1. October 2008
Register now for the
first annual Tri Fusion
Oktoberfest 5K cross
country run! Form
attached on back.
Looking Oktoberfest
RR: Age Hydration &
Ahead: 5K
Group Nat’ls, Exercise, P1
Part 2, Registration
pages 2-3 page 5 page 9
page 7
Important Two BoD,
Announce- Fabulous Sponsors,
ments,
Recipes, Calendar,
page 4
page 6 page 8
Tapering is important in the final preparation for one-
Rest Up For Optimal One-Day Performances day races. The concept is that reducing the training load allows
By Chris Carmichael for more rest and recovery in the days before a big event. This
gives an athlete more energy for the big event and hence a
With the end of the Tour de France only two weeks before the better chance to perform at his or her best.
road race at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, many people
asked me about the difficulties some cyclists faced in going During the tapering process, which lasts one to two weeks for an
from one event to the other. Is two weeks enough time for Tour athlete preparing for a one-day event, training duration usually
de France cyclists to recover and rebound in order to perform decreases while intensity increases. Shorter rides with short
at their best in a hard one-day event like the Olympic road (1-3 minutes) high-intensity efforts develop the ability to meet
race? The question boiled down to the issue of tapering. racing demands with out exhausting the rider before the event.
For the one-day racer, like athletes in the Olympics, it’s
On the positive side, the Tour de France was a three-week, important to include efforts at or above race intensity in the
3650 km training block that could not be replicated by any rider two weeks prior to competition.
who wasn’t in the race. On the negative side, if an athlete was
exhausted from the Tour, two weeks is not a lot of time to Athletes need to be exposed to the speed and acute intensity of
recover and return to top form. For optimal performance in one- racing, but not the overall energy expenditure. Speed work,
day events – and this goes for Olympians or amateur athletes consisting of short, high-intensity training sessions, prevents
anywhere – being fresh and well rested is the most important high-end systems from detraining without causing excessive
thing you can do. fatigue.
Starting from about 10 days out from your goal event, your Being fresh is so important for one-day competitions like many
fitness is as good as it’s going to get. The only things you can Olympic events because there is no reason to save anything for
really control are fatigue, hydration and nutrition. Assuming the next day. Athletes need to be prepared to pour on the
you’re doing all the right things from a hydration and nutrition power and, depending on the sport, compete above lactate
standpoint, the area that trips up many athletes is fatigue. threshold repeatedly and for long periods of time. Take a cue
Insecure athletes make the mistake of thinking they can from the athletes who recently won gold medals in Beijing, trust
squeeze in one more workout or test themselves in workouts the fitness you have as your goal event approaches and turn
that are supposed to be easy and end up tired on race day. your focus to tapering so you arrive on the start line as fresh as
possible.
[1]

2. Race Review: A Spectator’s P.O.V.: After returning back to the
Age Group Nationals condo that evening, we headed to
by Jessi Thompson Red Robin for dinner. We went
to bed relatively early that night
“I have studied the flight patterns of after a couple quick stops at a
flies. They fly up and back so when you Performance Bike Shop across
go to kill them, you have to clap your the street as well as a cool local
hands about an inch and half behind the bike shop called the Bike Gallery.
fly and an inch and a half above it.” –
Roger Thompson on in the car on the With alarms sounding at 5 am,
way to Oregon for USAT National the gang was up and going trying
Championships. All of a sudden, Ken to get gear together, loading up
Collins looks to the back of the the car, making our lists and
Excursion with a perplexed look and is checking them twice. With a
not so sure that his golden shotgun seat We headed out to the race site and the disappointing trip through the
is quite as lucrative. boys began to get their bikes ready to Starbucks drive thru (actually the
ride one loop of the course. The girls worst service we’ve ever had at
Laughter erupts from the back seat. headed out for a walk along the lake Starbucks – I actually yelled out the
Ken’s initiation to the triathlon road trip trails and were quickly intrigued with all window from the back seat, “Is this
begins. the plump blackberries everywhere. Starbucks?”), we headed to the race
Filling our water bottles full of berries, site in the dark.
