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TRIATHLON AND MULTISPORT NEWS - APRIL 2009

NEXT SEASONS PREPARATION STARTS NOW

The last races have been run or just about to so for most athletes living downunder the season is pretty well wrapped up. Plan to have some down time and active recovery between seasons. This months article looks at how to use 'between seasons' time to your advantage. If the season has been a long one then the mind and body need that down time to recover and it is also a good time to reflect on the season past and start your planning for 2010. The MSC site has had some additional content posted recently with swim stretchs added to the training tips page along with a few more articles in the beginners pages. For any specific questions you may have feel free to email me.

Train smart to race well
Nick Croft
nick@multisportconsultants.com

Nick Croft's Triathlon Blog

SEASON WRAP UP

A great few last weeks to the season for MSC athletes. The Challenge Series was well attended and athletes were at all last three events in Sydney, Perth and Geelong. Mooloolaba and Ironman Australia were also taken in with squad members at both events going around. Some great results also for one of our overseas athletes taking out her category in a race in the USA.

HEALTH & WELL BEING (part 2)

Below we start some monthly tips that will assist in putting the right nutrition into your body. Last month was the first tip this month the next two are included.

TWELVE STEPS TO HEALTHIER EATING

2. FRESH IS BEST
Fresh, organic fruits and vegetables are the basis of a healthy diet. Once picked, fruits and vegetables start to decay and vitamins and enzymes are destroyed. B-vitamins, vitamin C and bioflavonoids are lost in storage and cooking. Steaming is the healthiest form of cooking, retaining most antioxidants compared with boiling or microwave. A study in 2003 showed that boiling caused a loss of 74% of the antioxidant compounds in broccoli and microwaved broccoli lost 97%. Vitamin C is lost when exposed to air and when heated, so fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C are best eaten whole, not cut, stored or cooked. If juicing fruit, drink it immediately. Use dried fruit occasionally but only when cooked or soaked in water.

Have fresh vegetables at two meals daily; either two salads, or one salad and some steamed vegetables. Create rainbow salads with a variety of vegetables and sprouts as there are different beneficial nutrients in different coloured vegetables. For dressings try orange juice, almond cream, yoghurt and tahini, pumpkin seed oil or walnut oil.

3. DRINK MORE WATER
From back pain, fatigue, arthritis and headaches to indigestion, high blood pressure, colitis and constipation, drinking more water can relieve many ailments and prevent the need for medication. Drink more water and you will have more energy and think more clearly. Use water in preference to any other drink especially cordial, soft drinks, coffee, tea and alcohol. Most people need a minimum of two litres of water daily. Studies show many people mistake thirst for hunger, so drink water first, then think about food later. Natural spring water is best but storage in plastic (especially when exposed to heat) is not healthy. If you only have tap water, use a filter to remove chlorine and other health hazards, and change filters frequently. If you must drink alcohol, have a glass of good red wine two or three times a week. Avoid cask wine and binge drinking. Fresh vegetable juices are good but do not substitute them for whole, fresh vegetables. Have a little diluted fresh fruit juice sometimes, but avoid bottled juices and poppers. It is better to eat the whole fruit and drink water.

UP-COMING EVENTS

- Gatorade QLD Series Raby Bay, Brisbane - April 19
- Ironman China - April 19
- Byron Bay Triathlon - May 9
- Noosa Blue Water Swim May 17
- Kona Half Ironman May 31
- Noosa Triathlon Club Winter Series - June / July / August

OFF SEASON GUIDE
By MSC Head Coach Nick Croft

The off season is here (for Australian athletes) and even though a few will be lining up for end of season events such as Byron Bay most will have done a solid season of racing and training and it’s now time for some active recovery.

It’s always a good time to reflect on the season past and list areas you feel you need to improve, Next season goals, work towards improving weaknesses, changing poor technique/s or injury problems. Make a list of everything you feel you need to address and start to tick them off one by one over the next few weeks. Everyone is different and has done different events, training workloads and lifestyles differ too, so you need to determine what is your definition of - active recovery?

Ideally it would be a period of up to 4-6 weeks of ticking over a few runs or bikes (MTB) or (swims if that is a standout weakness). All sessions can be aerobic and make as social as you want. As we get older it’s more common to get injured if we stop completely and we also know how hard it can be to get going again once we have too much time of complete rest – especially once we get into the colder months.

There is plenty of running events on the horizon and quite a few change the focus to emphasize running over the next few months which if fine but don’t forget the benefits of cross training by doing 1 or 2 bikes and a swim or 2 along the way. Most top runners these days do ride a few times a week indoors or out to assist recovery and help work on leg cadence by spinning easy gears on the bike.

The off season is a good time to also add things like a strength program or flexibility sessions such as yoga to the mix as a way of changing the focus and improving core stability or help correct imbalances you may have picked up over time. Above all else though I feel it’s important to make any of these activities part of your lifestyle and keep up a year round regime that sees you change the variety around a bit to keep motivated and progressing. Set those short, medium and long-term goals and chisel away at them progressively.

Choosing Running Shoes for you

Basically, two things determine the kind of running shoe you should buy: your foot mechanics and your arch height. Foot mechanics dictate which direction your foot rolls as it strikes the ground. If it rolls inward, you "overpronate." If it rolls to the outside, you "supinate." If you have little to no roll, you're a "neutral pronater."

The kind of arch you have also gives some indication of how you pronate. Based on your foot mechanics and arch height, you'll need a shoe with a certain type of "last" or curvature. In general those with:

- High arches tend to have rigid feet, which leads to supination; a curved last shoe with cushioning is best to help promote flexibility.
- Low arches overpronate, so a straight last shoe that provides stability and motion control is ideal.
- Normal arches gravitate toward semi-curved last shoes with moderate control features.

Find more useful training tips at www.multisportconsultants.com/training-tips.php

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