TCSD (Triathlon Club San Diego) released a preview of their 2008 race apparel:


For those of you coming down from your weekend runner’s high, check out this article posted by Active Expert Charles Stuart Platkin, where researchers have finally demonstrated the existence of an 'endorphin driven runner's high'.

Do you get enough sleep? Check out this study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting that Americans aren’t getting their Zzzz’s.

Did your favorite marathon make the list? Check out the Guide to Some of the Best Marathons in North America and let us know.

"You can't keep those women down, you can't get them back in the kitchen." Read the full story to find out which major marathon event director has his foot in his mouth.

Listen to this podcast from Endurance Planet, where USAT Coach Troy Jacobson answers a question about strength training for the marathon, finishing strong in a 70.3, and full Iron-distance event.

And last and certainly not least, ActiveX: ARMaggedon

Hey everyone, Trish and Toby here. This month we've created a guide to our best seasonal articles to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout the holidays. No matter what your active passion may be, we've got you covered.

Lifestyle:
With holiday feasts right around the corner and weather that can diminish our motivation to train, it is not uncommon to pack on a few extra pounds this time of year. Active Expert Charles Stuart Platkin’s article, The Diet Detective: Fall Into Healthy Eating Habits, offers valuable tips for maintaining fitness without a compromise in performance at winter races and ensures a return to peak form in the spring.

Endurance:
Have you ever heard the saying, “athletes are made in the off season”? Now's the time to target your weaknesses and build proper technique and habits to lead into a successful racing season. Check out Boost Your Endurance in 7 Simple Steps and get the most from your off-season training.

Team:
Basketball season is upon us and it’s time for fundamental workouts with and without the basketball. Mississippi State basketball coach, Sharon Fanning, shares a 45-minute Workout that will developing confidence, coordination, strength, timing, and stamina on the hardwood.

Action:
Indoor Climbing Gyms Offer Year-round Fun Fitness and a nice break from the treadmill and stationary bike routine. Don’t let the winter elements take you off belay—utilize indoor climbing gyms to build stamina and confidence in a controlled environment. When the weather warms enough to head outdoors, you’ll be in peak condition.

Activities of Interest:
Check out Sacramento Winter Softball Camp by Olympic gold medalists Tairia Flowers and Natasha Watleyto hone your softball skills at the plate and in the field. Focus will be on increasing offensive power, slapping techniques, defensive fundamentals and pitching development. This camp will also feature practice-structure tips and drills along with valuable college recruiting advice from the pros.

Take advantage of The Classic Y-100, one of the last century rides of the year on November 25 in Ormond Beach, Florida. Crank out 100 in this inaugural ride that promises a beautiful route leading north along the Intracoastal waterway through parks and along the Atlantic coast. This event features a great safe route for beginners as well as 65- and 35-mile routes.

Folks in Southern California have already begun to register for the 2008 Carlsbad Marathon and Half Marathon on January 20. This was Toby’s first half marathon back in 2006 and he recommends it for runners of all abilities because of the fast course and beautiful ocean view.

See your training bear fruit at the oldest Ironman-distance triathlon held in the continental United States. Check out one of five 2008 Vineman events: Ironman 70.3, full Vineman, sprint tri at sundown, women's half or Aquabike during this weekend-long triathlon celebration.

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/08/rocketfuelblog.jpg I began incorporating this featured recipe into my nutrition plan because it is a healthy balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. I prepare my signature Rocket Fuel on Sunday afternoons and the whole process takes an hour. Depending on my training intensity and resulting appetite, the recipe will produce a week?s supply of either lunch and/or dinner. I encourage you to be creative with the list of vegetables to keep the recipe exciting and new every time. I hope you enjoy this nutritious time-saver that will take your training to the next level. 

Recipe: Rocket Fuel

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cups Brown Rice
1 can black beans

½ cup red onion
2 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red or yellow peppers
1 carrot
1 cup broccoli
1 cup zucchini (optional)
1 egg (optional)

Heat ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup diced red onion, and minced clove of garlic over med-high heat. Add chicken breast and pan-sear.

Cook 3 cups of brown rice with water or chicken-broth option.

Heat 1 can of black beans .

Add chopped veggies to chicken. Let veggies soften and absorb flavors from the chicken. Add black beans and cover with brown rice. Mix together over high heat and package for leftovers all week. The entire list totals approximately $15. Bon Appétit.

I initially discovered the run-walk-run technique when training for my first ultra-marathon in May. Before I registered for the 50K, I was doubtful of my abilities because I had only completed an 18-mile training run. Upon experimentation, I discovered that the run-walk-run technique enabled me to cover twice the distance that I was able to continuously run. When race day came, I broke the run up into walking intervals throughout the race, including walking up hills and covered the 31 miles only 15 minutes over my projected time. I was surprised to learn that despite its advantages, there are still critics who believe that walking is a sign of poor fitness and conditioning.

