This document provides tips and advice for athletes from experienced multi-sport athletes. It includes 5 tips on various topics like proper running form, the importance of rest days, hamstring stretches, chocolate milk as a recovery drink, and how high intensity interval training can substitute for a long workout. It also profiles a member, provides classified ads, and outlines the club's upcoming events and workouts for the month.

1. FOURTH EDITION FEBRUARY 2007
T Tips: Here’s the Beef
ri
As spring approaches and training intensifies, it 4.Did you know? Low-fat or skim
seems we could all reap the benefits of some expert advice chocolate milk may be a good recovery
from seasoned multi-sport athletes, so enjoy! drink! It has the right mix of carbs and
protein to refuel spent muscles, says
1. The benefits of running with proper form include injury
Indiana University Research Team. Drink one
prevention, increased enjoyment from running, and to two 8-ounce servings within an hour after a
using less energy to run. Some proper form
tough workout.
components include:
5.Not enough time for your long run or ride? Not to
• Upper body=> stay as tall as you can, avoid worry, a short speed workout may work in a pinch
scrunching or hunching over; pretend somone is
occasionally. In a recent Canadian study, sixteen
leading you along with a string tied to your belly subjects were divided into two groups: a sprint group,
button. This will help you lead with your hips for
performing 30-second intervals of all-out-sprints; or
proper form.
an endurance group, cycling continuously for sessions
of 90 to 120 minutes. Total workout time over the two
• Stride length=> take shorter steps more frequently
week period was 2.5 hours for the sprinters and 10.5
2. It doesn’t matter if the competition is against yourself hours for the endurance riders. Both groups showed
or for a spot on the podium, the training principles of similar performance gains in post-sprint and endurance
elite athletes can apply to you too. For example, take
time trials. Bottom line: mix it up with high-intensity
rest days seriously so that when you have a challenging short stints and long steady efforts for best results.
workout you can push yourself to go fast and hard.
3. Tight hamstrings are common among athletes,
particularly runners and cyclists. To loosen up, try the FEATURES:
following after a workout: lie on your back and bend * Up Close with a Member ................. page 2
your left knee. Loop a towel or elastic band around
* Classified Ads ................... ............. page 2
the bottom of your foot. Raise and straighten your leg
until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Be careful * Breathing & Relaxation Drills.. pages 3 & 4
not to overstretch. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Release * Member Info, Calendar, Sponsors.. page 5
and repeat with your right leg.
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2. FOURTH EDITION FEBRUARY 2007
UP CLOSE WITH KIM ELLIS
BY NATALIE GALLAGHER
Age: 39 turned 40. So lit the sparks for Kim’s health quest that
Years Competing: 1 motivated her to join Weight Watchers and begin training for
triathlons last year.
Occupation: Corporate Travel Agent
When I asked Kim for some personal commentary about
Goal Races for this Season: Medical Lake T railblazer
multisports, she said she likes triathlons because she believes
Sprint, Medical Lake Kiwanis Sprint, Valley Girl Triathlon, and
the sprint distance is something a real person can do. “What I
Colbert Half-Marathon.
love about the short distance is that you don’t have to be a
Among friends and teammates, Kim is most famed for her “mega-athlete” to do it, regular people can complete sprints.”
successful journey toward a more healthy and fit lifestyle.
This doesn’t mean Kim is a regular person, evident by how
Since January of 2006, Kim has joined Weight Watchers,
she thinks about every athlete in the big picture and sees
trained for and completed two sprint distance triathlons, one
potential success for the beginner or meek athletes among
half marathon, joined T Fusion to serve as treasurer, and she
ri
seasoned and confident triathletes alike. Whoever you are -
was most recently chosen for sponsorship with T eam
Kim hopes you keep with it, it will only help your level of health
Wickedfast. Yes, all of her accomplishments in the past year
and fitness, and she should know.
are amazing and awe-inspiring! Add to all that the fact that
Kim and her husband, Mike have lost a combined total of 125
pounds and countless inches since last January. One more
thing... Kim Ellis is one of the most genuine people you’ll meet.
Over 15 years ago, Kim volunteerd at the sprint distance
Wildflower Triathlon in California where her boss was racing,
the first triathlon that Kim had ever watched. While handing
out water at the run portion of the triathlon, Kim felt uplifted
just witnessing athletes finish a race that they had obviously
trained hard to complete.
