on the morning of a local five-kilo-meter road race, I repeat-edly tied and retied myshoes, stretched my calfmuscles, and scanned thecrowd for competitors in myage group. Why am I souptight about this race? It’snot even one of my targetraces for the year. A few peo-ple from work were runningthis morning, but they weren’tthe competitive types, so thatwasn’t the source of my unease.I saw about twenty guys in myage group, all strangers, and someof them looked like they could befast. Are they intimidating me? I tried to focuson visualizing my race, but my nervous energyshattered my concentration. The only time Icould remember getting so worked up before arace was many years earlier when I ran againstmy boyhood pal Misha.

Misha and I grew up on the same block,playing every possible sport we could. I wastaller and stronger, and I excelled in everysport except running. When Misha ran, his

short, skinny legsturned over as if theywere on fire. He ranlike lightning, armspumping and his facein total concentra-tion. Until he beatme, that is. Thenhe’d break out inboisterous laughterat my frustrationin losing, as if heowned a secret towinning that hewouldn’t share

with me. Every time I got a new pairof Keds or Converse high-tops, I’d challengehim, thinking my new shoes would make thedifference. Sprint races were lamppost tolamppost, and longer races went around theblock, Misha running it clockwise while I wentthe other direction. He always won. And healways laughed. I can still hear that sound ofhis utter delight in beating me.

When we were twelve years old, Mishamoved to another neighborhood and attendeda different school, so we didn’t see each other

continued page 3

Ironman Viewing Partyfeaturing Ricky James

December 13th, 11:30 am

La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas in conjunctionwith Competitor magazine.

Admission to the viewingparty will be $10.

Doors will open at 10:30 and run through 1:30.

Check TCSD website for updates.

DECEMBER CLUB MEETING

by Barbara JavorA Tale of Fiction

Racing Misha

TRIATHLON CLUB OF SAN DIEGO TriNews

TCSD Contacts 2Volunteer Members 2Board Members 2Event Calendar 2Race Discounts 5

Weekly Workout Calendar 5IM Finishers 6, 8Ironman Conversation 9

Race Report 16Health & Fitness 17Application 21

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

2008DECEMBER

On edge with fidgety nerves

Triathlon Club of San DiegoP. O. Box 84211 San Diego, CA 92138www.triclubsandiego.orgSend correspondence to the addressabove or contact president BrianLong at blong@triclubsandiego.org

Membership & RenewalSend a check made payable to TCSD to the address above. Rates for new memberships &renewals: $60/year, $45 military(w/active ID), $110 family (2 adults). Additional years available at discount, see website.

Newsletter ArticlesPlease send to Barbara Kase at barbkase@gmail.com

Newsletter ClassifiedsPlease send to Raja Lahti at rvlahti@gmail.com

TCSD e-listsSubscribe to the TCSD e-mailing listsby sending a blank email with yourname in the body to:TCSD-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Beginner Coaches Steve Koci coaches@triclubsandiego.org

Farah Hedwig ftmirza2002@yahoo.com

Dean Rosenberg coaches@triclubsandiego.org

Steve Tally coaches@triclubsandiego.org

Bike Case Rentals Bob Rosen brrosen@triclubsandiego.org (619) 668-0066

Bike Coach Andy Concors aconcors@triclubsandiego.org

Club Apparel Devin Reily dpreilly@gmail.com (619) 895-0687

Club Liaison & Sponsorship Director Raja Lahti rvlahti@gmail.com

Email Groups

Volunteer Committee Members Michele Kuehner mboehm@triclubsandiego.org

Expo Coordinators Sherry Ashbaugh sashbaugh@triclubsandiego.org (858) 337-8839

Anne Fleming afleming@triclubsandiego.org

Grand Prix (including Aqua & Duathlon) Kevin Davenport skycondition@gmail.com

Dean Sprague hideano@hotmail.com (858) 270-1605

Ironman Coach Craig Zelent czelent@triclubsandiego.org (760) 214-0055

Membership Roster Dean Sprague hideano@hotmail.com (858) 270-1605

New Members Michelle Panik O’Neill mpanik@triclubsandiego.org

Newsletter Editor Barbara Ferrero barbferrero@gmail.com (760) 710-7730

Newsletter Design & Production Dean Sprague hideano@hotmail.com (858) 270-1605

Publication Manager Madonna Bentz mbentz@triclubsandiego.com (858) 349-5504

Social Director Buck Williamson

Track Coach Bill Gibbs bgibbs@triclubsandeigo.org

Track Coach, North County Mike Plumb tripower2000@msn.com

Web Administrator John Hill jhill@triclubsandiego.org

Wetsuit Rental/Loaner Program Thomas Johnson President Brian Long blong@triclubsandiego.org (760) 415-3329

Vice President Dave Huff dhuff@triclubsandiego.org

Treasurer Wendy Harp wharp@triclubsandiego.org

Secretary Farah Hedwigftmirza2002@yahoo.com

Race DirectorCory Osth costh@triclubsandiego.org

Club LiaisonRaja Lahti rvlahti@gmail.com

Monthly, 1st Thursday, 6pmNewbie/Networking Meeting Location: Hi-Tech Bikes,7638 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.

