Bikram Yoga The Woodlands

Don’t forget to use your 1 week pass to Bikram Yoga The Woodlands…

If you did not receive a pass, please e-mail Jennifer Zambrano jendanyell@yahoo.com

CB&I Triathlon

CB&I Triathlon –
Good luck to those who are racing this weekend!!!!! Lets plan on meeting in front of the playground area for a group photo at 9:45 a.m.!!!!!!

Volunteer call for YMCA Trail Run – Saturday May 8th

Volunteer call for YMCA Trail Run – Saturday May 8th
http://www.southcounty-ymca.org/dyncat.cfm?catid=3044
The YMCA needs 15-20 volunteers to help with the kid's course direction and chip removal. Most volunteers will be finished by 8:30am. They are asking that a few volunteers to stay on the course for the other events (3k walk, 5k run). These volunteers should be finished around 9:15am.

Contact Jennifer Zambrano if interested – jendanyell@yahoo.com

My 10 Favorite Races: By Gale Bernhardt

Submitted by Susie Schreiber

My 10 Favorite Races:
By Gale Bernhardt

Gale Bernhardt was the USA Triathlon team coach at the 2003 Pan American Games and 2004 Athens Olympics. Her first Olympic experience was as a personal cycling coach at the 2000 Games in Sydney. She currently serves as one of the World Cup coaches for the International Triathlon Union's Sport Development Team. Thousands of athletes have had successful training and racing experiences using Gale's pre-built, easy-to-follow cycling and triathlon training plans. Let Gale and Active Trainer help you succeed.

I've been hooked on endurance sports since 1986. In that time, I've had the good fortune to participate in, and be a spectator at, some fantastic events.
When asked to boil it down to my top 10, it was tough. Be forewarned that some of these races fill up some seven months to a year in advance. If you want to experience any of these fun events, look into registering soon.

1. Tri Glenwood Triathlon — Glenwood Springs, Colorado
This event was one of my first triathlons, and it is still going strong. One of the things that makes this event special is that the organizers actually cool down the historic Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pool so that triathletes can begin the race with an open-water-style pool swim.
There was a bagpipe musician playing the pipes in a location tucked away beside the trail. It seemed magical.
Heats of racers swim circular laps in the historic pool, which measures 405 feet long and 100 feet wide. What also makes this event special is the post-race party, featuring a barbecue and awards ceremony. The food and hand-crafted awards have always been top notch.

2. Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon — Loveland, Colorado
Yes, you might say this is my hometown favorite, but the event has earned its spot on this list. The current swim begins in Lake Loveland, with perfect views of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker toward the west. The bike ride is a challenging loop to Horsetooth Reservoir and back, one of my regular (and favorite) local rides. Made for strong cyclists, the course is a hilly 30 miles.
The event finishes with a flat run, great food and awards in the amphitheater. Athletes can go for a cool-down walk in Benson Sculpture Park that showcases beautiful pieces from the artist community living in or visiting Loveland. Artists showcase work in these parks each August at America's largest outdoor sculpture shows Loveland Sculpture Invitational and Art in the Park.

3. Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race — Leadville, Colorado
The first time I did this race was in 2005, several years before Lance Armstrong made it one of his favorite races. With a cut-off time of 12 hours, I managed to score the "Last Ass Up the Pass" trophy with a blazing time of 11:59:55. Yes, a five-second, by-the-lycra-threads-of-my-shorts victory.
This narrow victory made me want to go back for more. I not only wanted more racing, where the majority of the event is held at altitudes above 10,000 feet, but more of the mountain town. After completing the 2005 event I read several books on the rich history of Leadville; which made me further respect the town, the people and its contributions to the state of Colorado, as well as the nation's history.
Some names of famous people getting their start in Leadville, or having Leadville significantly influence their course in life, include J.J. & (The Unsinkable) Molly Brown, H.A.W. (Horace) and Baby Doe Tabor, Daniel Guggenheim and Charles Boettcher. Of course the riches of gold and silver brought outlaws and lawmen the likes of the Younger Gang, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson and the Earp brothers.
Honoring that rough and tumble history, race organizers give out great prizes that include ore carts, mining pans with real gold dust, belt buckles, pendants for women, whiskey and a small taste of the wild west via mountain bike. "You're better than you think you are, you can do more than you think you can."

4. Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run — Sheridan and Dayton, Wyoming
I've done the 30K and the 50K events and both begin with a bus ride to the starting location. Both groups are dropped off at the same location, but 50K racers do a 20K loop in the mountains before heading back to Dayton on the same route as the 30K racers.
The route includes jeep roads, single-track trail, running through fields of thigh-deep wild flowers and finishes on a dirt road that takes you back to the park where you can soak tired legs and feet in the river. The years that I ran the event, there was a bagpipe musician playing the pipes in a location tucked away beside the trail. It seemed magical.
A group of us did a lot of training runs together, and I ran the entire 50K with a friend of mine. Though she is a much better runner than I, she was willing to hang with me. This event made me realize how much I enjoyed training for long endurance events with friends. It really is all about the journey.

5. Ironman — Multiple events world-wide, with the crown jewel in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Ironman-distance racing was made iconic world-wide via the television coverage of the Hawaiian Ironman event held in Kailua-Kona. The Ironman family has since expanded to host multiple events around the world.
In the mainstream sports world, it is arguably the accomplishments of Ironman athletes that associate the word "triathlon" with challenge, toughness, pain, endurance, overcoming obstacles and success. If you don't want to put yourself through racing one of these events, I highly recommend watching the start of one of these races and then return to watch the last hour of finishers.

6. ITU World Championships — Varies from year to year
I love the fast-paced racing of International Triathlon Union (ITU) events. This multiple-loop, draft-legal format is a kick to watch, and my favorite courses feature big hills on the bike and maybe the run, too. These events showcase athlete speed, tactics and guts. These events are the path to the Olympic Games -- and I'm a Games addict.
Amateur (age group) athletes around the world go through a qualification process within their nation to travel to the ITU World Championships to represent their respective countries. In the U.S.A. the process to qualify for Team U.S.A. is listed on the USA Triathlon website. As an athlete representing your country, you march in a parade of nations modeled after the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.
I felt extremely patriotic racing in my nation's colors, in my team uniform and in the parade. A bonus for age groupers is watching the Elite ITU World Championship event that contains multiple current and future Olympians. If you can't travel to the Olympics, perhaps you can race yourself and watch the Elite ITU World Championships with an Olympic-quality field.

7. Winter Park Mountain Bike Race Series — Winter Park, Colorado
In particular, my favorite course is the Tipperary Creek event known as "King of the Rockies". This course was the beginning of mountain bike racing for me, and the King of the Rockies used to be a stage race. I like the idea of mountain bike stage racing and miss that aspect of the event; but I still like this course. It begins on a wide service road and allows the group to get spaced out before heading up a wide-track climb.
This climb further separates racers so you can really enjoy the single-track. You ride through lush green meadows and forest. The trail hosts roots, rocky sections, a few areas of technical challenge and water crossing. The water can be deep and spectator pleasing. Organizers have expanded over the years to host eight events within the series. There is plenty of fun to be had over the entire season.

8. BolderBOULDER 10K — Boulder, Colorado
In true Boulder style, this race has top elite racers, fast age groupers, those just trying to finish and the costumed group. In 2009, the event attracted more than 54,000 racers. The on-course entertainment has grown so big that it has its own page on the website. Not listed are the numerous belly dancers, costumed people and only-in-Boulder characters.
All runners finish in the University of Colorado's Folsum Field, and many hang around post-race to watch the elites run in a separate wave after the citizen's race. By the time I ran into the stadium (fast runners are staged first), the place was packed so it sounded like the entire stadium was cheering for me. You gotta do this race at least once.

9. USTS Indianapolis — Indianapolis, Illinois
The last two events on my list are now extinct. I'm hoping that by showcasing them here perhaps it will somehow bring them back to life.
This particular event was part of the U.S. Triathlon Series of events, sponsored by Bud Light. The best part of this event was that I got to ride my bike on the Indianapolis 500 Race Track. This race track is rich in automotive and racing history. I recall riding past the light tower that is used to start the race. I had to slow down just to get a full look at the tower, it is so enormous.
Who wouldn't ride fast on the Indy track?

10. Scott Tinley's Dirty Adventures — Ft. Collins, Colorado
Tinley's Dirty Adventures used to be a national series. Though my local Colorado Tinley's race no longer exists, Tinley's Adventures continues to thrive in southern California. I loved this event because it offered shorter, easier courses for beginners and tougher courses for advanced racers. You could race one event or more events over the course of three days.
Those that wanted extra challenge could enter the "Toughest Competition," which was essentially multisport stage racing. My race began on Friday with a mountain bike time trial. The second day was an off-road triathlon and the third day was an off-road duathlon. Great fun!
It is worth mentioning that Scott Tinley's contributions to the sport of triathlon and to dirty fun are recognized in the XTERRA Hall of Fame.

