2009 Four Corners Xterra Photos

XTERRA 4 CORNERS "EPC dominates"

So while "Coach Cody" and Jason Hilgers went to compete in Xterra Idaho, the rest of the EPC crew made the drive to Farmington NM for the Xterra 4 corners race. EPC was well represented with 9 athletes. Kathy, Cary, Danielle, Sara, Julie, ED, Rickey, Jason (hairy one) & Luke. As well as Xterra first timers Nils and Aaron. This Xterra has a unique format because it's a Swim/Run/Bike. Julie and Ed won the mens and womens overall at this race last year.

After deciding to meet up for pizza the night before the race. A challenge in Farmington if you don't want Dominos or Pizza Hut! A bunch of us met at a local pizza joint that turned out to be pretty tasty. After swapping stories and info about the race and bike course, we all headed back to the hotel for some last minute prep and some needed sleep after a 7+ hr. drive.

Race morning was perfect, with overcast skies, and a calm swim. Our EPC fish Jason M. was top 5 out of the water in 22:13 (a full mile swim at this race) then Sara with a very solid 25:49...a little ways behind was the rest of us. Heading out onto the 6mile run the entire EPC crew was hanging tough in the top 20. It was a slight uphill the entire way to T2 before we got on the bikes. Jason was 2nd athlete into transition, and Luke was 3rd (making up some serious time on the run after his swim) not far behind was the "uber-biking-old man-Ed" and Rickey who had a great swim (this was his first triathlon last year, he learns fast eh?) . For the ladies it was Danielle and Sara hitting T2 first, with Julie, Cary, and Kathy just behind. Danielle smoked the run in 41:59 earning the fastest womens run split of the day. The bike course here is super fun with tons of turns and huge rollers and whoops (very BMXish), although not alot of elevation gain its pretty demanding since you are constantly turning, braking, or hammering. Mr. Ed Oliver posted the fastest bike split (anyone suprised?) of the day in 1:17:47! (2 minutes ahead of Luke who was 2nd fastest bike) We all decided we need some "Be like Ed" stickers for our bikes! Sara (pro) hammered the bike to win the womens overall (despite having a cold, and allergies) title in 2:43:37. Next was Danielle who pulled in a 3rd place overall for the womens race. This was her FIRST Xterra ever, and this is her first season on a MTB...watch out! Very close behind was Julie (5th), Cary(6th), then Kathy (8th). 5 of the top 8 spots! Nice job ladies! (don't forget that Kathy and Julie are training for the Leadville 100, so they have been biking some mega miles). On the mens side Jason Michalak held on strong for 2nd overall!, then Luke for 3rd, Ed was 4th, Rickey (6th). EPC takes 4 of the top 6 oevrall spots! Both Aaron and Nils (EPC clients) not only finished their first triathlons, but they both raced with very solid times and looked like veterans!

Great Venue and a great race...the town loves us athletes and they even set up a grandstand for locals to come watch the race! The 3 race directors all competed! so they know how to put on a killer race. Aaron pulled 7th in a very competitive age group, and Nils took home some hardwear in his first race with a 3rd place!

http://www.ccrtiming.com/races/results/2009/094Corners.htm#males results

http://www.efotolab.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?photographer=attitude&category=photographers pictures

Team EPC Wins First XTERRA Team Competition in Las Vegas

Extra, Extra... Read all about it... They came, they raced, they conquered!

From XTERRA News (5/08/2009) :

"EPC SQUAD WINS FIRST TEAM COMP"

"Cody Waite’s EPC (Endurance Performance Coaching) squad won the first-ever team competition at the Loews XTERRA West Cup on Saturday. The competition is scored by counting a team’s top four finishers with age group points, 1st=100, 2nd=92 and on down to 15th place, plus bonus points based on how many finishers there were in that competitors age group. The EPC squad was led by 25-29 winner Luke Jay (120), third-place 30-34 finisher Jason Michalak (113), fourth-place 40-44 finisher Ed Oliver (111), and 35-39 winner Cary Kinross-Wright (108). Their combined score was 452, 26 points better than the XTERRA Ambassadors team who had four age group champs - Tom Lyons (45-49/116), Brandyn Roark-Gray (30-34/108), Barbara Peterson (50-54/101) and Cindi Toepel (55-59/101)."

Click for More Info

Team EPC is Ready for Battle on the XTERRA Circuit

In 2008, the EPC XTERRA squad experienced a stellar inaugural season coming away with multiple State and Regional Championships, a National Championship and many top podium places across the state of Colorado and across the country. Then the EPC XTERRA Team consisted of eight athletes, equally split between men and women. Two up-and-coming professional athletes along with six amateur athletes vying for the top honors in their respected age-groups ranging from 27 years of age to 52 years young. These hard working and dedicated athletes regularly push their bodies to the limits and inspire many others to take up a similar healthy and active lifestyle that promises to produce a higher quality of life.