December 6th, Saturday, 7amRUNJUNK.com December DuathlonLocation: Carlsbad/56 Highway

December 13th, Saturday, 7amDecember Club RaceLocation: Fiesta Island

December 13th, Saturday, 11:30amDecember Club Meeting.Location: La Poloma Theater, Encinitas

December 15th, Saturday, 5:15pmNetworking DinnerLocation: B&L, Solana Beach

BOARD MEMBERS

CONTACTSVOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

2

EVENT CALENDAR

Always refer to the Tri Club’s website calendar for latest events and complete details.

No December ride, resuming January.REAL BEGINNERS BIKE RIDE

No December meeting, see ya in ‘09.

BEGINNER’S MEETING & TRIATHLON 101

as much. I still remember the day we received the phone call fromMisha’s parents announcing he had developed some genetic dis-ease and wasn’t expected to survive. We were both just fourteenyears old. From that day on for the next few months, I spent asmuch time with him as I could. It was devastating for all of us,but before long Misha faced his fate bravely. “Let’s talk about thefun and adventures we had,” he told me. “The only things I cantake with me when I leave are my memories.”

We reminisced about all the crazy things we had done and theraces he always won. Towards the end when he wasn’t veryresponsive, I used to read to him and make up tall tales aboutraces we had run. I did it as much for him as for me, I think. Bymaking him almost bigger than life, I hoped I could make himlive longer.

Through high school, college, and into my adult life, I’ve oftenthought about Misha, wondering what he’d be doing if he werestill alive. And now on this morning, minutes before the gunwould start the race, I found myself thinking about him. If hewere alive, would he be here running? Would he be grinning at me,knowing he could still beat the pants off me?

The announcer told us to line up, and minutes later the racebegan. I started weaving through the crowd, and quickly found aclearing and my groove. Try as I could, though, I was only half-focused on my running. The other half of my mental energy wassomewhere else and I could not rein it in. I knew I would post apoor time, and the negative sentiment would be a self-fulfillingprophecy for a lackluster performance.

At the one-mile marker, I saw a dark-haired kid in the crowdholding his father’s hand, and suddenly his face lit up when herecognized someone running near me as he called out his name.The boy reminded me of a young Misha. As if the thought took

on a life of its own, I felt Misha running right next to me, his legsturning over furiously as he sped ahead. I had to pump harder tokeep up with him. Now Misha was no longer next to me—he hadmelded with me as our legs ran in unison. I looked up and saw Iwas passing guys who had run ahead right after the race started.One, two, three, I picked them off. I surged forward, overtakingrunners on my left and right and feeling stronger with eachstride.

At the two-mile marker, I couldn’t believe my split. I pumpedfaster and harder, visualizing Misha’s set jaw and crooked mouthas he gave all his concentration to racing. The feeling possessedme as my feet flew over the pavement and I approached thethree-mile marker and final turn. Misha and I matched stride forpounding stride, breath for panting breath, shooting past sever-al runners just before crossing the finish line. I glanced at theclock—I had beaten my last PR by a minute, an astoundingimprovement.

Gasping for air, I had the urge to break out in boisterous laugh-ter. The feeling that ten-year-old Misha was nearby didn’t fadewhen I learned I had placed second in my age group. In fact, Icould almost hear his voice. “If we had begun really racing at thestarting line, we could have won! We were only a half-minutebehind that guy who won.” I don’t know, Misha. A half-minute ina short race is an awfully long time. I swear I could hear himlaughing—he didn’t think so.

If we had begun racing, he had said. Before Misha left us, hesaid he wanted to take his memories with him. But clearly he hadleft the memories with me, too, and today they had carried me—us—to the finish line in glory. Although Misha’s life in this worldended, our friendship did not. Today, once more, I was racingMisha.

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG

3

Racing Misha, continued

Event: The 4th Annual Nation’s Triathlon™ To Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Date: Sunday, September 13, 2009

Location: The nation’s capital, Washington, DC.

Course: Olympic Distance. USAT Sanctioned 1.5k swim in the Potomac River, 40k bike course

through DC, and 10k run through Washington, DC’s historical landmarks with a

spectacular finish!

Registration starts December 1, 2008. The 2008 race SOLD OUT, so be sure to register early! Please visit www.nationstri.com to register!

Featured Event: The 4th Annual Nation’s Triathlon

4

Monday6:00 PM Computrainer Cycling and ErgVideo • Location: Coastal Sports and Wellness.

6:00 PM Group Run, 4-6 miles, all paces welcome. • Location: Movin Shoes, Encinitas.

7:30 PM Pool Swim (short course) in La Jolla/UTC • Location: JCC, 4126 Executive Dr.

Tuesday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.

6:30 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Moment Cycle Sports, 1357 Rosecrans.

6:00 PM Run 5+ miles in Mission Bay • Location: Mission Bay Jetty parking lot.

6:00 PM Track Workout in Carlsbad, a coached session • Location: Carlsbad H.S. Track.

Wednesday5:30 PM Advanced MTB Training • Location: Penasquitos Canyon Side Park (east pkg lot).

6:00 PM Bike Workout in Coronado • Location: Starting at Holland’s Bicycles.

7:00 PM Winter Spin Class • Location: Rehab United PT & Sports Performance Center.

7:30 PM Pool Swim (long course) in La Jolla/UTC • Location: JCC, 4126 Executive Dr.

Thursday6:00 AM Bike Workout in Solana Beach, 27 miles, all levels. • Location: Front of B&L Bikes.

