Your body helps you get through the day and perform at your best, why not feed it the foods to help it function the best. Foods are not all created equal some foods have added benefits to it besides the vitamins and minerals it contains, it might be a functional food.

Functional foods are foods that have health benefits beyond the nutrients they contain.   In most foods, functional benefits probably come from several, perhaps many, food substances. Many fruits, vegetables and grain products have plant substances that may help reduce the risk for certain health diseases such as heart disease and some cancers. Although more research is needed to learn about the full potential of functional foods, it is clear that functional foods play a role in good health when combined with balanced food choices and physical activity.

It is important to note that the functional food components are active when with natural whole foods; taking supplemental forms may not have the same added benefit. For example, it is best to have whole-wheat products rather than taking a psyillum supplement (eg Metamucil). It is the all the substances in the natural foods that contribute to the health benefit. The foods listed below have been shown my clinical trials and research to provide very strong to moderate evidence of proposed health benefit.

The information contained in this newsletter is the opinion of Ryan Riell and Break Through Multisport on endurance training, racing, and nutrition. These points are suggestions on how to train and not recommendations for athletes. Any article on the Break Through Multisport website may be reprinted into a paper or online newsletter for your NON-PROFIT club or organization, so long as Ryan Riell and www.BreakThroughMultisport.com are credited.  If you do reprint or link to any Break Through Multisport material, please send a courtesy email to ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com. For medical advice, and before starting a strenuous training program, consult with a physician.

JULY, 2008

Volume 1, Issue 6

In This Issue:

BTMS Athletes at the Races

The Benefits of Hiring a Coach

Function with Functional Foods

Hip Strength and Happy Runners

SPONSOR of the Month-

30% OFF Blackwell Research

Open Water Swimming

Announcements-

Ride to Empower

Ironman Wisconsin Training Camp

Daphne Glover- 5:37 in her first ever ½ Ironman at the tough Hawaii 70.3. When asked about the experience, Daphne said “Brutal yet fun. I loved racing in Kona and experiencing first hand what the pros have to deal with in the World Championships. It was my favorite athletic experience to date.”

Amanda Key- 1:31:15 in her first ever triathlon, at the US Women’s Triathlon in Naperville! When asked about her first triathlon, Mandy said “Great experience. You definitely had me adequately prepared in a relatively short amount of training time. Besides the actual workout components of my training and being physically prepared for the race, I feel you did a great job preparing me for the logistics of doing a triathlon”

Estlin Rydman- 2:37:08 at the Escape from Alcatraz…

Coach Ryan- 14:47:02 at Ironman Coeur D’Alene. With minimal training and a solid race plan, I was able to set a new PR at IM CDA! It’s good to see that the key workouts really do work… there were definitely not any junk miles in the lead up to this Ironman- I averaged only 1-2 swims and 1 ride a week, none of which were more than 2500 meters or 3.5 hours on the bike.

Why should you hire a coach? It cost money that I have worked so hard for! I’m just an age-group triathlete… coaches are for the pros! There are millions of training plans that are free on the internet or that I purchase in a book. There are only two months left in this season… is it really going to benefit me? These are questions that you have probably been wrestling with while trying to decide whether hiring a coach is a good idea or not. Whether you are starting your training or are a few months away from your big race, it’s never to late to hire a coach to make sure you accomplish your goals.

The main benefits to hiring a coach in my opinion are:

1.The main things a coach should be providing you are: Structure, Motivation and Success

2.The coach will hold you accountable for your workouts

3.The coach will provide structure, guidance, motivation, support and direction throughout your training

4.The coach will take all the pieces of the puzzle (your goals, workout preferences and available time) and put them all together for you.

5.The coach will be know which workouts to emphasize, when to push you and when to back off you

6.The coach will help you avoid mistakes that are commonly made in training, nutrition and racing by athletes that do not have a coach.

What are the main things you should look for in a coach?

1.Is he/she accessible? You want to find a coach that is accessible via phone or email. It doesn’t do you any good if it takes the coach 2-3 days to get back to you when you have something comes up.

2.Does he/she have solid credentials? Does the coach have certifications from USA Triathlon or USA Cycling?

3.How will you receive your workouts? Do they come monthly, weekly, by fax or email?

4.Does the coach provide one level for all triathletes or are there different levels? Does a triathletes preparing for a sprint race receive the same set of workouts that someone who is preparing for a ½ Ironman? Does a 15-hour Ironman get the same workouts that an 11-hour Ironman receive?