Combining the well known and feared strengths of Colorado endurance athletes with industry leading Colorado based sponsors like Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Pearl Izumi, Rudy Project and Yeti Cycles the EPC XTERRA Team will be a force to reckon with in 2009. Having expanded to ten athletes, the EPC XTERRA Team plans to continue it’s dominating presence in the Mountain Region XTERRA scene as well as select events across the country.

Team captain and coach, Cody Waite, is racing his third season as an XTERRA professional. In 2006, Cody dominated the Mountain Region while placing top amateur at nearly every event he entered while collecting an XTERRA Amateur National Championship. In 2007 he turned professional and grabbed a top-5 finish in Ogden while finishing an impressive 7th place on the XTERRA America Tour in his first year in the pro ranks. 2008 proved to be another year of learning valuable lessons that he hopes will payoff in the way of a stronger 2009 season ahead. Off the race circuit, Cody lives in Lakewood, Colorado and is a professional triathlon coach with Endurance Performance Coaching.

Team EPC’s other professional racer is Sara Tarkington from Boulder. After a successful career as an elite road triathlete representing the USA at 4 World Championships, Sara needed a different challenge and took up mountain biking 2 years ago. In her first two years of racing XTERRA, Sara was 12th at Worlds in 2007 and 9th at Worlds in 2008. Sara has fallen in love with riding on the dirt and hopes to make her way closer to the podium this year as her skills on the bike continue to improve. Sara balances racing as a pro while working full time as a child protection worker in Boulder County, making her a master of quality training sessions rather than quantity.

Cary Kinross-Wright (35-39) decided to narrower her focus to XTERRA in 2008, after 8 years competing in adventure races, ultra marathons and Ironman triathlons. In her first season Cary became the 2008 Mountain Region champion in the Women’s 35-39 division and third in her age group at both the 2008 XTERRA USA National Championship and the 2008 XTERRA World Championship. After 13 years in the corporate world as a chemical engineer and venture capital investor, Cary is now following her passion as a coach with Endurance Performance Coaching; she is also an owner and manager of a personal training studio in Denver. Cary spends much of her time training in Golden where she lives, and Winter Park and Crested Butte, with her husband Mark and dog Bob.

In the “Super Dad” division is Ed Oliver (40-44). With a wife, 2 young boys, a full time job, and running a Pedicab business in Denver, Ed uses any free time he has to get in his miles. Ed has won the Mountain Region points for the last 4 years and doesn’t look to be giving that title away anytime soon. Ed uses his riding skills picked up from years of racing against guys like John Tomac, Ned Overend and Tinker to make up for his still improving run and swim. His 2009 goal is to never be “chicked” at any race this season!

Kathy Eckert (44-49) starting seriously racing XTERRA in 2005 at the young age of 43. Kathy won National Championships in 2005 and 2008, podiumed at Worlds in 2007 and 2008 and was the Mountain Region Champion in 2006 and 2007. Kathy’s athletic interests also include winter sports – you can find her telemarking the bumps at Mary Jane, volunteering as a ski instructor for handicapped kids for the National Sports Center for the Disabled at Winter Park (which she’s done for 15+ years) or skate skiing at Devil’s Thumb Resort in Tabernash. Professionally, Kathy is an HR executive at a large consulting firm where she’s worked for over 18 years. She credits her work-at-home and flexible schedule as a key factor in her ability to have work/life/training balance.

After making numerous appearances on several failing reality TV shows Luke Jay (25-29) turned to XTERRA racing. Because of the brutal triathlon training Luke bulked up to a "huge" 150lbs. and quickly became a bodyguard for Chuck Norris and Steven Segal, both paying him with gold. After winning the lottery a few times, Luke focused more than ever on the 2008 season. Much to his mother’s dismay, he was able to win an XTERRA Mountain Region and National Championship, dashing her dreams of her son joining the circus. He is ready for the 2009 season and more determined than ever, mainly due to his new life coach, David Hasselhoff, who is helping him focus his energy while wearing speedos. Currently Luke is working as a sales rep in Littleton Colorado. Along with way too many hobbies (about 17), Luke and his wife Becca are also raising/training their 20-month-old son Ryder.

Rickey Tolliver (40-44) is from Parker, Colorado where he lives with his wife and daughter and works as an epidemiologist for the state of Colorado. Rickey is a long time mountain bike racer that is looking to exceed his rookie XTERRA season in 2008. Second overall in the 40-44 year category for the Mountain region in 2008, Rickey won his age-group at XTERRA Iron Creek and XTERRA Indian Peaks in 2008. Rickey is now focused on improving his results at both the National and World XTERRA Championship races.

