COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 6, 2005) – Fire up the barbecues; USA Triathlon will be in Kansas City, Mo., on July 8 for its 2006 National Age Group Championship, which will be part of the Kansas City Race Weekend.

The 2006 USAT National Age Group Championship – the pinnacle of the 2006 USAT Grand Prix Series and the high point of many athletes' seasons – will be held at Missouri's Smithville Lake. The race will serve as the sole qualifier for the 2006 International Triathlon Union (ITU) Age Group Triathlon World Championship on Sept. 2-3 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The race will be intermediate distance – 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run – and there will be 16 slots on Team USA available per age group, rolling down to the 25th finisher if people in the top 16 do not accept their slots.

"The USA Triathlon National Age Group Championship will be the high point of the race season for USAT," said USAT National Events Director Jeff Dyrek. "We will be putting our time and resources into making this one of the best race experiences of the 2006 season."

The Kansas City Race Weekend will also include the Shawnee Mission Triathlon in Shawnee Mission, Kan., on July 9. Competitors in the National Championship can pair with a family member or friend who wants to do the Shawnee Mission short distance triathlon. The team of two athletes (one competing at Nationals and one at Shawnee Mission) with the best combined finish will receive two free round-trip airline tickets to fly anywhere within the continental United States.

The Age Group National Championship will be owned by USA Triathlon, produced by Mark Livesay of Ultramax Events and supported by the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation.

Race registration and travel details will be posted At www.usatriathlon.org. Please check the web site for updated information.

Smithville Lake is surrounded by rolling hills and grasslands. The race site is located about 10 miles from the Kansas City International Airport (MCI) and 17 miles from downtown Kansas City.

“Smithville Lake is a great venue and it deserves to be raced by the country's top age group triathletes,” said USAT Executive Director Skip Gilbert. “USA Triathlon will focus on making this event the best possible championship and we look forward to bringing this exciting race weekend to the area."

2006 CLUB NATIONALS GOES TO NEVADA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 20, 2005) -- The fun and popular USA Triathlon Club National Championships for 2006 will be held Oct. 15 at the Third Annual Land Rover Pumpkinman Triathlon at Lake Mead National Park, near Las Vegas, Nev.

With the choice of a race venue just outside of Las Vegas, USA Triathlon anticipates a large turnout, making the race competitive and festive.

The 2006 Club National Championship will give USAT-registered clubs the opportunity to compete as a team, where individual scores will be combined to establish the overall club’s score. Each club will compete in one of five divisions, based on the size of the club. Athletes will compete at the intermediate distance.

“The idea is to encourage friendly competition among clubs throughout the year and cap it off with a strong team showing at nationals," said USAT Club and Regional Development Manager Shannon Votruba. "We hope to see many clubs at the event vying for the national championship crown and bragging rights.”

In 2005, 16 clubs participated in the National Championship at the Cinco Ranch Triathlon in Katy, Texas. The Houston Racing Club won the Division I title for clubs with more than 250 members.

"Triathlon is such an individual sport that it's rare for us to get the chance to compete as a team in any real sense," said Alex Bump of the Houston Racing Club. "That said, the club championship is a great opportunity and with it taking place in our own backyard (in 2005), we were darned if we were going to let Columbia Multisport walk off with it for a third straight year.

"Las Vegas is a little farther away for us. But after the success and the fun we had with it this year, I'm hopeful that we'll have a pretty good group making the trek to defend our title."

USA Triathlon is working closely with Land Rover Pumpkinman Triathlon race producer, Brogg Sterrett of BBSC Endurance Sports, to ensure a challenging event with great pre- and post-race activities.

Race registration will open soon at www.bbscendurancesports.com. Please check the web site for updated information.

Boulder, CO (January 2006) - 5430 Sports, leading developer and organizer of sports based events, announced today that the ‘Boulder Peak Triathlon,’ one event in the organizations signature series, the ‘Boulder Tri-Series,’ has received Inside Triathlon magazine's distinguished ranking of fourth best triathlon in the United States. This news comes just one year after USA Triathlon, the governing body of the sport, named the ‘Boulder Peak’ the “Best Large Triathlon” of 2004.
The announcement comes as the organization is preparing to open registration for the 2006 ‘Boulder Tri-Series’ on January 1. The ‘Boulder Tri-Series’ events include the ‘5430 Sprint Triathlon,’ ‘Boulder Peak Triathlon’ and the ‘5430 Long Course Triathlon.’ The organization also produces the ‘Steamboat Springs Triathlon’ which successfully debuted in 2005. Three of the four triathlons sold out in 2005. As the Series receives increased attention due to rankings and additional press coverage, 5430 Sports anticipates that every race will fill to capacity in 2006.

