother with the track?With all the beautiful trails and paths you could run through, why should you bother running in circles? Well, successful triathlon training is all about managing your time and getting the biggest impact from each of your training sessions. The track offers a prime opportunity to focus your running workout on high-quality intervals so you can get the stimulus you need to become faster, but not so much fatigue that you struggle to recover in time for your next training session.

Track workouts are strenuous, but they serve a very specific purpose beyond making you tired. By pushing the pace and training at the high end of your aerobic range near your lactate threshold or maximum sustainable pace, you’ll force your body to adapt to producing and recycling increased amounts of lactic acid. Over time, this results in the ability to run faster at both moderate intensity levels and at race pace.

One departure from old-school track workouts you may notice in the descriptions below is that we’re not talking about gut-busting, go-till-you-puke intervals. Instead, these should be done at a pace between your 5K and 10K race pace, which is faster than your marathon pace, but not an eye-crossing sprint, either. It is best to incorporate one track workout a week into your training program, starting about 4 months out from your Ironman-distance event.

1000-Meter RepeatsOf the 3 workouts listed here, this is the hardest one because the pace is the highest. Following a warm-up and

perhaps a few stride-outs, you’ll commence with eight 1000-meter intervals, separated by 4 minutes of easy jogging or walking. Start each interval gradually instead of sprinting up to speed, but quickly settle into your 5K race pace. The first 3 or 4 intervals may feel pretty easy, but they will get more challenging as you proceed, especially since the 4 minutes of recovery is purposely too short to allow for full recovery. You should, however, be able to complete all the intervals at the same pace, and shouldn’t feel totally wiped out when it’s over. If you do, go 3–7 seconds slower per 1000-meter repeat the next time you complete the workout.

2-Mile RepeatsThe natural question we get regarding 2-mile repeats is that if you’re strong enough to run 4 miles at the same pace, why bother with a recovery break after 2? Because in order to go from running 9-minute miles to running 8:30s, you have to move your feet faster and push your heart and lungs harder, and that means running long intervals at a pace you can only sustain for limited period of time. These intervals are good to do on the track because you can time each lap and see if you’re still on pace, something that can be much more difficult on the open trail. Of course, with newer heart rate monitors you can use GPS technology to monitor speed and distance accurately on roads and trails. These intervals should run at your Tempo run pace, which is a strenuous intensity but about 98–102% of your heart rate at your maximum sustainable pace (not your max heart rate!). After a good warm-up, run two 2-mile intervals at this pace, separated by 4 minutes of easy jogging or walking for recovery.

2-Mile Ladder DrillLadder drills are a staple of track training, but these may be a little different from what you used prior to sprint and Olympic-distance events because these a bit longer and slower than you may be used to. The key is to complete each segment of the ladder at the same pace. The shorter segments in the beginning will seem very easy, but resist the urge to go faster in the beginning so you have the stamina to put in quality intervals all the way to the end. Like the 2-mile repeats, these intervals should run at your Tempo run pace, about 98–102% of your heart rate at your maximum sustainable pace. Start with 400 yards, then proceed to 800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400, 3200, 2400, 2000, 1600, 1200, 800, and 400 yards; and recovery after each work segment should be the same amount of time it took to complete the work segment.

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Training Opportunities!!!by Natalie Gallagher

Beginning on January sixth, the Tri Fusion board members have been posting and hosting training events weekly. These training opportunities are additions to opportunities that a few board members already post and host weekly, such as the Thompsons’ weekly BAT’s and the Gallaghers’ weekly head lamp run. Why did we add the new training events to the schedule? We paid close attention to the results of the member survey a few months ago, when several folks wished for more training opportunities in different parts of Spokane. So, we put together some small teams of board members that committed to showing up at Champions Sport Medicine on Tuesday nights at 6:00 and the valley YMCA on Wednesday nights at the same time.

Participation has been sporadic at the two new training opportunities, but we are hoping that you all like the options and will be able to begin or continue to attend. The board will continue as guest hosts through the month of January. Hopefully members will want to keep participating in the weekly runs and decide to meet up at Champs on Tuesday, and/or the valley Y on Wednesday.

Beginning on January 29th, we will slightly change the meeting place of the weekly Thursday head lamp run. Let’s plan to meet at the Wandermere Starbucks to run. Each week that the Gallaghers are available to host dinner, we will post the dinner information on the Forum for after the run and enjoy further fellowship with one another.

Please see the calendar attached and continue to peruse the Tri Fusion forum for a wide range of group training opportunities!

