Detroit Free Press – Talmer Bank Marathon

Sunday, October 16, 2011
7:00 a.m. Detroit, Michigan
Registration and More Information CLICK HERE

Stay Dry Tri
5K Canoe, 10K Mountain Bike, 5K Trail Run

Sunday, October 2, 2011
8:00 a.m. Check-In

Two Person Team (Combined Finish Time)
Milford, Michigan
Registration and More Information CLICK HERE

Turkey Trot for a Cause
5K Chipped Time Run & Walk

Thursday, November 24, 2011
8:30 a.m.., Registration Opens
Host: Canton Township – Summit on the Park, Canton, Michigan

Oakwood Red October Run
10K Run, 5K Run, 5K Walk, 1 Mile Jr. October

Saturday, October 1, 2011
8:00 a.m. – Oakwood Annapolis Hospital
Registration and More Information CLICK HERE

In most cases you can’t walk away from a from a race (especially an Ironman) and say, “I had a great bike, but an awful run”; one is directly related to the other. It’s all about pacing. If you pace the swim and bike right, you’ll set yourself up for a better run and a stronger finish.

Most age-groupers make the mistake of comparing their performance with other racers or a goal time instead of looking more closely at how they used their fitness throughout the race.

Going into your next race, set a reasonably challenging goal that is based on the actual training you did, not the training you had hoped to do. Use recent field tests, time trials or practice races in order to clarify your realistic current fitness and then follow the tips below to smartly pace your race.

By Scott Fliegelman, Published April 13, 2012

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8 Core Exercises for Cyclists

Posted by Dimity McDowell – Bicycling Magazine (Source: Active.com)

Your bulging quads and razor-cut calves are the envy of your pack, and you start every ride strong. As the ride progresses, though, your hips seesaw in the saddle, your lower back aches, and you slow in corners. The problem?  Your core cries uncle long before your legs wear out. Although a cyclist’s legs provide the most tangible source of power, the abs and lower back are the vital foundation from which all movement, including the pedal stroke, stems.

“You can have all the leg strength in the world, but without a stable core you won’t be able to use it efficiently,” says Graeme Street, founder of Cyclo-CORE, a DVD-based training program, and a personal trainer in Essex, Connecticut. “It’s like having the body of a Ferrari with a Fiat chassis underneath.”

What’s more, a solid core will help eliminate unnecessary upper-body movement, so that all the energy you produce is delivered into a smooth pedal stroke.

Sadly, cycling’s tripod position, in which the saddle, pedals and handlebar support your weight, relies on core strength but doesn’t build it. To develop your high-performance chassis, try this intense routine, designed by Street. It takes only about 10 minutes to complete and focuses on the transverse abdominus, the innermost abdominal muscle, which acts as a stabilizing girdle around your torso, and also on your lower back, obliques, glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors, so your entire core–and then some–becomes strong and works as a unit. You’ll notice that it skips the rectus abdominus, or six-pack muscle, because, says Street, “it’s the least-functional muscle for cycling.”

Do this intense routine, in this order, three times a week to create a core that lets you ride faster, longer, more powerfully–and finish stronger than ever.

Core Exercise #1: Boxer Ball Crunch

What It Works: Transverse abdominus, obliques, lower back

A. Lie with the middle of your back on a stability ball, your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, but don’t pull on your neck.

B. Squeezing your belly button toward your spine, lift your upper back off the ball. Keeping your shoulders off the ball, trace a clockwise oval with your torso. Apply pressure with your lower back to keep the ball still through the entire motion. After 15 clockwise ovals, trace 15 counterclockwise.

Why It Works: Despite the straightforward motion of the bike, your body moves in three directions: forward as you head down the road, vertically as your legs pedal up and down, and laterally as your hips and upper body rock side to side. “This fluid, circular exercise builds control,” says Street, and that helps you minimize lateral torsion and wasted motion.

Core Exercise #2: Power Bridge

What It Works: Hip flexors, glutes, lower back

A. Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your heels near your glutes. Arms are at your sides, palms down.

B. In one smooth motion, squeeze your glutes, raise your hips off the floor and push up from your heels to form a straight line from shoulders to knees; toes come off the floor slightly. Hold for two seconds. Keeping your toes raised, lower yourself three-quarters of the way to complete one rep. Do 20 repetitions.