With over $50,000 in cash prizes, award winning race courses, an enormous expo and numerous reputable sponsors, the Series continues to attract many of the top professionals in the world, as well as some of the best age group athletes in the U.S. 5430 Sports donates a portion of the profits from each of their Series races to charitable organizations which appeal to athletes who compete in the Series events.

Inside Triathlon’s rankings put the ‘Boulder Peak’ Triathlon just behind ‘Escape from Alcatraz’, ‘Wildflower’, and the ‘Hawaii Ironman World Championships.’ Barry Siff, Race Director and owner of 5430 Sports said, “5430 Sports is thrilled to learn of Inside Triathlon magazine’s ranking of the ‘Boulder Peak.’ This not only puts us in the company of some of the nation’s best races, it also demonstrates that 5430 Sports is succeeding at our goal of putting on high quality, safe races that create athletic opportunities for thousands of people from all corners of the globe.”

ABOUT USAT & THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U. S. Olympic Committee and the International Triathlon Union. USA Triathlon coordinates and sanctions grass-roots and elite multi-sport events across the country and works to create interest and participation in those programs. USA Triathlon’s 50,000-strong membership is comprised of athletes of all ages, coaches, officials, parents and fans striving together to strengthen multi-sport. On the elite level, USA Triathlon is responsible for the selection and training of teams to represent the United States in international competition, including the world championships, Pan Am Games and Olympic Games. It conducts national camps and clinics and provides coaching education programs. On the developmental level, USA Triathlon fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, which is facilitated by the sanctioning of age-group events and triathlon clubs. National and regional championships are held for triathletes from junior to senior age divisions. USA Triathlon’s mission is to provide leadership and structure for the growth and development of excellence in multi-sports. The organization’s vision is to be the “gold standard” for triathlon worldwide. USA Triathlon will inspire fitness as a healthy lifestyle, create a culture for excellence in leadership and competition and be a world leader in the sport.

USA Triathlon, and its regions, are governed by a Board of Directors, which has general charge of the business affairs and activities of the organization and defines the policies to be followed in carrying out the purposes of the organization as set down in the bylaws. All members of the Board must be current annual USA Triathlon members. For more information visit the website at: www.usatriathlon.org.

BUILDING A BASE, by Scott Poston

Whether your triathlon calendar consists of just a couple races this year, or you are planning on a host of regional and national races, the preseason is an imperative training phase. Some people focus on losing those 5 extra holiday pounds, while others spend more time in the weight room building strength. These are fine and perhaps very appropriate goals. In addition, your program should contain some triathlon specific preseason training.

“Building a base” is a common phrase in endurance-junky circles. What does it really mean? The analogy infers the formation of a solid foundation upon which other gains may be made. Can you improve your max VO2, or increase your lactic acid threshold, without building a base first? Sure you can, but not quite as much. The improvement relies on at least 3 physiological bases: 1) the abundance and efficiency of oxidative enzymes, 2) the size and quantity of mitochondria, and 3) capillary density. And guess what? These 3 physiological bases should be the focus of your training RIGHT NOW!

What type of training cultivates these things? Great question. The answer is relieving: long, slow workouts. Don’t get me wrong, there is still and should be room for cruise intervals, light sprints, and much more. However, the bulk of your training should be in long, easy workouts.

Good luck with your training, and remember: Train Smart!

WHAT SHOULD I EAT? by Mike Koons

What should I eat? Many athletes ask this question to themselves everyday. Training for any sport places a high physical demand on the body. Due to the demands of endurance training it is imperative that athletes eat regular meals and snacks with adequate carbohydrates and protein during all training cycles to maximize glycogen stores and protect lean body mass. It could be said that adequate nutrition is even important for the multi-sport athlete with the likely increase in overall training volume that can be associated with training for three sports.

The literature today is packed full of nutrition advice that can confuse any athlete. The purpose of this article is not to add to the confusion and is meant to be used as a base upon which to build your own personal nutrition plan. To assist in developing your personal nutrition plan, I recommend that every athlete seek out a Registered Dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition and is familiar with your sport. A Registered Dietitian is a specialist in nutrition who can perform a quality assessment of your individual nutrition needs and develop a strategy for day-to-day eating and race day fueling that is based on those needs.

That said, I have written the guidelines below to assist individuals in maximizing the benefits that good nutrition brings to training success, by going back to the basics and thinking about the big picture.

