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Tonight’s Presentations—Ben Greenfield & Eric Byrd

OCTOBER 2011

TRIFUSION END of TRIFUSION END of TRIFUSION END of TRIFUSION END of

SEASON SOCIALSEASON SOCIALSEASON SOCIALSEASON SOCIAL

Need to BUY tickets Need to BUY tickets Need to BUY tickets Need to BUY tickets

from Natalie G. tonight!from Natalie G. tonight!from Natalie G. tonight!from Natalie G. tonight!

Portland

Marathon R.R. Recipe, BOD,

Calendar &

Sponsors

Pg 14-16

Winter Cycling

Pg. 10 Mental

Strentgh

Pg 11-12

WHAT? Our Team’s Annual Celebration of all things multi-sport!!

WHEN? Friday, NOVEMBER 18th @ 7:00pm

WHERE? At the SPOKANE COUNTRY CLUB on 2010

Waikiki Road

ATTIRE… Semi-Formal (typically gals wear cute dresses, guys wear button shirt with or without tie/slacks)

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS… * A Team Video * This year we will have a photo booth with props to take fun/ny and memorable pictures together!! * A Delicious buffet dinner/dessert * A no-host,

CASH ONLY bar

TICKETS!!? $25.00 each. Be sure to BUY

your tickets TONIGHT!! Please see NATALIE GALLAGHER

Moose Chase

R.R.

Pg. 8-9

Spokane Mara-

thon Relay R.R.

Pg. 13 Solving the

Run Riddle

Pg. 5-7

TRI FUSION’S END of SEASON SOCIALTRI FUSION’S END of SEASON SOCIAL

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I decided to risk sounding like a credit card commercial. Here goes... THE NUMBERS (approx) Registration fee= $145 2 pair of running shoes= $200 fuel belt and GU gels= $175 one night at the Double Tree Hotel= $120 travel expenses and food= $150 miles logged for training= 700+ The joy felt at mile 13 of 26.2...breathtaking. The overwhelming sense of accomplishment while crossing the finish line after 26.2...PRICELESS. The journey started with a thought. A thought that I had never done something out of pure intentionality. I remember running races, finishing triathlons and completing projects not because I desired to do them, but because I jumped on someone's bandwagon. So on February 15th I financially and mentally committed to the completion of the Portland Marathon. I asked my friend Kathi to help me drum up a training plan and then I asked a couple gals if they'd like to join me in my endeavor. The training plan came through and worked wonders although I suffered a bit of burn-out in the end...running became a forced thing and not a thing I enjoyed. The two gals? Well, one was all talk so when it came to signing up, it was a no-go. The oth-er signed up, paid the money, did a few months of training but when it came down to the day of the race, well, I have no clue what happened. Needless to say, I did this journey physically alone (careful to say 'physically' because I had many supporters and cheerleaders!). I can only think of a few times I had a run-ning buddy but for the most part, it was a lonely journey...all the way down to the big event. Bobby and I set out for Portland early Saturday morning. Of course, we had to stop at Franks Diner for a good protein filled breakfast and then Indaba for fuel for the road. Once we checked in to our hotel, we made a crazy kind of beeline for the marathon's trade show and packet pick-up. For a routine I've never experienced in a city I've rarely navigated, I fared pretty well...with Bobby's help of course (if it wasn't for his gaming abilities, I'd get lost in the city!). After we picked up all the info needed, we walked the couple blocks to the location of my wave start and then to the location of the start/finish line. It was quite a delight to run into the passionate folks camped outside the Justice building for Occupy Portland. It was interesting to see the difference be-tween Occupy Spokane vs. Portland. Lets just say you can tell Spokane is a much smaller and less liberal community.

I wondered how the protesters were going to affect the marathon since they were camped in the very same park we were supposed to finish at but I was put at ease when I saw these signs.

bean adventures : Portland Marathon

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After a cuppa joe in a cute little shop we settled on a movie (The Ides of March) and then headed back to the hotel for dinner (Salmon and a few yummy sweet potato tots) and much needed rest. I laid out all that I was going to need for my early morning and was delighted to see what Bubbs (Ali Stitt) had put together for me...a homemade card with great words of encouragement, recovery good-ies and tattoos! I had also brought the card I got from Nikki to remind me that I