Although the start of the trip was a we headed back as Emma decided that
little rough with a missed turn to instead of sharing the berries, she Due to the location and nature of the
Ritzville, detour because of a closed would sell the bottles back to her dad site, parking was 4 miles away with
bridge, and an arrival to our homestay for $2 a bottle (our little shuttles taking you to the race site.
about 2 hours later than anticipated, entrepreneur). Her Dad was happy to This is definitely not my favorite set-
our luck turned around quickly as we oblige and gulped down the berries upon up, especially with a 5-year-old
arrived into Beaverton, OR. Grant our return. cheerleader in our midst, but we loaded
Folske, co-founder of Ironheads up our backpacks and tried to make the
Triathlon club, out of the Portland area, Shortly thereafter, Natalie and I took best of it. Although the lines were long,
greeted us enthusiastically as he turned off for a run along the lake trails. Due they seemed to move quickly and we
over the keys to his studly bachelor to the muddy bogs we encountered, we were on our way.
condominium and headed to stay with quickly headed up to the main road and
his girlfriend for the weekend. We had the chance to run the run course We got to the transition area and began
were all overwhelmed with the for the race. Even though a new run to take pictures of the set-up. Greg
generosity of the homestay offer course is totally entertaining, we was missing as he was off trying to find
extended to all the Tri Fusion members couldn’t help but bemoan the fact that the doctor for an adjustment (again),
from the Ironheads Triathlon Club, and the guys would be running a tough Ken was setting up his gear, and Roger
were thrilled to have such a nice place course the following day with lots of was chatting with people… shocker. All
to stay that would also accommodate hills. of a sudden, our normal pre-race routine
our crew (Thompsons, Gallaghers, and turns to panic as they are clearing out
Ken Collins). The guys checked their bikes in, visited the transition area for the first waves
the expo where Ken and Greg proceeded coming in. Greg is being kicked out of
After sleeping in a little later than to spend a ridiculous amount of time the transition area with threats of time
normal, we headed to Starbucks to trying to score gimmicks, stickers, loot, penalties as he’s scrambling to set-up.
fulfill the morning latte ritual as well as and anything else that someone was Ken grabs the pump, I jump the fence,
indulge in a Starbucks that has those giving away for free. Greg found the and we proceed to pump up his disc tire.
awesome egg muffins. Side note: Why USA Triathlon team doctor at the expo After running out of transition, Greg
is it that the Starbucks in Spokane and was thrilled to get adjusted and notices that he didn’t put his sunglasses
doesn’t have these awesome breakfast some relief for his aching back. They or visor in his transition area. Luckily,
sandwiches? Lame. Really lame. made some of the final preparations for we find a volunteer to help out and place
the upcoming race and we were off. his last items in transition.
[2]

3. Age Group Nat’ls (cont’d) Although, the exact details of the race Finally it was Roger’s turn, and all of the
are the boys’ stories to tell, I will say frustrations for such a long ceremony
Where is Roger? This is where Ken that they all had phenomenal races and faded away as I took a picture of him up
proceeds to tell me that Roger forgot looked strong throughout. They made us on the podium. He’s worked hard to be
his bike shoes back in the car. Not proud! We ran all over trying to get the here. So hard. I’m beyond proud of him
usually a huge deal, but when everything great shots (including jumping fences) and thrilled that his race came together
is miles away, your start time is in less and did our best to pump them in nearly every way. It
than an hour and you’re waiting on school up with our cheers…trying to was quite the roller
bus shuttles… this is ‘Iron Fan’ it the best we coaster of emotion
obviously very could. We also did a lot going from near vomit
stressful. After what of cheering for the in the morning (I get so
seems like days, we Ironheads and Timex nervous for him) to big
finally get a text that team members who we cheesy grin that night
says Roger has his really enjoyed getting to watching them put the
shoes and is on the know over the weekend. medal around his neck.
shuttle heading back. Really great people. Very proud wife.
