The Tundra Transition Zone

Meet the Newest Member of the Family

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:20:18 PDT

Seems for the most part that we've always had two dogs. Companionship for the brace being one of the reasons. So when we lost our girl, Glynis, at the age of 15 1/2 last November we sort of started investigating puppy possibilities.

First, a brief history of our most cherished family members.

Olivia

In 1992 we brought home our first dog, The Dalmatian was Olivia Kachina Kodak. Olivia was the name we picked out. Kachina was the breeder line, Kodak because Olivia’s mom was the dog used in Kodak ads in the early 90s.

Olivia was Mommie's girl

In 1996 we brought home our second dog. The first whippet was Glynis Cyfie Bryn. Glynis was the call name. Cyfie Bryn is the name of our favorite bed-and-breakfast farm house in Wales.

Glynis

Glynis could outrun snowmobiles

Olivia and Glynis got along very well

In 2000 brought home a human puppy. The dogs protected him. Seriously. You could not approach the baby without first passing Dog Security.

Glynis and Olivia protect the Boy

And the security was 24-hours a day.

Olivia passed away far too early (10 years old) in 2001. We waited until 2004 to get a second dog. The second whippet is Northwind’s Pont Robert. Call name is Pont. Northwind is the breeder line. Pont Robert is the name of the small town near Cyfie Bryn Farm. Pont means ‘bridge’ in Welsh so Pont was our bridge back to Olivia.

Pont, always playing with toys

He and Glynis were inseparable.

Our Frisbee dogs

Pont has been lonely after the death of Glynis. So it is time for another. This dog is Northwind’s River Song. Call name will be River. River Song is the wife of Doctor Who in the British sci-fi series. So we stay British themed. And Doctor Who and River Song are both capable of ‘regeneration’ so River will be the regeneration of Glynis.

River at 11-weeks

She is adapting well.

Race Result: 2012 The Old Deer Park 10K (London)

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:59:00 PDT

Event: 2012 The Old Deer Park 10K (April 1, 2012)
Location: Richmond, England
Weather: 44F, sunny
Goal: Finish
Actual: 43:57
Overall: 47th (258 total)
Age Group (50-54): 2nd (13 total)
Results Link: PDF; XLS
Previous Results: First time at this event

I'm a little late with this recap to be sure. But then, I should have never run it. My 2012 race season, while perhaps not a lost cause, is certainly in jeopardy regardless.

Let us backtrack for a moment. I've been having an issue with my inside shin along a line that begins on top of the ankle to just below the mid-calf. No, it is not shin splints. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and can run through that aggravation. I decided it could be Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome and did a little write-up on that in early March.

During March, I was able to swim and bike fine. I just could not run. Could not push off going from the toe. So I took off two weeks from running. At the end of this time, I was walking normally. I did some short runs (less than 1/4 mile) to determine the current state and the pain was still then, albeit much less.

Time came to pack for London. I packed all my running and race gear. I then unpacked it. Literally 30-mins before we departed for the airport, I packed it all again. I figured I could try a short run while there if nothing else. I was pretty sure I would not be racing. But just to be prepared, I brought the gear.

The day before the event, I went out for a short 2-miler. I was able to hold a pretty good pace at easy effort although the pain was still there. I was on the fence. Race. Not race. Race. Not race. I set the alarm as if I was going to race, still not having made up my mind.

I got up the morning of the race. I thought I should just go back to bed. Then I decided to just stay up and start the day early. I found myself going through my typical pre-race routine. I found myself dressing in my race gear. I found myself heading out the door to catch the Underground to the race site. I found myself a fool.

I arrived, checked in and received my chip. It was a weird little thing. The size of a credit card with four holes at the corners that you tied into your shoe-laces using twisties. Haven't seen that before. But the chip didn't hamper me at all. Since it was so rigid I was worried it might be a constant source of irritation while racing. But, no worries.

Yes, they still use port-a-potties across The Pond in case you were wondering. Plenty of them. Annnddd, flushable! You don't have to stare at a bucket full of someone else's meal from the night before. Looks and acts like a regular flusher. After you are 'complete' with your morning nature call, you simply use a foot-action pump to fill the bowl with water and then 'flush'. American port-a-pottie companies.....you are behind (pun intended).

The row of Port-A-Potties

Also cool was the call to the line. We all had to remain outside of the starting chute. The race director then called for any sub-30-minute 10K runners. No one stepped forward. Then called for sub-35 minute runners. Again, no one stepped forward. He then called for sub 40 and a few of us, including myself, stepped forward. He then continued with this progression. It was organized, quick and easy. It certainly eliminated giving a dirty stare to someone pushing a baby jogger toeing the starting line with you. I thought it a wonderful idea.

The Start

We started on turf. This was not good. My ankle was already starting to roll. We then hit a sidewalk (complete with morning pedestrians) which then had some cobblestone. My ankle was rolling all over. About the 2-mile mark we hit gravel. The gravel had chunks of concrete and such. Not good.

Even with all that my first 2 miles was fine. I was hanging in the top 10 and running with the eventual female overall winner. This is typically where I find myself. I should have been a chick! But I was well under 40-minute pace and very happy. Breathing easy. Pace felt easy. The only question was would the leg hold up long enough to let me finish at that pace. A little before the 5K mark, I had my answer.

Shortly after the start

I was essentially running on one leg, hobbling along at the 5K mark. I went through it at 20:10 and then really started to fade. I was looking for a way to just quit and get a ride back but the course was circular. I figured I had come this far, I might as well limp it in and gather my finishers medal. My first international event.

So, I sucked it up and limped along. I finished in 43:57 so the second 5K took me 23:47. Walking pace. When I signed up for this event all those months ago, I was targeting a sub-39. So, that hurts mentally. But I did finish.

My 1st international finish

A view of the finish area

The Garmin Info

Elevation, 28 feet of gain and 30 feet loss

The splits tell the story when the leg gave out

After finishing I received my finishers medal which was cool. There were no Age Group awards so I was very happy to receive the medal as a token to remember the race by.

The finisher's medal

So, while my first international experience was sort of a downer, I would like to try another international race again some day. Hell, the Brits even have a triathlon series that circulates around some of their finest castles. We even visited one (Hever) last year. That would be ÜBER cool.

When we returned stateside, I made an appointment to see the doc. We took an Xray and it showed no breaks. He stated my ankle joints look 'spectacular' as usually he sees arthritis brewing by my age. That was nice to hear. He thinks it is tendon/ligament and even if one had popped he would not consider surgery. He thinks worse case is there could be a stress fracture in which the tendon might have pulled away some of the bone but he doubts that. So we are:

Going to give it 4-6 weeks to heal. I can bike/swim if it doesn't bother me
If it is not progressing during that time or at the end, he has an ankle ortho guy in mind and would hook me up. He would let them decide on a MRI at that time and suggest to do a MRI as last recourse

It is slightly improved two weeks removed from the race. Just not as much pain but no where near walking normally. I have not biked or swam during this time either. I'm getting fat. I am hoping to get back into the pool and cycle by this coming weekend (4/21). And then it will be some more weeks (months?) before I can slowly start running again. Hopefully. I do not want to go through a surgery. I have accepted that 2012 will boil down to a lost race season and not be too depressed. There are bigger issues in the world than not being able to run. Then come back stronger than ever in 2013.

Next Events:

Just what the next event will be is a guess. Hopefully, it is yet in 2012.

Apr 28 (signed up) - Falls Duathlon - Cannon Falls, MN 2mi run, 14mi bike, 3mi run
May 19 (signed up) - Fargo Half-Marathon - Fargo, ND
June 3 (signed up) - Buffalo Triathlon - Buffalo, MN 1/4mi swim, 12mi bike, 3mi run
Jun 24 (signed up) - Graniteman Triathlon - St. Cloud, MN 1/3mi swim, 15mi bike, 5K run

I will be skipping the April 28 Du I had already signed up for. I have already cancelled the Fargo hotel for the May 19 half marathon. So the next one that I just might be able to compete in is the June 3 Buffalo Tri and I would skip that if needed as well as that would only be 7 weeks away. I just want to be ready to at least race by June 24 for the 1st Graniteman Tri. The Graniteman is a 3-race series. One in June, one in July, one in August. Sort of a big deal. If I can be running by June I should be able to be in OK run shape for that one.

Everything But Kitchen Sink

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:26:44 PDT

This blog entry is just a stream of stream of consciousness to get some items covered. First up, the injury update.

The left calf/ankle issue continues to be bothersome. I am swimming and biking but simply cannot run. I can't push off without having pain. There is limited, bearable, pain when climbing while on the bike. So I continue to rest it. Ice it. Compress. If it has not sufficiently healed by the time I return from London, I'll be heading into the doctors office.