am tough...a bulldog on a poodle skirt, that's what 'tough' is! ;) And then, sleep. But I didn't do much of that. I tossed and turned...pillows sucked, bed was way too soft, and the latino couple across the way decided our whole floor needed to hear their relational issues. I re-member waking up at 12:30am and being excited that I had a few more hours to sleep. I also remember waking up at 1:45 in a panic because I feared I had slept through my alarm. Then again at about 3:30 for the same reason...but that time, I stayed awake...for an hour...because 4:30 is the time I needed to wake up in order to leave and be at the start by 6am (which is what event organizers suggested...but in retro-spect, I didn't need to be there til closer to 6:45). I know it seems like a long time to get ready to run...but I have a routine and if I don't get started early, bad things happen...promise. So Bobby shuttled me to my wave corral (which, to my dismay, I was notified I was placed in with the walkers...I didn't know I had planned to be that slow!). It was here that I got emotional...just before get-ting out of the car I realized I was on my own now, with thousands of strangers. Could I really do this? I wouldn't have anyone with me to push me or give me words of encouragement and once I joined others in my wave, I saw so many pairs or groups of people running this thing with their buddies or running part-ners or spouses. I guess I didn't get the memo that I was supposed to not do this alone or something. So there I stood, for an hour, alone in the middle of a crowd. This gave me a lot of time to think...which is when I realized I was missing nearly half of my fuel I had planned for the course. FAWESOME. I acci-dentally left it in the car...my emotions apparently clouding my memory. I heard there would be gummy bears and such along the course and concluded that they would have to fill the void. My first pang of joy came when the national anthem was performed...at first causing a great silence within the crowd and then an eruption of hoots and hollers...glorious! Before long, we were moving to the start. 7:26am found my foot crossing the starting line reminding me much of Bloomsday. I had to walk a bit be-fore I felt I had enough room to actually run. I waited to put my earbuds in so I could soak up the atmos-phere and the first of many bands along the course. Once the earbuds were in and my music going, I was oblivious to any other noises. I found myself a rhythm and away I went. I thought I should hash out a plan. Should I run 2 miles, walk one? Should I run two songs' worth and walk one? How was I going to do this? (note: most people plan this out before they cross the starting line...those people are smart.) Within 30 minutes, my IT band decided to rear it's ugly head. I refused to let it get me down though so I ignored it. Laa La La... I tried looking for mile markers and realized I must be missing them due to the volume of people on the course. It wasn't until mile 5 that I saw my first sign...and I had been running for a whole hour straight (except water stations). This is worth mentioning because during my training I never could run a whole hour without becoming bored and walking. I took inventory and decided I felt great (still ig-noring my IT band issue) so I kept at it. Next mile marker I found? Mile 10...almost exactly 2 hours in which puts me somewhere around a 12 min. mile pace. WOOT! By this time, even though it was raining, my insides were stoked because I felt amazing (and, I spotted my friend's roomie, Jaime) From here on

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out, I saw just about every mile marker since the crowd was thinning a bit. I couldn't have been more hap-py to see mile 13...the halfway point. I was elated to know I was feeling as good as I was at such a distance all the while STILL FREAKIN' RUNNING!!! Are you kidding me?! I've never run 13 miles straight! I de-cided I may have been inspired by the crowd and moving along with their pace...ok whatever works! (suck it, IT band!!) Then, mile 16. it was at this point that the 2 mile hill I had been warned about began. I gave myself per-mission to walk it. Little did I know that a portion of the hill was the St. John bridge. Man, I wished I had a camera as I cannot begin to explain the grandness of this bridge in comparison to the tiny runners crossing it. It was phenominal. Oh. My. Goodness. At mile 18 I remember seeing in the distance the city I was sup-posed to finish in, questioning how the heck I was going to get back there in 8 miles? EIGHT MILES? I on-ly have EIGHT miles?! Holy crappola! I saw somewhere along this part of the course my favorite spectator sign of them all, "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon!" Hells yea! By this time I had resorted to the 'run two songs, walk one' strategy which carried me through until mile 22 when my calves decided to make it known that they were fed up with this treatment. Then my thought was, "I'll run whenever I frig-gin' feel like it, GOSH!" Mile 24 found me spying my watch...I had approximately 35 minutes to finish under 6 hours...so I did what I know best...I shuffled. A shuffle is not a run or a walk...not even a jog real-ly...feet barely come off the ground but they're quick steps...these quick steps got me to mile 25 where I took out my earbuds to once again, soak in the atmosphere. People were cheering me on by name (I forgot my bib had my name on it! haha!) and my shuffling increased. I got within 5 blocks of the finish and realized I would make 6 hour mark after all! I picked up more speed when I knew I was within 2 blocks and I felt so good it was as though I had just started running! I saw Bobby cheering me on with a box of Voodoo Doughnuts (that was my only request from him at the end...I wanted a Voodoo doughnut). I rounded the corner, passed over a timing strip that I assumed would register my name for the announcer and sure enough as I passed over the finish line, I heard my name announced as a finisher of the 2011 Portland Marathon. I am no longer a marathon virgin and I am so very proud of myself. I don't like to toot my own horn but I am in love with the fact that I did this...and had an amazing experience to boot! Here’s the ending numbers: Start time: 7:26am @10km, 8:41am, 12:03 pace @8.6km, 9:11am, 12:42 pace @Half, 10:07am, 12:18 pace @17.5 mi, 11:12am, 14:51 pace @20 mi, 11:51am, 15:50 pace @21.1mi, 12:11pm, 18:08 pace @26.2 mi, 13:31 pace Finish time: 1:20pm and a total time of 5 hours, 54 minutes Thank you for all who encouraged me along the way! (Former TriFusion member) `Sheena Enslow senslow.blogspot.com

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"I had a solid swim, I tore it up on the bike, and then I fell apart on the run! What happened? How can I avoid this and have a strong run?" Triathletes typically respond to this question and problem by running more, running harder, or both, figuring they are just not very good runners. Sometimes this works - if the athlete's problem is simply that they are not as strong of a runner as they'd like to be. If that sounds like you, then keep at it - there is not substitute for hard work. But what if you already are a strong runner and you still seem to fade or fall apart on the run in triathlons? What if you run great in running races, but don't run so well in triathlons? In this case, we need to identify what is holding you back and go over how to solve your problem. Here are five common issues that cause weak triathlon runs and their solutions.

