By Sam McManis McClatchy-Tribune News Service If there is one population subgroup that doesn’t need to worry about weight, it’s endurance athletes, right? These dedicated cyclists and runners, swimmers and rowers burn calories like human furnaces.
See original here:
Calories do matter (The…
The Associated Press reported Friday afternoon that federal prosecutors have closed the investigation of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong without filing charges. —VeloNews: Feds drop Armstrong investigation —AP reports case against Lance Armstrong has been dropped
Photo: Delly Carr/Triathlon.org With several countries looking to nab points towards Olympic qualification, this weekend’s ITU Sprint Oceania Triathlon features a stacked field. Kris Gemmell will return to top competition on Sunday for the first time since his win at the World Cup event in Auckland in November but his focus is very much on one race in April. The New Zealand triathlete has been in a heavy training mode over the past six weeks at the Wanaka Snow Farm with the rest of the Tri NZ high performance squad as he eyes a top finish at April’s Sydney World Champs series race. A top-eight finish there will guarantee a spot in London but, if he fails to achieve that, it will then come down to the selectors’ discretion. Andrea Hewitt is the only New Zealand triathlete guaranteed a start in London. Before all of that Gemmell, James Elvery, Debbie Tanner, Nicky Samuels and Kate McIlroy will all compete in this weekend’s fifth round of the Contact Tri Series in Kinloch, Taupo. A number of international competitors will also race, including Australian Chris McCormack. The ITU Oceania sprint title and valuable ITU points are up for grabs and Gemmell is keen to be at the head of the pack in the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. “I have won the standard distance nationals five times but never won the sprint title at the elite level,” he said. “It is something I like doing and have spent a good part of my career doing this type of race in Europe racing in club competitions and I always enjoy Takapuna each year over a similar distance. “But there is a big contingent of Australians coming over chasing those ITU points so it won’t be easy and the course at Kinloch is a tough one. Racing over this short distance hurts, too. There is no letting up from the gun with a nasty hill on the bike so I’ll be looking to force the issue there. My aim is to place as much pressure on the field as possible on the bike and come off with a bit of a lead and sort ourselves out over the 5km run.” Read more: Nzherald.co.uk
A retirement community in Columbia, S.C. is hosting a “Baby Boomer” triathlon in July. When we think of a triathlon, many of us think of buffed men and nimble women donned in tank tops and running shorts who have probably never had a glass of wine or a nibble of a potato chip. But in the upcoming months Still Hopes, a retirement community in Columbia, S.C., is preparing to train a team of beginners to participate in a triathlon that will actually let the sippers of adult beverages and cheeseburger lovers participate, according to trainer Stefanie Glatz who will be coordinating the triathlon training. “This event is geared for people 55 and older, and we will start training in late February,” Glatz said. “If a person can do a brisk walk for 20 to 30 minutes, they will be able to do this triathlon training.” Glatz said that she isn’t looking for solid athletes as much as the average person who just wants to get in shape, maybe lose a few pounds and wants a challenge. The Still Hopes triathlon is no different except that the mileage will be shorter. The event is set for July 28 at the Northwest Family YMCA in Irmo, Glatz Participants will be nurtured along the way, and no one expects them to initially be able to run the marathon race. Read more: Thecolumbiastar.com
Photo: Nils Nilsen Goal setting is one of the defining characteristics that separates athletes from exercisers; we set our sights on specific targets and we strive for performance. As you get ready to put your 2012 goals down on paper (which I highly recommend), here are some guidelines to keep in mind. I’ve divided these goal-setting tips into categories based on three groups of triathletes I frequently talk to. You may fit squarely into one category or identify with more than one. “I want to be a contender.” “I coulda’ been a contenda,” lamented Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront.” But he wasn’t, because as a fighter he didn’t have anyone looking out for him and he went for the easy buck instead of the long-term gain. If you want to step up your performance in 2012 and stand atop the podium, get yourself: A coach. I know I’m biased, but during the natural ups and downs of the training process athletes benefit from external guidance. Coaching is not just a training program or data analysis; it’s the relationship that guides you through the dark days, when fatigue causes self-doubt and insecurities to cloud your judgment. Performance monitors. If you want to win, invest in a power meter for the bike and a GPS-enabled heart rate monitor for your other activities. Even more important: Download the data and use it. You’d be surprised at the number of athletes who have the gear but do nothing with the useful information it provides. Speed. Endurance gets you to the finish line, but speed wins races. If you want to win you have to put your time into high-intensity speed work on the track, cycling intervals above lactate threshold intensity, and VO 2 max intervals in the pool. RELATED: Meet 5 New Male Pros
The 2012 USA Paratriathlon Race Series features stops in Austin, Denver and Buffalo. See the press release from USA Triathlon below: With the aim of providing increased domestic competitive opportunities for the nation’s top paratriathletes, USA Triathlon has established the 2012 USA Paratriathlon Race Series, a three-race series held in conjunction with some of the nation’s top multisport events. The sprint-distance series kicks off with the 2012 USA Paratriathlon National Championship, contested alongside the Capital of Texas Triathlon on May 28 in Austin, Texas. Paratriathlon Nationals will serve as the primary selection event for the 2012 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, on Oct. 22. Other 2012 USA Paratriathlon Race Series stops include the Denver Triathlon on June 10 and the Nickel City Triathlon on Sept. 16 in Buffalo, N.Y. – the day after the 2012 USA Triathlon Elite National Championship. “This USA Paratriathlon Race Series will provide access to higher levels of competition and increased visibility for the sport of paratriathlon. It will be great for these inspirational athletes to go from a single event in the U.S. to a three-race series,” USA Triathlon High Performance Senior Manager Andy Schmitz said. “We are looking forward to the continued growth of paratriathlon in the U.S. and worldwide.” Historically one of the world’s top paratriathlon performers, the U.S. has earned more than one-fourth of all possible podium finishes at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships since 2008. Paratriathlon will make its Paralympic Games debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.