Although Natalie and I
had our distraction Heading back to the
plan in place to get car, we realized that
those shoes in the heading back to
transition area (think Spokane would mean arriving at about 3
summer Olympics in am. So, we called Grant to see if he
2004, crazy naked Irish would consider hosting us for one more
guy during the marathon), we were once night. He graciously agreed and we
again saved by the amazing volunteer headed back to shower, have a beer, and
who agreed to put Roger’s shoes in his head out for some amazing Thai food.
transition for him since athletes were no
longer allowed to enter. We retired after midnight and awoke to
pack the rig. We planned to grab more
As Roger headed back to the transition Starbucks and quickly get on the road so
area from the shuttle, he had on his tri that hopefully Ken’s wife would still be
suit, ½ of his wetsuit, swim cap, and After speaking to him by the time we got
goggles (Can you imagine the looks of the race, we headed to get some real home.
the faces of the fellow shuttle riders as food before heading back to watch the
Roger is stripping down in the middle of men pro race and the awards ceremony. At Starbucks, we ignore more horrible
the bus?). The men’s race wasn’t quite as exciting service, and take a minute to reflect on
as I thought it might be, but it was neat the great time together while we’re
Time to focus. Time to go. All the guys to see Matt Reed out there dominating waiting over 10 minutes for our drinks.
head down to the dock and, thankfully the race. Lots of laughs, jokes, stories, history,
for the spectators, are in the same and really fun people made this trip one
heat. I grab onto Roger’s hand and try Now I think awards ceremonies can be we’ll not soon forget.
to come up with something meaningful in painless or painful, depending on how
the midst of the total chaos that has they’re run. This one was the latter. Just before it’s time to leave Starbucks,
just happened. The only thing that Don’t get me wrong, we were proud of Roger kills a fly upon its take-off and
comes to mind, ironically, is something Roger and glad to be there to support sets it in front of Ken like a little love
that Roger told me. “True champions him, but it was LONG when awards go 10 offering. I laughed so hard, my vanilla
rise to the top in the midst of deep in every age group and they are protein latte (that was supposed to be
challenges.” I look him in the eye, tell giving away awards for fastest/slowest non-fat) almost came out my nose.
him he is a true champion and we send splits, fastest states, CEO challenge,
him off with kisses from his girls. who has the biggest feet, etc. Okay,
there really wasn’t an award for the
biggest feet, but I swear they gave an
award for everything else.
[3]

4. SAVE THE DATES!!!
Don’t Miss Out on Some Family Fun!
We are planning our second annual
Greenbluff Family Day=>
• Where to meet: Starbucks on
Hawthorne & Nevada
• When: Sunday, October 19th
@ 2:00 p.m. OUR FIRST ANNUAL 5 K
• What to bring: Your family & some
money for the corn maze, yummy WHAT: TRI FUSION OKTOBERFEST 5K X-C
treats, pumpkin picking & whatever DATE: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25th, 2008
your heart desires! WHEN: 1:00 PM
WHERE: MEAD HIGH SCHOOL X-C COURSE
COST: $10, INCLUDES SHIRT
COME JOIN THE FUN FOR A GREAT RACE
OR FUN RUN, FOOD AND AWARDS!
REGISTRATION FORM ATTACHED
End of
Season Party!
When: Friday,
November 21, 2008
Where: Spokane Country Club @
2010 W. Waikiki Road
Time: 7:00 p.m.
✌ Tickets are now on sale,
at the October
Tri Fusion meeting!