Because of the injury, I skipped the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Fargo on March 17. This was tough to swallow as I had that event circled as a A-Event. Sometimes, life just rains on your parade. For the curious, the results for this race are here. Congrats to Fargo Running Company owner (and fellow Fargo Running Company race team member) Cley Twigg for taking first overall. By the looks of things, it looked like quite the event.

The 5K lead off the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Fargo

Also because of the injury, it is all but certain that I will not be competing in London for the second year in a row after signing up for an event. This also hurts. I'm starting to wonder if I will ever get the chance to compete internationally or if I'm somehow cursed in this regard.

In taking a look back at the Treadmill 1 Mile World Championship, held at Gear West Ski & Run the first weekend of March, I can share a bit more with you. If you missed the race recap, you can find it here. And results are listed here.

Carrie Tollefson was at the event and taped a feature for her weekly video blog. She is an American middle distance runner who was on the US 2004 Summer Olympic team. At the US Olympic Trials in 2004, she won the 1500 meters. She competed in the 2004 Olympic Summer Games, making it to the semis in the 1500 meters. She now holds a distance camp at St.Kates, for teens. You can see how it looked at the treadmill event by watching her video below.

Have you seen this poster? I really like it. Some people might think I'm ripping on slow runners but my point is that a running race should be just that: Run as fast as you can.

A 7-hr marathon equates to a 16-minute mile. An average fitness walking pace is close to a 15 minute mile. So if you are basically walking a marathon....is that something to be respected? I fall on the side of the fence where this is not an accomplishment.

Two events come to mind: Kona and Leadville. Both have time cutoffs during the event. If you are not at Point A by a designated time, you are pulled out of the race. Is it time for marathons to instigate a time cutoff? I think so.

Finally, in other race results my southern Minnesota racing buddy, Mario Minelli got chicked. Yes, we fellows get chicked now and then. Nothing to be ashamed of. However, Mr. Minelli is not your weekend warrior that takes 7-hours to complete a marathon. He's one of the top Masters triathletes in the state and a very, very fast runner. So, who chicked him (results)?

That honor went to Ruth Brennan Morrey. Ruth has an amazing year in 2011 and is a chick to watch in 2012. She ended last year winning the Female 35-39 AG at the 2011 Henderson ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. So, if Ruth chicks you this year....be honored. Be very honored.

Race Result: 2012 Chase a Leprechaun 5K

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:32:13 PDT

Event: 2012 Chase a Leprechaun 5K (March 10, 2012)
Location: Becker Community Center, Becker MN
Weather: 46F, sunny, wind from SW at 12-16 MPH
Goal: sub-20 minutes
Actual: 18:51
Overall: 4th (138 total)
Age Group (50-59): 1st (6 total)
Results Link: Becker AG Breakdown
Previous Results: 19:36 (2011)

Last year (2011) at this event, the weather line looked like this: 16F, winds 30-35 MPH, windchill at -4. What a difference a year can make. I ran in shorts and on top I opted for a long-sleeved UnderArmor with my Fargo Running Company race team singlet over that. And I was probably a tad warm.

Shortly before the race started I turned to the Boy and the Well Kept Wife and said, "I've got nothing." The legs felt dead, I'm still nursing that suspected Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in the left shin, and I was already looking ahead to the St. Patricks Day 5K in Fargo. That is a key race for me this early spring season and I was using the Becker race as a report card to see how I stood.

I need not worry so much.

After the gun went off I had purposely shot to be up near the front as we started out on a bike path. That meant I didn't want to be blocked in. This also meant that my early pace was in the 5:20 range. After I found myself with plenty of room I started to dial it back. Hit 5:40ish pace and kept dialing it back finally settling in the low 6:05 territory. I was in eighth as we went thru the first mile (6:07).

Shortly before we hit the first mile I was passed by a young lady, Chelsea Schlegel wearing Vibrams. I would run with her for the rest of the race. She was exactly what I needed to keep up a sub-6:20 pace. One or the other would fall off but then come back to rest on either runners shoulder.

She and I started to pick off the pretenders and before we hit mile 2 we found ourselves in 3rd/4th place. I was very happy to go through mile 2 at 6:18 pace. I wanted to maintain 6:20 or better pace as my Fargo tune-up and it was going well. Despite my pre-race doubts, the legs seemed to have some snap to them and were holding up well.

As we turned for the finish, my race partner surged and I was content to let her go. I didn't need to sprint home for this race. That's next weekend. My pace of 6:20 for the final mile, and overall average of 6:15 was better than hoped for.

The course was about 0.09 miles short per the Garmin. So I calculate my 18:51 overall time was a true 5K time of 19:25. I was hoping to be around 19:40. This is the perfect tonic for any mental doubts for the 5K in Fargo. And the weather looks to be even better for next weekend!

Of note: The Boy® set a new PR with a 5K equivalent (once I converted to a true 5K) of a 24:10. And this was with a slight cold. Good stuff.

Garmin

Splits

Elevation

Next Event:

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day 5K Run - Fargo, ND

This one is important for a few reasons. One, I've been on the Fargo Running Company Race Team since last year. So obviously, I hope to have a good showing for the home team. Two, this will kick off the 2012 LAP (Lake Agassiz Pacers) Race Series under the following guidelines:

- runner does not need to be a LAP member
- runner must compete in 3 of 5 races in 2012 (best 3 times used for performance rating)
- results based on age-grade performance
- awards given out 10 deep, gender neutral

I'd like to end the year within that Top Ten category. Again, this is based on Age Grade performance which I have written about plenty of times. Most recently in my recap of the Treadmill 1-Mile World Championship.

On The Mend: Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:54:14 PST

Here in the Tundra, the snow is melting at a fast rate. We are expecting daytime highs in the 50's and 60's in the coming week. Those warm temps can't come fast enough. I want to hit the trails and take some stress off the legs from pounding the hard asphalt.

After a long run about 10-days back, I experienced some pain along the inside of my left shin. It's been bugging me ever since. It took a dive for the worse after the Treadmill 1-Mile World Championship. So much, in fact, that I took two full days off from training this week despite the fact I have a 5K coming up this weekend and a very important 5K in Fargo a week later. I've been icing, resting, and using compression practically round the clock.

This Saturday's 5K will be a speed workout and see how the shin area responds. Interesting to note, this Saturday's race in Becker is the site of my pelvic stress fracture from last year. Maybe I need to start skipping this race!

After consulting my injury bible (Running Well), I have come to the conclusion that I may very well be suffering from Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS). MTSS is pain and inflammation on the medial border of the tibia, usually felt during and after running. It can be caused by running too much on hard surfaces, overpronation, a weak tibialis posterior muscle (which lifts the arch of the foot), or tight calf muscles, which cause the foot to pronate further. All the muscles involved in controlling pronation can be affected by MTSS and become sore and inflamed.

MTSS can also affect the fascia (the connective tissue that joins the muscle to the bone) and the periosteum (the outer layer of the bone) itself. If the periosteum is inflamed, you'll feel specific tenderness along the edge of the bone.

I've also made sure I've been getting my regular massages but have missed my last two due to other conflicts. I did get in my massage on Thursday and the difference is noticeable. So I have scheduled an extra massage for next week.

To treat MTSS it is important to massage the tight muscles along the inside of the calf before running, and stretch them after warming up. Ice and massage after running will help settle the inflammation, but don't run through the pain. A balance of strength on the front and back of the lower leg is important. Strengthen the calf and shim muscles using eccentric calf exercises. To see a video demonstration, click here.

Also check your shoes and consider getting a gait analysis. And as I stressed, vary the surfaces that you run on, avoiding excessive slant. I can't wait to hit the trails.

I have also been using KT Tape during my run workouts. It sort of helps, whether it is a mental thing or not.

Race Result: 2012 Treadmill 1 Mile World Championship

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:07:36 PST

Event: Treadmill 1 Mile World Championship
Location: Gear West Ski & Run in Long Lake, MN
Weather: Indoors
Goal: under 5:20
Actual: 5:19.7
Overall: 8th (15 total)
Age Group (50-59): 2nd (3 total)
Age Grade: 79.6 (2nd out of 15)
Results Link: preliminary results
Previous Results: First time at this event

"The art of running the mile consists, in essence, of reaching the threshold of unconsciousness at the instant of breasting the tape." Paul O'Neil

Jim Ryun, enough said

This unique event was held over Friday & Saturday (March 2-3th, 2012). There was even a New Balance Age-Graded Challenge. I started looking for age-graded events in 2011 and was successful running those, so that is what really brought me to the race. The Treadmill World Championships, along with New Balance, offered a FREE pair of New Balance running shoes to the winner of the Age-Graded Challenge. The AG Calculator is found HERE.