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It’s Not “Wimping Out” When Your Body Needs the Restby Chris Carmichael

“I’ve been following a training program for several months, but there are days when I just don’t feel like doing my workout. I don’t know if my body’s trying to tell me something or if I’m just wimping out.”— Jason W., Portsmouth, ME

I'm certainly a fan of getting out there and trying to get a workout started, especially since you can often get through a whole workout as long as you can get through the first 10–15 minutes. However, “wimping out” is sometimes the smartest thing you can do. There are times when I wish the athletes I work with would listen more closely to their bodies and call it a day when they're not responding to their workouts. Here are a few good ways to tell if turning around is the right thing to do:

1. Your heart rate/power output doesn’t match your perceived exertion. Though perceived exertion is often dismissed as being “unscientific,” I believe it has to be taken into consideration when talking about training. You know how you normally feel when you’re exercising at a certain pace or intensity. If it takes a superhuman effort to raise your heart rate or power output to your normal cruising level, or to the level necessary for intervals, it’s a sign that something’s not right. Usually, it means you’re fatigued and that you’re better off doing an easier workout or taking the day off. Sometimes this scenario will even continue for a few days, but generally it won’t last more than a week. Listen to your body and give it the time it needs.

2. You feel like taking a nap by the side of the road or trail. Most days, you’re raring to go when you head out for a workout, but then there are days when you just can’t seem to get excited about training; you’re yawning at stop lights and daydreaming instead of focusing on your workout. On days like these, it’s important to get out there and see what happens after about 15 minutes. If you snap out of your funk and get your head in the game, then continue with the workout. If you can’t get your head into it, turn around and go home. I’d rather see you miss that one workout and come back excited the next day instead of absentmindedly going through the motions for several workouts in a row.

There’s one other piece of advice (it’s not completely pertinent to the original question, but it’s useful anyway): a shortened workout is better than no workout at all. So, if socializing or poor weather cuts your available time down to just 30 minutes, take it. It helps you stay in a consistent training routine and ensures that you’re not slipping backwards in your fitness progression. Shortened workouts may not move you forward as much as complete ones do, but they’ll help you keep the fitness you’ve worked so hard to build.

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Turkey Sausage Frittata

Ingredients:

18 Eggs1 ½ Cups Swiss cheese Shredded1lb Cheddar Cheese Shredded1 cup Freshly Chopped Parsley1 cup Chanterelle Mushrooms (or any other type)1 Fuji Apple2lbs ground turkeySpices:

¼ tsp- Thyme, Poultry Seasoning, Cumin1 tsp- Pepper, Salt 2 sprigs Rosemary¼ cup rubbed sage 1 cup freshly chopped parsley

Directions:

In a large skillet put in turkey sausage and spices, stir together to mix evenly. Turn stove top to medium heat and cook until browned. As you are cooking turkey sausage, in a large bowl break open all the eggs, beat together and set aside. Wash and cut up mushrooms into bite size pieces, and wash and cut apple into small chunks, then add into turkey mixture when it is almost done.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large glass pan, spray with olive oil and set aside. After turkey sausage mixture has cooled down, approx. 10 min., add egg mixture to skillet with Swiss cheese and ½ cup of cheddar. Combine thoroughly and pour into pan. Top with remaining cheddar. Bake until done, approximately 35-50 minutes depending on oven. Should serve about 12 people. Serve hot or cold with your choice of condiments, we like Salsa!

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Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Chili)Submitted by Tiffany Byrd

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef1 small onion, diced (1 cup)1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup) *to save time, just chop!3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)2 cloves garlic, minced2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes1 15 oz can red kidney beans (with liquid)1 15 oz can great northern beans (with liquid)1 15 oz can tomato sauce1 12 oz can V-8 juice1 T white vinegar1 1/2 t salt1 t oregano1 t basil1/2 t pepper1/2 t thyme1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditalili pastadash of hot sauce or cayenne pepperfresh Parmesan cheese*2 c water (see note at bottom)

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium heat. Drain off fat.2. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.3. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour (if you're running low on time, 30 minutes is fine too)4. About 50 minutes into simmer time, add in the uncooked pasta and continue simmering for the final 10 minutes.5. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.Serves 8

*This Olive Garden favorite is very thick and chili-like. If you are looking for a more "soupy" texture, add the water.*****************************************************************************************

Awesome GranolaFrom Jen Polello

Ingredients:

2 ½ cup oats ¼ cup honey½ cup wheat bran cereal ¼ cup canola oil½ cup wheat germ 1/3 cup raisins1/3 cup chopped or whole almonds1/3 cup dried cranberries or mixed berries½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients. Heat oil and honey in saucepan until bubbly, pour over dry ingredients, pour in shallow pan or cookie sheet, bake 30-40 minutes, stir every 10 minutes. Add raisins and cranberries, cool, store in air tight container. Makes about 5 cups.