Poor Swimming and Cycling Technique

Poor swimming and cycling technique are often the cause of poor running performance in a triathlon. This can be difficult to grasp if you think of a triathlon as three different sports. In reality, you encounter a triathlon as one race, with three different disciplines, or methods of movement, linked together. In any endurance-sports race, how much energy you expend (physical, mental, and emotional) during the first half of the race greatly affects your performance in the second half of the race. Consider what it would be like to run a marathon or ½ mara-thon if you were forced to run the first half with your hands tied behind your back, and then the second half of the race with your hands free. This would affect your performance not only in the first half of the race. Yes, you would run more slowly over the first half of the course as a result of your impaired movement abilities, but even with your hands free, you would run with great difficulty over the second half of the course because you would have just run over the first half of the course in a terribly inefficient manner, using up a lot of your stored ener-gy. This is what happens to you when you complete the swim and bike portions of the race with great effort (and sometimes great speed), but with poor economy of motion from your underdeveloped swimming and cycling technique. It's simply taking you too much energy to get through the swim and the bike.

If this is your problem:

1. Make it a priority to patiently and systematically develop your ability to swim faster with less effort by learning to swim with good technique. The books, videos, and other materials from Terry Laughlin's company Total Immersion (go www.totalimmersion.net) are among the best sources of help in this area.

2. Make sure your bike fit allows to you pedal your bike with a high level of efficiency. Consider an expert bike fit from a bike fitter experienced in fitting triathletes. For more information on what is involved in a comprehen-sive bike fitting for a triathlete, visit the websites of professional bike fitters. A great place to start is Ian Buchan-an's Fit Werx website (www.fitwerx.com).

3. Make it a priority to learn to pedal with greater efficiency. This means learning to apply force evenly through-out the entire pedal stroke. Drills such as single-leg pedaling, high-cadence pedaling, and similar drills, as well as methods such as periodically riding a fixed-gear bike can all help with pedaling efficiency.

Solving the Run Riddle By Jason Gootman and Will Kirousis

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Poor Strength/Power

All endurance sports require the cyclic production of strong/powerful movements. Running is no different. It is often a triathlete's lack of strength/power that limits him/her on the run of a triathlon. For many triathletes, years of an overemphasis on "long-slow-distance training" slowly deteriorates their neuromuscular system, diminishing their capacity to perform strong/powerful motions. For many who run out of steam on the run, unable to hold a strong pace, this is the case.

To improve your strength/power:

1. Incorporate hill workouts in both cycling and running in your training plans.

2. Incorporate gym-based strength/power workouts into your training plan. Use free-standing, total-body exercises that train movements not muscles. Exercises like all forms of squats, lunges, step-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, standing pushing exercises, standing pulling exercises, Olympic lifts, medicine-ball throws, plyometrics, and similar exercises are ideal for developing usable, athletic strength/power. Keep your workouts under an hour and focused on strength/power, not endurance. To do so, keep your sets per workout to 15 or less, keep your reps per set to 10 or less, and take rest intervals of 2-3 minutes between sets.

Poor Running Technique

Running is not solely a metabolic activity as many think. Like swimming and cycling, running has a larger technique aspect. You may be having problems in the run of a triathlon, not because you have not developed the endurance to cover the distance at a good speed, but because your running technique is poor and you are wasting tremendous amounts of energy when you run. If you have not worked to create optimal running technique, this could very well be your downfall.

If this is your problem, work on establishing an efficient mid-foot landing under your center of mass, on establishing a quick, rapid turnover where you are light on your feet, and keeping your stride compact in both the front and back. Learning to run well is a fun process of reconnecting with how your body is designed to interact with the earth and with gravity. Doing so allows you to run in a way that takes advantage of, instead of fighting, the natural forces of gravity as well as inertia, momentum, and the stored elastic energy in your muscles. For a thorough discussion of improving running technique and materials to help you, the books, videos, and other materials of Nicholas Roma-nov's company Pose Tech (www.posetech.com) are excellent resources.

Sub-par Overall Health

It's possible that you crumble during the run not because you are a poor runner, but because you are racing in a state of subpar overall health. Stated another way, you are chronically overstressed (overtrained). A triathlon places a huge demand on you to perform a very difficult task. To do so successfully requires you to draw upon every ounce of your physical, mental, and emotional reserves especially in the later stages of the race (the run). If you get to the start line of your big race, and your physical, mental, and emotional reserve tanks area already half empty, it is going to be very hard for you to sustain a high level effort for the duration of the event. Usually, through strong willpower, you'll "hold it together" (not a peak performance state) for much of the race, but at some point in the run, you'll hit a wall. This is often seen in DNFs as well as dramatically slowed paces on the run compared to the rest of the race. The problem here is not poor running ability; it's subpar overall health. The problem simply shows up on the run because it is the last segment of the demanding race. An overstressed, tired athlete tends to fall apart late in rac-es. A very well-rested, very healthy athlete tends to finish races strongly.

If subpar overall health is holding you back, you should make it a priority to work to improve your overall health. Here are some areas to work on:

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1. Rest. Successful training is based around the concept of systematically applying workout stress with alternating periods of rest. A major cause of sub-par health in triathletes is constant application of workout stress without ade-quate rest. Make sure that your training plan is set up in a way that allows for the necessary rest. Try to carve out some time each day for at least a bit of rest and carve out more when you can (like on weekends). If you have trouble "doing nothing", learn to! And by the way, try not to think of rest as "doing nothing". Instead, think of it as the conscious choice to allow yourself some downtime. In your training plans, carve out a rest week every 3-5 weeks where you cut your workout load in half, and take a rest day (no workouts) at least one day a week.

