Wow!  What a whirlwind of the last few weeks.  With new state and federal regulations, social distancing, personal circumstances in flux, stay at home restrictions, races cancelling and postponing, pools closing...the acceleration of change has seemed to finally slow.  We are starting to see what steady-state life is like for the near future, new routines are becoming normalized, and we are becoming REAL CLOSE to our near surroundings and families.  But what are we working towards? When everything is put on hold or cancelled, what's our new motivation? How did we keep on pressing each day with the same focus as before our lives got flipped upside-down?

Times like these, it's easy to just throw our hands in the air and give up, or give up on trying to figure all this out.   The new phrases are  "April is cancelled" or "2020 had so much promise", "I'll just plan for a 2021 season".  Those are the defeatist attitudes WE CAN'T succumb to, especially with one of our pillars that's important to us...our personal fitness.  Fitness is what makes our small daily routines, family structure, and personal lives so much more valuable. It's what provides hope, structure, and stability.  It's a coping mechanism.

On this April 1...I CHALLENGE ALL OF US TO HAVE A JANUARY 1 STATE OF MIND!  Remember how that day feels each year?  Full of promise, "new year, new you", setting annual goals, looking towards those big races a few months out and identifying the things we really are going to work on this year.  No more procrastinating, this is the year I do strength work, this is the year I add that extra session, that extra mile, more intensity, eat healthy, start a running streak.  Whatever...the world's mine and I'm going to own it.   Just like the beginning of January, our new  "A" races are now at a minimum 4-6 months out.  We have a lot of work we can be doing towards those goals with BETTER weather, much more hours in the day, and the added bonus of a huge block of training the last few months to capitalize on.  We aren't starting from scratch, but still hungry for the future.  When things settle back down (and it will) we'll be ready!  One thing I can assure you, when we're given the green light, it's gonna get crazy.  My Race Director friends have assured me, there will be plenty of races to choose from, and WE'LL BE READY!

So, let's shift our thinking back to January 1!  Let's focus on the big picture of 'WHY I do endurance sport", let's work on our limiters, pressing towards our goals. Let's help each other get there with the renewed energy of our connected social distancing..  I'm here for ya...let's do this together!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My 12th straight Armed Forces Triathlon Championship (AFTC)!  Suffice to say, who knew this would happen, but in my training I've just taken it one step at a time as well as try to be as consistent day in/day out as possible. 

Preparation:
Going into a race, every athlete needs a motivation that is a little different then the rest of the races.  Getting ready for this race all Spring was an easy task, it was a qualifier for the quadrennial World Military Games hosted by Wuhan, China Oct 14-27, 2019.  We qualify 12 triathletes to China: top-4 Men's Open (fast guys) and the top-2 Men's Masters (40+ yo old guys) along with the same breakout for Women. 

That was the motivation...and the process would be to surround myself with the FASTEST group of athletes I know in each discipline and attempt to get pushed throughout the Spring build.  For the swim, FAST Masters with Coach Eric Neilsen has been my go-to now for over 6 years, but to take it one step further, I demanded of myself to be in the fast lane throughout April and May.  To get there...I swam the most consistent yardage I've ever done of 40K+/month through 2019.  New swim test set of 10 X 1:08/100y on 1:20...Check!
With cycling, it was subjecting myself continuously to David Born, Keith Jackson, James O'sullivan, CSU Triathlon, and the TTH group ride through May and June.  That list is the FASTEST cyclists in Northern Colorado.  Dropped repeatedly, but just get back up the next day.  New FTP of 320s...Check!
Lastly, our run group of Tuesday Night Track (TNT) each week and partnering up with Keith will tap into that run speed quickly.  I thank all of you guys for getting me here...and look forward to more punishment rest of the summer.  I was confident going into the race I could have one of my best results of the dozen years...at age 44.