8 Common Nutrition Mistakes...and How to Fix Them

Submitted by Susie Schreiber

8 Common Nutrition Mistakes...and How to Fix Them
By Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD

Nutrition may be your missing link in training. Here are eight common nutrition mistakes many athletes make with tips and recipes for how to solve them.

No. 1: Beneficial Protein Intake
Some athletes eat too little protein; others eat too much. For example, a 150 lb (68 kg) athlete may need 0.5 to 0.75 g pro/lb (1-1.5 g pro/kg); this translates into about 75 to 105 g pro/day. This athlete can easily consume too much protein if the foundation of the menu is:

Breakfast: 6 egg whites - 18 grams of protein
Lunch: 1 can of tuna - 35 grams
Snack: 1 protein bar -20 grams
Dinner: 2 chicken breasts - 90 grams
16 oz. milk - 16 grams
Total: 179 grams

This amount of protein is excessive, to the point some of the protein could be wisely traded for more carbs to better fuel the workouts.

In contrast, a vegetarian athlete on a reducing diet could easily underconsume protein if foundation of the menu is:
Breakfast: 2 egg whites - 7 grams of protein
Lunch: salad with 1/4 cup of chickpeas - 3 grams
Dinner: 1 garden burger - 11 grams
Total: 21 grams

Too little protein contributes to poor recovery, muscle wasting, and suboptimal results from hard training.

Solution: By meeting with a sports dietitian, you can learn your protein requirement and how to translate that into food.

No. 2: Iron to Prevent Fatigue From Anemia
Iron-deficiency anemia is common, particularly in females. Anemia causes needless fatigue and reduced performance. A survey of collegiate athletes indicates 20 percent of the female volleyball and basketball players were anemic, as were 50 percent of the soccer team. (1)

Anemia is particularly common among women who have heavy menstrual blood losses, but eat neither red meat nor iron-enriched breakfast cereal.

Solution: If you feel needlessly tired, get your blood tested by your doctor and be sure to get your serum ferritin measured. To help prevent anemia, strive to eat an iron-rich diet of:

• red meat, or iron-rich alternatives (dark-meat chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna)
• iron-fortified cereals (Wheaties, Raisin Bran, Total)

To enhance iron absorption, include with each meal a source of vitamin C, such as orange juice, berries, broccoli, tomato or other fruits and vegetables.

No. 3: Post-exercise Food
At the end of a hard workout, you haven't finished your training until you have refueled. Don't rush off to work or school, with "no time to eat" as the excuse.

Solution: Plan ahead, so you have recovery foods readily available. Even in a time-crunch, you should be able refuel your muscles properly. "No time" is no excuse.

No. 4: Recovering With Both Carbs + Protein
Recovery foods should offer a foundation of carbs with protein as the accompaniment. A reasonable target is about 240 calories of carbs (60 g carb) and about 80 calories (20 g) of protein. Some popular choices include Greek yogurt with honey, chocolate milk, cereal with milk, and pasta with meat sauce. You need not buy engineered recovery foods; standard fare works fine.

Note that recovery foods can be eaten pre-exercise. That is, a pre-exercise yogurt gets digested into amino acids and glucose; those food components will be ready and waiting to be put into use when you stop exercising. In a 10-week study with recreational body builders, those who consumed a protein-carb supplement both immediately before and right after the mid-afternoon strength training session gained 2.3 pounds more muscle and 7 pounds more in strength (as measured by bench press), compared to the group without the pre- and post-exercise fuel. (2)

Athletes who do two workouts a day really need to rapidly refuel with a proper recovery diet. A six-week study with swimmers reports those who did two workouts (morning and afternoon) sprinted slower than those who swam only in the afternoon (3). If nutrition is your missing link, don't even think about double workouts.

Solution: You may not feel hungry for solid foods after a hard bout of exercise, but you are likely thirsty. A fruit smoothie (made with yogurt) is excellent for recovery, as is a chug of chocolate milk. Both contain carbs to refuel, and protein to build and repair muscles and reduce muscle soreness.

No. 5: Rest Days for Muscles to Refuel
Rest is an important part of a training program; muscles need time to refuel and heal. Depleted muscles may need more than 24 hours to replace glycogen stores. Hence, rest days with little or no exercise enhance a training program.

Athletes who want to lose weight commonly hesitate to take a rest day; they fear they will "get fat." These athletes need to understand:

1) On a rest day, they will feel just as hungry because the muscles need food to refuel.
2) They will gain (water) weight. For each 1 oz. of glycogen, the muscles store about 3 oz. water. This water gets released during exercise; it is beneficial.

Solution: Plan one to two rest days a week. Notice how much better you are able to perform the day after a rest day.

