Weekend Results 12/15

Rudolph's Revenge 10k

Steve U. 45:03
Mike N. 52:00
Susie W. 55:36
Jeff. S. 58:36 (PR)

full results at http://www.winterdistanceseries.com/index_files/page0004.htm

Reach New Heights..Change Your Mental Approach

Aristotle once said...

“we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I’ve been giving a lot of thought the past few weeks to the coaching profession. Technically this will be my third full year of coaching and although I’m pleased with the progress of Mile High Multisport, I have a greater vision of how I want to coach and develop the business. Each year during this time I ask myself Why do I coach?, What my coaching philosophy will be in the new year for each of my athletes, what areas of improvement I see for myself to become more knowledgeable, what I want to continue doing that worked well last season and what I need to do better in the upcoming year.

As an athlete, I also go through this process when it comes to setting my personal goals. As a youth I played baseball. I used to love the game and am saddened that I don’t see today’s youth out in the parks playing pick up games of ball anymore. I played at a competitive level and my father was “my coach”. It took me many years to realize that he was a very good coach as he taught me not only the fundamentals of the game but the mental aspect that goes along with athletics. One thing he used to always tell me was “see yourself making the play before it happens.” I would envision myself making the plays that the pros made. In short, I envisioned success before it happened.

Every night, my father would take me outside and “drill me”. Perhaps he would tell a different story, but I don’t recall ever saying “no” or “hang on dad, I need to just finish watching this show”. Although it was years ago, I can still remember the “drills” to this day. I wanted to be a baseball player when I grew up. I had a vision that I would play 2nd base for the Chicago Cubs one day. I wanted to be better than anyone else in my town and I worked very hard to accomplish my goal.

As triathletes, we need to take a look at how we mentally approach racing and training. I’m often dumb founded when an athlete tells me one week they have this lofty goal and the next week they tell me they are lacking motivation to go train. I believe that the goal itself should be enough motivation to want to train. As I evaluate my clients, and how I want to coach, I’ve been looking at the mental aspect of the sport and evaluating each one of my clients. Some clients require very little motivation while others require a lot.

The approach we take to mental preparation should be part of our goal setting process. Each of us should honestly assess this area. Do you require little motivation and give 100% effort to each of your workouts, or are you a “worrier” who often finds excuses to why something didn’t happen. Do you have a mantra that you bring to training and races that helps you keep you focused? If you aren’t sure which type of an athlete you are, ask someone whose opinion you value for an honest assessment. Keep in mind that you may not get the response you want to hear.

It is my belief that mental preparation should be a part of the goal setting process. Your physical ability will only take you so far, it is your mind which defines excellence. The same thing applies to your profession; your intellect will only take you to a certain point. How you interact with others and the mental preparation you take to your job separates mediocrity and excellence. If you have ever wondered about what separates the people on the podium from the people who participate, look no further than your mind. Mentally tough athletes have an inner strength, an inner focus and desire that others lack. They don’t MAKE EXCUSES or justifications on why things happened. The athletes who reach their goals work hard all the time. You don’t hear people on the podium state “they aren’t motivated” “it wasn’t gong to happen today", “I can’t”, “I couldn’t find time”, “I didn’t feel like getting up at 5:30”, I don’t like riding the trainer”; “I didn’t run outside because it snowed or it was cold”. The mind manifests what it hears. Instead of telling your mind what to not do, tell it what it will do. I’m confident you will find yourself working more efficiently.

I recently picked up a book entitled “Mind Gym, an athlete’s guide to inner excellence” by Gary Mack and David Casstevens. It is a short, yet powerful book which every athlete should read. In the book they state, “learn to use your mind or your mind will use you. Actions follow our thoughts and images. Don’t look where you don’t want to go”.

As you approach the New Year, make a commitment to be a mentally strong athlete in 2008. Rid your self of all the excuses. There is a huge benefit to the power of positive reinforcement and visualization. See the results from the minds eye. Champions win in their mind first. “See yourself making the play before it actually happens.”

Results 12/8/07

Major Taulman in the middle. Yesterdays race conditions were a far cry from Mogadishu Somalia

Congratulations to Major Clay Taulman on his completion of the Chilly Cheeks duathlon in less than ideal conditions.

Total Time: 1:09:20 (Ranked 22d out of 172)

Congratulations to Mike A. on his completion of the Charlotte Marathon in just under 5 hours.

Congratulations to Cody Hanson on his 1st place over all South Western Clydesdale Champion. He was awarded his trophy this weekend.

No Excuses- Be Consistent

Coach Pete 1989 Chicago Distance Classic

Some one asked me the other day what the key to success in participating in triathlon was. I immediately replied consistency. The beauty of starting this sport in the late 80's gives me a 20 year perspective in which to gauge my reply. It is very easy for me to review the past and seek a common theme with the years I've deemed successful. I also have the privilege of being married to someone who has raced for 5 years longer than I, and has had many successful seasons.