Race Recap:
AFTC is a draft-legal (DL) Olympic distance race, unique to age groupers as it's the only amateur DL race of that distance in the US.  The swim leg is of the utmost importance, hence the swim emphasis in training.  It all kicks off with an out-of-water beach start on the Pacific coast at Naval Air Station Point Mugu.  Clean start and we were off.  I immediately found myself in no-man's land...but a great location I've never been in this race.  Gapped by the top-9 swimmers out front and then everybody else behind...guess I was going to be swimming by myself without a draft, but best position in 12 years.  Came out of the water both laps by myself but ahead of the main group of 20+ athletes.  10th out of the water and into transition. 

T1 was calm and had Air Force teammate and two Army triathletes right behind.  I would casually start the bike and wait for our pack of four to organize. Within 5 mi, we were joined by two Navy athletes to make an organized group of six (2 AF, 2 Army, 2 Navy).  Throughout the 24mi ride, we were pushing the pace but nowhere near the efforts of past races when the Canadian team would blitz the field with me in tow. I do believe the highlight of my day was being able to race with these 6...a great AF friend, new Army friends, and even the Collegiate DL National champion of 2018, Dan Lloyd.  That stuff excites me...being able to bridge two generations of triathlon in this crazy, small peloton.  But I knew it would be a crazy fast run start!  Bike split about 1:00 slower than last year, 298W NP and 4% off of last year's power. What I didn't know was the lead group was also slower, could we have caught them with a little extra effort/help? 

The run...no I CAN'T keep up with guys literally half my age!  Ryan Derrick and Dan LLoyd both just blitzed the run with Johannes.  I tried to stay with Ryan and Johannes as long as possible but I knew 5:20 pace wasn't sustainable for long.  We dropped my teammate and another Navy guy and then I just settled into a more reasonable 5:55-6:00 pace.  It felt smooth, efficient, and placement didn't change after 2mi.   Finished with a low 37:00 10K for 12th overall Male and 1st place Masters. 

Thank you to Armed Forces Sports and Air Force Sports for making these races happen each year.  Funding is tighter and tighter each year, but "friendship through sport" is so important both interservice and international.  

Thank you to everyone (especially Dakota and Troy) at Rocky Mountain Multisport!  Your support in the Northern Colorado triathlon community is top-notch!  Clean bikes are fast bikes. Supported triathletes are fast triathletes.

Thank you to the great Mighty 1-8 Weather Squadron Air Force brethren!  I appreciate your support, kind words, and look forward to representing you and the USAF well throughout the remainder of the year.  

What's next:
I'm looking forward to USAT Age Group Nationals in Cleveland August 10-11 and then heading out to Lausanne ITU Worlds for both the Olympic and Sprint end of August...wrapping up the season at Military World Games Oct 27th.`More importantly the countless friends, family, and teammates who I get to share these races with.  2019 has already been a blast!

​This year I experienced drug testing within sport for the first time.  As a coach, I want to share my experience with all of you as I learned some valuable lessons throughout the process. 
 
Quick background story.  On August 11th 2018 I competed at Age Group Nationals in Cleveland.  I knew going into the race that I was highly stressed since my husband and I had spent the final weeks leading up to this race packing up our home, selling my car, putting our house on the market, saying goodbyes to friends and co-workers, and doing everything else that goes along with moving out of state.  I also knew that Ohio was going to be hot and humid, and that I needed to manage my race appropriately.  Once I got to Cleveland, my stress decreased noticeably, and I was excited to race.  I had high hopes to make the podium, but my goal was to race with joy and confidence above all else.  I did just this, and came off of the bike in 2nd place.  My husband enthusiastically pointed out the leader of my AG, about 15 feet in front of me.  From that point on, I decided to really race.  I still made a point to hydrate properly, and conserve my effort as much as possible. I could hear myself breathing hard, and I was fighting off some stomach and leg cramping, but I was mostly focused on sticking with my competitor.  On the 2nd loop of the run, I made a decision of when I was going to try and pick up the pace to create a gap.  I did this, and from there things get fuzzy.  I remember getting tunnel vision, and feeling myself swerve a bit. I remember seeing the final pedestrian bridge and thinking there was NO way I was going to be able to get myself up and over that. And then I remember waking up in extreme pain in the medical tent with my husband sitting next to me.  I don’t remember stumbling down the ramp into the finish chute, crossing the finish line as a national champion, stopping my watch, or being assisted into the medical tent.  I don’t remember being given oxygen or my first bag of saline through an IV drip. I don’t remember loudly announcing to my husband that I had won (with slightly more colorful language).  I do remember the doctor checking my blood pressure and HR and announcing that I needed a 2nd IV. He told me that if my vitals hadn’t improved after that one was complete, I would be transported to the ER. I remember looking at my husband and deciding that I absolutely would not be visiting a hospital. It was also around that point that I was told that I was going to be drug tested, and that my escort was waiting for me at the exit of the medical tent. 
 