6:30 AM Bike Workout in Point Loma • Location: Starting at Moment Cycle Sports.

5:30 PM East County Trail Run, Contact: Florian Hedwig for more information (619) 820-2388,

florian.hedwig@sbbtral.com or surfingflo@gmail.com.

Friday6:45 AM Ocean Swim in Solana Beach, in the water at 7. • Location: at Fletcher Cove

(I-5, to Lomas Santa Fe west)

Saturday8:00 AM Bike Workout in Del Mar, all levels welcome. • Location: Meet at Starbucks

(Hwy 101 & 15th st.)

Sunday7:30 AM Penasquitos Trail Run • Contact: Mark Kenny for more information (760) 271-2003

7:45 AM Run (starts at 8 sharp) and Ocean Swim (in the water at 9) in Del Mar • Location: Meet at

Powerhouse Park.

8:30 AM REAL Beginners Bike Ride (see following page or calendar on website for complete details)

** Starts after daylight saving time, but check TCSD website for complete details.

TCSD WEEKLY WORKOUT CALENDAR

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG5

continued page 6

TCSD RACEDISCOUNTSTo get your club discount, youmust use a mail-in applicationand include a photocopy of yourTCSD membership card. No refundsof the discounted amount will begiven if you have already sent inyour name and application.Subtract the discounted amountfrom the total and be sure to alsowrite Triathlon Club of San Diegosomewhere on the application.

Auburn International Half-Ironman(World’s Toughest Half, Olympicand Long Course Duathlon Nat’lChampionships). TCSD members enjoy $10 off entry.

Big Kahuna Triathlon$15 off.

Elite Racing$10 off Rock & Roll Marathon. See website for additional racediscounts. www.EliteRacing.com

Kathy Loper Eventswww.kathyloperevents.com$3 off all events. At least a dozenlocal 5Ks, 10Ks and halfmarathons. For a complete list goto the website.

Klein and Clark SportsProductions10% off on both the April andNovember Desert Triathlon in Palm Springs.

Koz Enterprises$5 off all events. Spring SprintTriathlon, San Diego InternationalTriathlon, Solana Beach Triathlon,Imperial Beach Triathlon, MissionBay Triathlon, Silver Strand HalfMarathon.

Pacific Sports LLC$10 off all events. Los AngelesTriathlon, Newport BeachTriathlon, Long Beach Triathlon,Catalina Island Triathlon, CatalinaMarathon.

6

BIKE & WHEEL CASE RENTAL

REMINDER

TCSD has traveling bike and wheelcases for rent! We have hard-shellsingle and double bike cases andwheel cases that will hold threewheels. The single cases are shippable by UPS and FedEx.

Rates per week:Single case $25 Double case $40Wheel cases $25 Deduct $10 if renting both a bikecase and a wheel case.

To reserve a case or if you haveany questions, contact Bob Rosen brosen@triclubsandiego.org

Pelican Coast EventsMission Hills InternationalDuathlon, Pacific Coast Triathlonand Orange County Triathlon. Get$10 off each race or sign up for allthree and get $40 off ($10 less).See website for discount code.

SilverMan TriathlonHalf and Full ironman events. Lake Mead/Henderson, NV. Must indicte USAT membershipnumber and club affiliation.Discount codes ($10.00 discount): Full: silverclub09Half: silverhalf09

Ventura Breath of Life Triathlon$10 off. www.triforlife.com

TCSD RACEDISCOUNTS Congratulations to the following TCSD members who recently completed these Iron distance

races. You all had great performances and we are proud of all of you! CHECK OUT: Andi Ramercompletes 2 ironmans in 8 days, Great job!

Congratulations IM Finishers!

Ironman Florida 11/01/08 - 2,183 participants

Overall Time Rank Group Swim Bike Run

Andi Ramer 628 11:16 18 F35-39 1:00 5:31 4:34Greg Smelter 879 11:45 153 M35-39 1:05 5:44 4:45Anthony Dinger 1,470 13:01 286 M40-44 1:12 6:12 5:22

Great Floridian 10/24/08 - 246 participants

Overall Time Rank Group Swim Bike Run

Brian Holmes 112 12:59 6 MMilitary 1:23 6:21 5:00

Silverman 11/08/08 - 143 participants

Overall Time Rank Group Swim Bike Run

Dean Sprague 15 12:24 2 M45-49 1:12 6:47 4:19Michael Phillippi 25 12:55 7 M40-44 1:40 6:47 4:19Toby Guilletti 36 13:10 6 M25-29 1:24 7:26 4:11Andi Ramer 55 13:51 1 F35-39 1:13 7:27 5:00Gregory Sherman 101 15:13 19 M40-44 1:41 7:40 5:37Daniel Thomas 114 15:57 15 M25-29 1:21 8:28 5:45

seconds and transitions not included

Solana Beach243 North Coast Highway 101, Suite 5Solana Beach, CA 92075(858) 259-9491www.vitalitysolanbeach.comYOGA: Tue & Thr 7-8am

Carlsbad - Clinic and School6353 El Camino RealCarlsbad, CA 92009

(769) 931-0704www.vitalityscollege.com

YOGA: Mon 12-1pm NEW! Wed 10:30-11:30am 2:15-3:15pm

COME VISIT US AT ANY OF OUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS:

elcome to the most professional and comprehensive healing center serving Northern San Diego County. We specialize in a variety of massage treatments, spa services, and yoga classes.