I'm all for efficiencies in life as long as you don't sacrifice quality. In comparison to a lot of our peers, Kathy and I have really succeeded on very few miles . Year after year we are consistent in our approach to the sport. I'm not sure if this is a product of the lifestyle we live or it is the way we are, we've never really disdcussed the topic. We've tried many different approaches over the years and yet I feel like we are behind the times when I read about the newest gadgets or technologies. (I will admit that the use of wattage with training on the bike has peeked my interest and I have been studying this diligently) I still believe that there is nothing more important than being consistent in your workouts each week. You can own a power tap, garmin, newton shoes, an endless pool and a $6K bike but it won't do you any good if you don't follow your workout plans each week.

As I review weekly training logs I hear a lot of "excuses" in why people don't complete workouts. I know this is a difficult time of year to get everything done. I will be the first to tell you to achieve balance in your life, especially during the holidays. However, I think there is always time for a little exercise every day. I can only think of 2 Thanksgivings in the last 23 years that I have not run (one was two years ago because of a back injury and the other was when I was in a walking cast) I've been told by my wife I'm black and white, I'm not an excuse guy. I hear her coach the kids all the time "don't try to explain to dad why you didn't do your chores, just say your sorry and go do them". I'd rather see someone write "I didn't get to it today" and then see them get back on track the next day. Perhaps it is the way that I'm wired but I've just always made the time to get things done. I've ran and swam while I traveled on business, I've woken up almost every day of my adult life at 5 a.m to get in my workouts (even after I went to work for myself), I've passed on drinks with the people at work on numerous occasions in the name of working out. I've rolled out of bed when I didn't want to more than I care to describe. I even completed an Ironman with a splint on my hand 9 weeks after having my tendons to my thumb reattached. I did these things because in my mind I wanted to accomplish something, and since my mind had a vision, I wanted to work hard to achieve my dream. I once had a boss tell me that if I put the same effort into my work that I put into my athletics I would be successful. I thought to myself, if you put half the effort into athletics that you put into this office you wouldn't be so fat. Obviously I don't work there anymore. The point is, you have to follow through on the commitments you make to yourself. Only you have control over your actions. You do so with actions not words. If you write down a goal that you want to take 30 minutes off your half ironman time in 2008, and you don't change anything about the way you approach your workouts, then you better pray for an overcast day and a huge tail wind.

When I began in the sport I had a goal each week to complete three sessions in each sport. Three bikes, three swims and three runs. My goal was to be consistent week in and week out. A very simple approach but one that yielded me some very good results. I kept a journal and would track my success based on my ability to accomplish all 9 workouts each week. I didn't take rest weeks, didn't taper, didn't peak for races. I would start training in March and end my season in August. I have since learned that the lack of calculated rests and periodization training caused me to crash at the end of August. I would rest and be ready to go again the next season. Today we have more scientific approaches to rest and rejuvenation and people can race longer into a season without side effects.

Today you will read a lot of articles regarding reverse periodization when you build speed early in training cycles and endurance later. When we began racing, we would race 5k's and duathlons in the spring, sprints in April/May, Olympic Distances in June/July and then end the season with a half ironman. We built speed early and then added endurance as we approached our longer races. As time moved on we added some different training philosophies and weighed the results based on previous experiences. We got away from the reverse periodization method but still had positive results and outcomes. There are many different paths to road of success but it begins with dedication, consistency and NO EXCUSES.

Weekend Update 11/30

Congratulations to Kathy on her Tucson Marathon finish in 4:05:30 seconds. She will be the first to tell you that she was disappointed with the outcome. When she returned home last evening she received a call from her father telling her that her Grandmother had passed away the night before the race. Our thoughts go out to the Purnell family during this time. Grandma Marie was 104.

Upcoming Race Weekend:

Steve U. and Clay T. race the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon

Cody races the Automic Man in NM

The Holiday Season:

The schedules get full during this time of year. If you are concerned about getting in your workouts it is best to get them finished in the morning. Do what you can at this time of year. The work we do now lays the foundation for our next race season. Ask yourself .. Is what I'm doing now important?"

Team Uniforms:

We are getting closer to the final design on our new team uniforms for 2008. More information to follow.

Weekend Workouts:

Thanks to those of you who have been showing up on the weekends. We are getting in some great base miles and the benefits are beginning to show. I would like to see some more participation on the weekend runs. Invite your friends and neighbors.

Weekly Update 11/26

Hawaii Ironman Viewing Ride:

In Lieu of the typical Saturday morning ride there will be an indoor ride on Saturday while we watch the Hawaii Ironman Broadcast. The show begins at 2:30 so please arrive early to get set up. Bring your own bike and trainer. RSVP so I know how many to plan for.

On behalf of the coaching staff at MHM I wanted to wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday season. We had our extended family in town this past weekend and celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas within 48 hours. For those of you looking to relieve Holiday stress, I highly recommend cramming both holidays into a 48 hour window. Actually, you can throw them all there and get them all out of the way. I propose Holiday week and you can pick which 7 you want to celebrate and get them ALL out of the way...................




Congratulations to....


Scott Binzer of Kentucky (Coach Pete), 10k Turkey Trot, 46.24 (10th age group, 90/720 overall) and Mike Nims, Castle Rock, Co (Coach Pete), 5k Turkey Trot 22.48.