I eventually left the med tent and made my way to the drug testing area.  My head felt foggy, and I wasn’t walking a very straight line.  The drug testing personnel were friendly and professional, and answered my slightly ridiculous questions that were coming out of my disoriented brain.  I was able to provide an acceptable urine sample, and went through the process of answering detailed questions about my recent medical history.  One of the last questions was: “have you had any intravenous solutions administered in the last 12 hours?” I initially answered no. Then I looked down at my arm and saw my little band aid on my vein. I interrupted the woman and told her that I had just come from the medical tent where I had received an IV.  She said we needed to amend my response to include this information, so we did.  She had me review all of the information I had given and signed off on it. 
 
I left feeling good that drug testing was helping to keep our sport clean, and thought nothing of the fact that I had received an IV post-race.
 
About 2-3 weeks later I received an e-mail from USADA telling me that due to my declaration of receiving an IV within 12 hours of my race, I needed to provide more information.  The e-mail was intimidating, and my heart was racing reading it.  I knew in my heart I had done nothing wrong, but regardless I felt like I was being attacked a little.  Thankfully, after a slightly frantic phone call to Mace, he calmed me down a bit and gave me the name of the USAT staffer I needed to contact first.  I started working on collecting the documentation that USADA needed in order to prove that my IV was “medically necessary”.  I was on a very short time-line, and had to contact multiple people such as the head doctor from the medical tent, the USAT event coordinators, and a few others who could help steer me in the right direction. I submitted all of the information on time, and waited.  A few weeks after that, I received another e-mail stating that I needed to submit a retro-active therapeutic use exemption application.  Try saying that three times fast! Again, I contacted a few people at USAT who assured me that I was taking the appropriate steps, and guided me in the right direction in order to get the necessary documentation in a timely manner.  I submitted it and waited. 
 
After 4 long weeks, I finally received an e-mail saying that my retro-active TUE application had been approved, and I was officially cleared from any doping charges!  When I looked closely at the letter, I saw that the woman who had amended my initial IV statement in the drug tent had incorrectly dated my IV for August 8th instead of the date of race which was August 11th.  I am not entirely sure if this is what caused all of the extra documentation requirements, but I am sure it didn’t help my case. 
 
Throughout this process I learned some valuable lessons that I think all athletes competing on a national level should know.

1. Make sure that the person recording your official statements have written it down correctly. If you are not in a mental space to double check this, you are allowed to have a spouse, coach, or friend help you throughout this process.
2. Know EXACTLY what is in your supplements if you take them.  Make sure they are approved by USADA.
3. Go to the USADA website and do a pre-check.  It is a 5 min survey that will tell you if you need to submit any TUE applications or get pre-approval for any medications, etc. 
4. IV’s are trendy these days to treat hangovers or to get a vitamin “cocktail”.  Be aware that it is against USADA rules to use an IV unless medically necessary.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to USAT staff who can help you make sure that you are following all anti-doping rules. 

 
Overall, I am thankful that our sport is emphasizing clean and fair athletic competition for all, and thankful that USAT has the free resources to help athletes navigate this stressful situation. While I wish testing wasn’t necessary, it seems that it is for now and I continue to fully support it!

