NUTRITION PERIODIZATION As an endurance athlete, should you eat the same way 365 days a year? No! While you should maintain a consistently balanced diet based on natural, whole food such as fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, it’s best to vary your eating habits in specific ways at different times—a practice known as nutrition periodization. If your current diet is not as healthy as it should be, you’ll want to focus on improving the overall quality of your nutrition first. But if you are already eating healthy, nutrition periodization could take your training and racing to the next level....READ MORE

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6 Little Known Facts of Adrenal Fatigue I’ve read a lot of articles about the adrenal glands and adrenal fatigue over the years. Most of them focus on the symptoms which include excessive fatigue, hair loss, sleep problems, difficulty getting going in the morning etc. You know the drill....READ MORE

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CYCLING INJURIES OF THE HAND AND UPPER EXTREMITY While competitive and recreational cycling rely principally upon lower extremity strength and endurance, it is actually the upper extremity which is usually involved in traumatic or overuse injuries. This is due to the simple fact that the legs are constrained in the pedals, and the participant has to use the upper limb to cushion a fall. This leads to a wide variety of both traumatic and atraumatic injuries involving the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder region. Fortunately, most of these injuries will not prevent the athlete from returning to their sport. It is, of course, head injuries that are the true danger. Nearly 50% of cyclist admissions to a hospital emergency room department are for head and facial injuries; the majority of these can be prevented by the simple use of a helmet. Protective gear is not practical for the upper limb since hand, wrist and elbow mobility is critical to performing the complex functions needed to maneuver a bicycle....READ MORE

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HOW CRASH DIETING MAKES YOU LESS FIT Like everyone else, endurance athletes worry about their weight. And, like everyone else, endurance athletes diet periodically. We know that a pound contains about 3,500 calories, so if we eat 1,000 calories less each day, more than two pounds will magically disappear each week. And, since we are generally impatient, we push the daily caloric deficit to help us get to our goal weight faster. For athletes, however, the consequences of reducing caloric intake by 750-1,000 calories per day can be significant. ...READ MORE

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The one thing you need *mentally* to succeed in swimming They say that sports are 90% mental. Kind of tough to imagine if you're a triathlete spending all that time training physically! But there is really a mental state that you need to succeed in swimming or triathlon. ...READ MORE

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HUNGRY ON THE BIKE? Exercise suppresses hunger by affecting the release of hormones that control appetite. Consequently, if you start a workout with an empty stomach, you may forget about your hunger until after you're done. But exercise doesn't kill hunger completely. During very prolonged exercise, hunger can become just as intense as it does at rest. Cyclists and triathletes routinely experience rumbling stomachs on the bike during long workouts and races. SEE MORE...READ MORE

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FINDING YOUR RACING WEIGHT Every endurance athlete knows that body weight affects performance. We race best when we are light and lean. But what is your ideal racing weight? If you don’t know, it’s worth figuring out so that you can target that weight each time you prepare for a major race. SEE MORE...READ MORE

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Starting the Season... It sounds pretty easy, but in reality you really need to think about it, knowing yourself and your capacity (actual physical condition, sports background, etc.) will help you a lot, that’s what I call a “reality check”. After you examine and scan yourself up and have your diagnostic in your hands, then you are ready to elaborate your season’s training program. ...READ MORE

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Swim drafting: So it's legal, but is it sportsmanlike? By Alex Kostich Active.com Virtually every sports-advice column or article on triathlons and open-water swimming extols on the virtues of "drafting." Also known as "dragging," drafting involves the somewhat unsportsmanlike activity of swimming closely behind someone slightly faster than you, allowing you to coast on their wake and go along for the ride. While extremely popular and even legal in ocean swimming and the swim portion of triathlons, drafting is an offense (in amateur competition) in the cycling portion of a triathlon, punishable by disqualification. This hypocrisy is few wet feathers by lambasting the practice and hopefully shedding some light on why it may NOT be the most beneficial way for you to rely on a perceived competitive advantage....READ MORE

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The Power of Consistency One of the key elements I stress with athletes that I coach is how important it is to have long-term consistency with their training. It’s basic that if you want to see the most gain or improvements in your training and racing, you’ve got to be consistent — and that’s over the long haul. Acquiring fitness is not a short-term process. It can take at least a year and a half of consistent training to become race fit. It’s worth the wait, as you will then be able to reach your potential as an athlete....READ MORE

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Testing Your Swim Fitness By Lee Zohlman, USAT Coach Swimming is a tough sport and is typically the Achilles Heel for most multisport athletes. Many athletes spend countless hours in the pool and many dollars on coaches and gear to improve their stroke. But how many of you test your swim fitness to quantify improvement and to set new training paces?...READ MORE

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Your Fitness Level - How to Keep it High During or After an Illness Your fitness is something that seems to either be inherent or something you work hard to achieve. While being fit may be important to you, it is not something one can take for granted. After an injury, your body can begin to lose its fitness level rapidly as you may not be able to workout as you would like. But when you want to stay in shape, you need to find a way to keep your fitness level at its current rate. Here are some ways to maintain your fitness, even if you have an injury or an illness....READ MORE

