USA Triathlon (USAT) CEO Skip Gilbert and World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) President and CEO Ben Fertic met last week to resolve the issues that had separated these two organizations for the majority of 2005.

Based on the International Triathlon Union “Athlete’s First” creed which is relevant to all those associated with the sport of triathlon, WTC and USAT have committed to forge a long-term partnership reigniting their collective energy on growth of the sport, their respective brands, and their relationship with the multi-sport athlete. Beginning in May, all WTC-affiliated races will receive a USAT sanction.

“We are pleased that a resolution has been reached and we are excited to begin moving forward as a unified front and providing our athletes the best services possible,” said Fertic.

For the tens of thousands of athletes who compete in USAT and WTC races, this agreement could not have happened quickly enough. While WTC sanctioning won’t officially begin until May, USAT will support the athlete community by providing rankings for all 2006 WTC races. USAT will soon release further information about annual memberships and the integration into the Ironman events.

“It has been a difficult year for the triathlon community, and bringing two of the most influential organizations back together again is a great way to start the 2006 racing season,” said Gilbert. “WTC and USAT can now refocus solely on growing the sport and building programs to support our athletes.”

World Triathlon Corporation, owners and organizers of Ironman, is a Florida-based company recognized for athletic excellence, performance and quality products. With the addition of the Ironman 70.3 Series, Ironman now has more than 35 qualifying events worldwide. Millions may remember moments in Ironman history such as Julie Moss' crawl to the finish line in 1982, which was showcased on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Each year, more than 40,000 athletes compete for slots in the Ford Ironman World Championship held every October in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 held every November in Clearwater, Fla.

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 1,800 races and connects with more than 60,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world. For more information on this and other stories related to USA Triathlon, please contact Tim Yount at 719-597-9090, ext. 131 or at tim.yount@USATriathlon.org. Please visit USA Triathlon’s web site at www.usatriathlon.org. For more information on Ironman, visit www.ironmanlive.com. For media-related inquiries, contact Blair LaHaye at blair@ironmanlive.com or at 727-942-4767 x207

SANCTIONED EVENT CALENDAR DEBUT

USA Triathlon presents the long-awaited 2006 sanctioned event calendar to assist members as they plan their seasons. The calendar shows all the basic information on sanctioned events as recorded by the event directors including distances, registration links and website for more detailed information. The federation is grateful for the patience of the membership while this project came to fruition. Future improvements will expand searchability, allow members to create a personalized calendar page and much more.

The calendar is fueled by event organizers and race directors via the web-based event sanction process. As the race director passes through the stages of sanctioning, approved races are added in real time to the calendar. The calendar now gives race directors the option of pre-sanctioning their races up to 5 years in advance for display on the USA Triathlon calendar.

Click www.usatmembership.com/EventCalendar/ to reach the calendar.

For a complete list of Rocky Mountain Region Triathlons visit:
www.usat-rockymountain.org/calendar2006.html

ROCKY MOUNTAIN TRI-CLUBS

Looking for a triathlon club in your area? Click the link below to get started.

www.usat-rockymountain.org/clubs.htm

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE BUT YOUR LACTIC ACID CLOSER

Everyone has heard of lactic acid (LA), but what is it really? Is it really an acid? Is it really so bad? How does it affect your triathlon training program?

Technically, LA is an end product of glucose metabolism. In an oxygen rich environment, like an easy 1000 meter swim, LA production is kept to a minimum, thus your working muscles feel fresh. As the intensity increases and the cellular environment becomes oxygen deficient, like during a max 200 meter swim, LA production increases and your working muscles burn. LA is truly an acid. It is also the gateway to speed and high intensity endurance.

As your intensity during a swim, bike, or run increases, so does your LA production. The cells of your working muscles have an ability to recycle LA back into energy, so the increase in LA production is not a problem. There is a point, however, where LA production overcomes your cells’ ability to recycle the LA. This point where LA overwhelms the system is called your lactic acid threshold (LAT). Muscle burn is generally associated with this point, and a reduced effort is the inevitable result until LA production is back within controllable levels. LAT training increases the point where LA production overwhelms your working muscles’ cells.

The key to LAT training (Zone 3 Heart Rate) is to push your target muscles almost to the point where LA production is too high and then hold it there. Your threshold point increases slightly with each workout until eventually your LAT is at 80% max heart rate instead of 75% max heart rate. Here’s a workout in each tri-sport to improve your LAT:

Swim—2 X 500 @ LAT. 30 seconds between 500’s.
Bike—3 X 6 minutes @ LAT. 30 seconds between reps.
Run—20 minutes @ LAT.

Remember, your LAT is a delicate zone and anything can set it off (e.g., an uphill climb, a short sprint, or an easy downhill). Once you reach your LAT pace keep it as close to there as possible. In a pool it’s easy (no hills). On a bike it’s best to do it on a flat loop or a steady uphill (somewhere you can adjust your intensity in fine-tune increments). Head to a track or treadmill for an LAT running workout.

So, like I said, keep your friends closer but your lactic acid closer (but not too close or you’ll get burned)!

Scott Poston is on the Board of Directors for the USAT-Rocky Mountain Region; he can be reached at scott_poston@hotmail.com.

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: http://www.usatriathlon.org/.

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