Ace Your Base, February 2009
Think the Tour de France or the Ironman Triathlon World Championships
are decided in the Pyrenees Mountains or on the Kona lava fields? Think
again! Those podium lineups are being decided today! Future fitness
fates are being cast in the cold drizzle of long February bike rides
and fleece-wrapped winter runs of Ironman training. Early-season base
training is the crucial platform that supports peak performances down
the road.
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An Argument for Balance, January 2009
Six-time
Ironman World Champion Mark Allen states in one of
his 2007 training articles, "The people who have the best races in
August through October are those who are storing up in December."
These are words of wisdom from one of the endurance sport masters of
our time. They remind us to respect the major fitness principle of
balancing between stress and rest. Spoken with significant experience
and maturity, that simple statement advises us to relax a bit now — so
we can bring the ruckus later.
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Lessons from Kona, December 2008
October marked the 30th anniversary of the Ironman World Championship
in Kailua-Kona, on Hawaii’s big island. This triathlon is considered
one of the most spectacular endurance events on the planet, not only
because of the world-class competition, but also the grueling distances
involved (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) under Kona’s
famously extreme hot, windy, and humid conditions.
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Keeping the Fitness Faith, November 2008
On June 29, 2008, I completed the single most difficult physical event
of my life: the Cascade Cream Puff in Oakridge, Oregon, a 100-mile
mountain bike race with over 18,000 feet of climbing. It took me longer
and I found it more difficult than either of my two finishes at the
Hawaii Ironman.
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Facts Versus Fears, October 2008
How many times during the recent Beijing Olympics did you hear about
Michael Phelps’s shockingly high calorie diet, on the order of 10,000
calories per day? Between casual work conversation, passing references
on the radio, or Internet headlines, I am estimating about 238 for me.
It was probably one of the most attention-getting stories from the 2008
Olympics. Assuming this staggering calorie number is true, it certainly
seems to work for him. His intense training regimen allows him to pull
this feat off. Phelps leads a very extraordinary lifestyle, but you
probably know someone who trains almost as intensely, too. How many of
the intense exercisers that you know consume even one-third of what
Phelps does? And, more to the point, how many of them have results like
Phelps?
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Eating After Your Ironman, October 2008
Congratulations! You just crossed the finish line. After spending
months following structured nutrition plans during your Ironman
training and carefully executing your fueling plan, you may be asking
yourself, "Now what?" Should you be concerned with your eating plan now
that your race is over? Does what you eat now matter, or should you
only structure your eating in-season.
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Fueling Your Ironman Race, May 2008
Nothing undermines several months of earnest training like failing to
plan nutritionally on race day. The Ironman potential that you earned
through so much sacrifice cannot be reached if the proper fuel isn’t in
place to support you. A small amount of nutritional knowledge and a
disciplined plan are required for you to access your highest sport
potential.
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Travel Tips for Ironman Athletes, May 2008
Getting to your Ironman start line almost always involves travel, and
not always that seamless, James Bond style of travel either. With the
swirl of gear, race logistics, and social support necessitating your
Ironman pursuits, your trip may more easily mirror an episode of “The
Simpsons.” Don’t be Homer Simpson. Be Bond — that is, with a
carbon-fiber bike instead of an Aston Martin.
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