Chris Lieto's favorite uses for his Trigger Point tools

When I compiled our holiday gift list, Trigger Point therapy emerged as a contender almost on a "viral" basis. One of my well-connected friends told me this had to be on the list. He said everyone was using these.  "Viral" turned out to be a good adjective...I think their tool set will win the most-mentioned category if we had holiday gift list Oscars. The attention is well deserved. A number of top athletes rely heavily on the products to relieve aches and remain uninjured during the season. Chris Lieto is one of those. What are the three top muscle groups he targets when he uses the products?  He told us they were the:

• Soleus
• Psoas
• Chest

It's not too late to add one to your shopping cart today!  See the full story at:

http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/12-Holiday-Gift-Ideas-for-Triathletes.htm

5 Sports Books for Endurance Athletes

 A good book for me either changes my perspective of the world or takes me to a different time and place.  I recently reviewed five books that fit into one of those two categories for someone with an interest in endurance sports.  For me, three of them challenged the way I train, which is more by the seat of my pants than I would care to admit.  One took me around the Pacific Ocean by surf board and scientific expedition.  The last took me back in time to the Berlin Olympics and the trials of WWII. I hope you enjoy:

	The Time-Crunched Triathlete: Race-Winning Fitness in 8 Hours a Week  by Chris Carmichael and Jim Rutberg
	Your Best Triathlon Advanced Training for Serious Athletes  by Joe Friel
	Training and Racing with a Power Meter by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan PhD
	The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey
	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

For the full article go to:  http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/5-Sports-Books-for-Endurance-Athletes.htm

Growth of tri clubs and Glen Rock Tri

You may have already heard that from 2000 to 2010, the number of USAT-certified triathlon clubs has jumped from 50 to 831.  Think about this for a minute.  That's a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 32% for tri clubs.  This is a staggering growth for any type of organization to sustain over a ten-year period.  To put it in perspective, the stock price of Google has grown at a similar rate -- a 35% CAGR --  from 2004 until today.  Growth like this doesn't happen by accident.  It's the result of a lot of energy, commitment and organization poured into clubs at the local level.  

I had the opportunity to see this type of effort first hand last night.  Tom Begg, one of the founders of the Glen Rock Tri Club from Glen Rock, New Jersey invited me to their annual holiday party. Tom and team launched this club in 2005.  Today, the club is home for over 225 local triathletes.  It's probably the second or third largest club in New Jersey.

The holiday event drew 100-150 people at 7 p.m. on a cold Thursday night.  I got a front row ticket to watch the tri ecosystem at work.  The major sponsor of the club, Ridgewood Cycle Shop hosted the event in their incredibly spacious location.  At least five incredibly passionate reps from major vendors were on hand to show the latest technology.  I never really appreciated the benefits off a Zipp crankset until yesterday.  I think the Cycleops rep would have taken me out on the road to do an FTP test that night.  Rich Izzo, the race director of Toughman, one of the area's up-and-coming half triathlons was there to personally talk about his course and event with every member.

The event drew a great cross-section of the Glen Rock/Ridgewood community.  Some were long-term triathlete veterans.  I found myself discussing upcoming races with one member who had done more Kona IMs than I have done half tris. I also met a couple of people who had never done a tri in their life and came to see how to get into the sport.

I asked Tom what he and his team did so right.  Tom said they focused on three goals.  We wanted to "make it inclusive for all levels of the tri sport, from beginners to Ironman.  We have engaging month meetings.  We have weekly workouts and monthly clinics on run, swim and bike."

I think he made it sound too simple.  Andrew McKinnon said it best to me.  "The energy is incredible. Tom doesn't miss a single change to put a Glen Rock Tri club shirt on anyone!."  

Tom, when are you doing your IPO?

12 gifts for your favorite triathlete

I recently compiled a list of the top 12 gifts for triathletes for Active Network.  It was a fun assignment, because it makes you really stop and think about what makes a good gift.  I typically want to give something that:

• Reflects the interests of the receiver
• Is useful
• Is something they don't already own, but wish they did.

After talking to a number of people in the business and in the sport, I pulled up twelve items (all right, 11 because the last one is priced for our next lifetime)

1. Profile Design E-Pack filled with goodies - $15 to $20
2. The Athlete's Plate: Real food for High Performance by Adam Kelinson
3. Trigger Point Ultimate 6 Kit - $140
4. Oakley Radar Sunglasses - $180 and up
5. CycleOps Power Fluid 2 Trainer - $330
6. Timex Ironman Sleek 150-lap with TapScreen - $90
7. blueseventy Carbon Race goggles - $100
8. Inviscid Design Speedfil Hydration System - $100
9. Lazer Tardiz TT Helmet - $175
10. CEP Running Compression Socks - $60
11. Zoot WRKS Xotherm Jacket - $140
12. 2011 Felt DA - Not yet priced but over $10,000

For the entire story and reasons why your athlete may like them, see the full story at:

http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/12-Holiday-Gift-Ideas-for-Triathletes.htm

4 Ways to Beat the Offseason Blues

It's the end of the season. You walk into your garage. Your running shoes haven't moved in two weeks. Your goggles look exceptionally dry. You can't even look at your tri bike that's slowly gathering dust on its rack.

Ever have that feeling? If the answer is "yes," you're not alone.  

We spoke with Peter Haberl, senior sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympic Committee to get tips on how to beat the blues, and ever more importantly, how to avoid in the first place.   He gave us four recommended ways to work you way out of them:

1) Create an off-season for yourself: It really matters that you make an offseason. You need to recharge your emotional batteries and rediscover the joy in the sport.

2) Take a real vacation: The travel itinerary should not include any activity that requires you to pin a number to your shirt. Stay up late. Sleep in. Eat what you want. Lie next to the pool and get some sun.

3) Do some different sports: If you live in a winter climate, take up cross-country skiing on the weekends. If you live in a warmer environment, try mountain biking or hiking.

4) Revisit what's important to you: Re-examine your core values and what's most important about doing the sport. By reflecting on your personal motivation, you can trump other negative emotions that hurt performance.

To avoid the post-season blues next year, Haberl strongly recommends starting next year in a different way. At the beginning of the new season,set realistic goals. These goals should be more process-oriented than outcome-oriented.

Outcome-oriented goals focus on results outside your control--such as being first out of the water at your "A" race. These types of goals risk creating a feeling of failure.

Process-oriented goals focus on how you performed--such as the form you kept during the run--not your absolute time or place at the event. With these type of objectives, you will have the greatest chance of a successful 2011 season and remaining a happy participant in the sport you love.

For the full article, go to:  http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/4-Ways-to-Combat-Offseason-Blues.htm.  Share your thoughts on setting positive, achievable goals via email or by adding a comment here.