The AG calculator is intended to provide you with an age-graded race time and an achievement percentile for a recent performance at a specific race distance. Age-graded information allows you to: Judge your performance, using an achievement percentile, without bias for gender or the aging process (in other words, you are measured against a specific standard for your age and sex). These percentiles can be interpreted as follows:

Over 90% --- World Class
Over 80% --- National Class
Over 70% --- Regional Class
Over 60% --- Local Class

My goal of going under 5:20 was to try and achieve a 80% (National Class) ranking. My 5:19 equated to a age grade of 79.6 which means had I been in my 'prime' I would have run a 4:39 mile. So, I fell just short of National Class ranking. If I want to be picky, I could calculate my age as 50.88 (I turn 51 in April) and with that factored in my ranking comes out to 80.35 and a 4:37 mile. So I have that personal satisfaction, if you will.

My lone mistake was not factoring in the time it took for the treadmill to get up to speed. I had calculated that if I ran with the treadmill speed set to 11.3 that would equate to a 5:18 mile. I probably lost those very few valuable seconds during the time I started and the treadmill actually was running at that speed. In retrospect, I should have started out at the speed of 11.4 for the first 1/4 mile and then cut back to 11.3. But in some ways I am glad I didn't, since I was running on empty at the end.

Let's talk fuel for a moment. Since my slotted time was 1:30 PM on Saturday, I followed this menu:

Breakfast (6 hours before) -

Single slice of toast with Nutella and honey
Serving of yogurt with blueberries, blackberries, honey and Chia seeds (1 tsp)
Serving of Interphase protein mix with low-fat milk
2 cups of half-decaffeinated coffee

Lunch (2 1/2 hours before) -

Serving of Carbo-Pro

I was introduced to Interphase and Carbo-Pro by Kevin O'Connor last race season and I have used these two products exclusively ever since. Kevin was 2009 USAT Duathlete of the Year and just received a honorable mention for the 2011 USA Triathlon Masters Duathlete of the Year.

When I arrived at Gear West Ski & Run I opted to warm up inside on one of the treadmills since there were some empty ones available. Much better than warming up outside as we received some rain and sleet recently and the streets are a bit slippery to say the least.

I ran comfy for about five minutes and then broke into a series of striders, increasing up to my race pace goal. My timer was Derek 'Rusty' Lindstrom and he became a valuable ally. He spoke to me about the first half seeming easy and once 0.6 miles came around the real work would set in.

The rules were easy. We would set the speed, hit enter and go. During this time I could not hold onto any part of the treadmill or I would be DQ'd. I would be allowed to alter the speed during the event. Little did I know I would not have the energy to even make that effort of changing speeds.

Derek was correct, the first part of the race was pretty smooth. There was a 1/4-mile lap indicator on the treadmill face and I was surprised how quickly the first 1/2-mile went. I was hearing things like, "You are looking smooth,"...."Looking strong,"...."Time for some cow bell."

On that third lap the legs were beginning to falter. This is what scared me about racing this kind of speed on the treadmill. One misstep, one ill-timed catch of the toe on the churning treadmill and I would have gone down hard and flying off the back end. It was probably this fear that also saved me.

For on the last lap, a mere 1/4 mile to go, I was toast. In my mind I was thinking, "Its only a 1/4 mile, you can gut this out". But my legs were telling me that they were in severe danger of faltering badly. I was starting to waver a bit. I was making these audible grunting noises. My form had gone from smooth to shot-to-hell. At 0.8 miles, I kept envisioning that was nothing more than two blocks. I was running those two blocks back to my house. That's all it was. Just hold pace.

At 0.85 miles I was looking at lowering the speed control. At this point had this been a road race I would have let up. There is no doubt in my mind. Now I'm thinking I need to slow down the speed of the treadmill otherwise I'm going to stumble.

At 0.9 miles, the legs have nothing left. At 0.95 miles I have serious doubts I'm going to make it. Derek is yelling in my ear. 0.97. My arms are doing some sort of movement that I'm not familiar with. 0.98, yes, I can do it. 0.99, why is the treadmill stuck on 0.99? Why is it not moving? I cannot hold on another second. 1.00, I stumble.....audible "Hey, hey, hey....watch him" from the people watching. I somehow step to the side without falling. Upper body hanging on the treadmill and head down. Holy crap.

And yet, here's the deal. I ran a 5:19 mile and am rather proud of that at the age of 50. But the boys who just made the USA Olympic marathon team averaged 4:55 per mile. Perspective can be a wicked sock to the stomach sometimes.

My hats off to those who competed as those are great times. Thanks to Gear West Ski & Run for hosting the event.

Next Event:

March 10 - Becker Community Center Chase a Leprechaun 5K Fun Run/Walk

Jan - Feb 2012 Training Numbers

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 07:11:00 PST

Swim:

Bike:

Run:

Jan Total Hours: 19 hrs 41 Mins
Feb Total Hours: 32 hrs 56 mins

March/April Upcoming Events:

March 10 (signed up) - Becker Community Center Chase a Leprechaun 5K Fun Run/Walk
Mar 17 (signed up) - St. Patrick's Day 5K Run - Fargo, ND
Apr 1 (signed up) - The Old Deer Park 10K - Richmond, England
Apr 15 - Fast & Furious Duathlon (Texas State Championship) - 5k run, 19 mi bike, 5k run
Apr 28 (signed up) - Falls Duathlon - Cannon Falls, MN 2mi run, 14mi bike, 3mi run

Show Up

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:27:30 PST

I recently took first overall in a local 5K. Only 54 runners ran. Second place went to a 12-year old runner. I felt sheepish even posting my race summary. The day after I was reading the February/March issue of Running Times. The Editor's Note had a nice article that talked about the secrets of success. One of which was to 'show up'. In short, it basically reminded me that in order to win one must show up. If you don't show up, you cannot win. So take any win you get. You showed up. If faster runners didn't bother to participate, that is their issue, not yours. Here is the article in full, taken from the issue. Enjoy....and get out there and show up!

By Jonathan Beverly

As featured in the FebMarch 2012 issue of Running Times Magazine

Warren Buffet's wife reportedly taught her children and grandchildren a list of five secrets to success. My wife often quotes these to my son when he's nervous about an upcoming test or ball game. Recently, I noticed how well the "secrets" apply to running, particularly to masters running, which we focus on this issue. Here's the list:

1) SHOW UP
This is 90 percent of the battle. Runners are well aware that how high you place in a race is often tied more to who showed up than how fast you ran. I've won a local 10-miler four out of the past five years simply because no fast runners have shown up. I could feel funny about this, but, given my advancing years, and the fact that I did show up, fit enough to run the hilly dirt course, I'll take it. My qualifier there--"fit enough"--reflects something runners also know, namely, that showing up is more than being there on race day; it's a lifestyle. To be successful, you have to "show up" every day. To really succeed, you have to show up mentally and emotionally as well as physically, but even just showing up physically and getting in some miles will put you ahead of the majority who dabble in their training or try to race without training. Showing up, in all aspects, is even more important for masters. Each year, being healthy and on the starting line becomes increasingly the first mandate of our training and lifestyle, more important than any specific workouts, mileage totals or race strategies.

2) TELL THE TRUTH

In running, this seems to me to mostly be about telling yourself the truth: You have to be honest about your current fitness, strengths, weaknesses, age, ability to handle the course and conditions. When we asked "The Sports Scientists" to look at the limiting factors for the marathon in our November issue it was somewhat of a surprise that their overall conclusion was this point as most of the problems stem from erroneous pacing due to not telling yourself the truth about your fitness. For a masters runner, not telling the truth to yourself almost inevitably means not being able to make rule No. 1, as you'll be injured.

3) PAY ATTENTION

The key to any good training program is that it's tailored to the individual. To know what the individual needs, the runner and coach (especially if the same person) must pay attention. Again, while true for all, this becomes magnified for masters, as the type of training you can handle and the reaction to that training not only change with age but change differently for each person. Nowhere are we more "experiments of one" as when we carry our running past youth. As Roger Robinson says in his overview of masters training, "There is consensus on many things. But dealing with aging is always a tangle of senescent cells, wisdom, denial and defiance."

4) DO YOUR BEST
If you're not going to do your best, why bother showing up? This one is a no-brainer. As we age, however, those for whom "doing your best" has meant "doing your all-time, genetic-limit best" have to adjust to concessions not allowed in youth. This is the theme of Alex Sebastian's essay, inspired by the age-based handicapping of the Dipsea. Even with adjusted realities, however, success still requires doing your best on any given day.