Competing in the women’s 35-39 age group in 2009, Julie Bruckman is a feared competitor amongst the XTERRA women. She is a multi-time Mountain Region Champ and podium finisher in Maui. In 2008 Julie won the amateur overall at Temecula along with the overall win at XTERRA Four Corners. Back in 2009 to defend her titles and give the girls in her new age group a run for their money. When not training and competing, Julie works as a massage therapist and lives with her fiancé in Littleton, Colorado.

New team member for 2009, Jason Michalak covers the men’s 30-34 field with top finishes at XTERRA Crested Butte, Four Corners, and Beaver Creek. Bringing a long history of Wisconsin swimming to the Colorado Rockies has moved Jason up through the ranks of his fellow XTERRA amateurs. He has time well spent in the dirt, running high school and college cross-country. What he is most excited about is tearing through the Colorado Rockies on his mountain bike with his fellow EPC teammates. Jason promises his 3rd year racing XTERRA will be his most competitive.

Rounding out the team for 2009 is Danielle Kehoe. Although only 22 years old and new to mountain biking and XTERRA racing, Danielle’s triathlon experience is deep and hard to ignore. She has been racing triathlons since she was 7 years old on the Iron Kids circuit. Over the years she has raced as a junior and U23 athlete representing the USA at National and World Championship events around the globe. Most recently she has given a solid run at ITU racing under the tutelage of triathlon great Siri Lindley. Currently she is completing her degree in Exercise Science while swimming and running track at Metro State College in Denver. Once she gets the mountain biking down, she is guaranteed to be battling for the top spot amongst the female amateurs in 2009!

With a top-notch group of amateur and professional Colorado endurance athletes the EPC XTERRA team will be tough to beat. Follow the EPC Multisport squad in 2009 as they train, travel, and compete on the XTERRA circuit. Look for them at all Mountain Region XTERRA events sporting their silver Pearl Izumi race suits and Yeti mountain bikes and be sure to say hello. Learn more at www.epcmultisport.com

Maui Re-Cap

The Xterra World Championships have come and gone. EPC was represented by four athletes: Sara Tarkington, Cody Waite, Cary Kinross-Wright and Rickey Tolliver.

The hot, humid and brutally rugged course on the southwest shore of Maui is by far the most difficult course on the whole Xterra circuit. The two lap 1500m swim is spectacular complete with clear blue water, coral reefs, and sea turtles. The 20 mile mountain bike course is hell-ish with steep climbs, nasty rocks, and relentless heat. The final run leg finishes you off with some long climbs, more rocks, then two long beach runs that saps whatever drop of energy and life you have left in your body.

Sounds fun doesn't it? I think you can sign up for the 2009 race here soon. Sweet, can't wait!

Once the dust settled, Sara came away with the best result of the day, 9th place amongst the pro women. That is a serious result considering the quantity and quality of the pro-womens field. Top ten in a professional World Championship is killing it! Way to go Sara.



Representing EPC in the pro men's field, Cody, on the other hand, exploded on the slopes of Haleakala. Let's not talk about it. You can check out his blog for more details.


Cary raced a solid race and finished 3rd in her age-group. Awesome season for her in her first season of Xterra racing. The demanding strength course seemed to suit her well. Look for her to comeback next year going for the win.



Rickey the triathlon rookie had another great day finishing strong in a super-competitive age group filled with racers from around the globe. His 6th place Worlds result is impressive at the end of his first season of swim-bike-run racing. Totally awesome!



It was a tough day in a beautiful setting that seemed to perfectly cap off the inaugural season of the EPC Multisport Team. With such great success in our first year, we will have to work very hard over the winter to keep the momentum into 2009!

2009 Statinary Trainer Series-Set

Endurance Performance Coaching and Body Mecca Concepts are teaming up to bring back the Indoor Bike Trainer Workout Series. Whether you are a competitive cyclist or triathlete, a recreational cyclist, just looking for a new workout to torch calories, or simply want to impress your friends with your ability to pedal with one leg… this is the class for you! The cycling series follows a 12-week structured training progression developed by Cody Waite of EPC based on his training with legendary cycling coach, Arnie Baker. All levels of cyclists can participate and benefit.

This year we will offer the class at two different locations: the Body Mecca Concepts Studio, taught by Cary and Wheat Ridge Cyclery, taught by Cody. So you have options: No excuses!!

Below are the details:

Class option 1 @ Body Mecca Concepts

• When: January 13th - April 9th 2009. Tuesdays & Thursdays (1 recovery week) 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

• Where: Body Mecca Concepts

• Who: Taught by Cary (BMC partner & EPC coach, USA Triathlon Certified Coaching Candidate)

• Class Size: Maximum 20. Register EARLY and save!

Ready to sign up? click here or call Cary at 303.506.7594.