Upcoming Races:


Coach Kathy heads to Tucson this weekend for the marathon.


Several of you are running the Rudolph's Revenge 10k at Chatfield on December 15th. If you have changed plans please let your coach know so your schedule can be changed.

Ross Hauser will run the Disney Land Half Marathon in January and Marion Hauser will run the full marathon.



2008 Race Schedules........



If you have not finalized your 2008 plans with your coach PLEASE do so immediately.



Welcome to...

Troy Green, Kansas City, Mo (Coach Steve). Troy is signed up for Ironman Cour D' Alene in June of 08.


Logging Your Workouts...........


Your coaches can not emphasize the importance of timely and proper documentation of your workouts. It is important for your coach to know how your body absorbed the workout, what your perceived exertion or average HR, and your general thoughts on the workout. This aides your coach in developing future workouts. A few of you are not logging workouts at all, others are just putting in the time worked out with no comments, distances etc. It is up to you what to put in, but you will find more personalized workouts if you provide more detail. Let your coach decide what is enough but at minimum, time, distance, effort, average heart rate if you used an HRM, how you felt during the workout, any residual soreness and if you liked the work out or not (not that it will make a difference).


Speaking of Workouts......

When we moved from Training Peaks to Workout Log I had to manually enter in all workouts. A few of you have pointed out some errors in the length of the workouts and in some of the directions. My apologies and please keep bringing these to my attention so I can clear up any confusion. One of our goals at MHM is clear/concise directions in all workouts. If you find a workout that does not make sense PLEASE write and ask for clarification.

Holidays.....

During this time of year, family should be number one on your priority list. When faced with the challenge of family or sport, do the right thing....... Put some emotional deposits in your families bank. I'm confident you will be making some withdrawals this summer. Enjoy the holidays, watch what you eat and drink, get some well deserved rest and remain as active as you can.


Congratulations to Cody, Brian and Courtney for getting into Ironman Arizona in November of 08. Just getting in can be the biggest battle these days!!

Don't Worry...Be Happy........

wor·ry (wûr'ē, wŭr'ē) v., wor·ried (wûr'ēd, wŭr'-), wor·ry·ing, wor·ries (wûr'ēz, wŭr'-).
v.intr.
To feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled.
To pull or tear at something with or as if with the teeth.
To proceed doggedly in the face of difficulty or hardship; struggle: worried along at the problem.

I've always considered triathletes very fortunate. We are healthy, affable, gregarious and typically financially sound. Most triathletes I know are successful in life outside of the sport. They are successful business owners, employees, husbands, wives, parents and community leaders. Regardless of our skill level, every triathlete should be thankful we have the time, financial resources and support system which allows us to compete.

In the past month I've spoken with a number of you on a myriad of topics. A number of you have a lot of "stuff" going on at work, home and with extended family and friends. As triathletes we have become adept to problem solving and juggling different priorities. There are many carry over skills from our sport and life. The mental capacity to endure the demands which are placed on us during training and competition are applicable to many issues we face during our daily lives.

During our conversations I've heard a lot of you use the phrase "I'm worried about......." you worry about being slow, about your race 6 months from now, that you are gaining weight, etc". My wife tells me I worry too much. I find that funny because I think she worries too much. I've come to the conclusion that we are a community of worriers.

The mental approach we take to life, training and racing is critical to the overall accomplishment of our goals. I used to listen to a radio DJ in Chicago by the name of Steve Dahl. Dahl is famous for the infamous "Disco Demolition" debacle at Comisky Park in the late 70's. Dahl has a GED, is grossly over weight and generally a disgusting guy, but he was funny on the radio when you were stuck in Chicago traffic for hours on end. During his radio show he would always remind his listeners "it's going to be alright, I don't know how or why but everything happens for a reason and you need to let life just run it's course.. Everything will be just fine..............". It didn't matter what the issue was or who was involved, he used to have this care free attitude that life just worked out and all the worrying in the world doesn't do any good. He was a High School drop out, over weight yet he lived in a wealthy neighborhood in the suburbs of Chicago. He would proudly display for all to hear that he just believed things would happen in his best interest. He had a mental imagine that the end result would always be favorable.

As you approach Thanksgiving, take the time to write down all the things in this world you have to be grateful for. The fact that you are able to compete and can afford this expensive hobby speaks volumes. I'm serious, sit down and write down why you compete and why it is important to you? What are you trying to gain by training and racing and where does triathlon fit into your life goals?

Write down the word "worry" on a piece of paper, read it out loud then crumple it up and throw it away. Every time you catch yourself saying "the word", stop and remember what is really important. If you want to loose weight, swim faster, run faster, bike faster then take action which allows you to attain your goal. I've never asked an athlete post race "So how did you do it? How did you have that great race? and have them reply " Well Pete, you see.. Every day, all day long and even at night while I'm supposed to be sleeping I worry. I worried about being fat, slow, out of shape and miserable and because I worried so much my mind made me thin, fast and the outcome today proved that worry does help".. In fact, the response I usually get post race is "I'm not sure why I worried so much last week, everything turned out just fine, I wish I hadn't used up so much of my mental energy worrying about something that never happened."