T years later, when Kim was 34 years old, she decided
en
that she wanted to become fit and healthy enough to
complete her own sprint distance triathlon by the time she
Classified Advertisements
Wanted:
• Shimano 9 speed Ultegra Crankset: • T Bike: size 48 with 650cc wheels.
ri
cranks FC-6500, 172.5 length, 53/39 Contact Lorie at
For Sale: for $50. Contact Kathi Best at lorie@colvilletravel.com.
kathibest@comcast.net.
•2004 Bianchi Veloce 20
spd. Road Bike: size 55, • • HR/GPS Monitor: Do you have a
carbon fork & seat post, • 2006 T1 DeSoto First Wave Wetsuit: used Heart Rate Monitor or Heart
Campagnolo Veloce Compo- top is a size 6 & bottom is a size 5, fits Rate Monitor/GPS? Please contact
nents & 12/25T cassette, 1,000 Ben Greenfield who is 6’2”, worn to 7 Ben at 208-883-7705 or
miles, like new cond., retailed for races + training sessions, retails for elite@pacificfit.net.
$1699, asking $1,000 OBO. Call Na- $460, selling for $275, OBO. Call Ben
talie at 768-4243. at 208-883-7705, or e-mail
• Womens triathlon training apparel/
elite@pacificfit.net. ,sizing chart can be gear donations for women sizes S-XL.
found @ www.t1wetsuits.com/size.html. Please contact Jessi Thompson at
jthompson@mead.k12.wa.us.
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3. FOURTH EDITION FEBRUARY 2007
Breathing and Relaxation Drills
by Ben Greenfield
OK, here’s Drill #1: 3-In-5-Out. If you're an endurance * Exhale (remember the diaphragmatic breathing). Bend
athlete who struggles with a heart rate spiking problem, your knees slightly, bringing your palms to the floor alongside
begin to incorporate this drill at least three different times your feet. T uck your head into your knees. Inhale. While main-
during the day (i.e. on the elevator, in the shower, before taining this position, raise your head, look up and lift your
your run). As you breathe, attempt to "hear" your breath. chest.
It should almost sound like a roaring ocean. * Exhale. Walk your legs back until your body is straight like
* Imagine your lungs as a tire around your entire body, sur- a plank. Drop down into a push-up position. If this is too diffi-
rounding the front, back and sides of your torso (in this case, cult to hold, you can drop into a modified knee push-up posi-
a spare tire is a good thing). tion.
* Utilizing the breathing pattern discussed above, draw in a * Inhale. Push your torso off the ground with your arms,
steady breath to the count of three. keep your legs and feet on the ground (tops of the feet
* Hold your breath for a three count, but try to stay as re- should be facing down) and raise your head, looking up at the
laxed as possible while holding your breath. Think of it as be- ceiling.
ing "suspended" in your body, and not "held". * Exhale. Adjust your feet so that your toes are on the
* Now, breathe out, deeply and slowly from the stomach, to ground and push the butt towards the ceiling into a capital
the count of five. letter A position, pushing the heels backwards and the palms
* Wait for a three count. forward.
* Repeat the entire pattern 3-5 times. * Bend knees, and step forward to the second position
listed above, then inhale and stand into the first position.
Drill #2: Leg Raises, just focus on completing it once at * Repeat this sequence three times before your next run.
some point during the day. I suggest completing it in the morn- Eventually work up to 6-8 repetitions.
ing as part of a stretching routine. Now, after learning the three key breathing drills,
* Lie down on a flat, somewhat solid surface (i.e., not a focus on utilizing the same pattern during your run. There is
bed). During the entire drill, try not to let your low back "arch" no magic breathing pattern that says you must breathe in
off the ground. This may require forcefully keeping the belly- once every two strides, or twice every one stride. Just breathe
button pressed down as naturally as possible, but be sure to utilize diaphragmatic
* While fully inhaling, slowly raise the right leg as close to 90 breathing. T put you in the proper breathing mood, it may be
o
degrees as possible. Attempt to inhale slowly enough to where necessary to precede your run with a 5-10 minute walk, in
you can continue to inhale for a count of three when the leg which you gradually increase speed while focusing on deep
reaches 90 degrees. and relaxed breathing from deep inside your stomach. Al-
* After the three count, fully exhale while slowly lowering the though I recommend continuing to breathe through your nose,
leg. it may be necessary to breathe through your mouth, depend-
* Repeat the exercise with your left leg. ing on your unique nasal and sinus profile.