Why It Works: In addition to stretching the hip flexors, often extremely stiff in cyclists, the bridge strengthens the link between your lower back and glutes.

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How to Choose a Beginner Triathlon Training Program

By Peter Kain – For Active.com

Training for a triathlon can seem a bit overwhelming to someone new to the sport. You have three sports to train for and may only have a limited amount of skill and time to train. Finding a good program is the best way to go about starting your training regime. Here is what a beginner or first-timer should look for in a training triathlon program:

1. Coaching: Since you may be new to one or more of the events, it is important to have proper coaching. A coach can help you improve technique and become more efficient at a sport. They can also be encouraging and help monitor your progress.

2. Daily training calendar: A calendar will help you stay on target with your goals and will help you organize your training so that it does not interfere with your regular schedule and life. Typically, the calendar should have a variety of levels where you can pick the level that is right for you.

3. Flexibility: Families, jobs, commitments and hectic schedules keep us busy. It is important that the program you choose allows you to be flexible. If you can’t make it to a pool to swim, you can go for a run or head to the gym for strength training.

4. Clinics: You program should prepare you with, nutrition, equipment, and race transition clinics. All of these clinics should help you better understand the different sports and make you more comfortable and effective.

5. Support and Gear (SAG): As you get closer to your event, your training’s should become longer and more intense. Having support in the form of water and food stops, and equipment and gear support will be important.

6. Access to venues: Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own pool or access to safe training venues such as tracks and trails. A good training program should provide you with access to specific venues to use throughout your training.

7. Team: Training for a triathlon on your own can be difficult. Find a program that provides and encourages a team environment. It’s easier to get out of bed on a Saturday morning if you know that others will be there with you.

8. A cause: It is often easier to train for an endurance event, such as a triathlon, if you know the ultimate goal is to support a good cause. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training offers all of the above in a four-month triathlon training program. In addition, they also provide travel arrangements, accommodations and race entry. Team In Training has been named the “Number One Charity Sports Training Program” by Competitor Magazine. Training for your first triathlon doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. If done properly, it should be the time of your life.

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The Dirty Side of Mud Running

Posted by Emily Cebulski at www.amateurendurance.com

With the rainy season rapidly approaching, some of the local trails have become one big mud fest. During runs right after a heavy rain, it’s possible to slip into some deep, thick mud, making for an interesting and challenging romp. While mud running can be fun, it can be a little dangerous as well. Here’s a few tips to consider:Obviously mud is slippery, therefore your risk of sliding down a hill increase. Always make sure the tread on your shoes has not worn down and you have some kind of traction. Whether it be on the dry trail or in the mud, a shoe with a worn down bottom is always risky.

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Posted on April 24, 2012 by Anne Rollins – LAVA Magazine

As a registered dietitian, I strive to dovetail an athlete’s fueling with their overall energy management scheme. It’s my job to take into account all aspects of an athlete’s life, be they work and family demands, or daily, weekly, and seasonal training goals, and develop a plan that allows them to efficiently manage their energy towards these ends. Many would agree that training for a goal event has a beginning, middle, and an end, with peak and recovery periods aimed at supporting optimal training and performance. This same concept applies to energy. Fueling any particular aspect of the training continuum, be it as vast as the entire periodization plan, or as minute as a single workout, requires a give and take of energy flow. The goal is to maximize energy production when needed, and minimize it when it’s not. This is quite similar to a utility company’s challenge when demands are high and then quickly subside, and is the primary basis for energy management as a whole.

Eat Your Way to Recovery

By Sally Berry, R.D. – triathlete.com, April 11, 2012

Sometimes getting sick or injured while training is beyond your control. But your food choices can prevent you from sitting on the sidelines—or help you recover faster.

Eat To Prevent Illness (colds, minor viruses)

Tip: Establish good pre- and post-training nutrition habits. Grab a recovery drink with quercetin-rich cherries and blueberries to prevent immune suppression, DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and excessive tissue breakdown. Get lots of sleep—it assists with nutrient absorption and recovery.

Boost these nutrients:
Iron and zinc (seafood, lean meat, beans) to help prevent infections.
Vitamin C (citrus, fresh melon, berries, peppers); vitamin A (peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale); vitamin E (nuts, seeds, oils) and selenium (seafood, brazil nuts) act as antioxidant protectors from damage caused by training.