Think about all the negative energy you burn when you are worried. Your mind is actively working towards a negative outcome. The mind tends to manifest what it is thinking about. This doesn't mean we can "will" our way to be the best athlete in the world. It does mean that we have a much better chance of success with positive mental thoughts than negative beliefs. Since we are in control of our belief system this shift in behavior shouldn't be difficult. It only takes dedication, perseverance and commitment to a desired outcome, qualities every triathlete possesses.

In the famous words of Bob Marely

Don't worry, be happy.In every life we have some trouble. But when you worry you make it double

The Season is Over, Now What?

Coach Pete Halloween 2007

This weekend marked the end of the official race season as far as I'm concerned. In years past, the race season was typically over the last week of August and racing into October was only for those "special" people who made it to Kona. October was for marathons and racing triathlons into Mid November was unheard of.

I've done a lot of reflecting the past month on the season. I'm entering my fourth year of coaching, my third as a "full time coach". I haven't tallied the final numbers but I'm confident that we increased the number of athletes, coaching staff and number of races completed. My initial impression is that the season was a success. Over the next few weeks I'll get into a deeper analysis. I've spent a lot of time in Work Out Log the past few weeks and I'm confident that you will see workouts which are easier to understand, a sense of purpose behind your workouts and clarification by use of the Coaches Tips section. We are looking to add some You Tube video links which will assist you in performing some your drill work in the water and other exercises in the gym.

A number of you have turned your thoughts to next season and this is understandable. Races are filling quickly and this calls for us to sign up 10-12 months in advance or risk getting shut out. While you focus to the future you must complete an honest evaluation of the past. This is something you can do by yourself or with your coach. I typically start with the goals I set out for last season. This is simple, did I Achieve the goals I set out for myself. Where my goals too easy or did they stretch me? Did I follow the plan which was established for me and mentally and physically did I give efforts in racing and training which allowed myself to achieve my goals? I also look at the races I competed in and looked for unusual patterns between myself and my peers which I can work on. If I rank 20th in every swim, 5th in the bike and 4th on the run then it makes it very simple what one of my key focuses will be in the winter.

It is important that you work with your coach to establish your goals between now and next season. When establishing your goals there should be a line of site between recent results and future results. If you went 5 hours at the 5430 Long Course this year and your goal for next year is 4:45 you need to determine where you are going to make up the 15 minutes and how?

If you are stuck year after year with results that you aren't happy with then there needs to be some changes to your routine. Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Allow your coach to make the necessary changes to your schedule and evaluate the effectiveness of change.

Each of you should fully understand your goals for the upcoming season. You should understand which phase of training you are in and what you are seeking to accomplish in the current week of training. You should also understand how the current week falls into the big picture. If you don't understand the phases of training please read the article in the athletes only section of the Mile High Mutltisport web site on understanding your annual plan or contact your coach. The off season or non race season is a great time of year to work on your limiters. Talk to your coach about taking a Yoga or Pilates class, what their thoughts are on having your swim stroke analyzed, your running form critiqued or improve your functional strength.

Now is the time to implement change if you want different results next year. Simple changes in routine and form can have big results next year. No one likes change but we all know that change is good and change happens for a reason.........and it typcially creats a positive outcome. Open yourself up to doing new and different things. Keep a positive attitude and outlook and keep things in perspective.

Weekend Results 11/09

Congratulations to David Reed, Ross Hauser and Shawn Powers on finishing the Miami Man triathlon. Marion Hauser also biked as part of a relay team. Weather conditions were near perfect with a little wind on the bike.

David Reed (Coach Pete) 5:17.44 (1 hour personal record) 12th age group, 105th overall
Shawn Powers (Coach Steve), 5:19:2, 10th age group, 115th overall
Ross Hauser (Coach Pete) 6:03:39 35th age group
Marion reported a 3 hour bike split.

Cody Hanson (Coach Pete) also competed in the Silverman Iron Distance race this weekend. After posting a 1:54 swim split he was pulled from the bike course at mile 89.

November 3rd Results

Congratulations to Ross and Marion Hauser on setting Personal Records this weekend at the Golden Apple 5k. Ross won his age group in a blistering 18:39 (that's a p.r. at age 46!!!!) and Marion who set her record (27:45) after running 12 miles before the race!!!!

Best Wishes to Cody (Silverman) and Ross, David and Shawn who are competing in the Miami Man half this weekend. Marion will be part of a relay team at Miami Man as well

Welcome Back Jeremy Anderson, Chicago, Illinois (Coach Pete) to the MHM team. Jeremy took last year off of serious racing and focused on the business that he and his wife own.

October 29 Weekend update

Big D

RESULTS:

CONGRATULATIONS to Duane Newton on his completion of the SOMA quarterman yesterday. In 95 degree weather it took him 7:26:17 minutes to complete the race. A tremenodus victory for a man who tips the scales at 389lbs!! This was his 5th race of the year and the longest distance for him in his triathlon career. Duane serves as a true inspiration to all triathletes through his committment and perserverance to the sport. For thos of you who aren't familiar with his story, check out his blog, which can be found in the athlete blogger section on this page. Way to go BIG D!!!