We’ve all witnessed the athlete that posts every workout on social media for months before their big Ironman. Epic days in the saddle over 140 miles, double and triple bricks taking up the entire weekend, runs that would make Alberto Salazar drool.   They approach the starting line looking like a Greek god, lean, strong, and ready to take on the world.  14 hours later they have been limited to the “Ironman Shuffle”, hours from their goal just happy to finish.  What happened?

Introducing the 4th and 5th disciplines: Pacing and Nutrition (not in any particular order)
Pacing or racing at a percentage of your threshold Heart Rate, Functional Threshold of Power (FTP), or pace/speed is absolutely imperative to crossing the finish line near the potential of your ability. If you don’t have a specific number in your head for the Bike and the Run as you read this it’s time to get evaluated.  You can ask any qualified coach or sports science institute to have your threshold tested and determined on the bike and run via Lactate Threshold (LT) testing or as simple as a testing protocol on the trainer or treadmill.  Besides LT testing, we have found great success nailing an athlete’s threshold level using the Wahoo Kickr™ trainers for the bike and a treadmill or the track for the run.  Your threshold level will also change as your progress in your training so they need to be reevaluated at least every 6 weeks.  Your pacing plan could be somewhere in the range of 75-88% of threshold for full-distance and 78-90% for half-distance but very individualized based on past race performance, training, and your discipline strengths.

With nutrition, there is no magic ingredient or formula for everyone attempting a long-course race.  Most of us get in the habit of reading Elite athlete blogs or a race report from somebody that just punched their ticket to Kona and adapt to their plan of number of calories, carbs, electrolytes, and funky colored stuff in the water bottle.  It is highly individual based on your body type, physiologically how your body processes and absorbs nutrients, race experience, training, and race day weather. What your coach or nutritionist should do is give you guidance to practice months out in the same environment of your race to develop a nutrition plan as important as a race plan and pacing plan.

• Avoid the gut rot of gels and chewables as much as possible by consuming solid “real” foods at least the first 75% of the bike. If you wouldn't eat this stuff on a normal day in the office, why would you eat it during your most important race?  My favorites are energy balls, pancake sandwiches, broth, and portables. 
• Don’t forget liquids.  Roughly one bottle of hydration (preferably electrolytes) per hour, more if the weather is hot or if you have a large stature or heavy sweater.
• Percentage of calories, carbs, and nutrients from liquids increases as you approach the run leg due to GI distress experienced by most athletes
• Percentages from liquids increase as weather heats up.  Your body absorbs and processes slower as temperature increases.
• Aim for 200-600 calories, 30-50g Carbs, 500-1000mg of Na PER HOUR from solid and liquid on the bike.
• On the run, highly individual to what you can get in.  The numbers above are reduced to the lower range.  Keep the nutrition plan together as long as you can, be flexible and listen to your body.  Sometimes Coca-Cola or a Red Bull is heaven’s nectar!

I write this with a huge risk to my future.  My future placement in big races, my risk of elevating my competition to a level I can't reach, my risk of ever beating you guys again.  But I'm a numbers guy and I can't let this go unsaid!  Your transitions SUCK and you're losing valuable time in BIG races where every second is so important. (Please DON'T share this blog to anyone in the 40-44 Age Group...PLEASE!)

I took the last three races I competed in and did some number crunching.  I wasn't surprised.  Age Group Nationals Olympic, Age Group Nationals Sprint both in Omaha and Ironman 70.3 World Championships this past weekend in Chattanooga, TN were the three races.  Simple math: I added T1 and T2 together for three different groups, Myself, Top-10 in my AG of 40-44 (which I believe is an apple to apples comparison), and to account for totally different rack placements scattered in transition with no clear advantage, Top-10 Overall Amateur.

Results below:

Race:              Mace:            Top-10 AG           Top-10 Overall Amateur
AG Nats Oly                   3:15                                  3:43                                           3:17
AG Nats Sprint               3:05                                  3:39                                           3:00
70.3 Worlds                   5:04                                  5:35                                           5:12

A few tips and tricks:

- Practice, practice, practice.  Last couple weeks prior to the race, take advantage of your decrease in training volume of taper and replace that time with transition practice.