Our therapists are well-versed and trained extensively in all holistic health fields.

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Riikka AramoMike BeckCaitlyn BishopNeil BuckleyJustin CalbreathBill CavanaughAnthony CervantesSara CookeTravis CowsertRobert CunninghamHeather DisneyRegan Drasko

Mark ErwinPeter GalindezTJ GenerosoTrevor GlavinRyan GoforthJeff GoldmanKatherine GraebenerWilliam Haines, Jr.Karen HessHeather HobbsCarrie JamesStephen Kalaluhi

Bryan KwanRebecca Lewis Jason Lewis Brian T. LongBrian MaioranoScott MeaderRic MerrallAliciakitz MillerEduardo MorfinJohn OttersonCarrie PetroVictoria Rice

Hassan SachedinaEric SarmientoDonald SelwayHerman StiphoutIan StorerDanielle StrelkauskasDavid ValenciaTimothy ValentiSteve WalkerMatthew WaltersHeidi WatsonCourtney Wilkie

Welcome New Members!

8

LYNN BRANCHFLOWERNickname: La Loon

Member since: 2004

MEMBER PROFILE

Age group: F 30-34

Status: Single

Before I became a triathlete I was: average Jane – playedsome coed sports now andagain but nothing serious.

Favorite Race/Tri Event:All the Camp Pendleton Races –love the support from theMarines!

Favorite local restaurant: Not really a restaurant goer – ifI eat out, it’s usually fast food.

Best event: Swim, Bike or Run:Bike & Run are pretty even,definitely better than my swimming abilities.

PR: race time or any split time(include race name and distance): don’t keep track,sorry.

Most Embarrassing or DisastrousMoment: My first club raceever, I started out of T1 only tobe stopped by the volunteerwho pointed out that I had nohelmet on…had to go back tothe car to get it!

continued page 9

Congratulations to the following TCSD members who completed IM Arizona on 11/23/08. Specialcongratulations to Philippe Krebs and Darcy Eaton who qualified for the Hawaiian Ironman withseriously fast times. You all had great performances and we are proud of all of you.

If you are entered in an Ironman, please email Craig Zelent at tricraigz@yahoo.com That's the only way to get listed in our TCSD results. Thanks!

Overall Group Rank Group Swim Bike Run FinishPhilippe Krebs 25 1/211 M30-34 0:50 4:57 3:14 9:08Brandon Mills 90 11/99 M25-29 1:09 5:04 3:25 9:47Mike Dury 135 22/369 M35-39 1:05 5:05 3:30 9:52Patrick Dickey 135 27/369 M35-39 0:53 5:25 3:30 9:57Allan Saadus 154 9/247 M45-49 1:02 5:14 3:40 10:04Liam Their 168 22/211 M30-34 1:06 5:16 3:40 10:09Scott Federoff 180 25/211 M30-34 1:07 5:09 3:47 10:12Darcy Eaton 252 2/107 W40-44 1:10 5:34 3:38 10:29Jonathan Umlor 271 40/211 M30-34 1:00 5:37 3:47 10:34Dave Platfoot 298 48/211 M30-34 1:03 5:40 3:47 10:40Matias Negatu 313 63/369 M35-39 1:01 5:53 3:35 10:42Meredith Trowbridge 368 10/91 W30-34 1:02 5:30 4:09 10:51Eric Rehberg 369 72/399 M40-44 1:09 5:32 3:58 10:51JT Lyons 379 61/211 M30-34 0:59 5:13 4:30 10:53Jennifer Yake 501 17/91 W30-34 1:23 5:29 4:12 11:14Mary Haney 640 12/50 W25-29 0:56 5:56 4:28 11:32Dan Squiller 743 32/135 M50-54 1:14 5:58 4:15 11:45Lisa Rehberg 800 20/107 W40-44 1:01 6:33 4:09 11:53Jaime Campos 811 163/369 M35-39 1:20 5:55 4:29 11:55Damen Smith 911 108/247 M45-49 1:09 6:03 4:45 12:13Elaine Bergeron 922 35/91 W30-34 1:24 6:14 4:26 12:14Greg Sewell 956 200/399 M40-44 1:07 6:14 4:46 12:20Chris Grout 970 128/211 M30-34 1:17 5:44 5:04 12:22Joseph Gordon 977 5/34 M60-64 1:16 5:51 4:59 12:23Rick Menolez 985 129/211 M30-34 1:24 6:25 4:17 12:23Jiea Kim 987 27/105 W35-39 1:11 6:00 4:56 12:24Chris Teague 1022 131/211 M30-34 1:08 5:41 5:18 12:29Aaron Reimer 1090 11/27 M18-24 1:22 6:05 4:55 12:38Joanne Arena 1101 41/91 W30-34 1:02 5:59 5:27 12:39Ray Girulat 1121 134/247 M45-49 1:16 5:41 5:29 12:41Michelle Barber 1184 45/91 W30-34 1:02 6:22 5:13 12:51Brent Howell 1208 220/369 M35-39 1:24 6:01 5:06 12:54Dean Luvisa 1211 145/247 M45-49 1:15 6:30 4:50 12:54Jessica Motyl 1349 29/50 W25-29 1:31 6:31 5:03 13:18Tomas Morales 1432 166/247 M45-49 1:37 6:41 4:56 13:31Daniel Popez 1265 50/369 M35-39 1:39 5:55 5:10 13:03James Fix 1495 313/399 M40-44 1:12 6:44 5:17 13:43Tina Chen 1518 66/91 W30-34 1:23 6:44 5:24 13:47Jennifer Wolff 1641 69/105 W35-39 1:15 6:39 6:07 14:14Ruslman Linderman 1651 296/369 M35-39 1:23 6:33 5:53 14:16Desi Klaar 1736 71/107 W40-44 1:28 7:21 5:29 14:36Kevin Koresky 1754 316/369 M35-39 1:23 6:05 6:50 14:42Janet Little 1762 72/107 W40-44 1:49 6:53 5:32 14:45Wendi Koshley 1792 74/107 W40-44 1:24 6:28 6:42 14:54Gina Thomas 1849 81/107 W40-44 1:37 6:52 6:23 15:09Chuck Pateros 1908 224/247 M45-49 1:15 7:01 6:47 15:30Ron Lane 1942 339/369 M35-39 1:33 6:42 6:52 15:44Eme Carter 1949 83/91 W30-34 1:29 7:32 6:17 15:46Joseph Barrus 1952 230/247 M45-49 1:30 6:47 6:59 15:46Jason Ayre 2018 194/211 M30-34 1:53 7:04 6:57 16:11John Correia 2069 382/399 M40-44 1:44 8:04 6:22 16:42