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Avoiding Exercise-Related Gastrointestinal DistressBy Christopher D. Jensen

January-07-2009

You’re out on a long training run. Your pace is strong. The last chilly vestiges of the early morning combined with the rising sun warming your back has you feeling like you could go on forever. The miles drift by. You’re in the zone.

But around mile 7 you experience what feels like the beginnings of abdominal cramping. You keep going, trying to refocus, all the while hoping the sensation will pass. But the feeling doesn’t go away. Instead, the cramps grow in intensity to the point where — forget training — you’re now running for one purpose only: to find a restroom.

Sound familiar? Abdominal cramping is just one of a handful of symptoms that collectively are referred to as exercise-associated gastrointestinal distress. For short, we’ll call it GI distress. Symptoms can include heartburn, burping, flatulence (the scientific term for passing gas), nausea, vomiting, abdominal or stomach cramping, the urgent need for a bowel movement, diarrhea, and/or gastrointestinal bleeding.

If one or more of these symptoms has ended some of your competitions or training sessions prematurely, or arrived with a vengeance within a few hours of crossing the finish line, you’re not alone. In fact, these types of gastrointestinal complaints are very common among endurance athletes.

In this article we’ll explore GI distress, which athletes tend to get which symptoms, what are likely causes, and most importantly, what you can do to steer clear of the problem and keep your gut happy.

GI DISTRESS IS COMMON AND SYMPTOMS VARY BY SPORT:Frequency estimates vary, but GI distress during or just after exercise is more common than not. In a study of individuals who trained for 18 months in preparation for a marathon, 25% reported symptoms of GI distress during a 25-km race 12 months into their training, and 52% complained of distress symptoms during the marathon itself.

In a another study of well-trained endurance athletes, researchers asked the athletes to report whether they’d experienced symptoms of exercise-related GI distress during the preceding 12 months:

• Among runners, 71% reported lower GI tract symptoms, such as side aches, abdominal cramping, urge to defecate, and diarrhea. In contrast, 36% reported upper GI tract symptoms such as burping, nausea, and vomiting.

• Among cyclists, the incidence of lower and upper GI tract symptoms were similar, at 64% and 67%, respectively.

• Reports from triathletes confirmed the symptom patterns observed in runners and cyclists. During the cycling leg of triathlon competitions, lower and upper GI tract complaints were reported in 45% and 52% of athletes, respectively. During the running leg, lower GI tract complaints were reported by 79% of athletes, while upper GI tract complaints were reported by 54% of athletes.

• In the most recent and largest study to date, elite and recreational runners competing in an event that included distances of 5, 10, 21, and 42 km, were asked to complete a questionnaire related to GI distress symptoms. A total of 45% of the runners had at least one GI complaint during their run, and almost 3% reported symptoms in the 24 hours after the competition. These findings indicate that GI distress is common across endurance sports, and that the nature of the symptoms tends to vary from one sport to the next.

CULPRITS AND CAUSAL FACTORS:The causes of exercise-associated GI distress are not yet fully understood. But a variety of causal factors seem to be at work, including some that are inescapable and others that you can do something about.

FACTORS YOU CAN’T CONTROL:The fact is that digestion is a process that takes place best when you’re at rest. Exercise throws a wrench into the works.

When you’re exercising, blood flow to the digestive tract is severely restricted, the gut may incurs all kinds of mechanical trauma due to the motion associated with exercise, and there’s a boost in the secretion of key hormones that increase gut motility — the process whereby the contents of the digestive tract are moved through the system. Together, these exercise-related changes can wreak havoc on the digestive process, resulting in the range of GI distress symptoms that athletes report. The evidence also suggests that the higher the intensity of exercise, the more disruptive it is to normal digestive processes and the greater your chance of suffering GI distress symptoms.

Although you can’t really do much about the mechanical trauma or the physiological changes that occur in the digestive tract in response to exercise, understanding that these factors exists underscores the importance of making adjustments to those causal factors you can control.

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Avoiding G.I. Distress (cont’d)

FACTORS YOU CAN CONTROL:Digestion is the process whereby the food and beverages that you consume are broken down so you can absorb necessary nutrients and eliminate waste. If GI distress is making it impossible to be at your best during training sessions or competitions, altering what and how you eat and drink before and during training and competitions may be your best shot at a solution. The following are strategies to consider:

CHANGE YOUR PRE-EXERCISE MEAL AND SNACKING REGIMEN:If you’ve got a sensitive gut, don’t tax your digestive tract in the hours before exercise.