5.What will happen if I get sick or have something come up? How does this affect my training plan and key workouts? Does the coach modify the training schedule ensuring that the key workouts are accomplished?

What are you motivators and goals?

1.What are your goals for your next "A" race (overall time, swim split, bike split, run split).

1.What are your goals for next season (be as specific as you can be- ex. 2 hours at ABC Olympic Distance Triathlon))

2.What are your goals for the next 3 years (ex. To qualify for Kona)

3.What are your goals for each individual sport (swim, bike, run)

4.Why do you train? Is it racing, or is racing a side effect?

5.Why do you race? - what are your motivators?

6.How do you perceive your body - fat, slow, fast, lean..

7.What aspect of each sport do you think you're good at?

8.What aspect/s of each sport do you think needs improvement?

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before interviewing a coach:

1.What do you expect from a coach (is face-to-face time important? Are you simply receiving a workout schedule? Are you looking for a teacher?)

2.What is your financial commitment to the sport (include races [entry and travel] , equipment and coach)?

3.How much time are you available for training each week?

4.How are you motivated (Bobby Knight or with kids glove and gentle directions?)?

5.What inspires you as an athlete?

MAKE SURE YOU DO SOME COMPARISON SHOPPING! Find the coach that works for you and is going to get you where you want to go. The BIGGEST aspect of selecting the right coach is making sure that you get along with the coach and that his or her program works for you. Do your research and ask questions! You will need to work with the coach to design the right plan for you… the one that will get you where you want to go! Once you find the right coach for you, make sure you follow the plan that you and the coach have designed… if you keep skipping long rides and long runs, the plan will not work!

Once you’ve found a coach, give it a full season or a year. Your first year should be about you and your coach establishing a baseline for communication, trust and what your body can handle in training. This will take one season at a minimum for you to truly get to know each other. Work hard to develop a deep level of trust with your coach… you are putting your entire season in his or her hands. Be patient, if you can’t trust your coach, you are wasting you time and money.

Follow the plan. If you don’t understand why you are doing something, your coach should have that answer for you. Over communicate! If you are feeling tired all the time or if you are feeling that you are not being challenged enough… your coach needs to know this in order to modify the training plan to fit you!  You are paying for his/her attention; make sure you get your money’s worth.

I hope that you find the coach that suits your needs and goals, that you do the workouts given to you and go faster this coming season! You may not win, but you might just have the best year ever!

Coach Ryan is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling Certified coach, the Founder and Head Coach of Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Ryan at  Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

Break Through Multisport Inc.

1235 North Clyborn, #192

Chicago, IL 60610

(931) 220-7050

www.BreakThroughMultisport.com

Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com

After working with endurance athletes for some time, what I’ve learned is that although these athletes are dedicated to their running routines, they are not always dedicated to their strengthening routines.  It is easy to focus on the part of a sport that you love, but usually that is also the part of the sport you are already strong in.  Taking a little time during your weekly routine and dedicating it to a strengthening program will do wonders not only for your performance, but will also help you remain injury free. 

Typically running injuries occur in the knees and lower legs, but it turns out the root cause is almost always weak hip muscles.  While strong hips aren’t a guarantee against future running injuries, improving the strength in your hips is a great way to reduce the number and severity of lower-leg running injuries. 

A recent study found that of 284 patients complaining of leg pain over a period of seven months,  92% of them were found to have weak hip muscles, but after just 4-6 weeks of strength training, 89% of the original 284 participants reported significant improvement in their pain levels.  So, why is the hip so important?

Weak hip muscles fail to keep the lower leg aligned with the upper leg after each footfall, putting extra strain on the knees and lower leg muscles.  After thousands of impacts, this strain eventually leads to injuries in the knees and lower legs.

Another way I often explain this phenomenon to athletes, especially triathletes, is by explaining the different planes of motion.  When you run, bike or swim you are only functioning in the sagittal plane, or the front to back plane of motion.  People in general live their lives in this forward direction!  You don’t often see people walking, running, or biking sideways but if you did there just may be fewer injuries.  By forcing your body to do exercises for the lateral side of your body, i.e. hips, gluts, and oblique abdominals; you are strengthening muscles that will help to stabilize your entire lower leg.

The three exercises below are a good start to any program and can be easily implemented without lots of equipment or space needs.  All exercise should be done daily working your way up to being able to do 30 reps consecutively. 