2189 Participants, seconds and Transition not included

More IM Finisher’s!

Craig: What was your sports backgroundbefore you got into triathlon?

James: I didn’t get into any kind of endurancesports until the end of 2005. Up until then Ihad just run to stay in shape. I played base-ball from the time I was 5 years old all the waythrough high school and 1 year of college. Ialso surfed, skateboarded, and snowboardedsince I was 13 and haven’t stopped sinceexcept for the skateboarding. Falling on theconcrete just started to hurt too much.

Craig: Craig: How did you get the inspirationto start racing triathlons?

James: In the summer of 2005 I was ridingdown the 101 on my beach cruiser (probably alittle hungover) from my apartment in Cardiffand came across the Solana Beach Triathlon.The friend that was riding with me and Ipulled over to watch for a bit. I saw people ofall athletic abilities having a great time andgoing for it. I just remember thinking tomyself that I could definitely do that (racetriathlon). At the time I was just surfingeveryday, running a couple of times a week,and mountain biking a bit.

Craig: What was your first triathlon like?

James: The first triathlon I ever did was aTCSD beginners race at Glorietta Bay inNovember of 2005. It was nasty day with rainand wind. I did the swim in my surfing wetsuitand bike on my mountain bike. I rememberbarely surviving the swim and hammering ashard as I could on the bike while wearing myrunning shoes. I got passed by a bunch ofpeople on the bike. When it came time to runI had no idea what to expect. I had never runafter riding. Surprisingly my legs felt good andI ended up passing quite a few people on therun. When it was all over I was pretty stokedbut knew I had a lot of work to do, and need-ed to buy a road bike.

Craig: What was your first off-road triathlonlike?

James: The first off-road triathlon I did wasthe Arizona Xtreme in Mesa, AZ in April of2006. I actually rode out to the race withDean Sprague. He probably thought I was nutsbecause I picked his brain the whole time onthe ride out there from San Diego. He had tonsof racing experience at all distances and I wasa rookie for sure.

The race went well and the vibe was awe-some. I had a pretty good swim and thenheaded out on the bike. The bike was goingwell until about 3/4’s of the way in when Itook a spill. I scraped up my shoulder, fore-arm, and knee pretty bad and it took me awhile to get back going. I lost a couple placesto guys in my AG but was ready to run. AgainI was able to run well off the bike and caughta lot of people. I was able to run my way upto second in my AG.

While still on the run, bleeding, hurting Iknew I had found the kind of racing I wantedto do. That thought was solidified when they

IRONMAN CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG ZELENT

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG9

I had the opportunity recently to talk triathlon with TCSD memberJames Walsh. James won the 30-34 age group at the Xterra WorldChampionships in Maui and was the 2nd amateur overall. Pleasejoin me as we get to know theTri Club’s latest World Champion!

continued page 10

MEMBER PROFILE,continued

Equipment wish list: Racewheels, colored hubs to matchthe color of my tri bike,Tommasini road bike.

My Equipment:Wetsuit: De Soto – the model

before zippersBike: Guru Crono tri bikeShoe: Mizuno (run),

Shimano (bike)

Can’t Race Without: knowing mycadence.

Best advice: Bring a breakfastsnack with you to the race, thetime between parking and yourwave going off is big – I’vestarted a race or two hungry –it didn’t end pretty!

Finishing chute at Xterra World’s.

10

Ironman Conversation, continued

had free beer right after the race. I also wonthe “Road Rash” award for having the gnarli-est cuts and scrapes.

Craig: What special steps have you done todevelop your mountain bike skills?

James: Just riding...a lot. To be fast off-roadyou have to be confident. The only way to dothat is ride a lot and practice your skills. Istarted to ride with people that were betterthan me and really pushed me. I definitely hadmy share of crashes, just ask Jim Vance, but itdefinitely brought my riding up to anotherlevel in a short time.