WEEKEND RUN AND RIDE UPDATE:

The weekend ride and run got off to a slow start. The weather Saturday morning was questionable and I know several of you notified me that you had other commitments. Sundays was perfect running weather and thanks to Leslie and Jon for joining me. A number of you have asked for these runs so we expect to see more participation in the weeks that follow. Check this site for updates on start times and locations.

WELCOME

MHM welcomes Troy Green (Coach ST) from K.C. Missouri, Shelley Fedderson (Coach Pete) Rawlings, Wyoming and Bill Kahn, (Coach Pete) River Forrest, IL. Co to our team.

UPCOMING RACES:

On November 11th, Cody Hanson, (Santa Fe, New Mexico) will tackle the Silverman Ironman in Las Vegas, Nv.. On the same day, Ross Hauser (Oak Park, Il), David Reed, (Castle Pines, Co.) and Shawn Powers (Co.) compete in the Miami Man Half Ironman. Marion Hauser (Oak Park, Il) will compete in the Miami Man as part of a relay team. Good Luck to all.

RUNNING:

For her birthday this year, I gave Kathy a one on one running lesson with legendary coach Bobby Mcgee out of Boulder. Pretty darn romantic guy, aren't I? On Friday we met with Bobby for 1.5 hours and were absolutely amazed at the amount of knowledge this man has with regards to running. Running has never been Kathy's strongest leg of triathlons. I was convinced that there were two things holding her back 1.) Her belief that she isn't a fast runner 2.) Technique. Bobby tested Kathy for muscle imbalances and provided her with functional strength exercises which will assist her in those areas. He then worked with her on form, specifically, hand position and movement, body positioning and proper foot strike. He also gave her several small drills to incorporate at the beginning of her runs to activate her muscles.

At the end one session he had made incredible improvements in her form and her mental outlook on her running abilities. Look for more information on this topic in the the near future.

Bobby shows Kathy the Hamstring Activator

Proper Body Position & Arm position exercise

Weekend Rides & Runs (Updated!!!)

Friday 11 p.m. It is currently raining out and the forecast calls for rain and clouds in the morning. Plan on riding inside at our house at 8:30. Call if you need directions. We have several Spinerval DVDs to choose from which are 1-2 hours long. Please bring your own trainer and a towel to put underneath.

First group ride Will be this Saturday, October 27.

Start Time: 8:30 a.m. (We are leaving at 8:30 so arrive early) It will be cool out so dress accordingly. Sorry for the early start but I need to be somewhere at 11 a.m. In the future I hope to make the start times 9 a.m.

Location: Park and Ride at C470 & Dad Clark Road in Highlands Ranch. (Take c470 to University and go South. The first road is Dad Clark, turn right (west). Park and ride is first drive to your right (150 yards from Broadway)

Distance: 30 miles, easy pacing through Chatfield (nothing special for the first ride)

Some of you have expressed interest in running afterwards. If you are interested plan accordingly.

IF THE WEATHER IS BAD CHECK THIS SITE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. THE BACK UP PLAN IS TO HAVE A SPIN SESSION IN OUR BASEMENT. YOU WILL NEED TO BRING YOUR OWN BIKE AND TRAINER IF WE GO INDOORS. START TIME WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.

WEEKEND RUNS:

When: Sunday October 28, 9.a.m.



Where: Goodson Center, Highline Canal (Take C470 to University and go North past Arapaho road. First light take a left into Dekoven Park. Meet at the mile 0 marker.



Distance and Pacing: This will vary by person. My hope is that we get enough people there that we can form several pace groups and distances. This weekend I know Kathy is going 20 miles and I'll be going 4.

The Master Cleanse & Paleo Diet

While conducting year end meetings, a number of you expressed a desire to lose weight and improve strength in the off season. Improving your strength to weight ratio is one of the keys to getting faster. The off season is the perfect time to lose weight since you aren't placing the extra demands on your body that you do during the race season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year holidays just around the corner the time to start a diet is now.

I've mentioned to many of you "The Master Cleanse Diet" and "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" which Kathy and I have used over the past three years with success. As with any diet, you should consult with your physician before beginning. Do your research and know what you are getting into before beginning. Be committed to your goal as you will find that sticking to a diet can be one of the hardest things you do. Almost everyone I know who has completed a cleanse and improved eating habits has been satisfied with the outcome. I won't lie to you, the cleanse is not easy to do, especially when others are eating around you, but well worth the end results.

On Sunday, 10/21 I will begin my second cleanse in the past year. I will follow the guidelines in the book, The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. A second book How to lose weight, have more energy and be happy by Peter Glickman is another good reference book when completing the cleanse. When I am finished with the cleanse I will begin following the guidelines in the Paleo Diet for athletes written by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel. Kathy and I first completed the Paleo diet in 2004 while preparing for Ironman Canada and have maintained the principles of the diet ever since. When I stray from the principles of the diet I gain weight (grains and processed foods are my downfall).