5) DON'T BE TOO ATTACHED TO THE OUTCOME

While not downplaying the others, this might be my favorite "secret" as it's so counterintuitive to the mainstream idea of "success"--the very word seems attached to some measure of the outcome. But tying ourselves to the outcome is a sure way to sabotage actually doing our best. I recall the lights that came on the first time I saw this articulated clearly, in a November 1999 Running Times article by the late Andy Palmer entitled, "How Badly Do You Want It?" Palmer wrote, "You must be truly able to 'let go,' to become a split personality of sorts. It's not easy; after all, you are striving to do your very best, yet you have to not care about the result. Running the race should be the most important thing in your life while you are running it, yet you can't care how it turns out." Not to beat a dead horse, but again, this is so much more important for aging runners, as your outcomes change to the extent that you start to wonder if the effort is worthwhile. Only by not getting too attached to the outcome can you continue to show up and enjoy success.

Rest assured, there's plenty in the pages to come for the whippersnappers as well as the masters--our profile of Jenny Simpson, our high school and college coverage, and multiple training articles--and these rules above apply to all. If you pay attention, some day you too may be enjoying success long after your peers have stopped showing up.

2012 Sweetheart Run 5K Photos

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 04:41:00 PST

Here are some photos of myself, the Well Kept Wife, and the Boy from the 5K on 2/18. Race result summary can be read here. Photos from Minnefota Moments.

The Family Maas during warmups

One day, he'll be ahead of me for real

Shortly after the start. Look who is hanging in 2nd!

Go Boy, Go!

Out on the course

Boy still hanging tough. Not bad for zero training.

The Well Kept Wife distances from the wannabes.

The Old Geezer takes 1st overall.

The Boy nears the finish

The Well Kept Wife nears the finish

Race Result: 2012 Sweetheart Run 5K

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:52:50 PST

Event: Sweetheart Runs (5K, 10K, 10 miler)
Weather: 24F, winds light out of NNW at 5mph
Goal: Just have a good speed workout
Actual: Officially 19:50 (6:23 per mile pace); Garmin 19:01 (for 2.93 miles).
Overall: 1st (54 total)
Age Group (50-59): 1st (7 total)
Results Link: 5K, 10K, 10-miler
Previous Results: First time at this event

This event was put on by FrontRunner and was a very organized event. Everything ran on time. Communication was great. Results were posted online by the time we returned home. It is so nice when you participate in an event when the race director knows what he/she is doing. There are some local race organizers that over a week later, still haven't posted results. Or check-in is a royal pain-in-the-ass. Not the case here. Only issue was measurement of the course, but we'll cover that later.

Like the Hamel 5K, I was using this event to simply have a nice speed workout as I work myself back into shape after a winter of limited training due to the recent osteoarthritis diagnosis in my left hip. Nothing more, nothing less. I was winding down my first solid week of training (11+ hours) and this was a nice way to cap it all off. Not to mention try and drop those extra 10-lbs I somehow gained over the holidays.

There were three events all told. Most of the Big Dawgs ran the 10K or 10-milers which lead the Boy to utter as we lined up for the 5K, "Dad, you're going to win this easy." My little Nostradamus.

The 5K started and I was left to myself almost immediately. The Boy indicated he tried to hang with me for "about 30-seconds" and then I heard no more footsteps. And if you look at the results, you'll see another young lad (of 12 years of age!!) took 2nd overall. So I had no one to pursue or to push me and was left to push myself into a good effort.

But the purpose was really just to try and get the legs back underneath me so I can be racing low 18's in the 5K by the time the multi-sport season opens. Unlike Hamel where I went out too fast for the shape I'm in, I tried to keep the per mile pace more consistent. And I think I did that. I didn't nearly have the fade I had two weeks prior. And the legs felt much more solid.

The course itself was short by about two tenths of a mile. My Garmin read 19:01 as I crossed the finish line. Once results were posted, I think the race director attempted to correct for the distance shortfall and so the result read 19:50 for me. Using the per mile pace, my time correction would be more accurate at 20:10, but who cares. Low key event. In talking with the 10K overall winner, their race was also a bit short and time corrections were also made.

More consistent splits were the goal

Fairly flat course with some mild rollers

The Well Kept Wife and Boy also had a good showing with each taking home 3rd place in their respective age groups. So the Maas family took home its fair share of winnings.

Nice sized age group medals

Overall win award, an oversized coffee mug

Next Event:

March 10: Becker Community Center Chase a Leprechaun 5K Fun Run/Walk, scene of the pelvic stress fracture from 2011. Lets hope there is no such injury this year.

Race Result: 2012 Hamel 5K

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:23:54 PST

Event: Hamel 5K (Freeze Your Buns)
Goal: Just have a good speed workout
Actual: 20:06 (6:29 per mile pace)
Overall: Sixth (250+)
Previous Results: 2011 - 19:14 (2nd overall), 2010 - 20:14 (5th overall)

Lets come back up to speed (in more ways than one!). After the 200-mile run month in November, you might recall I started to have some issues with the left hip/pelvis in December. I scheduled a MRI and expected to be told I had yet another stress fracture after suffering the same fate in March of 2011. Instead, I was told I now have osteoarthritis in the left hip. A fracture heals. Arthritis you have to learn to live with.

So, I basically laid off training most of December. I put in a measly 35 miles of running in January and was just starting to get my running legs under me when I was waylaid by a nasty cold/sinus infection. So the week leading up to this 5K, I had a grand total of 1 workout. And that was the day before, a paltry 3.5 mile run.

So, I didn't have the best of confidence leading into the 5K. Which was fine. This event is hosted by the Hamel Lions and it is a very low key affair. No awards. No chip timing. You just run for the sheer joy of it. Or, as much as a Minnesota winter will allow one to enjoy. But it wasn't bad. It was 26F, cloudy, and a nominal wind out of the west at about 5 MPH.

I like this event because it is so low key. And with the simple route sprinkled with a few rollers it is a great event for getting in a nice tempo run with some fellow runners. Nothing like locking pace with a group of people and have that race pace settle right back in.

And I have raved about the race T-shirts for years now. Every year is a different color, and all the previous race day temperatures are shown on one sleeve. And old-fashioned cotton, which is good as I'm only four or five shirts away from having enough for finally making a queen sized quilt with my collected cotton race T-shirts.

Joining me at this 5K for the first time were the Boy® and Well Kept Wife™. Each has also been dealing with limited running this winter. My wife has sinus surgery not that long ago and the Boy® has been spending his time swimming on the Life Time Fitness swim team with State Finals coming up the last weekend of this month. But each did respectable with the Boy® running a 25:30 and the WKW™ running a 28:49. Not that far off their personal bests at this distance of 24:34 and 25:58 respectfully.

I was sort of targeting to go under 21-minutes knowing the shape I was in. Jump back to a 5K I did in Fargo in October where I ran a 18:03, and you get the picture where my confidence was.

I just floated thru the 1-mile mark right at 6 minutes and I was already breathing pretty hard. At that point it was more due to my sinus passages being still blocked up than the shape I was in, but I was with the leading pack of four runners at that point. From there, I simply faded.

Overall, with all things considered, I'm happy with the result. I know I can still run sub-6's, at least for one mile, and I just need to work back into shape so that I can get back to sub 6's for three miles. And I have all spring to get back into shape.

Next Event:

Not totally sure. I may try to find some other local events yet this month. But I'm planning on the St. Patrick's Day 5K in Fargo on March 17.

USA Swimming Deck Pass App

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:51:58 PST

If you have a youngin' involved with a swim team, then you need to have this free app. Deck Pass is the official mobile application of USA Swimming.

All swimmers, from state champions to summer leaguers, can track their times with the log book and even keep track of their personal goals through Deck Pass. USA Swimming members can also look up their times and recent meets, check their IMX scores, and see all of the Deck Pass patches they’ve earned.

Signing up for Deck Pass is easy. Simply create an account on usaswimming.org. If you are a member of USA Swimming, be sure to link your USA Swimming membership to your Deck Pass account. Just follow the prompts after you sign up for Deck Pass to link your account to your USA Swimming membership. If you wish to complete this step later, you can go to My Account to make any updates. I signed up the Boy® and indicated I was the parent. Within minutes I was reviewing his meet history. We have also started to set goals.

If you have any trouble setting up the account, there is a nice FAQ section here.

When you link your USA Swimming membership to your Deck Pass account, all your times from USA Swimming-sanctioned meets will automatically be updated on Deck Pass, so you can begin earning patches right away – or at least as soon as you compete in your first meet of the season. Also, your coach can award you patches for all the hard work you do in practice and at meets.

If you’re not a member of USA Swimming, don’t worry. You can still use Deck Pass. Your times will not be updated automatically, but you can keep track of your times in the Log Book and set goals with our Goal Setter.