- Perfect practice makes perfect.  Don't just practice, but make it perfect and realistic.  Set up transition in a grassy park and go through both T1 and T2 as fast as you can.  It can be as simple as a folding chair for a bike rack.  Bring all your equipment, yes even the swimskin and/or wetsuit, 

- Courtesy of MP athlete Mike Dunn: after bike dismount you can lean on the handlebars of your bike and actually run faster!  Let the bike roll you through to your rack.

- Keep it simple.  Don't bring anything extra into transition.  If you don't need it, don't have it in there to even think about.

- Research your transition of your next race.  Maybe this doesn't happen until the day before.  Walk/jog through prior to race and know exactly where you are going.  Can you find your bike? Shoes on pedals? Can you find your rack placement in T2?  

- Always be moving forward.  Grab your hat, bib number, glasses, etc and put them on while you are running to exit transition.

- Don't jog! Why would you run at a slower pace then your actual run leg?  See it all the time, run fast!

There are a TON more tips and advice, let MP Coaches know how we can help!

​4th Place, 30-34 Age Group, 3 Ironman World Championship Kona Slots
Swim: 1:00:56
Bike: 4:59:10
Run: 3:23:42
Total: 9:32.24

I very much consider Santa Rosa to be a hometown race.  Living in the bay area for 17 years and going to school at Sonoma State for 3 years, the area has a familiarity to it.  With that in mind I knew it was going to be a strong race.  Staying calm, cool and collected during race week isn’t always easy and just when you think you have it under control life throws you a curve ball.  The Sunday before race week I lost a friend and college roommate to suicide.  We had lost touch over the last few years but never the less he had an impact on my life and I vowed to stay strong for him throughout my day on Saturday. 
 
Mace had sent over a race plan on Thursday we had tweaked and updated several times.  I probably read over about 10 times.  He set some numbers to hit and goals to reach and if I was able to do that it would put me in the running for the ultimate goal of Kona.  It’s been my dream since starting my Ironman journey 4 years ago!
 
Race goals:
 
Swim: 1 hour
Ride:  5 hours
Run: 3:25 or less
 
I spoke with Mace early Friday evening before eating dinner.  It’s always reassuring and puts me at ease.  We’ve worked hard to get to where I am today and knew that I was capable of what he set forth.  No nerves.  No doubts.  I had my numbers in mind and went to bed relaxed, confident and excited with a perfectly filled belly.
 
Pre race dinner:
 
Grilled Chicken Breast w/ salt and pepper
1 cup of white rice
4-5 stick of asparagus
 
My alarm sounded at 230 and I woke up rested and ready.   I was hungry so I made breakfast right away.
 
Pre Race Breakfast:
 
1 cup of oatmeal
1 banana
Copious amounts of Honey Roasted Peanut Butter (because it's Peanut Butter!)
1 cup of coffee
 
With my friend in the back of my mind I headed out the door for the shuttles to the swim start.  I was fortunate to sit next to a volunteer on the shuttle and we talked almost the entire way to the swim start.  He was a retired EMT, born and raised in Santa Rosa and was excited to have the event in his hometown.  He seemed to know when I needed my time to focus my mind and prepare but the distraction was sure welcome.  I made sure to thank him for his time and for the distraction.
 
I loaded my nutrition on my bike put on my wetsuit and headed down to the swim start.  Hit the john one last time and was ready to go.  Put myself at the back of the 60 minute or faster swim time so there were about 40-50 people who entered the water first.  I found open water on the inside track and settled into a good rhythm.  It was a two loop course with an exit and reentry into the water, which gave me an opportunity to see where I was time wise.  I must have hit the down arrow button because watch gave me no information as I ran around the cone and back to the waters edge.  The second loop wasn’t as smooth as we had to merge with the swimmers just starting their day.  It was a lot of swimming over people and a fight at every turn buoy.  A bit slower than the first loop but as I exited the water I looked down and saw 1:00:56
 