No. 6: Adequate Fluids
Athletes who stay well hydrated can train harder and perform better. For each one percent of body weight lost via sweat, your heart has to beat three to five more times per minute (4). This creates needless fatigue.

Solution: If you are well-hydrated, you will need to urinate every two to four hours, and your urine will be a light color. If you are sweat heavily, you really should learn how much sweat you lose (and thereby need to replace) during a workout. Do this my weighing yourself naked before and after exercise. For each pound (16 oz.) of sweat, you should drink at least 16 to 24 oz. of fluid.

No. 7: Sodium Before Exercise in the Heat
Research with trained cyclists reports they rode 20 minutes longer to exhaustion (99 vs. 79 minutes) in 90 degrees Farenheit (32 degrees Celsius) heat when they drank a pre-ride beverage with about 1,000 vs. 150 mg sodium. They drank no fluids while riding. (5)

Solution: If you train and compete in the heat, you should consume salty foods beforehand. This holds water in your body and reduces your risk of becoming dehydrated.

No. 8: The Sports Dietitian (RD, CSSD)
Serious athletes generally have a support crew that includes a coach, sports psychologist, medical doctor, physical therapist and massage therapist. But to their detriment, some fail to have a sports dietitian on their team. Don't let that be your case.

Solution: To get the most from your workouts, use the referral network at http://www.scandpg.org/ to find a local registered dietitian who is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (RD CSSD). This professional can help you:

• resolve your struggles with "no time" to eat properly
• find pre-exercise fuel that reduces stomach problems and "transit trouble"
• attain your desired weight and percent body fat
• transform disordered eating into effective fueling

The bottom line: Don't let nutrition be your missing link. You will always win with good nutrition.

Nancy Clark MS, RD counsels casual exercisers and competitive athletes at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill, MA (617-383-6100). Her NEW 2008 Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook 4th Edition, and her Food Guide for Marathoners and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available via http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/.

References1. Eichner, R. Anemia and Blood Boosting. Sports Science Exchange #81, Vol 14(2), 20012. Cribb, P., and A. Hayes. 2006. Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Med Sci Sports Exerc 38(1):1918-1925.3. Costill, D.L., R. Thomas, R.A. Robergs, et al. 1991. Adaptations to swimming training: Influence of training volume. Med Sci Sports Exerc 23(3):371-377.4. Casa D., L. Armstrong, S. Montain, et al. 2000. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: Fluid replacement for athletes. J Athletic Training 35(2):212-224.5. Sims, S.T., L. van Vliet, J. Cotter, and N. Rehrer. 2007. Sodium loading aids fluid balance and reduces physiological strain of trained men exercising in the heat. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39(1):123-130.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!

We've been asked to help out in the transition area of The Memorial Herman Ironman 70.3 that's taking place 04.25.2010 in Galveston. There will be 2 shifts: morning and afternoon. To entice you, you will have access to a volunteer tent fully equipped with food & drinks (the adult kind). Not to mention, we'll be helping out Greg Pennington! Please contact Jennifer Zambrano for more details. jendanyell@yahoo.com

These races can't "RUN" without the help of volunteers so please consider donating your time to this great event.

FASTER TRANSITIONS!

TXTRI & MLC
PRESENTS

FASTER TRANSITIONS!
by USAT certified coaches

MICHELLE LEBLANC and SANDRA SUTHERLAND
WHEN: SAT- APRIL 17, 2010
TIME: 8AM- 9:30AM
BRING: RACE DAY SWIM/BIKE/RUN GEAR
JOIN US AT : VILLA SPORTS PARKING LOT (POOL SIDE)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND DEMO

LEARN HOW TO SHAVE OFF TIME !

ENHANCE YOUR TRAINING NOW!
FOR A COMPREHENSIVE BREAKDOWN OF ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE TRANSITION JOIN US SATURDAY.
COACHES WILL BE DEMONSTRATING ALL THE TECHNIQUES USED BY THE PRO’S TO "MAX OUT" THE MOST OF YOUR TRANSITION!

ALL LEVELS CAN BENEFIT FROM OUR TECHNICAL TRAINING. IMPROVE YOUR T1 & T2 TIME AT YOUR NEXT RACE!

DEMO/TECHNIQUE APP/TIMING AND EVALUATION
Q & A TO FOLLOW!

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 8:00 AM

RESERVE YOUR TRANSITON SPOT TODAY / LIMITED SPACE
GO TO: WWW.MAXOUTSPORTS.COM
$30 CLINIC P/P

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY CONTACT:
michelletrue@hotmail.com or sandra@txtri.com