Practical strategies:Consume your pre-exercise meal 3–4 hours before training or competing to allow more time for digestion to take place.Consume liquid rather than solid food as a pre-exercise meal. Solid food generally requires a longer amount of time to be digested and absorbed. A fruit smoothie and a meal replacement drink are good examples of liquid meals.Steer clear of high-fat and high-fiber foods in your pre-exercise meal. Fat and fiber are slow to digest and/or process. Stick to easy-to-digest carbs and a moderate intake of protein for your pre-exercise meal.

For carbs and fluids as you near the start of training or a competition, use a well-designed sports drink, such as POWERBAR® ENDURANCE or GU 2 0 sports drink, instead of fruit juice or a soft drink, which are typically too high in carbohydrate concentration.Consider whether caffeine ingestion is contributing to your gastric woes. For many athletes, some caffeine before and/or during exercise can provide a much-needed boost. But there are individuals who develop GI symptoms from caffeine. Experiment with and without caffeine during training sessions to see what works best for you.

GET YOUR BOWELS TO MOVE BEFORE STARTING A RACE:If your typical GI distress symptom happens to be the very uncomfortable urgent need to defecate when training or competing, get the bowels to move before you get to the starting line.

Practical strategy:A light carbohydrate snack with a warm beverage and a bit of gentle exercise (warm-up) can help stimulate a pre-race bowel movement.

AVOID DEHYDRATION AND OVERHYDRATION DURING EXERCISE:You can’t do anything about the severe cutback in blood flow to the digestive tract during exercise. But you can make sure that dehydration doesn’t make matters even worse. If you don’t adequately replace the fluid and sodium you’re losing during exercise due to sweating, you can become dehydrated. When this occurs, there is even less blood circulating to the digestive tract, and this can make the symptoms of GI distress even more severe. That said, don’t push your fluid consumption during exercise to the point where large quantities of liquid are sloshing around in your digestive tract and making you nauseous.

Practical strategies:Try to avoid losing anymore than 2% of your body weight due to fluid loss during exercise. For a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete, a 2% weight loss equates to just 3 lbs (about 1.4 kg). Monitor the effectiveness of your hydration plan by weighing yourself before and after exercising.Use a sports drink to rehydrate with and minimize fluid loss during exercise. For training sessions or competitions that extend much beyond an hour, or any time you’re exercising in the heat or humidity, a sports drink that provides carbohydrates, fluids, and sodium, is a better option than plain water when it comes to managing GI distress. There are a number of advantages. A sports drink not only provides carbohydrates to fuel your muscles; it also provides a carbohydrate concentration in the optimal range to minimize GI distress. The sodium and carbs in a sports drink cause the fluid in the beverage to be absorbed more quickly, so there is less fluid sloshing around in the digestive tract. The sodium helps maintain your drive to continue drinking fluids and helps you retain the fluid that you’ve consumed, so that dehydration doesn’t exacerbate the already-significant reduction in blood flow to the GI tract. Finally, athletes freely consume more fluids when their hydration beverage is flavored, as is the case with a sports drink.Implement and refine your during-exercise hydration strategy during training sessions, and find that gut-happy medium where you’re in your hydration zone and GI distress symptoms are avoided.

CONSUME THE RIGHT CARBS IN THE RIGHT AMOUNTS DURING EXERCISE:For endurance exercise of an hour’s length or longer, consuming carbohydrates during exercise can delay the onset of fatigue. During exercise, appropriate carbohydrate sources are primarily sports drinks and energy gels taken with water. If chewing is feasible, sports bars and energy chews are options.

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Avoiding G.I. Distress (cont’d)

Practical strategies:When using sports nutrition products during exercise, consume those that offer multiple transportable carbohydrate sources, POWERBAR C2 MAX is an energy carbohydrate blend that features a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. Each type of carbohydrate is absorbed via its own unique intestinal transport system. This innovation allows carbohydrate fuel to be absorbed at a faster rate, without overwhelming the carbohydrate absorptive capacity of the GI tract.During endurance exercise lasting 1–2 hours, consume carbohydrates at the rate of 30–60 grams per hour. Refine your rate of intake during race-pace training sessions.During endurance exercise of 2–3 hours or more in length, consume carbohydrates at the rate of 45–90 grams per hour. Refine your rate of intake during race-pace training sessions.

CONSUME ADEQUATE FLUIDS WITH YOUR ENERGY GELS:Another option for rehydrating and refueling during exercise is to consume an energy gel and chase it with plain water. Make sure to select an energy gel that provides sodium along with carbohydrates. These gels provide the carbohydrate and sodium of a sports drink.