Class option 2 @ Wheat Ridge Cyclery

• When: January 6th – April 9th 2009. Tuesdays & Thursdays (2 recovery weeks). 6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

• Where: Wheat Ridge Cyclery

• Who: Cody Waite (EPC coach, USA Cycling and USA Triathlon Certified Coach)

• Class Size: Maximum 25.

Ready to sign up? Go to www.ridewrc.com and click on the “Fitness Center” link to register for the WRC class.


Items you need for all classes:

• Bike w/ cadence sensor
• Stationary trainer including front wheel prop
• Heart rate monitor

Cost of the Series (24 workouts total)

• October/November early sign up: $280
• December sign up: $320
• January last minute sign up: $360

Optional (but recommended!) performance testing (offered by EPC at the BMC studio):

• Pre-Series Lactate Threshold Testing: Measure current level of fitness and identify heart rate and power training zones.
  
• Post-Series Lactate Threshold Testing: Quantify increased level of fitness and identify new heart rate and power zones for spring training. Cost: $150 initial test, $100 follow-up tests.

Contact Cary at cary@bodymecca.com to find out more or to schedule your test.

You're Invited!

Endurance Performance Coaching & Body Mecca Concepts' Fall Fitness Celebration and Open House!

Join Body Mecca Concepts and our partner, Endurance Performance Coaching, for a day (or an hour) of fitness and a chance to win great PRIZES! All are welcome – bring your friends & family!

Saturday, November 15th, 2008 @ Body Mecca Concepts Studio (map)

10:00 A.M.: Group Bike and Group Run with Cody and Cary

Noon: Abs with Dan

1:00 P.M.: Power Pilates with Josh

2:00 P.M.: Boot Camp with Malena

3:30 – 5:30 P.M.: Refreshments. Come mingle, check out the space and find out what's new at BMC & EPC. All prizes will be given out at this time!

All classes are free, but please RSVP to cary@bodymecca.com by November 10th for those you wish to attend.

EPC Xterra Team Celebrates Successful Season

Over the weekend the EPC Xterra Team celebrated it's first successful season in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The Xterra National Championship event is the final stop on the U.S. Xterra Tour. The night before the event an awards banquet is held to recognize the efforts of all the athletes and the regional champions from across the country.

The EPC Xterra Team represented the Mountain Region with 4 of our 6 amateur athletes on stage as Regional Champions in their age-groups: Cary Kinross-Wright, Julie Bruckman, Luke Jay and Ed Oliver. Nice work guys and gals of EPC! 

Regional Champs

The next morning follows with the race for the National Championship. This race is for all of the qualified Xterra athletes from around the country to have one shot at the title. Heading into the race the EPC Xterra team had big hopes as many of our athletes were considered favorites in their age-groups as well as overall amateurs. 

Luke Jay was able to overcome the cold conditions and tough competition to walk away with the 25-29 National Championship title. His solid effort put him as the 3rd place overall amateur for the day. 

Sara Tarkington had a solid day finishing 10th in the pro division only a few minutes back from the race leaders. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the team struggled a bit in the cold water, technical bike course and twisty run of the championship course. Julie Bruckman was taken out by a nasty fall that left her knee swollen to the size of an orange. Ed Oliver suffered two flat tires in the rocky singletrack that left him with a disappointing 7th place. Rickey Tolliver, although putting up a stellar 3:06 time for his first season of triathlon racing, petered out a bit on the run and settled for 5th in his age-group. Both Cary Kinross-Wright and Cody Waite experienced "off" days and struggled with different portions of the course. Cary finished 3rd in her age-group, while Cody battled for a 13th place in the pro mens field after a disappointing swim. 

Rickey Tolliver, bringing it home in his rookie seaon

Luke Jay, 2008 Xterra National Champion

What a great first season the EPC Xterra Team had this year. We nearly dominated the Mountain Region and won a National Title to boot. We'll gladly take it!  

EPC Welcomes New Coach Addition

Cary Kinross-Wright

EPC is proud to announce the addition of long course and Xterra stud-ette, Cary Kinross-Wright, as an EPC coach for 2009. Cary has been working with Cody and EPC for the last 3 years as an athlete gathering many great results along the way. Most recently an Xterra Regional Championship title and trips to Clearwater and Maui for the 70.3 and Xterra World Championship events. 

Cary has been a student of endurance sports since her mid-twenties. Starting as a marathoner and adventure racer she transitioned to Ironman racing as a way to "train" for the others. This experience quickly turned into a passion for triathlon racing of all distances. To her credit she has 8 marathons, including Boston, 6 Ironmans, several ultra-distance runs, including the Leadville 100, and several multi-day adventure races under her belt. More recently she has narrowed her focused to 70.3 and Xterra events looking to add National and World Championship titles to her resume. 

In addition to being a stellar athlete, Cary has put considerable effort into learning and understanding the reasons behind the training she has done and how to make the most out the training she puts in. This fact, combined with the qualities of being a good listener, instructor, and planner, will make her an excellent coach for those endurance athletes looking for the total package.  Have Cary and EPC help you reach your goals in 2009! 