2. Sleep. Oftentimes, more sleep, not a greater workout load, will greatly improve your performance, by creating better health. Make it a priority to create great chronic sleep patterns.

3. Nutrition. Inadequate nutrition can quickly lead to diminished health which will often rear its head in poor triath-lon runs. Make sure your daily diet is full of fruits, vegetables, lean meat, eggs, nuts, and seeds.

4. Stress Management. Making the effort to simplify your life can greatly reduce your overall stress load. Look at your work life and relationships and see where you can make changes to reduce the amount of stress in your life.

Poor Pacing

Sometimes athletes just go too fast/hard in the swim, bike, and/or early in the run, and it comes back to bite them. Pacing is vital in any endurance-sports race. Pacing in a triathlon is a bit tricky when compared to a single-discipline race like a running race, so it takes a bit of experience to really get the hang of it. Think of the swim like the first fifth of a marathon. It's no time to be racing like a hero. Would you ever race real fast/hard-faster/harder than you can sustain-in the first five miles of a marathon? No way. Because you know it would slow you down or crush you later in the race. The same thing can happen in a triathlon. Avoid thinking of it as three separate rac-es. Your body (and your mind and heart), perceive a triathlon as one race. In the transitions, you don't get a chance to rest your muscles, take a mental snooze, or stop giving your all to start fresh on the next leg. Think of the bike like the bulk of the race (keep your pace consistent; don't go nuts) and the run like the last fifth of a marathon. The last fifth of a marathon is when it hurts, when you have to dig deep to keep racing well. The run in triathlon is no different. Pace yourself well through the swim and the bike and early in the run, you are in place to finish strong and have your best overall time.

If poor pacing is your problem:

1. Do some workouts leading up to your race(s) at are very race specific and practice your pacing. Directly practice what paces you can sustain for the distances of your race. Then in the race, stick to paces that you know you can real-istically maintain for the distance.

2. Use recent races to help you gauge your best approach to pacing. You can use races of the same distance that went well as a good gauge. Or use races of the same distance where you fell apart in the run as a red flag that you need to ease up a bit. You can also use races of different distances. As a solid rule of thumb, when you double the distance of a race, you'll be able sustain speeds/paces that are about 5-10 percent slower. When you halve the distance of a race, you'll be able to sustain speeds/paces that are about 5-10 percent faster.

3. When in doubt, slow down a bit. If you are conservative in your pacing, you will always be able to make up the time later in the race. However, if you are aggressive in your pacing, you will always pay this back (with "interest") later in the race. That is, you will give back the time you saved early on and more, often much more.

There are several other factors besides running more or running harder that can go into solving your triathlon run riddle. Pick out what you think is holding you back and start working at it. You'll be on your way to a stronger run and stronger over-all race in your next triathlon. It'll feel so good to finish strong!

Learn more about Jason Gootman, Will Kirousis, and Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching at www.tri-hard.com.

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Wild Moose Chase Trail Run 2011 Photos courtesy of Marsha Aguilar-Snow

For those of you who question the sanity and common sense of those who chase moose, let me reassure you the Wild Moose Chase is not quite what you might imagine. Yes, running on the mountain, traversing hilly terrain, and side-stepping rocks and roots is involved. Yet the only moose spotted at the inaugural Wild Moose Chase trail run was by me, the race director. I’m not kidding. I didn’t have the privilege of racing this event, but I did have the opportunity to stand in as race di-rector with two other ladies from my Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Eastern Washington University. And lo and behold, while setting up the 10k course, banking a turn to continue onto the Wild Moose Nordic trail, two bull moose stared at us in my Toyota 4-Runner. Apparently they got my invitation!

I’ve always been one to run the races, to shoot for that age group award, to relish the satisfaction of a well paced, well raced event. Not this time. When it came time to start raising money to cover some of the travel expenses my class would incur to attend a national educational conference this coming February, they turned to Haley Cooper-Scott and me to organize some kind of a race. We looked at each other with skepticism, shrugged our shoulders, and thought, “Shoot. Why not?” The problem was, nei-ther of us had actually directed a race; we’d always been the ones competing.

Nonetheless, we each had our own set of contacts to learn what we needed to know to put on a race. It soon transpired that a trail run would attract the greatest number of people given the rising interest in local runners to get off the roads and out onto the trails. Both familiar with Mt. Spokane through our own run-

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ning and skiing on the Nordic trails, we set that as our location and soon decided upon a name: The Wild Moose Chase Trail Run.

With some organization, a lot of planning, and tremendous support from our sponsors, Sat-urday, September 24th rolled around faster than any of us anticipated. My class was just coming back from a 5-week internship to round out our first year of school, and many of the details had to be worked out without their help. Steve Christensen, the park manager, provided such great sup-port and enthusiasm for our event, and he did much of the course preparation. An avid runner himself, he took the time to create the 25km course that so many racers cursed by the end of the day on Saturday.