Practical strategy:Consume a gel every 20–45 minutes during exercise, and don’t skimp on water. Take a few gulps of water with each swallow of the gel to properly dilute its carbohydrates.

CONSIDER SOME DIETARY CHANGES A DAY OR TWO BEFORE COMPETING:Lactose is the sugar naturally found in dairy products such as milk. Lactase is an enzyme in the small intestine that breaks down lactose into sugars we can readily absorb. Some people have plenty of the lactase enzyme. Some people don’t have enough and are lactose intolerant.

When lactose-intolerant individuals consume dairy products, the lactose can’t be broken down. Instead, it moves into the large intestine, where microbes feed on it. As they chow down, these microbes produce lots of gas and organic acids, which quickly produce symptoms such as bloating, flatulence, burping, cramps, and rapid-onset diarrhea. People that are lactose intolerant clearly need to avoid lactose-containing dairy foods.

There is a third category of individuals that have moderate levels of the lactase enzyme. As such, they may be able to tolerate a small amount of lactose under normal circumstances, but not during times when the gut is stressed, as it is during endurance exercise.

Practical strategies:If you suspect that lactose from dairy products may be contributing to your GI distress, try switching to lactose-free dairy products for a day or two before a competition or an extended training session.The same 24- to 48-hour avoidance strategy can be applied to any food or foods you suspect may be contributing to your symptoms. For example, if you rule out lactose-containing dairy foods as a culprit, try cutting back on high-fiber foods for a day or two before a competition or extended training session to see if it makes a difference.

SOLVING SIDE STITCHES:Side stitches are common occurrences in distance runners, as well as in swimmers and athletes in team sports. In medical circles, these side aches are referred to as exercise-related transient abdominal pain.

The cause of these debilitating stitches hasn’t been firmly established, but the conventional wisdom is that they aren’t necessarily a digestive problem.

Some theories as to their causes include: taking shallow breaths with the chest during exercise, rather than taking deeper breaths with the diaphragm; stretching of ligaments that hold internal organs in place; pain that originates from the mid-spine, but shows up as a side ache; and irritation of the membranes that line the abdominal cavity.

Prevention is the best remedy, and in his book, Lore of Running, physician and exercise physiologist Timothy Noakes, says stitches may be prevented by breathing with the diaphragm during exercise and strengthening the abdominal muscles.

For stitches that occur when running, Noakes advises trying two measures: exhaling very deeply to stretch the diaphragm, or breathing out when you land on the foot opposite the side where the stitch is felt.

Of course, there are no guaranteed solutions. Other anecdotal suggestions include placing your hand into your belly on the side where the stitch is, just under the ribcage, lifting up slightly, and inhaling and exhaling evenly as you push up. Stretching may help, as well. Raise your right arm straight up, lean to the left, and hold for 30 seconds. Then do the same stretch on the other side. And, of course, slowing your pace until the pain subsides is the tried-and-true option.

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Board of Directors• Steve Anderson - Membership Director • Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director

• Phaedra Cote - Kids Club Director• Trish Cudney - Social Director• Greg Gallagher - Event 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

We would like to extend a

generous thank you to our

truly amazing sponsors!

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

Jan./Feb. CalendarTraining Opportunities:• Masters Swims @ Northside OZ on

Tues @ 6-7:30 pm, & Sun @ 8-9:30 am

• Masters Swims @ Valley OZ on Thurs @6-7:30 pm, & Sun @ 8-9:30 am.

• Thursday evenings: Headlamp Run is back at the Gallagher’s (619 E. Huron Drive) at 6:30! Watch the Tri Forum for details!

• Starting in January: Headlamp Runs downtown at Champions on Tues @ 6:00 & from the valley YMCA on Wed @ 6:00 pm too!

• Many more group training opportunities are posted daily on the Tri Forum... check it out!

Races/Runs:• February 8th: Valentine

Duathlon at Olympia, WA

• February 8th: Partners in Pain 5K Race at Spokane, WA

• March 7th: 30th Annual Snake River Canyon Half Marathon at Snake River, WA

• Also: Leprechaun Scurry at North Idaho College, Cd’A, ID

• March 15th: St. Paddy’s Five Miler at Spokane Community College, Spokane, WA

Upcoming Events: Next Social:

• Saturday, February 28th: Tri Fusion Day at Zi Spa in Coeur d’ Alene! Details will appear soon on the Forum.

Next Membership Meeting:

• February 18th, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m.: General membership meeting at location TBA.

• Next Kids Club Meeting:

January 25th, 2009 @ the Downtown YMCA @ 1:30-5:30 pm.