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My Race Essentials As a veteran triathlete and coach, I have collected a multitude of tri gear that has found its way into my training bag. This same bag goes with me to all my races and is my lifeline to anything tri-related. Occasionally, if I have two-a-day workouts planned, my tri bag begins to look more like a large Sherpa pack instead of the very portable over-the-shoulder. This “Humpback of Notre Dame” look, though necessary for a long day of running all over town, is not functional when walking into a race expo and transition area. How do you condense your Sherpa pack? In this article I will share with you my top 10 triathlon essentials for a great race day and a size effective race pack that will leave your competitors, wishing they didn’t have to “check their luggage”. ...READ MORE

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CHECK YOUR EGO BEFORE YOU GO OUT There is nothing much harder than to train at a slow pace, or follow your training plan day by day. Why? Because everyone can train hard. Ask yourself this question: Can I go out for a two hour ride at a maximum heart rate of 75% with a big group, knowing that there are people in the group who want to beat me at the events?...READ MORE

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THE OVERTRAINING SYNDROME IN ATHLETES Athletes are swimming, biking and running more than ever before. Records in many events continue to be broken, and in some events the pace is accelerating. However, there is a limit to an athlete’s capacity to endure and adapt to intense training. Once this is crossed the athletes fails to adapt and performs declines. 10 to 20% of the athletes who train intensively may fall prey to the overtraining syndrome. Athletes suffering from the overtraining syndrome are unable to train and perform to their capacity, and may experience a variety of other symptoms....READ MORE

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Fueling Your Sport By: Lee Zohlman, USA Triathlon Elite Level 3 Coach And Ed Miller It is common knowledge that poor diet is a decisive factor in many conditions and diseases, including obesity, certain types of cancer and heart disease. The link between good health and good nutrition has been well established, and interest in nutrition and its impact on sporting performance is now a science in itself. Whether you are a competing athlete, a weekend sports player or a dedicated daily exerciser, the cornerstone to improved performance is a well balanced diet....READ MORE

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Group-Ride Etiquette Group riding is fun, and gives you motivation, knowledge and builds camaraderie with your fellow MP's (Miami Pacers!) Group riding with MP is like our own Tour! But It could be intimidating for the first timers. But no worries, learn "the Rules of Engagement" and it will be easier and more fun....READ MORE

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Cycling Nutrition for Training and Competition Great cycling means being properly fueled and energized to have the endurance and strength to take on the challenges and opportunities riding on the streets of Miami....READ MORE

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TOP IRONMAN RACING TIPS Have your bike cleaned and lubed two weeks prior to the race and race wheels on and tuned 4-6 days prior to race. Have a race plan made up a week before the race of your nutrition strategy, equipment list and solutions for any problems...READ MORE

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Swim, Breathe, Repeat One of the first things new swimming clients are quick to confide is their inability to breathe to both sides—as if confessing an unconscionable shortcoming. What usually follows are stories of failed attempts to complete quarter mile swims breathing every third, fourth or fifth stroke. And then the questions: How often should I breathe? Don’t you have to do it to both sides?...READ MORE

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FIRST TIMER FACTS TO FOLLOW So you signed up and paid for your first triathlon, you’ve marked your calendar as D Day, you’ve bragged to your friends about your new endeavor and you may have even bought a book about triathlon. Now, you have to train for the crazy event....READ MORE

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The Heat Is On Outdoor activities, especially sporting activities can be difficult during the summer due to the heat and humidity here in Miami.How can a person prepare and go into battle well armed for the hot humid days ahead? There is one smart way to minimize the harsh effects of the heat: Hydration. ...READ MORE

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5 Strategies to Improve Running Technique Make a Marathon Easier 1) Keep your torso and shoulders relaxed. If your muscles are clinched blood distribution to and from the muscles will be restricted, decreasing flow throughout the upper body causing premature fatigue. ...READ MORE

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Your Training Nutrition A common question about nutrition is "Should I eat breakfast before an early morning training session?"The short answer is: Yes, training requires energy and you get energy from the food you eat....READ MORE

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Key West Half MarathonSunday, January 22, 2012 - 7:00 amHundreds of runners are expected to race through Key West’s historic Old Town and waterfront areas Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 during the 14th annual Key West Half Marathon

Tropical 5kSaturday, January 28, 2012 - 7:00 amThis Publix Tropical 5K is the perfect chance for everyone to be a part of the biggest weekend in South Florida.

ING Half and Full MarathonSunday, January 29, 2012 - 6:00 amPrice Increase Next Week! It's about time to save $10. Register before the price increases on December 8th, at 11:59 PM.

Tour de Cure - MiamiSaturday, February 11, 2012 - 7:00 amThe Tour de Cure is a series of fundraising cycling events held in 44 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association. The Tour is a ride, not a race, with routes designed for everyone from the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist. Whether you ride 10 miles or 100 miles, you will travel a route supported from start to finish with rest stops, food to fuel the journey and fans to cheer you on!