Craig: How do you balance off-road bikingwith road biking?

James: I would say that I spend 60% of mytime on the road and 40% on the mountainbike for most of the season. When I get clos-er to race day (usually about a month out froma big race) I spend 80% of my time off-road soI can really get dialed in and build confidence.

The road bike (I love my Orbea) is great forbuilding your fitness early in the year. A longride doesn’t beat you up the way a long moun-tain bike ride can. So during my base phases Iput in my long rides on the road and then myshorter more intense workouts off-road. I alsoactually spend a lot of time on the trainer inthe winter doing a very specific 12-week pro-gram. The time on the trainer is not fun by anymeans but it has paid huge dividends.

Craig: How has the TCSD helped you become abetter triathlete?

James: There is no way I would have made myquick progression in the sport without theTCSD. In my first 2 seasons I was a regular atthe Tuesday/Thursday rides in Solana Beach,Friday morning Fletcher Cove swim, and theSunday Del Mar swim. I still try to get to theseswims whenever I can. I had a chance to do anumber of club races before I ever towed theline in a "real" race. I also have met manytraining partners and had some great times. Ialso met my AWESOME girlfriend, Beth, in theTCSD which has definitely made me a bettertriathlete!

Craig: What races did you do to lead up toNationals at Tahoe?

James: This year I actually raced less than Iever have. I really wanted to cut back and justfocus on the big ones. Here’s the ones themattered:

• Big Blue Off Road Triathlon: 1st Overall/AG• Xterra West Championships: 1st AG/2nd

Amateur Overall• Xterra Southeast Championships: 1st AG/1st

Amateur Overall• Xterra East Championships: 1st AG/1st

Amateur Overall• Xterra Snow Valley 1st AG/1st Amateur

Overall• Xterra USA Championships: 2nd AG/6th

Amateur• Xterra World Championships: 1st AG/2nd

Amateur/1st American Amateur/22ndOverall

Craig: What is the race like at Tahoe (XterraUSA Championships) and how do you qualify?

James: Tahoe has always been tough for me.The course really doesn’t suit my strengths.It’s usually cold, it’s at altitude, and the run iseasy when compared to other XterraChampionship courses. I thrive in the heat andthe harder the run the better for me.

The race in Tahoe starts in cold water (usu-ally in the upper 50’s) and for me swimming ataltitude is really tough. So after a 1500m swimyou have to run 300 feet numbing yards to T1.The race in Tahoe is all about the bike. Theclimbs are tough but the views once you getto the infamous Flume trail and the long, fastdescent are worth all the climbing. The run istwo laps through tight, twisty single track. It’snot as hard as other Xterra courses, but afterthe hard ride it is still challenging

To qualify for Xterra Nationals you have tocompete in points series races to accumulatepoints. Each age group is allocated a certainnumber of slots and if you finish within thatnumber in your region you are in!

Craig: What was your race like at the XterraWorld Championships?

James: It all came together for me this year incontinued page 11

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Maui. I came into the race feeling the bestphysically I had all year, but was a bit friedmentally after a long season of racing. Thiswas my third year racing in Maui so I knewwhat to expect.

The swim was rough. I got kicked (in thejunk), dunked, grabbed, and elbowed. I didn’tlet it get to me and just hung in there takinga beating but swimming well. At the end of thefirst lap I was still feeling good and ready togo harder the second lap. The second lap wasa little less violent and I got out ofthe water feeling good.

The bike course is tough in Maui.There’s a ton of steep climbing anddescents are gnarly and filled with biglava rocks. I just kept pushing it upevery climb because as I knew a lot ofguys out there are better descendersthan me and willing to take morechances. When we got to “Ned’sClimb” I decided I wasn’t going toride in the pack I was with anymore.As soon as there was room I made mymove and gave it everything I had. Iwent to the front of the pack and keptpouring it on...and on. When we gotto the paved section I locked out myfork and got out of the saddle and

kept going and caught and passed two moreguys. At the top of climb, right before “theplunge”, I looked back for the first time andthere was nobody...I mean nowhere evenclose. This got me stoked and ready to chargethe descent. The descent was really good forme. I just opened it up and let my bike do thework. On the last section of the bike I caughta couple more guys and rode with them untilthe last descent and then headed into T2 readyto run.

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continued page 14

continued page 14

Woking one of the hills of the grouling course.

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continued page 16

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Heading out on the run I knew there couldnot be too many amateurs ahead of me and Iwasn’t sure where I was in my AG. I headedout of transition and the legs felt good but theguys I came into transition with were trying tohang on... so I went for it as soon as I hit theroad. Once you turn off the road it’s a straight2.5 miles of climbing, and the best time tomake up significant chunks of time. So I wentfor it. I just charged the hill and passed quitea few amateurs and a couple of pros. Thisboosted my confidence and then I just keptrolling. Then I hit the beach and as always itwas brutal. It feels like you are running slowmotion, but again I just thought aboutcadence and turnover. Then it was into the“spooky forest” with 1.5 miles to go and I wasinformed I was the 2nd amateur and 3 minutes

back from #1. I just keptgoing and as I got close tothe finish a pro was comingup on me and was going tomake me work to the line.So over the final 1/4 mile Ipicked it up and ended upholding him off, but could-n’t quite catch the #1 ama-teur...but I took 7 minutesout of him on the run!