*Jeff Galloway*?s Run-walk-run to faster times, faster recovery article goes into greater detail, highlighting the benefits and strategy behind walking intervals. I?m a huge fan of this technique and will incorporate this into my training for my next ultra-running event. As of now, it looks like the Bulldog 50K is next on the list. We?ll see how the rehabilitation of my Achilles tendon goes over the next month when incorporating non-impact training on my brand new Novara Strada road bike ?

As you can see, my mind is on over-drive as I adjust to being done with 18 weeks of marathon training. Setting new goals is going to help me work towards overcoming this injury while staying aware of this vulnerable stage. I have learned a greater respect for my body and its limitations. My approach to future endeavors now incorporates a greater awareness that my ?endurance spirit? is stronger than my body. Finding a balance is going to require healthier communication between my mind and body.      

I?m going to leave you with a quote by Napoleon Hill, an American author of personal-success literature in the early 1900s and famous for the following hallmark saying:

What the mind of man humankind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Your race is in less than 2 weeks. The past 17 weeks of training has you in peak physical condition and one question remains: Are you mentally prepared?

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/23/mentalfitness.jpgThose familiar with competition understand that there is more to be done than simply staying true to your training and nutrition plan. Details that may appear fanatical to newbies can in fact hold the secret to your strongest race. Active Expert, Gale Bernhardt, recommends visualization techniques to help you maximize your race-day experience in the following column, Cerebral fitness: Mastering the mental game.

After speaking with a few friends who are racing in a sprint triathlon this weekend, I felt compelled to write about the commonality I observed among this group of beginner triathletes. Each made the mistake of focusing solely on training for the three main events: swimming, cycling, and running, and overlooked the significance of the transitions.

Strategically executed transitions will make the difference between a racer's overall position and wasted time and energy that is nearly impossible to recover in a sprint race. For a beginning triathlete to become more competitive, he or she must approach triathlon as a five-stage race: the swim, swim-to-bike transition (T1), the bike, the bike-to-run transition (T2) and the run.

The most practical way to gain experience would be to compete in more races, but beginners who lack real-time experience can practice T1 and T2 to master these skills. Our very own Active Expert, Gale Bernhardt has compiled a list of techniques to help you perform screaming fast transitions.

Saturday morning is supposed to be a 20-mile training run according to my over the counter training regiment for the . Instead, I will up the ante and attempt my first ultramarathon. My decision to run the Lake Hodges 50K has been inspired in part by the many endurance athletes that I learn about everyday here at Active.com. My other source of motivation comes from my lack of experience at such high mileage. In fact, leading up to this point, I have never logged a run greater than 18 miles. The decision to go even farther is not made in haste; it is based on careful research into ultra events. I've formulated a game plan that will take me to the finish line without risking my health for the race in June.

First and foremost, I have already run the entire race course in sections. I can visualize my approach while maintaining a psychological edge when the going gets tough. Secondly, my goal to cross the finish line within an eight-hour limit requires a pace that is faster than 15 minutes per mile. This is easily achieved by utilizing the keystone of this plan; the 5-to-1 ratio. After each five minute interval of running, I will walk for one minute and repeat this method for the five or more hours that it takes to cross the finish line, all the while conserving energy for later in the race by avoiding running up steep hills.

This race will also serve as a test of my in-race nutrition. I will finally be able to experience the stress on my gastrointestinal system (GI), while ingesting water and endurance fuel for a prolonged period of time. I'll have a water bottle strapped to each hand. The first bottle will contain plain water which I will refill at the seven aid stations throughout the race. The second water bottle will be a highly concentrated blend of two endurance formulas containing a 7-to-1 carbohydrate-to-soy protein ratio. This fuel also contains all the necessary electrolytes and calories, allowing me to travel without any other fuel. At the 16.2-mile aid station, friends will bring my drop bag containing fresh running socks, shirt, hat, sunscreen, Aleve and more endurance fuel for the remaining 15 miles of the course.

My nine weeks of conditioning, experience on the race course, in-race nutrition plan, support crew and will to succeed should be all I need to achieve my goal of finishing the ultramarathon. I hope to better understand how my body will react during the stress of prolonged activity and high mileage. I will then apply this knowledge and make the necessary adjustments to both my training regimen and my in-race nutrition to handle the intensity of a faster pace during the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in nine weeks. Check back on Monday for a recap of this event and find out how it all plays out.