Deck Pass Mobile features include:
- IMX scores, best times, recent meets and rankings
- Digital patches for your achievements at practice and at competitions
- A way to connect with your swimming friends
- A tool that allows coaches to award digital patches to their swimmers
- Your team's times, scores and ranks
- USA Swimming information on events, meetings, certifications and results
- A digital logbook to keep track of your times and earn more patched
- A goal tracker to set goals for the season and monitor your progress

Upcoming Events

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:20:13 PST

Well, the holidays were bad to me. Wayyyy too fat. Time to bear down and see if I can drop those excess pounds and see if I can start to get into fighting shape for the upcoming season. I have been training fairly consistently the last two weeks and trying to adjust to life with osteoarthritis in the left hip.

I've been a good boy. Instead of running every day, sometimes twice, I have been taking running free days and so far the hip has been OK. Of course, I expect this will result in some very weak running times in 2012 but we'll see what happens. Stiff upper lip and all that rot.

If you are in the Tundra area in February there are two events to consider and chances are you will see me there.

Feb 5 - Hamel 5K

A very low-key 5K in which there are no awards given. There is no chip timing so be sure to bring your own watch if you want to record your time. Click here if you want to see the course (Garmin) and read about the results from 2011. The whole Maas family will be at this event this year, a first. The race web site can be found here.

Feb 11 - Stone Cold Cupid Snow Shoe

This is yet another event by Final Stretch. I contacted race director Mark Bongers this week and he indicates that if there is a lack of snow the event will become a trail run. This is something the whole family is considering at this time. Per their race site:

This is the first year that Final Stretch has hosted the Stone Cold Cupid Snowshoe race. The course consists of a 3.5 mile loop winding through the trails of Terrace Oaks Park in the center of Burnsville, MN. The trails are normally utilized as cross country ski trails and will be groomed prior to and after the snowshoe race event. You can choose from a 3.5 mile one loop, a two looper for an extreme 7 mile race or bring your significant other and share in the fun and each do 1 loop...you choose who gets to go first.

The route is scenic and challenging with a good amount of hills, fast flats, and open terrain.

All races will be chip timed by Final Time using the Championchip timing technology. Chips must be returned immediately after your race is finished at the finish line chute. Fees will apply if chips are not turned in!

We will have access to the park pavilion, which is located just east of the parking lot. We are also going to have a bonfire just outside the pavilion near the finish area so you can warm your toes pre and post race. Hot beverages will be served for all participants as part of the registration package, and the park will also supply hot cocoa and other edibles to everyone at an extra cost. Snowshoes must be worn to participate. There will be no exceptions.

Seafood Weekend

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:30:45 PST

We had a hankering for seafood over the weekend. So spaced over two meals I cooked up:

Chili Garlic Scallops

Ingredients

1-LB dry packed sea scallops (dry packed are not treated and never frozen)
4-oz Lee Kum Kee chili garlic sauce
If you are brave, toss in 1-2 minced jalapenos or habaneros

Heat up the chili garlic in butter for a few minutes then saute scallops for 1 & 1/2 mins each side and no longer!

Finishing touch - place a scoop or two of fish roe on top of each scallop prior to serving.

Steamed Mussels

Ingredients

3lbs mussels
4 shallots
1 small onion diced
6 cloves of garlic
3 TBS olive oil
2 pints white wine
fresh herbs

Saute onions, shallots and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add mussels and cover. Steam until mussels open (about 3 mins). Add fresh herbs. Serves 3.

Note that if the mussel does not open after cooking, don't eat it. You want them debearded already when you buy or ask to have them do it. Most good seafood shops will do that for you. Also, I typically use about a 1/2 bottle of wine.

Seafood Curry

Ingredients

2 lbs of seafood - such as shrimp, scallops, firm fish. Fish recommendations are sword, marlin, tuna, monk, grouper, mochong. opah, ono, or wahoo. The shrimp should be deveined.
8+oz of curry paste. I recommend Patakas (with the purple top)
2 cans coconut milk
Optionals - Mushrooms, onions, spinach, and garlic

Preparation

Cube fish (if not already done) to approx. 3/4 to 1 inch. Marinate seafood in paste 2-24 hours. Shorter the better. I typically marinate about 4 - 6 hours. To marinate, just mix all the fish ingredients by hand in a bowl. Wear an apron as curry paste will stain. Mix until yellow throughout.

Sautee optionals in oil/butter. I recommend just a bit of olive oil. Onions first, then mushrooms, then garlic, then add an entire bag of spinach. Use a lid to squish the spinach down. Don't worry, the spinach will 'disappear' even though an entire bag will seem excessive. Add left over curry paste on top of spinach.

Pour in the cococnut milk, and reduce to desired thickness. I typically use about one to 1 & 1/4 cans for thicker curry. Add in the seafood and simmer for 5 minutes on medium high. When the shrimp tail touches the head, it is done but I'll go a bit longer myself. Pour over Basmati rice.

Product Review: FitDeck Cards

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:48:42 PST

I received FitDeck cards in my Xmas stocking and was able to use them recently. FitDeck was created with a simple premise – make exercise simple, convenient, and fun – and people will stay motivated. With this in mind, the most basic way to use FitDeck and FitDeck Booster cards is as follows:

1.Warm up (3-5 minutes)
2.Stretch
3.Shuffle cards
4.Draw a card and flip it over
5.Perform exercise
6.Repeat as desired
7.Cool down and stretch

Using 1-minute per card as a guide, draw the number of cards consistent with your fitness level and time available:

For example: 20 minutes = 20 cards

This is the most basic way to use your FitDeck cards. For hundreds of FitDeck games, workouts ideas, partner challenges, group routines, and fun workout combinations, click here.

The deck comes with nice packaging as a hard case is provided so that you can carry your cards with you, especially for those who travel. FitDeck is a unique deck of Exercise Playing Cards that makes exercise more simple, convenient, and fun. FitDecks are available in 56-card and 26-card Booster decks. 56-card FitDecks specialize in bodyweight-only exercises (i.e. Bodyweight, Junior, Senior, Yoga, Pilates, Stretch, Prenatal, and Postnatal). 26-card Boosters may require certain equipment (i.e. Exercise Ball, Pull Up bar, Dumbbell, Office, Travel, Kettlebell, etc.). They even have a deck specific to swimming.

The cards themselves are the size of standard playing cards. The illustrations and the written instructions are clear. So you won't have any issues getting benefit out of FitDeck. I have started to use them after my workouts during my cool-down session. This is a fun way to force yourself to cool down properly.

If you use the cards as you would any deck of cards you can shuffle them to come up with an almost unlimited number of workout combinations. The deck I received was the stretching set. While there wasn't any stretch I have not heard of or performed previously, this helps to keep everything fresh and allows you to change things up without losing track.

Prices vary by the type of deck and they are available at Gear West.

How I Kept This Body

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:13:51 PST

A year ago the StarTribune ran a series of articles entitled "How I Got This Body" in which they did a write-up on myself. They recently revisited three people they had profiled in the past year to find out how their fitness programs were going -- and how they keep themselves motivated. I was one of those three people. I wanted to share this so that people who do not follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook would be able to see it as well. Also I wanted to note that at the time the interview took place I was in the Top 7% nationally but it appears I will fall into the Top 11% overall once final year-end rankings come out.

Here is how the story appeared:

Maas currently ranks in the top 7 percent of 50-54-year-old male triathletes in the U.S. -- despite taking 12 weeks off last spring after suffering a pelvic stress fracture. He shares a few of his tips for staying motivated (and injury-free):

Motivating factors are really having goals (I call them carrots) to shoot for. My son, Graham (now 11), is now running 5Ks and competing in triathlons. This last year, he and I teamed up in a triathlon relay in Park Rapids, Minn., and won the relay division. I swam and biked and he ran. Also joining us is my wife, Jackie, who is also competing in 5K running events. The highlight for us was each of us winning our respective age groups in a race in Bismarck, North Dakota, earlier this year. Lastly, my 70-year old father, Don, competed in his first-ever 5K in Fargo this year and I was in that race as well.

In the last three years I have competed in Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. ... Training for events in Texas keeps up the motivation during the winter months.

The rule of thumb is not to increase your mileage by more than 10 percent over the previous week. When I got my pelvic stress fracture, it was during that nice stretch of warm weather last February and I basically doubled my run mileage for two straight weeks. Too much, too soon. [But], I responded [to injury-induced time off] by attacking my workouts to get into shape quickly and salvage the remaining 2011 race season. Also, I get deep tissue massages twice a month during the off-season and weekly during race season. This has helped me in terms of addressing those nagging aches and pains. I can literally barely hobble into my massage a day or two before an upcoming race and be running comfortably the day after and in fine shape for the race.