I was so stoked to crossthe line and even morestoked to have my sisterthere and knowing thatBeth and the family werewatching online.

Craig: What are yourtriathlon goals for next yearand beyond?

James: My goals for nextyear are still up in the air. I exceeded any andall expectations that I had for this year. I willstill will be focusing on Xterra and really wantto win the Xterra USA Championships. I willalso be competing in the Xterra Socal TrailRunning Series and a bunch of mountain bikeraces.

Craig: Who are your sponsors?

James: I am pretty lucky when it come tosponsors and support. Sponsorship-wise I racefor B&L Bike and Sport, PowerBar, Matisse &Jacks, Maxxis, Stuffitts ShoeSavers, andSkinfit. These are all companies I truly believein. I am also fortunate to have tons of supportfrom my amazing family and incredible girl-friend, Beth. My family has always supported

Ironman Conversation, continued

Piece of cake…on the way to becoming age group World Champion.

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continued page 18

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Finally, the last triathlon of theextra long race season. For thisrace, I set some lofty goals formyself, but you never know whatnature will throw at you. I heardsome talk about wind on race day,but Friday and Saturday were per-fect during my pre- swim and bike,so I did not think much of it forthe big event on Sunday.

Race morning starts out as nor-mal as can be, arrive early; useport-a-pody, wet suit on, and head for a swimwarm-up. Weather at this point is good, just alittle breeze when the gun goes off. Afterstarting with a good tempo, I decide to cut itback just a little to catch mybreath from the slight elevation ofLake Mead, approx. 2,100 ft. Sincethere was only about 150 partici-pants there is not getting beat uplike an IM event. That’s the greatthing about smaller races. I wasconcentrating on my reach, everyinch of lengths counts. As the swimcontinued, I am thinking “Man thisis taking forever”. Rounding the lastbuoy before heading in, the wind had pickedup dramatically and the last 450 yards felt likeI was not making progress. The increased windwas really slowed us down. I washoping to be faster than last yearwhere the sun glare was a factor.This year the wind ended up beingthe factor for a “slow” 1:12 swim;my worst ever, but was 3rd in myage group; everyone was in thesame boat.

A quick transition, all good here.Then off on the bike leg. At thispoint, the wind was really notice-able. We encountered 30-40 mile crosswindsup the mile long boat ramp. I had to lean intothe wind to stay upright. I have never feltsuch strong winds before. Fortunately, the

wind was blowing one way, sothere were portions on the bikecourse were it was advantageous.Besides a very hilly course (over9,000 ft of elevation gain), strongwinds, rain, thunder, a little hailand cold made it a very challengingday. On the down hills, I had neverheld my handlebars so tight.Fortunately, by the turn aroundpoint, the sun started to shine.Only the wind and continuous hills

were the only factor from this point on. I feltI was managing my energy expense prettygood; relax on the downhills, sitting back on the uphill to use my muscles efficiently

and keeping track of nutrition.Finishing the bike leg with a timeof 6:47, was not actually not bad, due to such challenging con-ditions.

As for the run, my legs feltfresh. My first mile was prettyquick, sub 7 minutes. I usuallystart out pretty quick and thensettle into a controlled pace. With

this run course, over 4,000 ft ofelevation gain, one must take advantage ofthe downhills. Let gravity be your aid toextend your stride, and the opposite on the

hills, do not over exert. Nutrition iskey to keeping you body going;gels, pretzels, chicken broth,bananas, water, cola and Gatorade.Eat often! I finally ran out of gas atmile 23. I took advantage of theaid station, taking about a twominute rest in one of their loungechairs. It was really needed. Well,only 5k to go, half of that flat anddownhill. My energy levels back, I

was able to make good time and press on fin-ishing with a 4:19 marathon spit. I’ve donebetter on this course, but you take what yourbody can do.

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continued page 19

The swim.

The bike.

The run.

Silverman, World’s Toughest TriathlonRace Report: by Dean Sprague

Date: November 7, 2008 Location: Lake Mead/Henderson, NV

Blue Summit Financial Group Inc.,(619) 698-4439 info@bluesummitinvest.com www.bluesummitinvest.com

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG17

continued page 19

Do you incorporate strength training in your weekly workout rou-tine? If not, I highly recommend it for many reasons, like reduc-ing your risk of injury, improving resistance to fatigue, helpingyour overall endurance and gives you greater balance, agility,quickness, speed, and power.

Here are some basic tips that will be helpful in buildingyour strength training routine:1. My #1 recommendation for an athlete is to be sport specific with your weight training. In most cases that meansgetting off weight machines. The problem lies in the design ofmachines. Machines in general are one-dimensional. They guidemovement such that the body need not stabilize its own joints.This leads to over-development of prime movers relative to stabilizers. As athletes feel stronger, they attempt to do activi-ties outside the gym which require more stabilizer strength thanthey possess. The results are seen clinically as both joint and stabilizer injuries.

To use your stabilizer muscles as an athlete, do functional exer-cises on equipment such as Swiss balls, Medicine Balls, BalanceBoards, Cable Columns, or Bosu Balls etc. It could be as simpleas standing on one leg instead of two while performing an exer-cise.

2. Keep it simple and time effective. I tell my athletes: ifyou're in the gym any more than 30-40 minutes, you're just mak-ing friends.