The cleansing diet is fairly simple. Every morning you begin with an internal salt water bathing by drinking a quart of luke warm water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. This drink cleanses the colon track and begins the cleansing process. You don't want to be too far away from facilities for about an hour. For the remainder of the day you drink a concoction which consists of 8 -10 ounces of luke warm water, 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon or lime, 2 Tbsp of Grade A or B dark Maple Syrup and 1/10th of Tsp of Cayenne pepper. You have the drink whenever you find yourself getting hungry.

Why do the cleanse?

1. To dissolve and eliminate toxins and congestion that have formed in any part of the body.
2. To cleanse the kidneys and the digestive system.
3. To purify the glands and cells throughout the entire body .
4. To eliminate all usable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles.
5. To build a healthy blood stream.
6. To keep youth and elasticity regardless of our years.

Besides the weight loss , I noticed an improvement in my sense of smell, taste and hearing. I started today at 166 and plan to chronicle my journey on my personal blog through the completion of the process. http://mytriathlonlife.blogspot.com/

Let the journey begin!!!!

The Word No One Wants to Hear.............

We just returned from a short family vacation to the South West corner of Colorado. If you have never been to the Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde State Park, Durango or Ouray make it a point to get there. I promise you that you won't be disappointed. You can always plan a training weekend down in this part of the world and incorporate the scenery with some cycling or running.

During our trip, Kathy received word that one of her athletes was recently diagnosed with Cancer of the Thyroid. A few weeks back, another one of her athletes had a double mastectomy. Earlier in the year, we had another athlete have a relapse and went through more chemotherapy. With my mother schedule for Thyroid surgery at the end of the month, the word Cancer is showing up a bit too often in our lives. Kathy and I have communicated with everyone and are impressed with the manner in which they handle the news and the outlook each of them has on life. I know that some of you have family members who are struggling with illness as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you as well.

It is during these times that each of us should be grateful for our health and the opportunity we have to pursue our athletic dreams. We are confident all three women will be back involved in multisport racing in the next year. Through medical technology advances, Cancer no longer means what it used to. Cancer is just another stumbling block in our lives that test our resolve. I'm confident that competing in triathlons has far lasting implications on who we are deep in side our soul. We are used to over coming set backs and know that through positive thinking, commitment and perseverance we can beat any obstacle placed before us.

While we were gone, my son purchased a placard for his room which reads....DO NOT GO WHERE THE PATH MAY LEAD, GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND LEAVE A TRAIL......... Great words to live by each and every day of our lives.

October 14

Congratulations to the Courtney Ring, Jeff Spiegel, Brian and Jill Henden for enduring the cold and rain yesterday at the Denver Marathon. Their relay team finished in a time of 3:45. Rumor on the street is that Jeff ate the timing chip and was heard to mumble something about a paleo diet............. Coach Kathy also participated in the relay yesterday with some friends of ours. She ran the final two legs as part of her training for Tucson. Coach Kathy and her team mates finished in around 3:53 minutes. This picture of Brian and Jeff obviously was not taken yesterday.........

As many of you know, The Ironman World Championships were held this past weekend. Kathy qualified in 2004 and 2006 and I was fortunate enough to go and spectate both years. This year I watched the Ironman Live broadcast and couldn't help but think all day long about the sacrifices that most of these people make to get to the big dance. Now before you think this is another one of my rants about "what it takes" it isn't. It is a rant that if you are going to talk about excelling at this sport, then you better be prepared to do the hard work.

Some of you met Kelly Lear-Kaul (LK) at our Ironman Kona party. Kelly raced Kona this year and won her age group by 25 minutes (she went 10:11 and ran a 3:19 marathon). For those of you who don't know, by day she is a Forensic Pathologist. LK roomed with us at Kona last year, when she took 2nd in her age group. Kathy did a lot of biking with her last year and we all swim in the same lane at masters. I don't profess to know her very well as she keeps to herself. I do know this, she is the first one in pool every morning, and gets in 1000-1500 yards before class starts. She is consistent in getting in her workouts. If her plan calls for 4000 yards then she gets in her 4000 yards. She doesn't deviate from the plan. If her coach (Kel is coached by Mark Allen Online) tells her to bike 100 miles, she bikes 100 miles. I've never heard her say, my coached wanted me to bike on Tuesday but I wanted to run with friends so I ran. No excuses... she just executes the plan that is given to her.

I know that she has a quiet focus externally but internally she has a burning desire to be the best. The difference between her and most athletes is that I never hear her talk about being the best or beating anyone.........she just goes out and does it.

Kelly and her husband Corey.

So as you enter the off season, ask yourself what type of athlete you want to be in 2008. Establish some goals that challenge you to reach beyond what you feel is humanly possible. I believe we are all capable of doing more than we think we are without sacrificing the other things in our life that are important. In the end, you measure success not by what comes out of your mouth, but by your actions. What sacrifices will you make in your training to reach your goals?