The swim portion of a triathlon is often the most intimidating sport of the three and most often than not, it’s the aspect of triathlon that keeps people away from our sport. Below are a few key tips that all triathletes should either know or be constantly reminded of while participating in open water swimming.

1.Sighting: Unfortunately, there are not lane lines in the water during triathlons. Most first timers are surprised to find out that they rely mainly on the lane lines to swim in a straight line. Sighting is the act of looking up, usually while taking a break, and making sure that you are still swimming in a straight line. It’s essential to find a reference point (building, giant inflatable Gatorade bottle, pier or distinctive clump of trees) that is easy to find in the split second you look up to sight.

2.Positioning: Some swim starts are “mass” start, that’s all the athletes in a small area waiting for the same gun to go off. The other common format is a wave start (smaller group of athletes). It’s a given that in the first 300-500 meters of a swim start, there is going to be a lot of jockeying for position and contact in the water. Your positioning in the group of athletes (wave or mass) will determine to what extend you get kicked, hit and swam over. If you are a very strong swimmer, then by all mean, get to the front before the start. If you are a poor swimmer, not wanting to get in the mix to early or just new to sport, hang to the back and let the fast swimmer go out first. The other thing to look at is the layout of the course. If the course is rectangle, sometimes the safest spot is actually inside the buoys- the only rule is, you have to go outside of the corner buoys.  

3.Relaxation/Crisis Management: This is the key to open water swimming! At some point in the swim, you are going to get kicked, punched, swam over or you are going to take a huge mouthful/breath of water. This happens to every single athlete in the swim! The key is what do you do when this happens. First, you should always put your goggles on your head, then the swim cap. This will prevent your goggles getting knocked off your head. As for the rest, if something happens in the water, it is OK to stop, catch your breath and regain your composure. Simply make your way to the outside of the swim course (inside works just as well if there is an inside) and tread water. Adjust your goggles, catch your breath… whatever you need to do to get back under control and go again. There are normally a LOT of kayaks and/or canoes that are manned by life guards on the swim course- it’s permissible to briefly hold onto a kayak to catch your breath. Once you are ready, start swimming again.

Remember, the swim is the shortest portion of the race. If you are a weak swimmer or new to the sport, you just have to get through the swim in order to enjoy the rest of the race!

Coach Ryan is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling Certified coach, the Founder and Head Coach of Break Through Multisport Inc. You can reach Coach Ryan at  Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com with any questions, comments or for all of your coaching needs.

The Interval/Run class meets every Monday night (6:30 pm) at Lakeshore Park. The actual address is 808 N. Lake Shore Dr. (metered parking is available on Chicago, just west of LSD). Each class is $10 and there is no minimum to purchase. The other option is to purchase a punch card for 5 classes and receive a Break Through Multisport t-shirt!

Each class is different and the workouts are designed specifically for each athlete depending upon the time of year and the phase of your training schedule.

The Interval/Run class is designed to:

Increase running economy and biomechanics

Increase aerobic fitness

Increase anaerobic capacity (VO2 Max)

Increase Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR)

Daphne Glover

Mandy Key

Estlin Rydman

Coach Ryan

Dietitian’s Tip: Don’t try to eat all of these foods in all the amounts listed. Pick one or two foods that you aren’t eating now and try adding it in through out the week. Eventually your diet will contain the majority of these foods. 

Dina Aburmishan RD, LDN is a registered dietitian who works with several endurance athletes. Dina owns DMA Nutrition Inc. a private practice nutrition consulting company. You can reach Dina at dmanutrition@gmail.com or www.dmanutrition.com or call her at 847-581-1160.

For more information, please contact Coach Ryan at

Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com or at (931) 220-7050

Just adding in these three simple exercises might be what it takes to get to that next level, and stay healthy doing it! 

Liz Yerly, MPT, ATC, CSCS, cART  is a licensed physical therapist and athletic trainer who has experience working with the highly trained athlete, as well as the weekend warrior She is the facility manager of the South Loop Occusport Physical Therapy clinic, as well as a treating therapist specializing in advanced certifications such as Active Release Technique and Graston Technique. She uses her manual skills to successfully rehabilitate her patients and quickly get them back to where they need to be. You can reach Liz at: lyerly@occusport.com or call her at (312) 588-0508

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Carbon Race Wheels or

Concord Aero Bars

The 50mm tubular race wheel is the latest innovation from Blackwell’s design and manufacturing staff. These wheels offer a great value for the rider while providing a boost in cycling performance. Our exclusive “angel hair” carbon finish saves weight while adding sidewall stiffness for better handling. Check these out for a big bike improvement in ride quality and speed.