3. Do multi-planer exercises, training in all planes of move-ment. This means incorporating the basic primal movement pat-terns. In every workout perform the Basic Five. Squat, Lunge,Push, Pull and a Twist. Don't just isolate, integrate, working the

body as a whole. Instead of doing basic biceps curls; do a somekind of whole body movement such as a Squat-Curl-Press; a Multi-Directional Lunge, or a Medicine Ball Medial Shoulder Rotationexercises, etc.

4. Increase Core Stability - Working your core is key (cut offyour legs and arms and that's your core.) I could write a chapteralone on just how important having a strong core is for athletes.Basically, the core is where movement begins and ends.

The stronger and more stable the core, the more efficientlypower can be transferred from the lower body to the upper body.One pearl of wisdom on developing a strong core is to learn howto breathe correctly, so you are definitely utilizing your core mus-cles. Breathe rhythmically and naturally and never hold yourbreath. Typically, you should exhale during the contraction, (orlifting phase) and inhale during the relaxing phase (or loweringphase).

Another tip is to keep core workouts balanced. Always trainopposing muscle groups equally to prevent muscle imbalances.For example, the low back muscles are opposite to the abdomi-nales.

Periodize your weight training program. Just like your annualTri training program, you need to go through the proper phasesfor strength training, example: (Technique & Adaption) (SportSpecific Strength) (Power & Endurance) (Strength Maintenance),etc. Also, a bit of advice don't just lift in the off season, lift yearround (Strength Maintenance), so you don't risk losing most ofthe strength that you worked so hard to achieve. A goodcoach/trainer should have a very effective periodization plan laidout as part as your overall training plan.

Strength Training 101 for Triathletesby Bill Borsack, CHEK 2, USAT 1, ACE, NASM Certified TrainerHealth & Fitness:

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IRONMAN CONVERSATION, continued

everything I have done and when I started triathlon, even thoughthey thought I was crazy, were always very interested in what Iwas doing. I can always count on my mom and dad to call me assoon as a race is over to get the details. My mom even keeps acalendar at home, back in Virginia, of all my races as well asBeth’s. My sister has also been awesome. She traveled to bothTahoe and Maui this year to root me on. My family could neverknow how much their support means to me and how much theyhave been a part of my success.

Then there is Beth. She’s deals with me on a daily basis. Shesees the ups and downs, the early mornings, the “boring“ week-end nights, and has always been super supportive. I believe muchof the success I have had this year is due to the balance she hasbrought into my life. Like many of us I can kind of get caught upin the training and racing, but she always keeps me in check.

Craig: What do you do for a living?

James: When I am not out on the trails I do actually have a realjob. I am an IT/Computer geek. My actual title is Sr. NetworkEngineer and honestly, I really like my job. I work for Qualcommand they really support a healthy, active lifestyle. It also helpsthat I have access to a private lap pool and my office is right nextto Penasquitos Canyon! There is nothing like getting in a killertrail run or swim during my lunch break!

Craig: James, it has been great getting to know you these lastcouple of years. Thanks for sharing your story. Congrats on all thegreat things you have going on in your life. Good things happento good people. The TCSD will always be there cheering for you!

WWW.TRICLUBSANDIEGO.ORG19

6. Individualize your program. It should be suited to yourindividual needs, not some cookie cutter program. Consultwith someone that knows the specific needs of a triathlete.Once you find that trainer/coach, ask questions before yousign up with them. Never buy a training package before youhave actually worked with that particular trainer/ coach. First,make sure you feel comfortable with them, and have full con-fidence in their teaching style.

Tips and suggestions:• I have been asked if it is better to do gym on easy train-

ing days? My philosophy on this one is simply "NO". Keep"hard days" as hard days and "easy days" as easy days. Bydoing the gym on easy days, your legs etc. do not get suf-ficient time to recover.

• Avoid gym work before quality run, bike, swim sessions.You are much better off doing your quality work followedby a gym session.

• I always have my athletes end their gym/weight workoutswith a short run or bike. It's all about muscle memory, just10-15 minutes is all you need.

• If you absolutely can't make it to the gym, then be creative.For example while swimming, you can make performancegains using paddles, stretch cords etc. On the bike, throwin extra hill repeats. Running, hill repeats, stairs or somebasic lunges, body weight squats, etc...

In future articles I will give you some really good sport spe-cific exercises that I have found to be very effective. For now,just get in the gym, begin with light weights to allow yourbody to learn the correct movements (train the movement notthe muscle). Make multi joint exercises the priority, asopposed to single-joint exercises (most machines) and havefun with it.

This was my 3rd time at Silverman. I was hoping to set aPR this time and set an age group record. One thing aboutracing is you can never guarantee the weather and you neverknow who your competition will be. After crossing the finishline in 12 hours 23 minutes, I anticipated a 5th or 6th placefinish in my group, since I saw quite a few people pass me onthe bike, but was quite surprised when I saw the results thefollowing day. I placed 2nd and 15th overall. The 1st placeguy in my group had a great run thus kicking my ass.

RACE REPORT: Silverman, continued

HEALTH & FITNESS, continued

18

Triathlon Club of San DiegoP.O. Box 84211

San Diego, CA 92138

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Presorted StandardU.S. POSTAGE PAIDSan Diego, CAPermit No. 764