SWIM 1 HOUR   ✔
 
The bike has been my kryptonite at every race and Mace and I have worked so hard to get stronger in the discipline.  I had my numbers in mind.  I needed to get my HR under control.  It was low 160’s getting out of the water so I used the first descent to take on nutrition, ½ of a Banana Nut Bread Pro Bar and at least a ¼ of my bottle of Infinit.  By the start of the first climb my HR was mid 130’s…perfect!  I knew the wattage I needed to hit, what my HR needed to be and what speed I needed to go.  With those three data points in mind I rode my fastest Ironman bike ever!  I was actually passing people…I never do that on the bike.  If my HR got too high I backed off the power, if my power was too high but my HR under control I stayed at that power until my HR reached the ceiling and then I backed off.  A game of cat and mouse that got me off the bike in 4:59:10!
 
Two incident’s of note that happened on the ride: 1) when I hit some rough road I lost an entire bottle of Infinit.  That was 300 calories gone but it was still cool enough to take on some solid food.  I ate the rest of my Pro Bar and took a water bottle at the next aid station.  Back on track nutrition wise. 2) As I came into Santa Rosa the first time a spectator ran out in front of me forcing me to slam on my brakes and skid a few feet.  I managed to stay up right and went on my day. 
 
BIKE 5 HOURS  ✔
 
The run is where I pull people back who pass me on the bike.  I’m a runner at heart so knew this should go smoothly.  I knew my plan but like everyone else I go out way too fast off the bike.  First mile was 7/mile.  Ok…back off a bit.  I was able to settle into a pace I knew I could maintain.  Held that for the remainder of the first loop getting water at every aid station.  I knew I can run a bit slower and still hit the goal but wanted to ensure a Kona spot. At some point I had no control over my speed and at the start of the 3rd loop my support group saw me and informed my of my 4th place AG.  I picked up the pace a bit but couldn’t maintain and at mile 20 the cramps arrived.  Was given salt by two other runners and I was able to make my way to the finish chute and across the line with a 3:23;42 marathon. 
 
RUN 3:25 OR LESS  ✔
 
TOTAL TIME: 9:32:24
 
What a rush.  To be able to execute exactly what was drawn up is an amazing feeling.  I accomplished what I set out to do and left everything out there on the course.  As I crossed the line I heard Mike Reilly call me an Ironman and that was something I’ve been waiting for since I started 4 years ago.  It’s small but means the world to so many people who toe the line at these races.  4th in my AG, first IM podium, 19th overall and a 28-minute PR!  I had to let that sink in for a minute.  With a small field of a little over 1800 athletes I reasoned my chances for a Kona slot to be pretty high.  I went to bed that night excited and with high hopes.
 
At the award ceremony I had the privilege of standing on stage with some amazing athletes.  The 30-34 AG is always fierce competition and it’s always an honor knowing I’m going up against the best and strongest athletes.  I was on cloud 9 until I found out that there were only 3 spots for Kona available in the AG.  That meant I needed just one of the top 3 to pass.  Needless to say that didn’t happen and I walk away from a 28 minute PR and first ever podium with no Kona slot.  Emptiness!  Trying to focus on the positives and my accomplishments was tough.  Really, really tough. 
 
I’ve had a few days since then and have received so much support from everyone around me.  I did what I could, followed my plan but there were just 3 people I needed to beat that had a faster day…such is Ironman racing.  All I can do is lace up my shoes and try again and believe me…I will!  I set this goal of Kona on Kings Beach in North Lake Tahoe 4 years ago and I won’t stop until I get there.  Maybe its what my Mom instilled in me as a young kid that you don’t give up on your dreams or maybe I’m crazy, whichever one it is… I will run down Ali’i Drive!
 
A special thank you to all the volunteers out there with us all day.  You guys are the real heroes of the day and we couldn’t do what we do with out you.  Thank you to my mom who raised a stubborn man and for always supporting me in my dreams and ambitions.  Thank you to Coach Mace for believing in me and always pushing my limits.  I still imagine you sitting on your couch writing up these training programs just to see if I will actually do it!  Thank you to Maverick Multisport for the support and encouragement.  Thank you to Patrick Ray of Rocky Mountain Multisport for getting my bike in top notch condition! Thank you to all the sponsors Infinit Nutrition, Polar, Altra Running, Swiftwick Socks, Recovery Pump Boots for the best equipment in the sport.
 