Questions? e-mail Trish at
TCudney@mead.k12.wa.us
[4]

5. Hydration and Exercise: Part 1
by Joe Friel (from his blog)
Until recently, relatively small losses of body weight due to dehydration during exercise were thought to be
detrimental to athletic performance. The threshold for drops in performance related to dehydration has
long been considered to be around 2% of body weight [1]. So a 150-pound man who lost 3 pounds or a 125-
pound woman who dropped 2.5 pounds during exercise were expected to slow down as a result. In 1996 the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) went a step further suggesting that the loss of any body
weight due to dehydration could potentially result in poor performance or even health issues [2]. Their
position stand was that an athlete should drink enough to replace all water lost through sweating and that
this would likely be in the range of 18 to 36 ounces (600-1200mL) of fluid per hour. Last year the ACSM
officially changed their stand by adopting the more common 2% of body weight as the upper end of what an
athlete should lose due to dehydration [3]. This time they stopped short of making recommendations on how
much to consume.
Two-percent is still too low according to Tim Noakes, PhD, a South African exercise physiologist who has led
the fight to get the ACSM and other sports organizations to relax their standards on drinking during
exercise [4]. Why would Noakes want us to drink less during racing and training? The reason is something
called “hyponatremia” – the dilution of the body’s stores of sodium. Athletes who were encouraged to
replace all fluids lost while exercising as per the 1996 ACSM position stand put themselves at risk for this
condition which is worse than the dehydration they were trying to prevent, according to Noakes [5]. And he
believes that 2% still encourages excessive drinking and encourages risk.
By over-hydrating while exercising, sodium concentrations drop and put you at risk for hyponatremia. Some
early signs of hyponatremia are bloating around elastic bands in socks and the waistbands of shorts,
disorientation, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, lethargy, confusion, reduced coordination and tunnel vision.
In recent years there have been deaths in back-of-the-pack runners related to hyponatremia. Drinking an
excessive amount of water for several hours during exercise (4 hours is considered the danger threshold)
increases your risk. One study of Ironman-distance triathletes going way back to 1987 found that as few as
8% and as many as 30% of the race finishers experienced mild to severe hyponatremia [6].
It’s generally accepted that elite athletes have a lower risk of hyponatremia but a higher risk of
dehydration since they are focused on performance and may take in less fluid than demanded by the body.
Slower athletes simply have more time to drink and may well believe it is in their best interests to consume
a lot of water. The mistaken notion that we should finish a workout or race with no loss of body weight
further increases the risk, especially in long events.
So what does all of this mean for your training and racing? How much should you drink during a race or
workout? What should you drink? How much weight loss due to dehydration is acceptable and can be well-
tolerated by the body? Should you drink extra amounts in the days and hours leading up to a race in hot
conditions so that you’re hyperhydrated? How do you gauge your level of dehydration following exercise and
then go about replacing lost fluid? Does age have any implications for hydration? I’ll address these questions
and what the research and my experience suggest are the answers in my next blog, A.K.A. = our next
newsletter!
[5]

6. Stuffed Zucchini
by Natalie Gallagher
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
3/4 yellow onion (chopped)
1 box flavored stuffing (chicken or mushroom)
1 TBSP minced garlic
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 large zucchini (cut in half lengthwise)
1 small can chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Brown ground turkey, add celery salt, garlic and onion. Cook until onion is tender. Add stuffing and chicken
broth and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out a small amount of
pulp down the center. Place zucchini in a greased 9 x 13 pan and add stuffing mixture. Cover and bake on 350
degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover after 30 minutes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake until cheese is
light brown and melty on top!
*****************************************************************************************
Spicy Almond Recipe
by Jessi Thompson
One of the greatest things about nuts is that they are easy to transport, but sometimes, well, they’re just a
little boring. Spice up your next snack mix with this spicy recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of whole almonds, shelled
1 tbsp sea salt
Directions:
In a non-stick skillet heat the olive oil and spices over low heat for 3 or so minutes. Place the nuts in a bowl
and pour oil mixture over the top, toss and stir. Then, spread nuts into a single layer on a non-stick baking
sheet and pop in a oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, shaking the tray about every 5 minutes to cook evenly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool two hours. Store in an airtight container.
[6]

7. LOOKING AHEAD: Part 2
Planning Your Ironman Year
LifeSport Coaching has some tips on race specific training.