What a rush! The 25km course started out by 9am and the other two races were soon to fol-low. I don’t think I sat down until the first 5km runners crossed the finish line. It wasn’t until 11 o’clock that I finally had a brief 10 seconds to use the bathroom, and don’t ask how that went down…

Runners crossed the finish line, proud of the courses they con-quered and the scenery they witnessed. As far as I know, racers never wandered off course, and no one suffered from any serious injuries that day. However, I still feel terrible about overlooking the im-portance of having a couple coolers of ice for those who needed an extra boost to ameliorate any aches or pains incurred along the way. Runners admitted the 25km course that Steve and Haley worked on proved to present quite a challenge to roadrunners and avid trail run-ners alike. One man commented that it wasn’t quite challenging enough to separate the trail runners from the roadrunners. However, I don’t think we have any plans to make it more difficult next year. We would rather see some PRs!

The 5km and 10km courses looked much flatter on paper than they did in actuality. I ran both courses the week before the race to ensure race distances were somewhat accurate. I applaud all the 5km runners for finishing a truly hilly, challenging course. It certainly kicked my butt! Avid runners and families with kids all turned out to enjoy the courses, and when I had the chance to watch runners cross the line, I saw only happy faces.

For those who participated this year, thank you for turning out to support our fundraising effort. We ended up raising over $7,000 to help get us to Chicago, IL next February for the Com-bined Sections Meeting, an educational weekend for physical therapists and students alike. Next year, we hope to help the upcoming physical therapy students raise money by putting on the race again. We all had so much fun and saw so many areas in need of improvement; we thought we bet-ter try it again to see if we can make the event even better. I hope you will consider turning out next year and spread the word to those you think might enjoy a day on the mountain.

-Meghan Faulkenberry

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Three Things Everyone Should Three Things Everyone Should Three Things Everyone Should Three Things Everyone Should

Know About Winter CyclingKnow About Winter CyclingKnow About Winter CyclingKnow About Winter Cycling

By Nate Kortuem

When riding during the winter months this year it is important to re-

member these three things.

1. Road Chemicals. If you like to ride outside and you live in the north then road chemicals are used everywhere you can-not avoid them. Even if you are riding on a dry day the roads are covered with dry chemicals. These chemicals can lead to corrosion and pitting on all metal surfaces of your bike. Almost all bearings and all chains are made of metal so these chemicals bond to all these surfaces. This means it is very important to clean your bike after every ride. The same goes for the spring months in the north when it is raining and the salt spray covers your bike. If you have ever looked closely at a piece of aluminum after road chemicals have been sitting on them, the surfaces get pitted. These pits can weaken and

destroy aluminum bike parts. Weakened parts on a bike can be very dangerous for reasons I do not need to explain.

The easiest way to clean your bike is with a rag and a bottle of glass cleaner. The important thing is to wipe down your bike after every ride and remove all of these chemicals. This goes for your drive train as well; use bike lube and a rag and run through your chain and cassette. Remember 10 minutes after every ride can save you a huge headache and a lot of time

and money in the end.

2. Lights. During the winter months in the north it tends to get dark much earlier than during the summer months. It is important to get lights for your bike. Even during a sunny day the sun is much lower in the sky. There can be shadows cov-ering the roads in unexpected areas. Drivers could have difficulty seeing you in these areas. Also the roads can be nar-rower because of snow or ice on the sides of the road. It is important to have a blinking red light on your seat post and a light on your handle bars. If cars cannot see you, then they cannot avoid you. Remember the off-season is the time to heal

injuries, not get new ones.

Go to your local bike shop and ask them for lights. They vary in price and even the most expensive lights are cheaper and

less painful than a night in the hospital.

3. Tires. In the winter months there can be debris in the roadway that is unavoidable. Ice, gravel and snow are common. When ever possible try to avoid these areas. To keep your rubber on the road, get bigger tires. If you normally ride 23c tires try riding a 25c tire with more tread on it. The best thing to do is figure out what the maximum size tire that will fit on

your bike and use that. A wider tire means more surface area. More surface area means more traction.

Slow down when turning. It is not the time of the year to practice your cornering skills by bombing through turns. With

gravel, ice, and snow on the road, it is much easier for your front wheel to slide out from under you. The tires that I rec-

ommend are Maxxis Detonators 700x25c or Maxxis Re-Fuse 700x25c. Ask your local dealer if they carry them.

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The pressure to win and train with intensity has increased dramatically throughout the years, mostly because of the perceived re-wards. But a result of that pressure is burnout. One definition of burnout says it is a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion brought on by persistent devotion to a goal whose achievement is dramatically opposed to reality.

Another definition states burnout is an ex-haustive psycho-physiological response exhib-ited as a result of frequent, sometimes ex-treme, and generally ineffective efforts to meet excessive training and competitive de-mands. Both definitions stress extreme wear and tear on the body produced through train-ing demands larger than what a person can cope with physically, mentally and psychologi-cally.

Why talk about burnout? Triathletes experi-ence burnout and it’s about this time in the season you might start experiencing the symptoms. I am going to explain the symp-toms and what you can do about them.

Causes of burnout

Burnout afflicts people who are overly dedi-cated, idealistic and motivated toward high achievement. Individuals most prone to burn-out are those who work too hard, too long, too intensely and are extremely dedicated to it.

Three personality characteristics have been identified as increasing an individual’s suscep-tibility to burnout:

1) Perfectionists are at risk because they tend to set high standards for themselves and oth-ers.

2) People who are other-oriented have a strong need to be liked and admired. They tend to be generous with everyone but them-selves.