Good News, Bad News: The Detail on the Latest Setback

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:50:00 PST

So, the good news is I do not have another stress fracture. The bad news is I have osteoarthritis in my left hip. I'd rather have the fracture. Fractures heal. Arthritis lives on. Here is the official write-up and conclusion:

EXAM: MRI LEFT HIP

CLINICAL INFORMATION: The patient is a 50-year-old male with left hip pain. Evaluate for stress injury.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Large field-of-view coronal T1 and STIR images were obtained. Thin section coronal and sagittal proton density and T2-weighted spin echo sequences were obtained through the left hip followed by axial proton density and fat saturation T2-weighted images. Comparison is made to the prior examination dated 03/16/2011.

INTERPRETATION: STIR imaging of the pelvis shows no evidence for marrow edema or cortical injury. There is no evidence for residual signal change involving the left superior or inferior pubic rami to suggest ongoing stress or traumatic injury. No evidence for injury to the sacroiliac joints or symphysis pubis can be seen. The left and right proximal femora appear normal. There is no evidence for femoral stress injury or avascular necrosis.

Degeneration and blunting of the central and anterior aspects of the left superior acetabular labrum can be seen with chondral thinning and irregularity along the superior and anterosuperior articular surfaces of the left hip. Mild subcortical cystic changes involving the anterosuperior aspect of the left acetabulum is present, and the findings are in keeping with mild osteoarthritic changes. No evidence for intraarticular loose body is seen.

No abnormal fluid collections about the hips and pelvis can be seen. There is no evidence for iliopsoas or trochanteric bursitis. No acute intrapelvic abnormalities are seen.

No definite musculotendinous abnormalities about the hips and pelvis are present. There is no evidence for myotendinous strain or intramuscular mass. The common hamstrings origins appear intact. No injuries to the distal gluteus medius or gluteus minimus tendons can be seen.

CONCLUSION:

1. Mild osteoarthritic changes of the left hip can be seen with chondral thinning and irregularity along the articular surfaces and mild subcortical cystic changes. Degeneration and blunting of the central and anterior aspects of the left superior acetabular labrum can be seen.

2. No acute bony abnormalities about the hips and pelvis can be seen. The previously noted areas of stress or traumatic injury have resolved.

3. No musculotendinous abnormalities are present.

4. No abnormal fluid collections are seen.

Not sure I totally trust the diagnosis. I have little trust in our our fine medical community given some past personal episodes. What if there is a stress fracture not in the pelvic region but in the femur and the MRI did not cover that area? What if there is some necrosis from the past stress fracture (March 2011) and the femur/hip/pelvis are getting a reduced blood flow, in essence killing the bone?

Look at it this way. I can take any runner that has been pounding the pavement for 35+ years and they are going to show some mild osteoarthritis in the leg joints. It goes with the territory. So does this equate to the leg pain I've been having?

I have other issues going on with the left leg as well. The middle toe on my left foot goes numb off-and-on during the day. The inside of my upper calf area (between shin and muscle) is painful to the touch. The lower quad is also painful to the touch. It feels as if someone has just been pounding the quad area with a hammer. So, is there an underlying circulation issue and there may be some time of deep vein thrombosis? Time will tell. For now, I have to go on what is being told to me.

I have continued to swim. This week I have been walking to test if the leg can start to engage in a slow ramp up of running and biking. No 90-120 minutes spins on the bike. No 9-milers on the run. Simple 30-minute stuff. If the pains come back with a vengeance, then I go back in and press for further testing. Otherwise, I continue to slowly ramp up and hopefully will be toeing the start line in the upcoming 2012 season. Let's take a deeper dive into osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disorder, which is due to aging and wear and tear on a joint. In other words, my decades of running may have caught up to me. Osteoarthritis is a normal result of aging. It is also caused by 'wear and tear' on a joint. Cartilage is the firm, rubbery tissue that cushions your bones at the joints, and allows bones to glide over one another. If the cartilage breaks down and wears away, the bones rub together. This causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. Bony spurs or extra bone may form around the joint. The ligaments and muscles around the joint become weaker and stiffer.

Often, the cause of OA is unknown. It is mainly related to aging. The symptoms of OA usually appear in middle age. Almost everyone has some symptoms by age 70. However, these symptoms may be minor. Other factors can also lead to OA:

• OA tends to run in families.
• Being overweight increases the risk of OA in the hip, knee, ankle, and foot joints because extra weight causes more wear and tear.
• Fractures or other joint injuries can lead to OA later in life. This includes injuries to the cartilage and ligaments in your joints.
• Jobs that involve kneeling or squatting for more than an hour a day put you at the highest risk. Jobs that involve lifting, climbing stairs, or walking also put you at risk.
• Playing sports that involve direct impact on the joint (such as football), twisting (such as basketball or soccer), or throwing also increase the risk of arthritis.

Medical conditions that can lead to OA include:

• Bleeding disorders that cause bleeding in the joint, such as hemophilia
• Disorders that block the blood supply near a joint and lead to avascular necrosis
• Other types of arthritis, such as chronic gout, pseudogout, or rheumatoid arthritis

Pain and stiffness in the joints are the most common symptoms. The pain is often worse after exercise and when you put weight or pressure on the joint. If you have osteoarthritis, your joints probably become stiffer and harder to move over time. You may notice a rubbing, grating, or crackling sound when you move the joint.

OA cannot be cured. It will most likely get worse over time. At best, OA symptoms can be controlled.

Cajun Coleslaw

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:18:00 PST

I'm a huge coleslaw fan. And not the dry kind. Gotta be creamy. Dry kind can be good if seasoned just right, but it still reminds me of just eating a dry salad. Make it creamy. Make it flavorful with some bite.

My Texas race partner, Tim Carroll, sent me a plethora of Cajun style cook books for Christmas. Within one of them (Cooking in Cajun Country) was this recipe which we recently had with some smoked chicken I had made in my new Char-Broil Big Easy smoker. Pint of Guinness and I was one happy man. Enjoy!

Cajun Coleslaw

2 heads green cabbage, chopped
1 head purple cabbage, chopped
3 apples, chopped
1 pound carrots, shredded
3 cups mayonnaise
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons can or apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Cajun/Creole seasoning

Mix the cabbage, apples, and carrots together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey, can vinegar, lemon juice, and Cajun/Creole seasoning. Stir until completely mixed. Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and fold together. Serves 10 as a side dish.

Notes - We used a bag of coleslaw mix and 3 scallions. We only made half the dressing but used the full 2 teaspoons of seasoning. We did not use the apples.

Boy Swim Update

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:24:01 PST

The Boy® had another good swim outing this past weekend (Jan 7/8). Starting last month, he has increased his swim workout sessions from 60 to 90 minutes. And he is now attending at least four practices a week. We get in a fifth if homework and other outside activities aren't requiring his time.

This meet started out slow for him. He had a poor 100 freestyle followed by a even poorer 50 backstroke. It was at this point that I had to corner him and have a little dad-to-son talk. This was not the 'rah-rah' talk I usually use. This was a 'light a fire under his butt' speech that most certainly got his attention. My coaches would only pull out the "you are better than this" speech when it was absolutely required. Fire was ignited, and he went on to having a great two-day meet. Eight events, eight top 8 finishes within the C-classification, and five personal records. I think he has set himself up well for the C-State Finals on Feb 25/26. I'm positive some B-qualifying times will come out of that one.

I keep track of his PR's. For short course, it currently looks like this (click on thumbnail for larger view):

Inspiring stuff for a kid who couldn't really even do the butterfly and now, it is one of his better strokes. He continues to struggle with the breaststroke so we haven't shelved that one for the time-being in meets although he continues to work on it at practice.

The next month will find us working on technique in hopes of it paying off in spades next month. It will also ensure that it gets my fat butt into the pool as well. Always a good thing.

2011 Final Training Numbers

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:21:00 PST

It was not my finest year to have decent training numbers. There was the pelvic stress fracture at the beginning of March. And I now appear to have osteoarthritis in my left hip. I had a MRI on Tuesday (Jan 3) of this week and the summary of the MRI should be in my hands soon. But the doc gave me the heads-up on Wednesday. More on the OA prognosis later this week.

I suppose one could argue that I train too much, which is leading to these types of setbacks. So, I may take a easier approach in 2012. Notice I said 'may'. German males are a stubborn lot.

I loved my results between August and November, the result of my determination to salvage the back half of the 2011 race season. But oh, those spring months with hardly any training were very tough on me mentally. Let us look at the numbers in comparison to 2010, a relatively healthy year for me.