Published Thursday, September 4, 2008
Your race specific training for an Ironman has to reflect the distance that you
will be covering on race day as well as the intensity that you will be racing at.
Getting used to moving at race intensity
Remember that your ability to process fuel decreases as the intensity of your
effort increases. As your chances of having a successful day are very much
dependent on your ability to refuel on the move, this is one of your key
success factors.
As well as learning to move at race intensity in all three disciplines, you need to be able to rehearse other vital aspects of
your race, like being able to eat the appropriate amounts at the appropriate times and to monitor your intensity
Race specific preparation goes beyond just physical training, though. There are a number of activities that need to be
addressed in the race preparation phase of your training.
Race Plans
You should spend time making a race plan – what are you going to do in the week, day, hours before your race. For the race
itself, what are you going to eat? When are you going to eat? What heart rate or wattage are you going to race at and
what will you pack in your special needs bag, if anything?
You should make a written plan for all of the above. Your plan will change, especially on race day, but a plan that changes is
better than none
As most courses are multi-loop, it’s quite simple to divide the race into sections. Breaking your day up like this makes it a
little bit easier to work through – for example, a one hour swim, followed by three 2-hour bike rides, four 6-mile runs and
a two-and-a-quarter mile run sounds a little easier than an Ironman, doesn’t it?
You also need to take account of mental preparation such as visualization. You can profitably spend time visualizing how you
want to feel on race day, how the swim is going to go, how you are going to feel on the bike at various stages, how you are
going to cope with the inevitable tough sections on the run. By developing your visualization and coping strategies your
whole day will be much successful.
To help you pull all the threads together, you may want to consider hiring a qualified and experienced coach. A coach can
help take a lot of the headache out of your preparations and allow you to train and race stress free!
[7]

8. The Board of Directors, Sponsors
and The Calendar of Upcoming Events...
Board of Directors We would like to extend a
• Steve Anderson - Membership Director generous thank you to our
• Tiffany Byrd - Uniform Director truly amazing sponsors!
• Phaedra Cote - Kids Club Director
• Trish Cudney - Social Director
• Greg Gallagher - Event Director
• Natalie Gallagher - Newsletter Director
• Ben Greenfield - Website Director
• Mark Hodgson - Mentor Director
• Jim Powers - Vice President
• Tim Swanson - Treasurer
• Jessi Thompson - Secretary
• Roger Thompson - President
Oct./Nov. Calendar
Races/Runs: Upcoming Events:
Training Opportunities: • Oct. 18th: INW Cyclocross Series Family Social:
begins, Liberty Lake, WA
Mon-Wed-Fri @ 8:30- pm, Sat @
10 Sunday, October 19th: Greenbluff
5:30- am: Masters Swim at
7 • Oct. 19th: 5K cross country run at 7- Family Day at Siemer’s Farm,
Whitworth College, e-mail Mile, WA meet at Nevada & Hawthorne
kevinwang@spokanewaves.org. • Oct. 25th: Tri Fusion Oktoberfest 5K Starbucks at 2:00 pm.
@ Mead High School @ 1 pm at
Spokane, WA Next Membership Meeting:
Thursday evenings: Headlamp Run is
back at the Gallagher’s (619 E. Huron • Oct. 26th: INW Cyclocross Series at November 19th, 2008 @ 6:30 p.m.:
Drive) at 6:30! Watch the Tri Forum for Rooks Park in Walla Walla, WA General membership meeting at
details! • Nov. 2nd: Qualchan Cross Country location TBA.
Race, distance TBD, meet a High Drive
Sat. and/or Sun. @ time TBA: Probable • Nov. 8th: Ironman 70.3 WORLD
outside bike ride meeting location & CHAMPIONSHIPS at Clearwater, FL November 21 @ 7:00 pm at
time posted weekly on the Tri-Forum. • Nov. 15th: INW Cross Country Spokane Country Club: Tri Fusion
Championships at Plants Ferry Park, End of Season Partay!!!
Spokane Valley, WA
[8]