Hi Everyone,

As we approach the end of the 20011 season, there are a lot of you who are training for Iron-distance races. Preparing for these races takes many months of training, and really it is a year long process, so at this stage of the game you are pretty close to being burned out and all you want is for the damn race to start already! Training for an ironman is all consuming and after all these months of long swims, bikes, runs and bricks you are pretty close to the edge, so don’t worry if you are feeling a little sick of it at this point. If it were easy, I guess they would have to call it Flowerman. The taper never comes too soon, and you are all either beginning it in a week or you are two weeks away from it. Race day will make all this work and dedication worth it- when you hear them say your name and tell the world you are an Ironman, life is so very sweet.

And just for a giggle, watch this cartoon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03dFMG8nR4

Train hard, train smart, have fun, and revel in race day glory!

Training Tidbit:
Beliefs about hydration and physiology drive drinking behaviors in runners.
Department of Family Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA.

When athletes drink too much fluid during endurance events, it increases their risk of developing low blood sodium levels (hyponatremia) that can become life threatening. According to a recent survey, many endurance athletes may be drinking excessive amounts of fluid during events.

BACKGROUND:
Exercise-associated hyponatraemia (EAH) is a dilutional hyponatraemia that is caused primarily by the intake of hypotonic fluid beyond the dictates of thirst and exacerbated by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion as well as an inability to mobilize osmotically inactive sodium stores. Runners who drink more than to their thirst do so for a reason, and understanding and
curtailing this behavior will probably decrease the incidence of this highly preventable condition.

OBJECTIVE:
To determine the beliefs about fluid replacement held by runners and whether these beliefs are reflected in hydration behaviors.

METHODS:
An online survey was filled out by 197 runners solicited by personal solicitation, e-mail and flyers distributed at three local races in autumn 2009.

RESULTS:
Most runners (58%) drink only when thirsty. Runners drinking to a set schedule are significantly older, more experienced and faster than those drinking when thirsty. Gastrointestinal distress is the most
frequently cited (71.5%) reason to avoid over-hydration. Runners have a poor understanding of the physiological consequences of hydration behaviors that frequently reflect messages of advertising.

CONCLUSIONS:
Runners at highest risk of EAH exhibit behavior that is shaped by their beliefs about the benefits and risks of hydration. These beliefs are frequently based on misconceptions about basic exercise
physiology.

Monthly Recipe:
It’s a good time to incorporate some pumpkin flavor into your favorite foods. Try these yummy Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins to kick off your day!
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•3/4 cup sugar
•1 tsp baking soda
•1/4 tsp salt
•1 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp ginger
•1/4 tsp nutmeg
•1 cup pumpkin puree
•1 large egg, lightly beaten
•1/4 cup canola oil
•1 cup nonfat milk
•1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Combine pumpkin, beaten egg, oil
and milk in a medium bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients; add pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chopped cranberries. Fill muffin cups and bake for 22-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Per Muffin: Calories 193, Calories from Fat 48, Total Fat 5.2g (sat 0.4g), Cholesterol 18mg, Sodium 171mg, Carbohydrate 32.6, Fiber 1.7g, Protein 3.6g

Athlete Race Updates
Results:
• Bonnie, Franny, Tracey and Dara HIM Augusta –
Bonnie had a 30 minute PR with a 5:39:05!!
Franny had a PR with 6:20:44
Dara has no idea if it was a PR, but did 6:09:38 and thinks it might be!
• Tracey was in a relay gang and had a great swim of 30 mins!
• Melissa C-W had a 5k run for which she PR’d !!! and she also did a cold and rainy 50k bike “fall Colors” ride – 50k both days and she toughed it out!
• Capt Patrick did his first Half Iron in Cancun and positively CRUSHED it with 5:17:24!!!
• Carol did the MS 150 and had two fabulous days of riding!!

Upcoming Races:
• John P is doing the Great Floridian
• Adam is gonna crush the State 40k TT
• Jim Redgate decided to do that race too.
• Julia is going up to Vermont to show some friends how it is done!

Good luck to you all!

Learn how to avoid heat injuries with advice from CAPT Scott Pyne, M.D., FACSM, Navy Surgeon General’s Sports Medicine Specialty Leader
http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/acsm/active9-13.htm

Featured Athlete:
A Q & A with Captain Patrick Anderson (of the awesome 70.3 debut fame)!
Q. Past history of sports participation (kid to adult):
A. I played soccer and Football (Flag) growing up. I still play Flag Football and have been doing Triathlons since 2008.
Q. What was your first tri & what made you do it:
A. I did my first Triathlon when I was 12, I wanted to do it after watching Mike Pigg win at St. Anthony’s in 1986. I only did three triathlons as a kid.
Q. Favorite training or racing experiences:
A. I love training in the morning when the streets are empty and the sun is just coming up (along A1A)
Q. What was your best race experiene?
A. My best race experience was in the Inglewood Sprint Triathlon (very small event) my first year (2009), I was passed by a guy in my age group and I thought I was leading my age group, so I went as hard as I could the last 1/2 mile to stay with him and the sprinted against him to the end, I edged him out by one second and won my age group.
Q. Races/events completed this season:
A. St. Anthony’s, Miami International Dist., and Cancun Ironman 70.3
Q. Favorite race/s (all-time):
A. Cancun because everything went perfectly.
Q. Athletic achievement/s you are most proud of:
A. Finishing Cancun 70.3 and winning a Flag Football Championship 7 years ago in Clearwater (where I’m from).
Q. Goals for next season:
A. Finish top 20 (age group) in 70.3 distance, don’t know which one yet.
Q. Favorite racing and/or training tip (what would you tell a newbie):
A. Leave something in the tank for the run because if you don’t, you will BONK!
Q. A favorite “Dara-ism”:
A. I cannot say enough about Dara, she is an absolute professional and pleasure to work with, the thing I hear (Dara saying) in my head when I’m training or racing is “Patrick you better hydrate, nutrition, maintain a good RPE, and control your heart rate”. I know if I don’t live by those rules I will BONK (I have already tried my own rules and it doesn’t end well, haha). Her wisdom is priceless and I have never trusted anyone’s knowledge, dedication, experience, and appreciation for this sport as much as I trust hers. I think my favorite Dara-ism was her telling my girlfriend (over the phone) during my race (at the halfway point on the run) to tell me “you’re having an f%$ing brilliant race Patrick, keep it going”. Love that part of the race really made me laugh and then push a bit harder!

Thank you, Patrick! It was such a pleasure working with you!

Looking to sign up for your first or next 70.3?
Find out which one is the hardest (& easiest) according to RunTri’s Ranking of Best Half Ironman Races
http://www.runtri.com/2010/08/toughesthardest-vs-easiestfastest-half.html?m=