Thank you to everyone for reading.

​Max Jones is Movement and Performance coach at Anthem Fitness located in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Endurance coach associate with MP Multisport as well as a high-performance triathlete. Continuing education includes FRC, FMS, SFMA, ACE-CPT.

Endurance athletes are concerned about working on the engine; the aerobic engine.  If we had to make the logic parallel to a car, we could say the framework would be the musculoskeletal system and the engine could be the cardiovascular system. 

We are all obsessed over the numerical parameters of the engine, HR, Lactate, time, Watts, KOM’s etc etc. That’s how we get faster. However, the same compulsion is clearly lacking in the respect to the frame, the musculoskeletal system which essentially carries the “engine.”
 
Endurance athletes are still battling the taboo of weights or anything movement related that ISN’T triathlon training won’t get them better. It HAS come a long way, don't get me wrong, but the majority of the industry still has an issue of the return of investment (ROI) for performance.
 
To get the frame ready, there are some key components to get the maximum ROI. Specifically, a movement system called FRC (Functional Range Conditioning). The basis of FRC is to develop better mobility, joint strength, and body control or stability.  Dr. Andreo Spina, the creator of this system, coins a major component to injury prevention is the simple logic of a tissue put under a stimulus, when it is not used to that stimulus, will get injured. 
 
Endurance injuries are primarily overuse injuries that occur when the “frame” moves in an incorrect way for an excessive amount of strokes/reps/strides.  Ultimately, this will cause a loss of consistency or a drop in volume of training, most notably the dreaded “red,” on your TrainingPeaks account. 
 
​So what is a CAR and why will it help us?  Circular Articular Rotations (CARs). Think of a merry-go-round for your joints, or as Dr.Spina puts it, “Active rotational movements at the outer limits of articular rotation.”  The three areas we focus on as movement specialists are:  Shoulder, Hip, and Ankle CARs.
  
Rotating your shoulder, hip, and ankle joint in its maximum VOLUNTARY range of motion with TENSION and CONTROL.

1. Pick an area that you want to do a CAR. (Shoulder, Hip, Ankle.)
2. Stabilize or contract all articulations (joints) in order to minimize movement in non-targeted areas. Simply flex your muscles! (Isometric contraction)
3. Begin CAR
4. Attempt to perform the largest rotational movement that the joint allows.
5. GO SLOW, speed hides inefficiencies in movement. 
 
Follow these links for video demonstration!
SHOULDER CAR
HIP CAR
ANKLE CAR

Perform 3 on the right and 3 on the left, per joint, per day, as a great start. If you are doing these correctly, and slowly enough, 3 on each side of the body is all you need.  We know the best way to perform better is to do something consistently, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” our man Aristotle said awhile back.  So these three movements should happen DAILY. 
 
Use can also use CAR’s as a movement diagnostic.  Triathletes use HR as a measurement of training preparedness, or a way to dictate training intensity for the day.  Use the same approach here. Once you become accustomed to how these are supposed to feel, then you can use them as a way to see how you are feeling and show progression.

Happy training! 
 
 

Ironman Boulder is in three weeks!  The second edition is promising to be huge, dreams will be realized, and it's been a focal point for 2000+ athletes, including 11 MP Multisport athletes, but I will not be crossing the finish line, sometime during the bike you will see me coast off the side of the road and put my coach hat on for the remainder of the day.  A premeditated DNF...a WNF.