October 7 results

Congratulations to Mike Nims on becomming the first male swimmer in the state of Colorado to finish the Postal Challenge (1 hour straight swim, 10k,5k, 6000 and 3000 yard swims all completed in a pool). In January of 2004, Mike wrote the following in his race goals " One of the biggest areas I can make up times is in the water. I have been battling a mental thing there. All of my swim times from last year were breast stroke times. I get nervous". Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off!!!!!

Marci Madruga finished the Longhorn Half Ironman in approximately 6 hours and 27 minutes. I spoke with Marci's husband shortly after the race and he told me the temperatures were in the 90's with high humidity.

Krista, Brad and Doug traveled to Chicago for the marathon. The race was cut short for the first time in the history of the event due to record heat and insufficient water on the course. All three MHM athletes crossed the finish line unofficially. To read more about the event go to http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/cs-071007marathon,1,3050249.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Friday night marked the second annual MHM year end party and Kona send off. The event was well attended by MHM athletes as well as triathletes from the surrounding area. We wished Kelly Lear-Kaul well as she left for the Big Island on Saturday morning. Kelly took second in her age group last year at Kona and won the amateur division at Ironman Arizona in April. this is a great way to wrap up the season. Based on the number of empty beer and wine bottles we found Saturday morning, you can tell most of us are in our off season.

Coach Kathy continues to train for the Tucson marathon in December. Yesterday she ran 17 miles while the kids and I enjoyed a leisurely ride up Waterton Canyon. Following are a few photos which show how lucky we are to have this in our backyard. For those of you who are local, I highly recommend heading up the Canyon in the next few weeks as fall will be in full bloom shortly.

Good Luck Marci, Doug, Krista and Brad

Best Wishes to Marci Madruga who ventures to Austin, Texas this weekend for the Longhorn Half Ironman distance race!! Doug, Krista and Brad, fresh off Ironman Wisconsin finishes head to Chicago for the Marathon.

MHM Athlete Marion Hauser's New Diet Book Available on Amazon

Mile High Multisport athlete Marion Hauser, MS, RD. has just completed her new book entitle "The Hauser Diet". The book explains the principles of why some folks need to eat a lot of protein (high protein/low carb) and others need to be more vegetarian (high carb/low protein. the book is available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Hauser-Diet-Fresh-Healthy-Living/dp/0966101073/ref=sr_1_1/105-8564060-1184434?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191240176&sr=8-1

Weekend update 9/23!!

The race season has come to an abrupt halt. The last two weekends saw 12 MHM participating in half and full Ironmans. This weekend we had one person racing!!

Abby Young from Braintree Mass. (coach Jason Hart) completed the Nutmeg Half Ironman in 6:30.42. Her result placed her in tenth place overall and she was third in her age group!! Congratulations to Abby!!!!

In other news, Mike Nims a.k.a. Mr. Nims completed a 6000 meter swim in 1:43 at the DU pool over the weekend. This leaves Mike with only a 3000 meter swim left to complete the Postal Challenge. Mike will be the first male swimmer in Colorado to complete the 1 hour straight swim, 5k, 1ok, 6ooo and 3000 meter swims in one year. All swims are completed in a pool!!!!! Go get them Mr. Nims. Below is a Picture of Mike along with Coaches Pete & Kathy Alfino and MHM athlete Kelli Saunders.

Party Reminder!!!

The 2nd annual Kona send off/Mile High Multisport year end bash and birthday celebrations for Pete & Kathy will be held on October 5th. Look for invitations in your e-mail soon. Last year we had over 80 people attend and based on the empty Beer and Wine bottles the next morning a good time was had by all!!! Be There!!

Weekend Results 9/16

Another big weekend of racing for MHM athletes throughout the United States. Congratulations to all who participated. This weekend marks the end of the race season for many of you. Based on the feedback I received after the Harvest Moon today I'm confident it is time for a mental and physical break.

The weekend began with Coach Jason (Sartago, New York) setting a personal Olympic distance record at the Lobsterman triathlon. His time of 2:16.06 was an 8 minute Personal Record and earned him a 5th place age group finish.

Dawn Mchpherson (Coach Steve) set a PR with a 6:4o (20 minute PR) finish at the Half Max National Championship in Columbia, Missouri.

Locally nine athletes participated in The Harvest and Crescent Moon Races held in Aurora. Jonathan Nixon, Brian Hendon, Jeff Spiegel and Cody Hanson (who came up from Santa Fe, New Mexico) did the half ironman. We began the weekend with a carbo loading dinner at our home.

Coach Kathy and Marci Madruga did the woman's relay while Coach Pete, Shawn Powers and Daniel Madruga did the mens relay. There was plenty of trash talking going on between the two teams. The women had the lead out of the water and off the bike but the men earned the victory on the run. Duane Newton was also at the venue as he volunteered with registration in the morning. Coach Pete also did the Crescent Moon sprint race.

The weather (heat and wind) and the course made this a very challenging half ironman distance event. I know from some of our earlier conversations this week that a few of you struggled mentally for this race. It is difficult to race this late into the season but each of you responded to the challenge at hand.