* Now repeat the exercise with both legs. Remember that the problem is two-fold. Now that
* Complete this entire sequence 3-5 times. you've taken care of breathing, what about the upper body
tightness in the head, neck, shoulders, and jaw? The good
Drill #3: Runner's Salutations incorporates some of the news is that most of it will naturally diminish as a proper
core principles of Yoga. This is a perfect drill to do immedi- breathing pattern takes precedent. However, it may also be
ately prior to your long run as part of your warm-up. necessary to focus on the following relaxation drills, especially
* Stand with your feet together and your arms at your side. during your long run:
Take a deep breath. Bring arms up over your head with the
palms together. Tilt your head back, and look toward your
thumbs, pressing your hips slightly forward. Tighten your
thighs and buttocks. Do not arch your back.
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4. FOURTH EDITION FEBRUARY 2007
* The "Arm-Shake": Every 5 minutes, completely loosen the
Seem like too much information? It is quite a load.
shoulders, straighten the arms, and allow both arms to hang Gradually adopt these breathing and relaxing drills into your
and wobble at your sides for 30 seconds as you run monkey program over the course of several weeks, and it won’t feel like
style. such a drastic change. If you really want to see positive physi-
* The "Tongue-Press": After the Arm-Shake, press the cal changes, it will take profound mental commitment. But
tongue firmly against the roof of the mouth and hold it there once these habits become an integral part of your running
for 8-10 seconds. Then allow it to relax, and as you do so, feel program, you’ll be able to go on auto-pilot during those long
the tension released from your jaw and neck muscles. Focus runs and be confident that you won't stray into overexertion
on maintaining this relaxed jaw until your next Tongue-Press. or overtraining. At least until that killer hill at mile 9…
* The "Horizon-Glance": Pick a distant spot on the horizon
and gaze at it for 8-10 seconds. You should feel your posture
become more proud as the elastic recoil from the ground
pushes you forward.
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5. FOURTH EDITION FEBRUARY 2007
BOARD OF DIRECTORS A Genuine Thank You to all
of Our Generous Sponsors:
• Kathi Best - Social March Calendar
Director Social Events:
Sunday, March 18 @ 1 pm : Charity
• Kevin Best - Vice President lunch at Steelhead Bar & Grill.
• Kim Ellis - Treasurer Hammer Nutrition Training Opportunities:
• Greg Gallagher - Photographer North Spokane --
Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 5-6 am: Spin
• Natalie Gallagher - Newsletter
class @ OZ North.
Director
Wednesdays & Fridays @ 5:30-7 am:
• Ben Greenfield - Website Director Pool swim @ OZ North.
• Mark Hodgson - Team Event Thursday evenings @ 7 pm:
Director Headlamp Run @ KW-G house.
Saturdays @ 7:15 & 8:30 am: Double
• Sam Picicci - Uniform Director up your spin classes at OZ North
OR
• Jim Powers - Membership Director
5:30-10:30 am: BAT’s at Gallagher’s,
• Jessi Thompson - Secretary or Ward’s, or Thompson’s. Breakfast
follows, usually. OR outdoor ride!
• Roger Thompson - President
Sundays @7:00 am Mornings with
• Scott Ward - Marketing Director Martin structured swim workout at
OZ North and @ 8:45 am: Meet at
• Kirk Wood-Gaines - Mentor Hawthorne Starbucks for fellowship,
Director unstructured swim workout
follows@ OZ North @ 9:30 am.
Fitness Fanatics Night March 5, 12, & 19:Girls Gone Tri @
On Wednesday night, 6:30-8:30 pm @ Brentwood Library.
February 21st, T Fusion was treated
ri March 16 & 23: Metabolic Party @
4-6 pm @ Thompson’s=> 12009 N.
to an after-hours shopping spree at Riverwood Drive.
Fitness Fanatics! Members enjoyed a Liberty Lake --
wine bar and appetizers while owner, Mondays & Wednesdays: Spin class @
5:45-6:45 am @ Liberty Lake Athletic
Robin De Ruwe offered special Club.
discounts on all of the multi-sport Races:
merchandise in her store. March 3: Snake River 1/2 Marathon
March 11: St. Paddy’s Five Miler @
SCC
March 17: Hell’s Gate Du in
Lewiston, ID
March 30-31: Snake River Sprint
Triathlon in Lewiston, ID
March 31: California 1/2 Ironman in
Oceanside, CA
March 31: Wenatchee Valley Du in
A huge “Thank You!” to
Robin and her crew at Fitness
Fanatics for a truly fun and rewarding
evening!
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