I've been asked 185 times in the past three weeks, "How's Ironman Boulder training going?".  Well, it's not.  I may still be in one of the best shapes of my life (at least trying to get there) but it's for a different reason and different distance.  After qualifying for the World Military Games in Korea a Draft-Legal Olympic distance race that occurs once every 4 years and is the same time as the Ironman World Championships in Kona, my summer race schedule was shuffled and it's all about speed!  Have focused on power sessions, hills, explosive sets, and a lot of track work.  What about the Ironman transfer program?  Well, the amount of stipulations and lack of exceptions makes it nearly impossible to transfer the race to another in this calendar year without spending $3000 on travel. Several weeks ago I did request transfer into Superfrog 70.3 in San Diego as I will be out there that weekend and it was denied by Ironman...no exceptions!   It has been really nice this summer spending some quality family time and I was thinking this morning while out on my "long run" it's actually been an extremely pleasant change...wow, 11 miles, this is soooo rough.  

So...new race schedule.  Big race of the summer will be USAT Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee, WI on August 8-9, the weekend after Ironman Boulder.  I've been wanting to do this race for quite some time and it'll be good to link up and race with Paige, Cyrus, Mike, Max, Hannah, Coach Frost and a ton of other Tri friends and acquaintances. Looking forward to it!  Will have a couple months of some great late  summer/early fall training sessions then off to Korea.  Tentative Military Games schedule is arriving San Diego Sept 28th for a few day training camp. Arriving Korea October 1st for the Opening Ceremonies and the Triathlon competition is October 10th!  

The title for this blog could be an assortment of subjects,  "New Triathlon Venue, Leon's Tri in Hammond, IN, hosts Armed Forces Triathlon Championships" or  "It wasn't quite Southern California but it was great" or "Patriotic-themed well put on race was a pleasant surprise for all" or "Epic Rain during the race wash away Navy's hope for Gold" or "Air Force Women battle it out for hard-earned Silver" or the slant I almost chose of getting selected for the once-every-four-years World Military Games in South Korea in October "Mason wins Master's Division, still can run for an old guy!"  However, the reason we all train for this race so much is to be on the TEAM. To be one of the 8 guys selected to represent the Air Force no matter where the venue may end up.  Seeing this young group change and evolve each year is really fun to watch.  Being with each other in a 5-day break from the real world is amazing but seeing how they lay it out their on the line to dig deep and help each other out on the bike and run really motivates me.  

Navy the last three years have beat us by 1 and 2 points respectively, VERY CLOSE!  This year both teams knew going into race week, it would be much the same.  It didn't disappoint!  Top-6 score, I happened to be that 6th place athlete and I was running up the standings on a miserably wet downpour of a course.  As we got to the out and back at mile 5 to 5 1/2 with less than a mile to go, I saw Ian King (Team Navy whom I coach...yes, long story).  He was the athlete I figured it would come down to and I also had Pat Dougherty (Navy) also breathing down my neck.  Suffice to say, in the past Ian's run has always been his weakness but he's been doing some major work and I've put in some key focus workouts for him where huge progress has been made.   I laid it all out there but couldn't make up that much ground to pass him even with Spence our Team Office-in-charge yelling at me "if you pass him we win Gold!!!".  Mad props to Ian for having an amazing race and keeping on moving up in the standings each year.

So...quick calculations after the race in the downpour showed real no clear delineation of who won.  It ended up being a tie with the tie-breaker being the 7th place athlete for each team.  So Brett King won it for Team Air Force.  

Little bit about the upcoming World Military Games.  7000 athletes, 110 countries, all of the Olympic sports every 4 years the year before the Olympics. So pretty much the little brother of the Olympics.  I qualified as the first place Masters (40+ years old) and feel like maybe putting in some quality Olympic distance training focus (instead of Ironman) may put me fairly high up the standings.  The two weeks I would be out there occurs during Kona week, so I have some decisions to make, but this occurs every 4 years and who know where I'll be in 4 years :)   I don't know how I'm going to attack Ironman Boulder in August, but will go into this fall with plenty of base/volume.

A huge thank you goes out to the Armed Forces Service Representatives and Leon's Triathlon staff for all the work and research that went in to changing the venue, all the logistics of adding a Draft-Legal Military Championships race to an amateur Olympic Distance race.  The facilities were great, the course was superb, and the venue having hundreds of people there watching along with the patriotic theme, will make me train with a purpose again throughout the year.