Cary on the podium as

Xterra Regional Champion in 2008

Return of the EPC Multisport Club

Yes you read correctly, the EPC Multisport Club is making a comeback for 2009. Originally created in 2004 as a means for Cody and his friends to train and race together, the EPC Club grew over the next two years to include as many as 45 athletes from around Denver. These competitive and non-competitive  triathletes, cyclists and runners met regularly over the winters for group rides and runs, indoor trainer sessions and monthly dinner socials/meetings. 

Over the summer of 2007, the club and it's members lost some direction and eventually fizzled out from lack of leadership from the management and lack of participation from it's athletes. Sad, I know. The club eventually evolved into what is now the EPC Xterra Team consisting of 8 of the top amateur and professional Xterra athletes in the country. 

Not wanting to limit it's offerings to just a select few of elite athletes, EPC is bringing back the Club for everyone to participate in. Very nice! Plans for the resurrected multisport club include USAT sanctioning, the return of regular off-season group training sessions along with specific event training programs for athletes of all abilities to train for a handful of chosen events each year. New club clothing, equipment and service discounts from sponsors, and much more can also be expected in 2009. 

Look for an official club kick-off party to occur in November to jump start the excitement for the new year. Here you can meet many of the returning members and new members alike, sign-up for the new year, start planning your 2009 training/racing goals, and discover all the new and exciting plans for the EPC Multisport Club.

Stay tuned for more!

Xterra Buffalo Creek

The Buffalo Creek Xterra, second largest Xterra event after Worlds in Maui, was the first Xterra event in Colorado in 2008 and was the EPC Xterra Team's debut event as a whole team. People took notice and impressions were certainly made as the entire team took home hardware.

• Sara Tarkington, 1st place Pro female


• Ed Oliver, 1st place amateur


• Luke Jay, 2nd age-group


• Rickey Tolliver, 2nd age-group


• Kathy Placchi 2nd age group


• Cary Kinross-Wright, 2nd age-group


• Julie Bruckman, 3rd age-group


• Cody Waite, 4th place Pro male.

Not a bad showing indeed! Look for more strong results in the coming months as Team EPC looks to dominate the Mountain Region Xterra scene as they roll towards Nationals in October. Enjoy some pics from the Buffalo Creek day:

The EPC Men in transition pre-race

Cary Kinross-Wright leaving T2

Ed Oliver, post race, 1st place Amateur

Luke Jay top-10 overall after breaking his collar bone 6 weeks earlier

Sara Tarkington heading for home as 1st place Pro Woman



Where the EPC Xterra Team is headed

The crew (minus Luke and Kathy) showing off their hardware

EPC fans Adam and Steve, pre-race, racing their first ever Xterras

EPC Results Update

We're about 1/3 of the way through the 2008 racing season and many EPC athletes have already racked up some impressive results. Below are some highlights from the last several weeks.

On the Xterra side of things, several EPC athletes have already punched their tickets to Maui with impressive racing results:

• Julie Bruckman won first place amateur female in Temecula at the Xterra West Championship event. Then a few weeks later she won the female overall at the Four Corners Xterra in New Mexico.

Julie B. top amateur in Temecula

• Cary Kinross-Wright has also racked up some big results. First place amateur woman at the Arizona Xtreme Xterra (second overall to Shonny Vanlandingham). Weeks later she won her age-group and finished third amateur in Temecula. Two weeks after that she punched her ticket to 70.3 Worlds after finishing 3rd in her age-group at the Hawaii 70.3 race.

Cary K. on the podium in Temecula winning her AG.

• James Walsh hammered the bike courses in both Temecula and the Xterra Southeast Championship in Alabama last week to pull off a second place and overall amateur championship respectively.

James W. and Julie B. on the podium as top male and female in the 30-34 AG

James W. winning the amateur overall in Alabama

• Eric Ronning punched his Maui ticket in Alabama by powering through the heat and hills to a third place age-group finish. Two I.V. bags later he was elated with best championship finish to date!

Eric R. making his Xterra Championship podium debut in Alabama

• Ed Oliver took home an overall win in New Mexico last week at the Xterra Four Corners event. After struggling with some cramping issues earlier this year Ed was happy to finally break through for an overall win.

Ed O. (center), Julie B., and Rickey T. cleaning up in N.M.

• Rickey Tolliver, new to triathlon and Xterra, placed third in his age-group in New Mexico. Not bad for his first ever triathlon. Expect big things from this mountain biker turned tri-geek in the coming weeks and months as he finds his groove.

Luke Jay is recovering from his broken collarbone and is expected to find his form just in time for the Colorado Xterra's in the coming weeks. Sara Tarkington and Kathy Placchi are anxiously awaiting their first races in the coming weeks.

