It hardly seems that the off season exists these days with still plenty of events and things to keep us busy though the 'non season'. With fun runs, adventure races, mountain biking or heading to the gym - there is still plenty of opportunity to keep moving and refreshing for that next season.

As we age it is important to keep moving - not so intensely during the off season but enough to keep the engine revving and turning over so we can pick up again once spring has arrived and give ourselves 10-12 weeks to prepare for the first few triathlons of the season. A maintenance program will keep you in touch without letting go and this may be a volume of 50% of your normal summer training / racing schedule with a few extra days off here and there as you see fit or when the body tells you. Our quote of the month leaves us with some food for though and hopefully wise words to keep you moving through these days with a little less sunshine. Train Smart Nick

"There's always somebody who wants your place. Someone coming up who's younger, stronger and hungrier. I stay nervous and hungry." – Lance Armstrong on staying motivated



Vancouver, Canada (June 7, 2008) - Close to 2000 age-group athletes began Saturday expecting to tackle a tough 1.5-kilometre swim, 40-kilometre bike and 10-kilometre run at the 2008 age-group world championships. But even before the first wave started, race officials shortened the swim to 1100 meters as the water temperature was measured at a cool 12.5 degrees Celsius.

First up were the Corporate Challenge teams who started bright at early at 6:30am. A number of local companies entered athletes in the individual and team relays events. Once the corporate teams were off, the men’s and women’s athletes with a disability (AWAD) took to the course.

The first age-group Olympic distance wave was the 18-19 women and 20-24 women who raced into the chilly waters of English Bay. A few more age categories were started before the winds picked up, creating extremely choppy conditions. Race organizers, technical delegates for the event, and in consultation with the event medical director, made the decision to cancel the swim portion for the remaining waves. The safety of the athletes is paramount and race officials were not willing to compromise the health and well-being of the athletes.

The final age-group wave to enter the water was the 45-49 women and 50-54 women. Every wave after that was turned into a duathlon consisting of a 3-kilometre run, 40-kilometre bike and 10-kilometre run. The affected waves were all women over 55 and all men.

In all, 672 athletes entered the water while the remaining 1030 completed the Duathlon. As of now, there are no announced changes to tomorrow’s under23 and elite races. If there are any changes to the race distance, they will be race day decisions. As this is a world championship and the final event with Olympic qualifying points at stake, organizers will endeavour to keep the elite race unchanged. However, the safety of the athletes is critical and will not be undermined. Cold weather has been the story of the event since racing began on Thursday morning. A number of hypothermia cases were reported yesterday and extra medical facilities were put in place yesterday in anticipation for this weekend’s race.

Click here for unofficial results
http://static.sportresult.com/sports/triathlon/

We had 4 MSC athletes line up over the weekend. All finished in what were obviously very trying conditions and from al reports the coldest water for an international event for quite some time. Well done guy's!

Sprint
Peter Hodson (45-49) 1.20.11 - 7th

Olympic Distance
Jess Fleming (30-34) 2.11.45 - 16th
Kim Fabian (35-39) 2.18.33 - 24th
Sue Stevenson (55-59) 2.56.13 - 47th

Byron Bay Triathlon (NSW) May 10
David Chick (swim squad) 1.59.37 - second 35-39
Paul Dwyer 2.10.50
Jess Fleming 2.14.15 first 30-34
Neil MacPhee 2.21.44
Sue Stevenson 2.58.43

Alice Spring MTB 5 day stage race 19-23 May
Naomi Hansen - second overall female

Boonah 65km MTB - June 1
Dan O'Rourke 3.15

Munich Tri 1.5/40/10 - June 1
Marcus Muller 2.22

Mt Perry MTB Marathon
Niaomi Hansen - 1st

Ironman Japan - June 22
Matty O'Neill

Ironman Germany July 6
Marcus Muller

Ironman Switzerland July 13
Peter Seldon

Core training seems to be the latest buzz in training. But what is the “core” and what is beneficial about training it? If you ask different experts, you might get a few different views on which muscles make up the core. Basically, if you look at the human body, you will notice an area of the torso that has little or no skeletal support. We must rely on our muscles to support this area.

The anterior, or front muscles, need to work simultaneously with the posterior, or lower, back muscles. The human body has three layers of abdominal muscles: the transverse abdominals, which support the torso like a wide band; the internal and external obliques, which support the torso during all movements involving little or not rotation; and the rectus abdominus, otherwise known as the “six pack,” which supports the torso during movement.

The posteriors consist of a group of muscles that run along the spine, the erector spinae. There are also deep muscles called the multifidi and superficial muscles called the quadratus lumborum, which also support our bodies during movement. You can feel the multifidi contract by placing your hand on the sides of your lower back as you contract your abdominal muscles. Your gluteus maximus and hip flexor muscles support your pelvis during movement. The pelvic bone is attached to the sacrum, which is the lower portion of the spine.

Strong core muscles will not only decrease your risk of injury and pain—they are the foundation for all movement. This is especially important for triathletes. Swimming, biking and running are performed in a forward motion. The body does not move in one plane (saggital) of movement during all three sports; the spine and pelvis are constantly rotating. Triathlon requires repetitive movement with speed. Therefore, the core muscles are constantly contracting to support the physical demands of the sport. Because the sports differ in the type of movement (stroke, kicking and circular), it is important that the core muscles provide a strong base for power.

Traditionally, the most common exercise is the abdominal curl-up. The downside of doing the curl-up is that the body does not move in this manner when swimming, biking, or running, or during any activities of daily living (ADLs). This exercise only engages the abdominal muscles. Even though this exercise will strengthen the abdominal muscles, it does not strengthen the back muscles. A common misconception is that, if the abdominal muscles are strong, the lower back will be supported—this is incorrect!

The most effective exercises for core muscles are those that involve more than one joint (multi-joint) and muscle or muscle group. Lunges in all directions (diagonal, front, back, curtsy), reverse wood chop, figure eight, one-legged squats (add reaches and rotation), standing cable rows (straight and bent arms), overhead cable triceps extensions, front/side planks (add hip extension or alternating straight leg raises), bridges (add one leg and marching), walking push-ups, and dips should be added to your training. Adding the arms or legs during the movements will challenge the core muscles even more.