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Alternate Sides:  These unsung vegetables fortify workouts-without boring your taste buds.

Posted by Matthew G. Kadey, M.Sc., R.D. – Runner’s World

Many runners think that when the calendar turns, they need to settle for canned corn or asparagus that hails from South America. Not true. “Uncommon winter vegetables, like parsnips and jicama, are a best-kept secret when it comes to fuel for runners,” says Rebecca Scritchfield, a marathoner and dietitian based in Washington, D.C. Replace your usual standbys with these options to help tide you over until tomato season.

IF YOU LIKE CAULIFLOWER, TRY RUTABAGA
This large root vegetable, with a purple skin that fades to cream on the bottom, has a sweet flavor with a hint of a peppery bite. A mere cup of cubed rutabaga contains more than half the daily requirement for vitamin C and four grams of dietary fiber, which may improve heart health. Stored in a plastic bag, it will keep in your refrigerator for three weeks.

PREP TIP
For a side dish, boil or steam 2 pounds of peeled and cubed rutabaga until tender, about 10 minutes. Mash with 2 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup low-fat milk, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, 1 tablespoon grainy or Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

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A Simple Guide to Fueling with More Order and Purpose

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Jaime Windrow

The scene is a familiar one. You’ve just returned home from a typical grocery shopping trip and your car is overflowing with healthy foods. Filled to the brim with fresh fruits, vegetables, and anything else labeled organic or “natural”, your refrigerator is now ready to be photographed for the cover of Eating Well. Day dreaming about all the meals you’ll be enjoying this week, you realize it’s time for dinner.

Enter the blank stare.

If you have ever found yourself standing in front of your open refrigerator, holding that once-perky bunch of kale or those organic bell peppers that you just had to buy but now look like they’ve been sitting in the sun all day, you’re not alone. One of the most common mistakes in a triathlete’s approach to nutrition is not having a plan. The enthusiasm, effort, and intent is always there, but when you head to the store without a “food map” you can end up wasting a significant amount of money. Without a plan, when mealtime comes you’re more likely to choose something easier, and often less nutritious.

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House Calls:  The Road to Holiday Health

Posted October 31, 2011 by Dr. Philip Maffetone, www.lavamagazine.com

Now is the time to decide which road to take through the season.

Halloween is the beginning of the so-called “holiday season.” Millions of people of all ages gobble down pounds of sweets for days and weeks after Halloween, finishing just in time for the next feeding frenzy: Thanksgiving. By the end of a span of a few fast weeks including Christmas, New Year’s, and other holidays leading up to the Super Bowl, many have gained weight, lost fitness, and had to visit their doctor for help. Now is the time to decide which road to take through the season, the one that leads to health, or the other one.

The dependency on sugar is an addiction, and weaning oneself off of it isn’t easy. For many years, studies have demonstrated that sugar triggers the brain’s pleasure and reward centers—areas in the emotional centers of the brain responsible for the release of “feel good” neurotransmitters called dopamine. These are the same brain areas stimulated by cocaine, nicotine, opiates (such as heroin and morphine), and alcohol. This addiction is not an imaginary thing in the minds of millions of sugar junkies—it’s associated with real physiological changes in the brain. And, perhaps because the brain’s pleasure areas are also very close to the pain centers, withdrawal from sugar has been described by many patients as being painful—like romantic pain or eliminating nicotine or caffeine.  Psychoactive compounds present in cocoa and chocolate, salsolinol being the main one, might contribute to chocolate’s addictive nature. But the high level of added sugar contained in most chocolate products is probably more addictive than the chocolate alone.

Many people have trouble accepting the notion that sugar is addicting. “More scientific studies are needed” is the mantra often voiced by the media, the sugar industry and its lobbyists, and sugar addicts. This denial is a convenient cop-out—of those addicted and especially by those who reap monetary benefits from sugar and sugar-containing products. (To this day, the tobacco industry also claims that, “more studies are needed” to determine whether cigarette smoking or second-hand smoke is harmful.)

Is sugar addictive? Just ask the millions who are, and those who have been able to escape it. And by spring, just in time for Easter, many will be asking why they keep gaining body fat each winter.

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