Swim

The first quarter of 2011 was off from 2010 as I had a duathlon in Texas to train for and I also was working more on having quality over quantity type of workouts. And I was nagged by a shoulder in which the doc figures I have a bad rotator cuff. Not bad enough for surgery, but one that just sort of bits at you and wears one down mentally. So my numbers did drop a bit late summer as result.

My numbers did increase a bit starting early summer and I kept swimming up until my last triathlon on September 11. I started my typical base build for the 2012 season in December. So I anticipate that my swim numbers will be high for 1Q of 2012 as I spend a little more time in the water.

Bike

I had a great month in July, getting in a 500-mile bike month. July is typically my biggest bike training month as I'm all wound up from watching the Tour de France. But overall, I was off of the 2010 totals due to the stress fracture. And I decided to take some time away after my last duathlon of the year on October 2. So I had essentially no time in the saddle from then thru November.

The outlook for 2012 will be low numbers again. I'm guessing that I will require another 2-weeks off for this OA inflammation and hopefully will be back in the saddle soon. Even though the pelvis takes most of the pounding from the run game, too much time in the saddle (90-min or more sessions) also cause it to ache. So, this portion of my training may evolve into quality over quanitity as well.

Run

Such an up-and-down year running for me due to the injury. It really took a lot of time to find my legs but I was certainly back in the game starting in August. Four straight months of some really good mileage. But I learned the hard way that once I get over 170 miles a month, it is probably doing my body more harm than good. So in 2012 I think I will strive to be more consistent with my run mileage and stay in the 120 miles per week zone.

Product Review: Leg Lube

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:15:02 PST

I received this product as a Christmas stocking stuffer from the Well Kept Wife©. How many guys get leg shaving gel from their significant others for Christmas?!? LEG LUBE is a “Performance Shave Gel” for us leg shavers. LEG LUBE was created by athletes, for athletes.

If you are like most of the leg shaving population you probably use shave cream, moisturizing soap, lotion, or like me, Trader Joes' Honey Mango Shave. What Leg Lube brings to the party is an ultra lubricating formula that reduces drag, nicks, in-grown hairs, razor burn, and the dreaded itchy, scaly, dry skin. It can be used for more than just legs. Use on your legs, face, arms, chest, head, bikini, and back. It has a very pleasant smell that will appeal to both men and women.

So what did I think after using the product recently?

At first use I was looking for the foam, or suds, you normally get with soap products. But once I used it a few times we found the lack of foam and suds no issue and now prefer it. After shaving, my legs were smooth. And most importantly in this winter dry humdity, I did not experience drying effects.

The motto of LEG LUBE is “one bead is all you need” and claims to be so slippery you can shave out of the shower. I haven’t tried it yet out of the shower, but I can see that one could easily use it sans water. The bottle is the same style used for some popular chain lubes, so they say it won’t leak and is TSA friendly. Ingredients include Glycerin, Aloe, Spearmint, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Peppermint and Eucalyptus oils. It’s Paraben free with no colors or dyes.

LEG LUBE comes in a 3.4 oz. (100mL) bottle and costs $8.95. It can be bought at the LEG LUBE website: http://www.leglube.com/ or at Gear West.

2011 in Pictures

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:25:21 PST

Borrowing an idea from Chris Hawes who posted pictures from his transition setup from his '11 events. Here are some of my finish pictures from 2011.

First duathlon of the year, Jan 23 in Houston, TX

Apple Du, 1st race post pelvic stress fracture

Suffered thru the Pigman Sprint

Finishing at the Manitou Tri

Started to come together down in Rochester

Podium at MinneMan

Rock solid at Turtleman

2nd overall at Maple Grove Sprint

Master overall champ at Bismarck Half-Marathon

Last multisport event of the year Oct 2 in Houston, TX

1st Overall at Red River Run 15K in Moorhead, MN

12-Week Swim Guide for Sprint or Oly Triathlon

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:38:00 PST

Here is my time proven guide for getting yourself ready for your first triathlon of the year in a mere 12-weeks. The program shown is just for the main set. I always warm-up with a 500 yd easy freestyle and then a 500-yd warm down. The warm down is done with paddles and a swim buoy.

Note - Click on each thumbnail for larger view. Or you can download the workout here.

New Words for Triathletes to Use in 2012

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:11:01 PST

I got this idea from a posting providing some favorite words that appeared in mental_floss stories in 2011. Have fun working these into your triathlete conversations this holiday season and in 2012:

Kummerspeck (German): Excess weight gained from emotional overeating due to your inability to break 19-minutes for a 5K. Or you got chicked......by the entire female field.

Petrichor: The clean, pleasant smell that accompanies rain falling on dry ground. It’s from the Greek petra (stone) and ichor (the blood of Greek gods and goddesses). The term was coined by two Australian researchers in 1964. So, when you arrive at transition at 4:30 AM and it is raining, you can say something like, "I love petrichor before a triathlon. It invigorates the soul."

Dysania: Having difficulty getting out of bed in the morning. Yep, you are at the pool at 5 AM waiting on your training buddy to show up. You can now text by saying, "Get your dysaniac butt out of bed and get here!"

Karoshi (Japanese): Suppose to mean death from overworking. We can alter this to mean being injured from overtraining. "Yeah, I suffered a karoshi injury from my 500 mile bike week."

Lawn Mullet: Suppose to mean a neatly manicured front yard and an unmowed mess in the back. I can see Jerry MacNeil using this at the finish line. "Hey, there is Bob Smith! Look at that hair. What a lawn mullet he is sporting!"

Koi No Yokan (Japanese): Refers to the sense that upon first meeting a person that the two of you will fall in love. For tri-geeks, we can apply the same feeling to a bike. "I went into Gear West and saw this Cervélo and it was Koi No Yokan for me."

Bakku-shan (Japanese): Suppose to refer to the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front. I'm just going to let that one stand.

Have any other suggestions? Let 'em fly by leaving a comment.

Super Bike Summary

briankeithmaas@msn.com (Brian Maas) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:35:50 PST

Recently I posted a photo of a bike I would consider purchasing if money were no object. Since then, I received a lot of additional suggestions and decided to do a quick summary of them for future reference sake.

Specialized Shiv

Price - $12700

Former Texas training partner and now Texas race host Tim "Buckwheat" Carroll was the first to lead me to this bike. Apparently illegal in road racing (UCI) but still is USAT legal. Basically, they ignored UCI rules and designed the Shiv exclusively for triathlon: with unmatched aerodynamics, the Fuelselage integr...ated hydration system, and a huge range of fit adjustability. The S-Works FACT IS 11r carbon frame, Zipp 404 wheels, and Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain make the S-Works an ultralight, crazy fast package.

This is the bike Craig Alexander rode for Ironman Kona 2011:

Here's what Alexander said about it afterwards..."It's a total rocketship that should be illegal."

Looks great, doesn't it? But I have concerns. First, the 22-24 ounce internal bladder. Most of us will not use straight water but some sort of electrolyte/protein replenishment so what happens when the bladder needs to be cleaned? Apparently, the bladder can be removed for cleaning but who wants to do that all the time?

Besides, I am a tri-geek who races sprint distance 90% of the time with the occassional Oly. I really have no need for an internal bladder to save me 0.025 seconds over 10 miles. A single water bottle will serve me just fine.

But the most important reason I would pass on the Shiv is USAT itself. A few years ago I purchased a De Soto Water Rover wetsuit. This suit has a distinct advantage by placing panels of 2mm, 5mm, 8mm, and 10mm thickness in specific locations to maximize speed and flexibility. When I bought it, it was legal. As of September 1, 2010, the Water Rover was banned in WTC Races. USAT was next. According to USAT regulations, there is no limitation as to the thickness of wetsuit rubber, and there will be no limitation until Jan, 2013. This means if you buy a Water Rover now, you can race in this almost unfair and perfectly legal advantage for the entire 2011 and 2012 triathlon seasons. After that, it becomes a nice training suit or for us in non-USAT races.

What is to prohibit USAT making the same determination with the Shiv and determining this bike to be illegal and one is stuck with a nice $12K training bike? I'm not going to take that chance.

Argon-18 E118

Price - One bike dealer listed for $7400 but unsure of the wheel set.

Reader Miguel Vieira lead me to this previusly unknown bike. I've not seen one locally but it sure is pretty, isn't it?

Out of the box, the E-118 is equally compatible with Di2 or mechanical components. Regardless of the group you choose, all cables and wiring are internally routed for enhanced aerodynamics.

Built in a new mold and certified UCI-legal, this triathlon frameset expands and refines the concepts first embodied in the spectacular E-114 that helped establish the company’s stellar reputation in this field. This new frameset was developed in close collaboration with triathlon champion Tim O’Donnell and the Team SpiderTech riders, including Svein Tuft and Hugo Houle, Canadian Pro and U-23 time-trial champions, respectively.