3) People lacking assertive interpersonal skills find it difficult to say no or express anger without feeling guilty.

Aside from personality characteristics there are other factors in the research that lead to burnout. Physical concerns: injury, losing, getting beat by other people, etc. Logistical concerns: demands on time, travel, etc. Social or interpersonal concerns: dissatisfaction with personal life, negative family influences, etc. Psychological concerns: unfulfillment, lack of enjoyment, and inappropriate expectations.

Symptoms of burnout

Burnout includes some or all of the following physiological and psychological symptoms:

Physiological: higher resting heart rates, high-er systolic blood pressure, and delayed return to normal heart rate, elevated basal metabolic rate, elevated body temperature, weight loss, impeded respiration, sub costal aching and bowel disorders.

Psychological: sleep disturbances, loss of self confidence, drowsiness and apathy, quarrel-someness, irritability, emotional and motiva-tional imbalance, excessive and prolonged

Mental Strength: Stay Focused and Avoid Burnout

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weariness, lack of appetite, fatigue, depres-sion, anxiety, anger and hostility, and confu-sion.

Prevention and treatment

There are numerous easy ways to prevent and treat burnout. A few of ways to approach burnout are:

1) Set appropriate short term (physical & mental) goals with incentives for reaching them. This not only helps prevent burnout but it provides feedback that you are on the right course and also enhances motivation.

2) Athletes need to schedule days off. It’s im-portant to have one or two (maybe more de-pending on your life) days completely off from training. One reason the business world provides vacations is so that employees don’t get burned and have time to rejuvenate.

3) Make sure you are flexible with your workouts. Don’t be too hard on yourself and so regimented that you can’t make a change in your training program when necessary.

4) Break up your workouts. Try a variety of training modes and make sure you allow your-self activities you most enjoy; there will cer-tainly be activities you won’t.

5) It’s important to have balance in your life. Spend time on other interests and with friends and family.

6) Learn to use self regulation skills: relaxa-tion, imagery, goal setting and positive self talk. These skills can help ward off much of the stress that leads to burnout.

7) Stay positive and emphasize FUN!

Your training program should not be too sim-ple (it won’t challenge you enough) or too ex-treme (which eventually leads to burnout). When people burn out, they feel physically and mentally exhausted. Burnout arises from a sense of distress and discontent and a percep-tion of failing to achieve the ideals or goals that a person has established. After repeated efforts to attain these goals and after working as hard as possible without complete success, feelings of failure develop along with negative attitudes towards life, work, other people and oneself.

The signs, symptoms, prevention and treat-ment of burnout aren’t just physical but also mental. As an athlete it’s important do a bet-ter, more objective job of assessing where you are at physically and mentally, not only initial-ly, but on a continuing basis. Not only do you need a basis of where to begin your training program from a physical standpoint but you also need that information from a mental one in order to observe, anticipate and learn from fluctuations that lead to burnout.

If you didn’t begin your athletic career with a healthy physical and mental plan for your training program, now might be a good time to start. Having a healthy well-rounded per-spective on your training is key, and it makes more sense than wasting all the time you’ve put into your training to burnout.

Dr. Michelle Cleere (PhD, Certified USA Triathlon Level I Coach, NASM-CPT)

has coached hundreds of amateur and professional athletes who compete in sports

that require a high degree of mental endurance, toughness and focus to get more

out of their training, obtain better results and lead more balanced lives.

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The Spokane Marathon gives you the

option to do a full marathon, half mara-

thon, 10k or marathon relay. I did the

Spokane Marathon relay two years ago

and had a great time. I like it because it

allows you to run and also cheer on your

team. The marathon/half marathon

course is hilly and includes Doomsday.

If you want to PR this isn't the race you

want to do it at. ;-) We participated as a

mixed relay, which must include two

men and two women. The weather was

cool and overcast so it was a good day to

run.

I did the first leg two years ago and this year I did third leg.

This year the teams seemed faster that I remember. I saw a few

guys from the Spokane Distance project on one team; I think it

was a mixed team but am not sure. Lanaia did the first leg,

Casey did second, I did the third and Adrianne was our anchor.

I went out to fast at the beginning of my leg. My plan was to

average sub 6:40s. I looked down at my GPS watch and I was

at a sub 6:00 pace! I slowed it down knowing I wouldn’t be

able to hold that pace. I caught and passed two or three other

teams. The high school cheer squads that worked the aid sta-

tions did a GREAT job! The definitely got me pumped. For

some reason I thought my leg of the run was longer than it was

and when I came to the transition zone I had lots of energy left

so I picked up my speed for the last hundred yards or so. I end-

ed up running 6:43miles in 42:17 which averages 6:35 min. per

mile. Our team took third place and finished in 2:54:xx.

Waoooooooo!! Fun Times!!

This racing season has been a great one for me. I finished Ironman CDA, I

PR’ed on my 5K time and my half marathon time. A year ago I was hoping

to do the Tri-cities Marathon. I ended up having some foot issues and

backed out because I didn’t want it to affect my Ironman training. I have

done one open marathon in the past and would like to challenge that time.

I am in the middle of my last build of the year and am hoping I can SURGE

one more time. May I get to the starting line un-injured, may the weather be clear and cool and may the stars

align for one more time this year…. May I finally slay this dragon called the Tri-cities marathon.

