I can't find the adjectives to describe this engineering marvel.

2009 Cervelo P4

Is the weather outside less than desirable?  Does it feel like you have plenty of time to skip workouts and still get on track in time for your summer "A" races?

Every missed day and every skipped workout is an opportunity that has been wasted.  An opportunity to progress toward your personal best performance this year.

During the off-season it's important to constantly remind yourself of the pay off that your hard work will afford.  Stay committed to your goals.

Endless cold mornings, racking up the treadmill miles, cycling in the basement...it's all worth it!

In my opinion, Ironman France is one of the best destinations for an Ironman event.  If you sign up just remember that you might want to come to the race with your drops, clip-ons, and climbing chainrings for the ride through the alps.

Ironman France 2009 Quick Facts:

Race date: June 28th, 2009

3.8 km SWIM
180 km BIKE
42.195 km RUN
 
50 slots for the Ford Ironman World Championship 2009 in Hawaii

Entry fees:

entry deadline: December 31st, 2008
regular entry fee:                   € 350,- + € 10,- online handling fee
offline entry fee:                    € 350,- + € 20,- offline handling fee

late entry: from January 1st until April 28nd, 2009
late entry fee:                       € 400,- + € 10,- online handling fee
offline late entry fee:              € 400,- + € 20,- offline handling fee

You just can't beat holiday cards and calendars at TriSanta.com!

Over the last two weeks I've had a wave of new athletes and current athletes signing on and getting their 2009 triathlon training plan and goals in order.  I don't know that I've been this busy in November over the last 8 years that I've been coaching online.  I guess something has everyone energized and ready for big results in 2009!

I'd recommend the following basic nutrition supplementation strategy for endurance athletes in addition to a well planned diet in support of training:

1. A daily multi-vitamin - provides you with a base each day of vitamins and minerals

2. Protein supplementation - (if you're not getting sufficient intake from food) a protein supplement is great to help you bridge the gap from what you're getting in your diet and what you actually need each day.  Many athletes are unknowingly protein deficient and this greatly inhibits optimal recovery and muscle development - hurting performance improvement, contributing to muscle soreness, etc.

3. "Your personal elixirs" - these items can be any form of placebo or actually working supplements that you have determined through your own experience to improve your performance.  This could include glucosamine-chondroitin products for joint health, additional vitamins and/or minerals (example: sodium and potassium if you easily deplete electrolytes while sweating), and various energy or performance products that you've found to be helpful.

Be sure to get items 1 and 2 covered and then make your training your personal lab for determining other supplementation that may beneficial.

A nice piece of equipment to add to your home gym:

Just 10 more days until Olympian triathletes will be crowned.  Click here to read more about the men's and women's fields.

(Photo source: Triathlon.org)

Olympic Triathlon Event – Women
Monday August 18, 2008

10am local Beijing time (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

Vancouver/L.A – 7pm on Sunday August 17

New York/Toronto – 10pm on Sunday August 17

Dublin/London – 3am on Monday August 18

Madrid/Berlin – 4am on Monday August 18

Moscow – 6am on Monday August 18

Tokyo/Seoul – 11am on Monday August 18

Sydney – 12pm on Monday August 18

Auckland – 2pm on Monday August 18

Olympic Triathlon Event – Men
Tuesday August 19, 2008

10am local Beijing time (UTC/GMT +8 hours)

Vancouver/L.A – 7pm on Monday August 18

New York/Toronto – 10pm on Monday August 18

Dublin/London – 3am on Tuesday August 19

Madrid/Berlin – 4am on Tuesday August 19

Moscow – 6am on Tuesday August 19

Tokyo/Seoul – 11am on Tuesday August 19

Sydney – 12pm on Tuesday August 19

Auckland – 2pm on Tuesday August 19

(Source: Triathlon.org)

Boston, Massachusetts (July 29, 2008) – Finally, a novel centered on triathlons. There are hundreds of novels dramatizing many great sports, none of note focused on triathlons. Tim Durant has changed that statistic with Know Regrets: the story of Trip Johnson, a single father of two, who at the age of forty has a second chance to act on his dream of competing in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship Hawaii.

Everyone has a dream. Not everyone has the courage to act on it. Trip had always dreamed of racing in the Ironman. His dream hidden for so long, he became numb to its fire. When the dream reignites, and he finds the courage to act on it, the journey begins. Trip has a chance to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles amongst the best triathletes in the world. In order to reach his goal, he will draw upon more than physical strength, endurance and determination.  His voyage takes him from the comfortable suburbs of Boston, to the wild nightlife of Waikiki, over to the forbidding lava fields of the Big Island, all on the path of pursuing a deeply seeded dream.

The scenes in Know Regrets had been developing in Durant's head for over 20 years. They started as day dreams during his long runs and rides as he trained for his first triathlons while living in Hawaii. Through the sweat and miles, these dreams slowly formed into a fun, adventurous and inspiring tale. Know Regrets shows great insight into the mystic of Hawaii, and reveals the greatness of triathlons and the athletes that compete in them, a glimpse of human nature and strength of the human spirit. If you liked Rocky, American Flyers or The Rookie, you will love Know Regrets.

"Tim has written about the Ironman like a true insider.  I was reliving all the fears, exhilaration, drudgery, and pain." says Karen Smyers, Ironman Triathlon World Champion.  "Know Regrets takes you on a mental and physical rollercoaster that we all feel when chasing something important."

Living with Crohn's disease has also motivated Tim to donate some of the proceeds from this book to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. Know Regrets is available direct from the publisher at www.lulu.com  and at many other retail outlets such as Amazon.com www.amazon.com , Barnes and Noble www.bn.com , and Borders www.borders.com . You can also check www.bookfinder4u.com to find a bookseller in your country.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Know-Regrets-Tim-Durant/dp/143570567X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217401315&sr=8-1

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