Look for the entire EPC Colorado Team to make their season debut as a whole at the Buffalo Creek Xterra on June 21st.

The EPC Colorado men (from left: Rickey Tolliver, Ed Oliver, Luke Jay, Cody Waite)

Recovery Tips

You’ve just finished a challenging and productive workout. Now what? How do you help ensure that you will be able to train equally as well tomorrow?

Most athletes are aware of the importance the post-workout recovery process, but few actually employ an effective strategy. Your post workout recovery strategy, like your training program, is both an art and science. Different techniques work better for different athletes, but there are several sound principles that should make up the foundation of everyone’s recovery technique. The following are a few of the most effective principles of post-workout recovery.

1. Nutrition.

Perhaps the most important of all recovery strategies is proper post-workout nutrition. Carbohydrates are the most important macronutrient in the recovery process immediately following your workout. As you workout you deplete your glycogen stores. The higher the intensity the faster you deplete these carbohydrate stores in you muscles and liver. If you are going to workout again later in the day or even the next day, you need to replenish your energy stores. A general rule of thumb I follow is to consume 1 gram of carbohydrate for every 6 pounds of body weight. So for example, a 150 pound athlete would need 25 grams of carbohydrates (200 calories) immediately following his workout. Protein is another important nutrient for the recovery process. The general consensus these days is that 1 gram of protein for every 4 grams of carbohydrates is the ideal amount. This adds an additional 25 calories of protein to our 150 pound athlete‘s post-workout recovery meal.

Depending on the intensity of your workout and your own stomachs capabilities your recovery meal can be either a liquid meal or solid. Generally liquid calories are easier to swallow and digest after workouts. This is especially true as the intensity and/or temperature of the workout increases. There are several commercially available products on the market that address the recovery needs of endurance athletes. These products work great and often very convenient to stash in your pocket or gym bag for immediate consumption following your workout. However, don’t rule out “regular” foods for recovery as well. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit and yogurt smoothies, and milk and cereal or cookies are some favorites of mine.

Some of my preffered engineered recovery products

Some of my favorite non-commercial recovery foods

2. Compression and Elevation.

After workouts your muscles are often left damaged at the cellular level. This is what often leads to soreness in the hours and days after tough sessions. Your damaged muscles need blood, and more specifically oxygen, to help them repair and rebuild. Swelling is a common occurrence after harder sessions. This a natural reaction to the micro-trauma that has occurred. Compression and elevation can help reduce the swelling and increase the rate of fresh blood and oxygen getting to your muscles.

Wearing compression tights for the few hours after your harder sessions can improve the circulation to aid in recovery. Alongside the compression, elevating your legs for several minutes at a time can be a big benefit. There are more studies out that claim that wearing compression tights even several hours after your workouts can continue to speed the recovery process. Many athletes, including myself sleep, in their compression tights to get the recovery benefits overnight so to be fresh for the next day’s workouts.

That's me practicing my compression and elevation recovery techniques

3. Stretching and Massage.

While there are no scientific studies published that can prove the effectiveness of stretching and message from a recovery standpoint, many athletes swear by these techniques. If for no other reason, stretching and message feel great and can leave you feeling refreshed despite the lack of data showing their effectiveness.

Stretching sessions can be done immediately following workouts or several hours after. Spending just 10 minutes going through the major muscle groups can leave you feeling better and also help prevent soreness and injury from future workouts. Massage can be a wonderful treat, but for most people it can be tough to schedule in the time for massages into already busy schedules as well as make a dent in the pocket book. Self-message can be the affordable time-saving alternative. Investing a few buck into a message stick and a foam roller can be money well spent. A few minutes every day rolling out tight IT bands, quads and hamstrings can leave you feeling fresher and less stiff after tough workouts.

Rolling out the IT Bands on the foam roller

Try making these techniques a regular part of your post-workout recovery plans and you find yourself recovering faster and feeling better for tomorrow’s sessions. You’ll be able to train more, train harder, and feel better, leaving you fitter and faster come race day. Rest up and good luck!

CW

NEW Elite Xterra Team for 2008

Endurance Performance Coaching, with the support of Wheat Ridge Cyclery, has a new Elite Xterra Team for 2008!

The goal of the team is to promote the healthy and successful lifestyle that the sport of triathlon cultivates. The eight athlete team represents a unique blend of professional and elite amateur athletes of both genders and all age-groups. All EPC/WRC athletes are committed to inspiring and encouraging others to strive for excellence in every aspect of life by demonstrating courage, persistence and perseverance in the sport of Xterra Triathlon.

The focus of the team is on the 2008 Xterra National and Mountain Regional events. Goals include Regional and National championships for our amateur athletes and top five overalls nationally for our professionals. To accompany the Xterra events EPC/WRC Elite Team athletes will also participate in several road triathlons, mountain bike races and running events throughout the season.