When thinking about what to eat, keep these thoughts in the back of your mind.

1. Think clean. Thinking clean means choosing foods that are not fried or coated in heavy sauces (alfredo, cream, etc…). This minimizes excess calories and allows you to get the most nutrients per calorie.
2. Wholesomeness. Always try to choose foods that are processed the least. The more a food is processed the greater the chance that extra calories and preservatives have been added. You may also loose beneficial nutrients through processing. For example a whole apple is more filling than applesauce, which is more filling than apple juice, and a baked potato will have fewer calories than scalloped potatoes.
3. Portions. Think appropriate portions. This is important for both weight management and also for adequate recovery. Check the label of your favorite pasta and see how much you need to eat to get 100 grams of carbohydrates (a good amount for a post workout meal!)
4. "Calories in" should equal "calories out". Calorie intake should coincide with your volume of training (a function of length and intensity of effort). When you are training with a heavy volume, your intake of food (quality food!) should go up. If it is the last month after your season and your volume has been cut in half, then your calorie intake should be decreased as well. With the help of a Registered Dietitian, you can find your calorie needs and recommended carbohydrate / protein / fat ratio at different times throughout each of your training cycles.

By keeping these simple thoughts in the back of your mind while shopping, cooking, and eating, you can consume a quality diet without much thought. Stay tuned for more in-depth nutrition advice in upcoming newsletters!

Mike Koons, MS, RD is the Registered Dietitian for The Denver Athletic Club. As a USA Cycling Level 2 Coach and category 2 cyclist on the road, Mike provides sports nutrition and coaching guidance to recreational and competitive athletes in Colorado and across the United States. For questions and comments, Mike can be reached through email at coach@topcycling.com.

COACHES CONFERENCE – 2006

USAT and the USAT National Coaching Commission (NCC) proudly present “The Art and Science of Triathlon” conference. This monumental event will be held Feb. 24-26, 2006 at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo. This conference presents a unique opportunity to learn from and interact with some of the most successful coaches and sport scientists in triathlon and endurance sports. International and Olympic coaches, scientists and athletes will address recent research and practical applications in triathlon training and coaching. The conference is open to everyone interested in improving or coaching endurance sports performance.

“The Art and Science of Triathlon” boasts an international all-star field of presenters. The keynote speaker will be renowned coach Joe Vigil Ph.D., the coach of 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Deena Drossin-Kastor. He has also been named coach of the year 14 times and produced 425 all-Americans. The USOC honored Vigil in 2004 with the “Doc” Councilman Science in Coaching Award.

Also presenting at “The Art and Science of Triathlon” will be:

• Mark Allen: Former ITU world champion and six-time Ironman world champion;
• Dr. Jack Daniels: Olympic coach and author of the Daniels Running Method and one of the most published American researchers in exercise physiology. Dr. Daniels is now the coach for the Nike Farm Team for elite runners;
• Hunter Allen: World leader in the field of training with power;
• Dr. Max Testa: Sport medicine specialist at the University of California at Davis and former consultant to Motorola Cycling Team;
• Jackie (Gallagher) Fairweather: Senior sports consultant and former world champion triathlete and duathlete;
• Dr. Tudor Bompa: Affectionately known as the ‘Father of Periodization;”
• Dr. Larry Armstrong: Author and researcher on environmental stress and performance;
• Andy Ording: President of ZIPP Speed Weaponry and expert in the field composite materials and aerodynamics in cycling;
• Dr. Ernest Maglischo: Swim coach of 29 years and the coach of 13 NCAA division II and 19 conference championships teams at three different universities. He has authored or co-authored five textbooks and three booklets on swimming;
• Mark Verstegen: A nationally recognized leader and innovator in the world of athletic training and owner and president of Athletes' Performance and author of the 2004 bestseller “Core Performance” (Rodale Press);
• There will also be an "Afternoon of Champions" where Olympians and world champions past and present will take part in a round-table discussion on all topics related to triathlon. The group will include: Jackie Gallagher, Barb Lindquist, Susan Williams, Siri Lindley, Hunter Kemper and Mark Allen.

In addition to the scientific and applied training and physiology program, the conference will also host a banquet featuring six-time Ironman champion Mark Allen and Olympian Barb Lindquist (one of the most successful women in the sport) as guest speakers for the evening.

Conference space is limited. Early registration will ensure a reservation. USAT members, USAT certified coaches, and national governing body coaches all receive a discount on the conference fee.

For more information, or to register, click here.

[Back to Top]