Stay tuned….. Rene Guerrero rene-guerrero.blogspot GOOD LUCK RENE…. Tri-Fusion :-)

Spokane Marathon

Relay

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Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, grated A food processor makes this a whole lot easier! • 4 ribs celery, grated • 3/4 lb carrots, grated • 1 1/2 T minced garlic • 2 T dry basil • 1/2 T red pepper flakes (Omit or reduce if you don't like spicy food) • 32 ounces of beef stock • 1 jar spaghetti sauce • 8 oz cream cheese, cut into small chunks

(I use low-fat) • 4 T basil pesto • 4 T brown sugar 1. Saute onions, celery, carrots, & garlic in vegetable oil until onions are translucent 2. Add dry basil and red peper flakes, cook for 2 minutes 3. Add beef stock & pasta sauce, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer 4. Add cream cheese and simmer until cheese is dissolved, stirring frequently 5.5.5.5. Stir in basil pesto, remove from heat 6.6.6.6. Add brown sugar, stir, then serve This recipe is one of my all-time favorite soups. It's got lots of veggies, lots of flavor, and even a little kick. Always a huge hit when I've made it for friends and family. My recipe is only slightly modified from one I originally got from Kristen Labrie who made it for a staff party. Everyone went crazy for it so she sent out the recipe to the whole staff. Two easy modifications you could make would be to reduce or omit the spice (with the spice above I'd say it's about a 1 1/2 - 2 star) - another would be to omit the cream cheese for a lower fat version. I've tried it all different ways and love them all, but the one above is my most favorite. With a food processor, this recipe is very quick and easy. I usually double this recipe which fills up my 8qt. stockpot. For dinner club, I quadruple which makes even extra which I freeze. SpokaneDinnerClub.blogspot.com

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

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INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTSINGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. crookneck yellow squash2 lbs. crookneck yellow squash2 lbs. crookneck yellow squash2 lbs. crookneck yellow squash

• 2 eggs 2 eggs 2 eggs 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup melted butter1/2 cup melted butter1/2 cup melted butter1/2 cup melted butter

• 1/2 cup applesauce1/2 cup applesauce1/2 cup applesauce1/2 cup applesauce

• 1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup brown sugar

• 3 cups whole wheat flour3 cups whole wheat flour3 cups whole wheat flour3 cups whole wheat flour

• 5 teaspoons baking powder5 teaspoons baking powder5 teaspoons baking powder5 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (streusel)1/3 cup whole wheat flour (streusel)1/3 cup whole wheat flour (streusel)1/3 cup whole wheat flour (streusel)

• 1/4 cup brown sugar (streusel)1/4 cup brown sugar (streusel)1/4 cup brown sugar (streusel)1/4 cup brown sugar (streusel)

• 3T butter (streusel)3T butter (streusel)3T butter (streusel)3T butter (streusel)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (streusel)1 tsp ground cinnamon (streusel)1 tsp ground cinnamon (streusel)1 tsp ground cinnamon (streusel)

SpokaneDinnerClub.blogspot.com

The original recipe called for 1c butter, but I was very im-

pressed with the 1/2 applesauce substitute. I added the cin-

namon streusel so it wouldn't be too healthy! This would also

be very good if you added apple chunks and some cinnamon to

the recipe or even some craisins and walnuts. My sweet Emma

wanted them 'plain' as she was a bit skeptical about the main

squash ingredient. Good news... SHE LOVES THEM! She's

already requested that I make more so she can have them for

breakfast next week too. Great way to use up some of that

summer squash from the garden! p.s. That picture was taken

this morning on my patio table outside. Have to love that

natural lighting for photos!

DIRECTIONSDIRECTIONSDIRECTIONSDIRECTIONS

1.1.1.1. Wash squash, trim ends, and cut into 1 inch slicesWash squash, trim ends, and cut into 1 inch slicesWash squash, trim ends, and cut into 1 inch slicesWash squash, trim ends, and cut into 1 inch slices

2.2.2.2. Cook in a small amount of water for 15Cook in a small amount of water for 15Cook in a small amount of water for 15Cook in a small amount of water for 15----20min.20min.20min.20min.

3.3.3.3. Drain well and mash. (you can do it in blender)Drain well and mash. (you can do it in blender)Drain well and mash. (you can do it in blender)Drain well and mash. (you can do it in blender)

4.4.4.4. Measure 2 cups of the cooked squash, combine Measure 2 cups of the cooked squash, combine Measure 2 cups of the cooked squash, combine Measure 2 cups of the cooked squash, combine

with eggs, butter and applesauce and set asidewith eggs, butter and applesauce and set asidewith eggs, butter and applesauce and set asidewith eggs, butter and applesauce and set aside

5.5.5.5. Combine dry ingredients, stirring only until moistCombine dry ingredients, stirring only until moistCombine dry ingredients, stirring only until moistCombine dry ingredients, stirring only until moist

6.6.6.6. Make a well in center of mixtureMake a well in center of mixtureMake a well in center of mixtureMake a well in center of mixture

7.7.7.7. Add Squash to dry ingredients, stirring only un-Add Squash to dry ingredients, stirring only un-Add Squash to dry ingredients, stirring only un-Add Squash to dry ingredients, stirring only un-

til moisttil moisttil moisttil moist

8.8.8.8. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 fullSpoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 fullSpoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 fullSpoon into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full