Currently sponsors include Specialized Bicycles and Equipment, Powerbar Nutrition, and SKINS. Other sponsors are in the works. Follow our team as they train, travel and race throughout the nation on the Xterra Tour.

2008 EPC/WRC Elite Xterra Team Roster

1. Cody Waite, Pro Men
2007 7th place overall Xterra USA Tour, 5th place Mountain Championships

2. Sara Tarkington, Pro Women
2007 9th place overall Xterra USA Tour, 5th place Crested Butte, 12th Worlds

3. Luke Jay, M25-29
2007 Xterra Regional Champion, 1st AG Crested Butte

4. Ed Oliver, M35-39
2005-7 Xterra Regional Champion, 2nd AG Crested Butte

5. Rickey Tolliver, M40-44
New to Xterra, Expert mountain bike racer

6. Cary Kinross-Wright, F35-39
Ironman competitor, 2007 1st Place Xterra Crested Butte

7. Julie Bruckman, F30-34
2nd AG Xterra World Championships 2007

8. Kathy Placchi, F50-54
Past Xterra Competitor making a comeback - watch out!

Check in for updates on the team throughout the season including event schedules, race reports and other fun stuff!

Testing Time, Tips For Determining Your LT.

For most athletes February is the perfect time for some physiological testing, more specifically, testing to determine your current Lactate Threshold (LT). The point at which you body can no longer keep up with metabolizing the lactic acid be produced from high intensity activity and lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood stream is what is referred to as your LT. When at your LT there are heart-rate and power numbers that correlate to this point. From these HR and power numbers training zones can be created to help you train more specifically and effectively.

Hopefully by this time of the year you now have a month or two of general aerobic training under your belt since finishing your end of season break from the previous year. During this relatively low level of fitness time of the year is an ideal time to get tested so you can identify your training zones for the coming months of more structured training. It is then a good idea to perform subsequent LT tests every 4-8 weeks so you can adjust your training zones as you become more fit resulting in a higher LT.

Now, there are two ways to determine your Lactate Threshold. One is to have it tested in a lab by a physiologist. Your second option, and often just as effective, is to perform a field test on your own. I’ll focus on the field tests for cycling and running, as it is more commonly used. Having performed many lab tests my self throughout the years and comparing them to field tests, I have concluded that my field tests have always been within 2-3 beats of the HR and 4-10 watts of the power numbers correlating to my LT. Pretty darn close and close enough for me. Below you’ll find one method of how to perform LT field tests for each sport.

Cycling
For the bike test you will be performing an all-out time trial. Ideally you should perform this time trial on a steady grade. The duration should be between 20 and 30 minutes. Be sure to find a location that has low-traffic and you can ride steady for the entire duration. Your average HR and average power for the time trial will result in your LT HR and your LT power or Functional Threshold Power (FTP) (H.Allen). Be sure to pace yourself by going out a bit easy and building the effort to max by the end of the interval. If you go out too hard and blow-up, the test data is comprimised.

Running
A 3 mile all-out time trial on a flat section of road or on the track is the protocol for this test. This is similar to the bike test in that it will take most athletes 18-25 minutes to complete the test. Your average HR and pace per mile will result in your LT HR and LT pace. Just with the bike test, be sure to pace yourself so you don't blow-up before the end of the interval.

Once you have your test results in hand you can use the percentages below to determine your own HR training zones. As stated earlier, you’ll want to re-test every 4-8 weeks so you can monitor your improvements and adjust your training zones accordingly. For every re-test be sure to perform the test on the exact location every time so your comparisons can be as accurate as possible.

Heart Rate Training Zones

Zone 1: (65-77% LT HR) Active Recovery – very little lactate is being produced
and the body can clear it easily, this intensity of training helps remove any
remaining lactate from a previous session and increases blood flow just enough
to help the athlete recover

Zone 2: (78-88% LT HR) Extensive Endurance – mild to moderate amounts of lactate
are being produced and the body can clear it easily, an athlete can maintain
this pace for 2-6 hours, goal is to build aerobic endurance, this is the bulk of
most triathletes training intensity

Zone 3: (89-94% LT HR)
Intensive Endurance, Tempo – moderate to high amounts of lactate are being
produced and the body is just able to clear it, an athlete can maintain this
pace for anywhere between 1-4 hours depending on fitness level, goal is to
involve more fast twitch muscle fibers

Zone 4: (95-102% LT HR)
Sub-Threshold – this is the maximum point where an athlete can process the
lactate being produced and small amounts begin to accumulate, can maintain this
intensity 45-75 minutes depending on fitness level of athlete, goal is to
increase LT and maximal aerobic capacity

Zone 5: (>102% LT HR)
Super-Threshold, VO2 – at this intensity level the body can no longer process
all the lactate being produced and lactate accumulation is happening rapidly,
generally an athlete can maintain this pace for less than 10 minutes, goal is to
increase anaerobic endurance and power

Now armed with your appropriate HR training zones you can begin to implemet your structured base training for your coming season. By using these various training zones in your weekly training schedule you can maximize your results while keeping your training fun and more interesting at the same time. Now put the calculator away and go ride!

