Hello!!

I hope that you are all doing great, feeling good, and most importantly enjoying your training and racing.

It is so easy to get caught up in training too hard, too much, and doing too many races, and when we do that we start to notice that training is squeezing out some other areas of our lives. At that point, training just ain’t as much fun as it usually is, and we should not ignore this-something needs to change. After all, none of us are getting paid to train and race so hard, and it should be fun and add value and excitement to our lives, not stress and aggravation.

Endurance training and racing can be kind of addictive and we all fall prey to the “if some of it is great, then more of it will be sensational”, just like any good junkie feels about his drug du jour. There are times in our training, when we are working really hard and chasing our next goal, that we may get a little fed up- often due simply to acute fatigue. But if this feeling becomes chronic and lingers for more than a couple of weeks then we probably need to examine our training and racing goals.

I do this stuff because I love it; it is my life blood, my therapy, my time with great friends, my best time alone, and because I am thrilled when I push past some prior performance limit. But I have gotten a little carried away at times and have now learned to look at my schedule and goals more carefully and back off when the training loses that great feeling. (I feel like a kid usually, but if I start to feel like an overwhelmed adult then I know I have crossed the line).

All of us are training and racing hard and chasing goals and chasing friends and hopefully we are all having fun, but every now and again we need to re-evaluate why we are doing what we are doing. As a coach it is up to me to notice when the “blush is off the rose,” but in case you are not currently working with me- just check in with yourself and remember that this is supposed to be fun and you deserve to love every moment of this.

Train smart, race hard and have fun, my friends.

This is your brain on sugar
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515150938.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Fdietary_supplements+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+–+Dietary+Supplements%29

Chia seeds are making waves in the health world
http://www.silive.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/05/planting_the_seeds_of_health.html

Training Tidbit
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22587540

Athlete Race Update:
*Motivation Man: Bonnie 2:42, Franny 3:16, Sue Caplan 3:14, Kristy 2:48, Ralph 2:43, Joe Marx (1/2) 6:28, Mark Luttier 6:56 (1/2)
*Half Iron event at Mt. Tremblant in Canada: Kristy 5:56 and Ralph 6:11
*Mack Cycle international distance at Key Biscayne: Ruben 2:38
*NYC Triathlon: Bonnie finished top 10 at 2:36, Franny made the best of a tough day & finished strong despite feeling truly crappy, 3:26
*De Soto sprint on july 14th: Becca placed!
*Half Mary Trail race at Amelia Earhart park in Miami – Liz and Sandy did well in very tough conditions- Torrential rain but they finished strong! Sandy took a bad tumble but did not let that stop her!
*Mark Miller did great at his first WPB TT on 8/5!
*Ironman New York on 8/11: Joe and Mark competed…race update next issue…stay tuned!

Upcoming Races:
*The Breslaws, Franny, Bonnie, Eric, and I are doing the Hood to Coast Relay
*Rebecca is doing the Fort De Soto international 8/25
*Mark has the Fort deSoto 30k TT on the 1st September
*Ruben has the Chicago Tri on the 26th of Aug
*Jody has the Lake George 10k open water swim

Featured Athlete
Paul Jones
Past history of sports participation: Basketball and Football in High School
What was your first tri & what made you do it: No attempts at a tri but, I have completed a marathon. Notice that I said completed…I cramped up and had to walk 12+
What do you love about training and racing? Competition – first and foremost! There is no feeling like winning or preparing to win.
Favorite training or racing experiences: Working with and watching Dara adapt to everything that I throw at her is like watching an artist paint. I guess this is how people felt when they watched Monet or Michelangelo work.
Races/events completed last season: 10K race
Favorite race/s (all-time): LA Marathon. Electricity in the air…if you could bottle that feeling, you would be rich!
Athletic achievement/s you are most proud of: Coaching little league – you get to pass on what you know…Hey! This must be how Dara feels all of the time.
Goals for the 2012 season: Stay healthy, get stronger, get faster, and kick !@%*& out on the road!
Favorite running trail and/or bike route: Mountains, mountains, and more mountains.
Favorite racing and/or training tip (what would you tell a newbie, and not necessarily something Dara told you!): No matter what you do, be consistent. If you can’t run long and you can’t run fast just run consistently.
A favorite “Dara-ism”: not a Dara-ism but…”just eat less”.

Training Tidbit
http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/04/overglider-kickstart.html

Recovery Smoothie Recipes:
Source: http://www.coreperformance.com
While all athletes need both carbohydrates and protein in their post-workout shake to replenish energy stores and help repair muscles, triathletes need a higher ratio of carbs to protein to fully re-energize themselves after long-distance endurance training.
To jumpstart recovery, boost energy, and improve performance, mix up a post-workout shake that has roughly a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. A 3:1 ratio is more appropriate for a lower intensity/shorter distance endurance training session (say, about 30 minutes to 90 minutes of training) and a 4:1 ratio for longer, harder workouts (typically over 90 minutes). Aim to have your post-workout shake within 30 minutes of finishing your workout.
Here are a few post-workout shakes that offer the right balance for proper recovery:
1. Fruity banana shake. Myoplex Lite protein powder, 1 banana, 4 oz yogurt, ½-1 cup fruit juice, and ½ cup ice (75 g carbs, 25 g protein).
2. Berry yogurt shake. 1 cup Greek yogurt, ½ scoop EAS whey protein powder, 1 banana, ½ cup berries, ½-1 cup of fruit juice, ½ cup ice (70 g carbs, 25 g protein).
3. Chocolate peanut butter shake. 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk, 1 banana, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, ½ cup ice (60 g carbs, 18-20 g protein).