Duane and Cody had the pleasure of meeting Michael and Amanda Lovato post race. Cody had been corresponding with Michael for some time and was thrilled to meet and speak with one of idols.

Cody on the run......




Results:

Jonathan Nixon..............5:12:04 (PR - 50/322 O.A.)
Brian Hendon.................5:17.54 (61/322 O.A.)
Cody Hanson..................6:26.54 (3rd Place Clydesdale - Clydesdale National Championship)
Jeff Spiegel.....................6:49.25 (239/322O.A.)
MHM MEN....................5:13 (2nd place male relay division)
MHM Women...............5:29 (1st place female relay division)

Ironman Wisconsin

I made a last minute decision to head to Ironman Wisconsin at the prompting of Doug Beeman. Doug is a MHM athlete who had signed up for Wisconsin but opted to run a 50 mile trail run in July and then swim across the Long Island Sound with myself and some other MHM athletes. In mid August after having only completed to indoor training rides he bagged the race. After reading the reports of Kate and Renee struggling to reach the mid night time cut off in Kentucky he re engaged. I'm officially in the dog house with Doug's wife as she feels "I don't need to be influencing him". Doug and I flew into O'hare, made quick visits to see both of our parents who reside in the Chicago area.

Friday morning I ran into Brad and Krista at the practice swim. The weather was a bit ominous but both of them were in good spirits. Later I met with both of them along with Brett and Lara at the Great Dane for lunch. For those of you have met Bret Jaros, you know he is Mr. Positive. Brett tore his tendons in his ankle and missed 7 weeks of running in July. In addition to this his work schedule has him on the road for 10 days and home for 10 days. At lunch Brett informed everyone that he was going to enjoy the day, take what his body gives him at the moment, pace himself and make the most of his experience. He truly has a way of keeping things in perspective.

With 5 MHM athletes racing, another 6 or 7 from the local tri community and other athletes who I had competed against from the Chicagoland area in attendance I was constantly running into people I knew in the expo area.

On race day I saw Brad, Krista and Brett pre swim. Each of them were quietly focused and calm. It is always great to be with Ironman athletes just before the start of a race. The quiet focus and determination. I now that each of them is questioning what the day will bring them. Will all the training and hard work pay off?

I've never seen an ironman with better weather on race day. It was a day meant to PR.

I headed out to mile 40/80 on the bike course. This was the same spot I was in last year and the people in the neighborhood remembered me. I go to the top of a climb so the riders aren't going by too fast. It is such a brief encounter with everyone but it is great to get a gauge on every ones progress.

I then went out to State Street and took up my position outside the State Street Bar and Grill. I get to pop inside every now and then to check on the score of the Bears game so I like this spot. There is an out and back here so I can see the runners twice in a short period of time. Everyone came by looking great on the first loop. On the second loop, Steve came by first and was looking smooth as he always does on the run. He would go on to run the entire marathon and set a Personal Record for the Ironman. Brad came by next and I could tell he was in pain but he was still running. When he came by the last time, he looked at me and said "I'm hurting". Being the sympathetic coach that I am I responded "I never promised it wouldn't hurt..now stay focused.. You have a 10k left and you will shatter what you thought you would do time wise. Eat, drink, keep moving and don't let your mind wander..go". Later he would call me to tell me that those words of advice were of great assistance. Brett came by next and I could tell he was hurting big time. He was still moving along and I encouraged him to hang tough. Brett is a tough guy and I never worried he wouldn't finish. Krista came by next and as usual flashed me a big smile. I called coach Kathy to report her progress and I could feel the anticipation on the other end of the phone. Next up was Mr. Beeman. He ran by looking as fresh as he always does. I rang up his wife and they chatted briefly on the way out of town. He declined his long sleeve shirt I was holding and asked me to make sure his parents knew where to be so they could run in together

In the end everyone finished and as I coach the bottom line is if your athletes cross the finish line. Personal Records are gravy but one and only thought for my first time athletes is to get them over the line. After Krista finished I received a text from Kathy that said "she's in..she broke 13 hours..I'm crying". In the finish area I met Brad and Krista's families and ran into some athletes I coach in Masters swim from the area. It was great to be a part of every ones celebration. Post race Doug and I enjoyed a dinner and beer then headed back to the finish line where we met up with Steve and the rest of the Highlands Ranch clan in the stands. We drank beer, danced and to watched the final finisher come in at 11:58.

Final Results

Steve Uccello: 11:39.24 (4 minute PR)

Brad Burgtorf 11:48.52 (1st Ironman)

Brett Jaros 12:07.33 (1st Ironman)

Krista Bianchi-Rossi 12:59.21 (1st Ironman)

Doug Beeman 13:45.13 (Ironman #3)

Mile High Multisport

I've created this site for the benefit of Mile High Multisport athletes (although others are always welcomed to join and particiapte). It is my desire to put the weekly updates that I share with you via e-mail on this site. The benefits of using a blog over outlook are numerous. This will also be an area where we can share information with each other and everyone can learn from each other. Feel free to send me a question you would like answered and I will begin a thread.