9.9.9.9. Combine all the streusel ingredients in a food Combine all the streusel ingredients in a food Combine all the streusel ingredients in a food Combine all the streusel ingredients in a food

processor and pulse until crumbly. Alternately, processor and pulse until crumbly. Alternately, processor and pulse until crumbly. Alternately, processor and pulse until crumbly. Alternately,

you can mash the ingredients together in a bowl you can mash the ingredients together in a bowl you can mash the ingredients together in a bowl you can mash the ingredients together in a bowl

using a fork, or just smoosh everything together using a fork, or just smoosh everything together using a fork, or just smoosh everything together using a fork, or just smoosh everything together

with your fingers. Sprinkle over muffins or coffee with your fingers. Sprinkle over muffins or coffee with your fingers. Sprinkle over muffins or coffee with your fingers. Sprinkle over muffins or coffee

cake immediately before baking. cake immediately before baking. cake immediately before baking. cake immediately before baking.

10.10.10.10. Bake at 375 degrees for 20Bake at 375 degrees for 20Bake at 375 degrees for 20Bake at 375 degrees for 20----25min or until tooth-25min or until tooth-25min or until tooth-25min or until tooth-

pick inserted in center of muffin comes out cleanpick inserted in center of muffin comes out cleanpick inserted in center of muffin comes out cleanpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean

Yellow Squash Muffins Yellow Squash Muffins Yellow Squash Muffins Yellow Squash Muffins

with Cinnamon Streuselwith Cinnamon Streuselwith Cinnamon Streuselwith Cinnamon Streusel

11116666

The Board of Directors, Sponsors and the Calendar of Upcoming Events….The Board of Directors, Sponsors and the Calendar of Upcoming Events….The Board of Directors, Sponsors and the Calendar of Upcoming Events….The Board of Directors, Sponsors and the Calendar of Upcoming Events….

We would like

to extend a

generous

Thank You to

our truly

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBOARD OF DIRECTORSBOARD OF DIRECTORSBOARD OF DIRECTORS • TTTTIFFANYIFFANYIFFANYIFFANY BBBBYRDYRDYRDYRD---- UUUUNIFORMNIFORMNIFORMNIFORM DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • EEEERICRICRICRIC BBBBYRDYRDYRDYRD ---- MMMMENTORENTORENTORENTOR DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • NNNNATALIEATALIEATALIEATALIE GGGGALLAGHERALLAGHERALLAGHERALLAGHER ---- SSSSOCIALOCIALOCIALOCIAL DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • GGGGREGREGREGREG GGGGALLAGHERALLAGHERALLAGHERALLAGHER ---- VVVVICEICEICEICE PPPPRESIDENTRESIDENTRESIDENTRESIDENT • BBBBENENENEN GGGGREENFIELDREENFIELDREENFIELDREENFIELD ---- WWWWEBSITEEBSITEEBSITEEBSITE DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • AAAADAMDAMDAMDAM LLLLITTLEITTLEITTLEITTLE ---- MMMMEMBERSHIPEMBERSHIPEMBERSHIPEMBERSHIP DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • JJJJENNIFERENNIFERENNIFERENNIFER LLLLITTLEITTLEITTLEITTLE ---- TTTTREASURERREASURERREASURERREASURER • AAAALISONLISONLISONLISON SSSSTITTTITTTITTTITT ---- NNNNEWSLETTEREWSLETTEREWSLETTEREWSLETTER DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR • JJJJESSIESSIESSIESSI TTTTHOMPSONHOMPSONHOMPSONHOMPSON ---- SSSSECRETARYECRETARYECRETARYECRETARY • RRRROGEROGEROGEROGER TTTTHOMPSONHOMPSONHOMPSONHOMPSON ---- PPPPRESIDENTRESIDENTRESIDENTRESIDENT • DDDDANIELLEANIELLEANIELLEANIELLE WWWWARNOCKARNOCKARNOCKARNOCK ---- TTTTRIRIRIRI FFFFUSIONUSIONUSIONUSION KKKKIDIDIDID’’’’SSSS CCCCLUBLUBLUBLUB DDDDIRECTORIRECTORIRECTORIRECTOR

J

Training Opportunities:

• Whitworth Masters Swim, offered

FREE to Tri Fusion MEMBERS

every Sunday 8:30-10:00am.

See the forum “Training” for

more info and signups as there

are limited spots each week.

• Continue to post & check for any

training swim/ride/run on the

Forum, Facebook page and/or

send out an email! We encour-

age all of you to post your

workouts there as well!

Upcoming Events:

Always check the Tri-Forum “Social

Events” for future upcoming events.

• November 18th, End of Season

Social. See Natatlie G. for Tick-

ets & more info.

• Turkey Trot Manito Park, fol-

lowed by Krispy Kreme do-

nuts. Thanksgiving day!

8:30am pictures/9am race

Races:

Find other races for the Northwest

area @ www.runnersworld.com or

Trifind.com

• Oct. 30th Tri-cities Marathon/

Marathon Relay

• Nov. 19th Spokane Jingle Bell

walk/run 5k

• Nov. 24th Spokane Turkey Trot

5k 9am Manito park (food bank

donations)

Next Membership Meeting:

Next meeting is January 18th @

Northside Twigs

No meeting November or December

Happy Holidays!

Oct., Nov. & Dec. Calendar 2011Oct., Nov. & Dec. Calendar 2011Oct., Nov. & Dec. Calendar 2011Oct., Nov. & Dec. Calendar 2011