50 mm Front Wheel:  $490 (MSRP $700) / 50 mm Clincher Front Wheel:  $581 (MSRP $830)

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No fancy names here, just One Hundred millimeters of badass tubular race wheel. Blackwell

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100 mm Front Wheel: $595 (MSRP $ 850)

100 mm Rear Wheel:  $742 (MSRP $1060)

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Disc Wheel- $875 (MSRP $1250)

Blackwell Research’s “clean sheet” design of the Concord Aero bar is the next evolution in aero bar performance. Wind tunnel testing is the final proof of aerodynamic efficiency. The designers at Blackwell Research have spent more than 1000 hours studying every aspect of bike and rider.  The result is the most aero, ergonomically friendly and advanced aero bar ever created. The Concord Bar is full carbon for light weight and great road shock absorption.

Concord Aero Bar- $840 (MSRP $1200)

Redeem this ad at Mission Bay Multisport for 10% OFF all tubular tires and cassettes!

All orders must be placed through Break Through Multisport. All shipping and handling goes through Mission Bay Multisport and are final. There are no limits per customer. Sale price does not include sales tax (Illinois residents only). Coupon expires August 1st, 2008. To Place an order, please contact Coach Ryan: Ryan@BreakThroughMultisport.com

Break Through Multisport is proud to announce its new partnership with the Breast Cancer Network of Strength!

Coach Ryan has been named as the Head Coach for the Ride To Empower, an all expense paid 100 mile ride this coming October in California in addition to being named the Head Coach for the Pink Streak marathon team that will tackle the Chicago Marathon this fall!

Coach Ryan said “It’s an honor to be a part of something this great. The men and women at the Breast Cancer Network of Strength work hard every day to make sure that nobody faces breast cancer alone- I’m just happy to be a part of it!” Coach Ryan will be mentoring and guiding a group of athletes through the process of training and completing the 100 mile ride in hilly California and another groups training and mentorship in the Chicago Marathon! Kate Lacio, the Special Events Manage for the Network of Strength-Illinois said “It is our mission to ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone.  When our athletes are being taken care of on the track, they are even more dedicated to the fundraising portion of the event.  The funds that our athletes raise will allow us to continue to offer support services and educational programs to those that truly need it.  I believe that this partnership will keep people coming back each year to do our events because they will remember how well they were supported by Break Through Multisport.” When asked why they decided to partner with BTMS, Kate said “Our athletes have varying backgrounds and they deserve to have a coach that can challenge them at every level.  I believe that Coach Ryan will be able to do that and it will make the training season invigorating and fun!  I never have to worry whether or not they are in good hands because I know Coach Ryan is the best!”

If you are interested in joining the Ride to Empower team, please contact Kate Lacio or Coach Ryan. For more information on the Breast Cancer Network of Strength, the Ride to Empower, please visit http://www.networkofstrength.org/illinois/

IRONMAN WISCONSIN

TRAINING CAMP

Spend a long weekend training for the Ironman Wisconsin with Break Through Multisport, training with like-minded athletes in a friendly environment! Whether this is your first long course triathlon or your 10th, this camp is for you. Between, during and after workouts, we will teach you what you need to know in order to accomplish your long course triathlon goals!

These training camps fit perfectly into the peak phase, the perfect time for your last hard training weekend leading into a perfect taper.

In addition to a great weekend of long course specific peak workouts, these packages includes an 18-week Power or Heart Rate Based Ironman training plan (retail value of $119) that will be set up to accommodate your racing schedule for the summer. This training plan will set you up with your own Training Peaks account in order for you to receive and track your training progress.

Each camp is all setup and conducted on the actual race site. Training Camp packages include all workouts, lectures, meals, accommodations (optional), support vehicle(s) and nutrition.

The camp will consist of several key Ironman specific workouts (with a wide variety of options if want more or less)

-3000-5000 yard swim workout (pool)

-Ride the actual race course

-Run the actual race course

-Open water swim on swim course

-Walk through actual transitions

Between workouts, athletes will attend lectures on:

-Race course and venue familiarization

-Nutrition (training and race day)

-Open Water Swimming

-Bike Maintenance 101

-Self Massage (Trigger Point Therapy)

-Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

-Psychological Triathlon (training and racing)

  -     Planning your pre-race training and race day

Ironman Wisconsin Training Camp

August 15-17 in Madison, WI