CW

Weeks 1-4 Of The EPC Trainer Series In The Books

This week we completed week number 4 in the annual 12-week long EPC Stationary Trainer Training Series. This year we have the largest class to date with 18 athletes participating in the Series. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays for 90-minute training sessions that develop all aspects of cycling fitness. The focus of the first 4 weeks has been developing leg strength and pedaling skills with lots of ILT's (isolated leg training) and building aerobic endurance by standing in a big gear building up to 30 minutes in length.

Here is a shot of some of the class during our warm-up. Steve, back row far left, looks especially happy to be there that session as can be seen by the large smile on his face. Gotta love the positive mentality!

Here's Ed demonstrating nice ILT form. This guy is going to crush the 35-39 year-old Xterra races this year.

Here's Shannon concentrating on her cadence in the aerobars for her big-gear strength ILT's. Look at that concentration!

With 8 more weeks of quality training ahead everyone in the class has already improved their pedaling stokes and power outputs in the first 4 weeks. Over the next 4 weeks we begin to do more work near threshold by adding in 15 second surges within our 30 minute tempo climb and by adding in some 9 minute progressive gear threshold intervals. Oh the fun!

Look for more updates on the trainer series in the coming weeks.

CW

EPC'ers Take 1st and 3rd Overall at Chilly Cheeks

Saturday January 19th EPC racers Richard Paradis and Ed Oliver take first and third, respectively, at the second round of the Chilly Cheeks duathlon held at Cherry Creek State Park. The snow the night before made it treacherous on the bike for the run-bike-run-bike format. Ed made his moves on the bike legs, while Richards fast run splits made him impossible to ahng on to. Well done guys!

You can read more at Inside Triathlon website: http://www.insidetri.com/portal/news/news.asp?item=111817

Richard tearing it up in the snow!

Goal Setting 101

Goal setting is a valuable and effective practice that most athletes end up ignoring. Properly set goals provide us with the reason for getting up at 5 am for swim practice and getting in those long winter trainer sessions and 2 hour runs in 20 degree weather. Goal setting lays the foundation for our training and provides the road map to success.

Here are some tips to help you set your own goals and use them to help you achieve:

1. Set long-term goals first. Think down the road not only for this year's training and racing, but two, three and more years in the future. Write down 2-3 goals you'd like to accomplish each year for the next three years.

2. Set short-term goals. Now narrow your focus to your 2008 season. Write down what you want to achieve in the coming year. Think beyond just race results or times. Be sure to have training objectives and lifestyle commitments included. Set specific goals for every eight to twelve weeks of the year.

3. Determine how to accomplish your short-term goals. For each of your short-term goals, write down 2-3 things you plan to do to help you accomplish these goals. Be specific!

4. Keep your goals challenging but realistic. Set goals that have you stretch to reach them. Challenge yourself, but be realistic. If you are in your second year of racing, making the '08 Olympic Team is probably a too big of a stretch.

5. Be specific and write them down. Avoid vague goals as they tend to not motivate as much as specific goals. You should know exactly what you want to accomplish and how you plan to go about doing it.

After you have your goals written down make several copies and place them in places you will see them throughout the day (training log, night stand, desk, refrigerator, bathroom mirror). Be sure to read them on a daily basis to keep your goals in the front of your mind. Also consider sharing your goals with family members, friends, training partners and co-workers. If you let others know what you are doing and what you plan on accomplishing you are more likely to keep with it and you benefit from there support and enthusiasm.

The whole goal setting process need only take an hour or so and it can be the most valuable time spent all year in helping to build your confidence, desire, and need to achieve!

Good Luck,

CW

Get Fast on the Bike in 2008

It's back.....and better than ever, the 3rd annual EPC Stationary Trainer Series!

Want to get stronger and faster on the bike in 2008? With fall here and winter on its way, it's time to start planning for your off-season training regimen. Be sure to include the annual EPC stationary trainer series to your schedule.

This highly structured, progressive, 12-week cycling training series begins with developing pedaling technique and strength, followed by tempo and lactate threshold work and finishing up with VO2 max and power intervals to bring your cycling fitness to whole new level. The 90-minute sessions meet twice weekly, Tuesday and Thursday, after work at the NEW Wheat Ridge Cyclery Fitness Center beginning Tuesday January 8th running through the end of March.


Space is limited, so reserve your spot today. For more information call Wheat Ridge Cyclery at 303.424.3221.