In the world of time trial events, much emphasis is placed on the aerodynamic properties of bikes. While this is an important factor, in reality the cyclist generates up to 70% of the aerodynamic drag. This fact is at the core of Argon 18’s design philosophy. Our approach is that the rider and bike must form an integrated unit in order to optimize efficiency and achieve the best results. CFD analysis clearly demonstrates that once the rider is not in proper position, drag increases dramatically. Optimal positioning through AFS gives the rider the ability to remain on the armrests in the proper aero tuck position longer.

AFS geometry built into the E-118 guarantees tremendously accurate steering and extremely stable handling. This allows the rider to remain on the armrests in circumstances where it has not always been possible. For example, riders can remain in the perfect aero tuck position on the armrests during descents, on uneven roads, while hydrating and even when reaching into jersey pockets for nutrition

The AFS approach ensures the rider can maintain a proper aero position longer through an easy, accurate fit therefore ensuring aerodynamic efficiency and the ultimate in performance.

Trek Project One Custom Speed Concept 9.9 Series Podium
Price as shown (with Aeolus 9.0 Clinchers): $10,184.97. With Dura Ace Di2 -$12468.72

This is the customized paint Trek that I posted earlier. I think it is the customized paint option that initially draws me to the bike. I don't have to look like all the others in the transition area. I can be 'different', which everyone already knows I am.

The Trek seems to be a super-fast aerodynamic machine - it could be the most aero bike out there; if not, it's certainly right up there - with excellent adjustability and a top spec sheet. My research shows that riders who have this machine indicate the Trek absolutely flies on the flat and on shallow gradients, both up and down, and one gets a ton of stability which helps keep things steady even in a slight crosswind.

Downsides? Current owners indicate that adjusting the brakes could be easier… a whole lot easier, in fact, particularly the back one. But that’s the price you pay for the aerodynamic benefit, I guess. If brakes are tucked away from the wind, they’re tucked away from fingers and Allen keys too.

It’s a similar deal with the gears. You don’t get any external cable stops or in-line barrel adjusters so you can’t adjust them on the fly. If you ever found the chain struggling to go up a sprocket, you’d couldn’t do anything about it from the saddle, so you have to make sure everything is bang on before you set off.

Here is what Chris Lieto thinks of the bike.

Felt DA1 Di2
Price - DA 1 - Ultimate+Nano Carbon, Di2, Zipp 808 Firecrest Wheels - $12,999

Felt is a bike that we see a lot here in the Tundra. Mainly due to the fact that local tri-shop Gear West carries Felts and most of its top athletes from the GW team ride them.

Years of research, engineering and wind-tunnel development went into the DA1. Already ridden to major triathon wins by Felt athletes Terenzo Bozzone, and Andi Boecherer, this is the bike that left the competition in the dust. With UHC Ultimate+Nano carbon fiber material—shaped through extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics engineering and real-world testing—it’s 14% more aerodynamic and 13% stiffer than the last-generation DA. It’s also optimized for Shimano Di2 electronic shifting, with internal cable routing and an integrated battery mount.

I've not really had the chance to speak to anyone who is riding this machine so I can't add that much more to it. But it certainly has to be a great bike. All the Felt riders I know, whether using this model or one of the cheaper frames, always finish ahead of me.

Giant Trinity Advanced SL 0

Price - $13,500

Coming in highest of the bunch (component selective, mind) is this offering from Giant. Giant was a big brand when I lived on the East coast in the late 1980's. They've been around for a long time and have a good rep. I just don't know of any tri-geek riding it nor can I find any reviews on the bike. If you have it, or can provide a review please post within the comments field.

The manufacturer states: Designed by Giant's top engineers, this road rocket boasts the most advanced wind-cheating technology you could dream of. Starting with an aerodynamic Advanced SL Composite frame and fork, Giant then adds an aerodynamic carbon seatpost and integrated handlebar system for the ultimate in stiffness, light weight and efficiency that's sure to have you breaking PR's in no time. You'll love the wide range of adjustability for the perfect fit in any position, and with top-of-the-line components like Shimano's electronic Dura-Ace Di2 group, amazing Zipp 808 tubular wheels and a sleek Fizik saddle with carbon rails, you've got one stellar machine that's ready to dismantle the competition!

Well, it better for that price (2012 model)!

Cervélo P5

Price - ???

Which brings me to my last bike for this blog entry. I currently ride a 2008 P3 which is aluminum with 650cc wheel set (ZIPPs). So, certainly anything by Cervélo I'm going to look at.

BikeRadar received confirmation that Cervélo are set to debut their new—and highly anticipated—P5 tri/time trial aero flagship, as two distinct models during January's European Brainbike event. The models will be split by purpose: one UCI legal and ready for World Tour competition, and a second version built to cater to the longer distances and less restrictive governing body of triathlon.

As discussed earlier, Specialized upped the aero bike ante this year by splitting their Shiv aero bike into both UCI-legal and non-compliant versions in order to simultaneously satisfy the technical guidelines of WorldTour racing and the comparatively unrestricted arms race of triathlon. Cervélo generally aren't perceived as having those kinds of resources but according to BikeRadar's exclusive industry sources, the new P5 will counter that move with a tri-specific model that will cater more to their highly loyal multisport clientele and a second UCI-legal version for time trials.

The tri-specific version will be more aerodynamic with a taller down tube, a more aggressive seat tube profile around the rear wheel cutout, and a conventional single-crown fork – albeit, one with an additional bolt-on nosecone to increase the effective aspect ratio. The UCI-legal version, on the other hand, sticks to more P4-like tube dimensions and a standard front end without the add-on nosecone.

Also the P5 will forego a dramatically sleek proprietary cockpit for a standard setup that will be easier to fit and allow more choice in components – a move retailers and fitters will undoubtedly support. Even better, retail pricing is rumored to be lower than that of the P4 – people are guessing around $4,000 for the frameset with brakes and seatpost.

I seem to do bike window shopping each winter. Sort of passes the time. But I'm also wondering if a move to a super bike from the 2008 Cervélo P3 that I have about $4k invested in. It is an aluminum frame and has a ZIPP wheelset.

This bike has a 650cc wheel set, so I've been wondering if a move to a 700cc wheel set would be faster. Not to mention the lighter and more aero frame.

So, I went to Kevin O'Connor. Kevin is the owner of the aforementioned Gear West tri store. Kevin was the 2009 USAT Duathlete of the year. And he is someone I have trusted to go to for triathlon advice and bike service. Basically, Kevin made the following points to me about a possible move to a super bike:

It is a loaded question but the short answer is that the new bikes are faster.
There are some example of guys in the same situation as you. Brooks Grossinger and Chad Millner. I don't know if you know these guys but they are both fast and prior to 2010 season they were still on their 6-8 yr old 650c bikes with 9 speed drivetrains. And they raced very fast on those. Few things worse than having them pull up next to you in a race on their 7 yr old bike. But they have both stated that the new bike is significantly better. I don't know that they are riding any faster but they certainly are not slowing down.
Here is the real answer to biking faster. Training with Power. [Such as training with] a Powertap wheel or Quarq crankset. You would be able to quantify your cycling power.
Do not ever accept that your pace is just the current pace. I just don't believe that.

So for the curious, a Quarq crankset looks like this:

Priced at $1795, it is a bicycle powermeter that is integrated into the crankset of the bicycle. Specifically, the CinQo is a instrumented crank "spider" that mounts on specific production cranksets. The ANT+ radio transmits the CinQo's power measurement digitally to other ANT+ compatible bicycle computers. (Think of ANT+ as "Bluetooth" for bicycles.) ANT+ computers include the Garmin Edge 705 and the iBike iAero. The ANT standard is available to all bike computer manufactures, so look for more ANT+ compatible bike computers in the future.

The CinQo powermeter measures power by measuring the torque (pedal force) and the angular velocity (cadence). When you press on the pedals, all parts of the bikes drivetrain displace (flex) slightly under the load. The CinQo spider is carefully designed using Finite Element Analysis to displace in a very controlled manner in specific locations in response to applied load. Strain gages are used to measure the displacement and thus calculate the applied torque.

For powertaps, there is the $1600 top-of-the-line Powertap SL+ Hub, Wheel, or Wheelset with Joule 2.0. Also there is a SL+ Hub built into Rear Wheel and Joule 2.0 for $1749.99.

I know some tri-geeks who train with power in mind and seem to do well. If someone were to go this route, they would need to understand the power concept and be able to set their training by it.

What about you? Would you opt for a new super bike? Or simply stay with the date you brought to the dance and incorporate a new training strategy?

Let me know. Leave a comment below, especially if you own any of the bikes covered above or use power in your training.

Happy Holidays!