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