McMahon Takes 3rd at Xterra Worlds!

Brent McMahon had an excellent result this past weekend out at the Xterra World Championships in Maui running his way down boulders to 3rd place.  Facing the Maui heat and humidity McMahon thanks Base for helping him keep his hydration and electrolyte levels high.

Xterra World Championships Maui 

After a good block of training, some rest and four mountain bike rides I was headed to Maui for my first Xterra in two years. Due to National Team and Olympic qualifying I have had to take a miss on all the Xterra fun over the last two years. So I had hung my bike up and said I wouldn't ride till after the Olympics. So I dusted it off and madly tried to get my mountain skills back by riding with fellow Blue Competition Bikes rider Danial Sessford. He is a top Canada Cup circuit rider and he smacked me around for ride to try and sharpen me up. I went to Maui a week early to "get used to the heat" and also hang out with my awesome friend Aaron who lives there and always has a room for me. You rock Aaron! Part of the week was getting used to the heat and part of that was devising my hydration and fuelling strategy.  It is a long hot race with not a lot of support out there so I planned a 2L camel back with PowerBar Endurance drink, Base Electrolyte Salt all mixed with Base Water to optimize absorption.  I then had 4 PowerBar gels 2 vanilla and 2 strawberry/banana (caffeine) taped to the bike.  For the run I also took to flasks with me, one gels and one with dilute Endurance drink.  This should take care of all my needs and have me set for the whole race. I felt good and rested and hoped that the little mountain biking I had done was going to be enough and hopefully I could keep my skin from being shredded on the lava rock. I started with a good swim, fastest swim actually but then I had one of the slower transitions (yes I know, I am usually fast) as I am rusty at the whole mtn shoes, camel back, gloves etc etc. I got out onto the road in 5th or 6th and held that for a while, passed a couple and got passed and headed onto the main part in 6th with a group of 5 storming ahead. I then worked my way through the bike but lacking some fire, aggression, something and that something comes from riding my mtn bike lots and racing Xterra's. So as it turns out the 4 rides weren't enough but I did what I could and came off the bike in 10th almost 5min's down from 3rd. I know I consistently have the fastest runs in Xterra but 5min would have seemed to be a lot to overcome. Thankfully though, Aaron didn't tell me I was 5min down from 3rd, he told me a mere 3min. So I thought to myself as he yelled this to me, "hmm, 3min, that is doable, maybe...well...lets see what we can do." So off I went on hunting as many guys down as possible.

I quickly picked off 2007 World Champ Conrad Stoltz (unfortunately he had a flat near the end of the ride) and then picked up another spot shortly after that. So 2km or so in I was in 8th and feeling strong. I was then in no mans land for a while but as I crested the main climb and started the decent I could see heads popping up out of the lava and grass down the trail. I am wicked good at running downhill on technical terrain and this includes large piles of lava rock and loose gravel and grass. So I ran full tilt downhill skidding through corners and picked off two more and hit the beginning of the last 2mile beach section in 5th place. It was at this point that Aaron again gave some splits and heading onto the beach I was still 1:30 down on 3rd and 30 down on 4th.

I ran straight for the water and ran just in the shallow water where the sand is the hardest and within the 800m of beach I had pulled in 4th and couldn't quite see 3rd. We then run through a twisty sandy forest section before popping back out onto the final 600m beach section. It was when I came to the beach that I could see 3rd and I put my head down and stormed forward. It took me the whole 600m to catch but then there was another narrow technical trail section to go before the finish line. I passed without a glance and then put the hammer down skimming the tops of the boulders and opening a 40sec gap in the final 800m to finish 3rd. I had the fastest swim and the fastest run by over 2 1/2 minutes. The key to finishing this race so strong for me was the proper hydration on the bike with my race and training proven Base and PowerBar products and then staying fuelled during the run.  I
really noticed that when I hit the beaches over the last two miles
where in past years I would slog through it but this year ate it up.
I was stoked with this performance considering the lack of specific
training and I look forward to having a go at the win in 2009.

BASE Athlete Breaks Through at Kona!

Linsey Corbin has the race of her life to break through this past weekend at the Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii.  Linsey surpassed even her own expectations by realizing her dream of placing in the top 10 at Kona with a 5th place finish and the 1st American Finisher.  Linsey has had an incredibly successful year placing in the top 5 at every single race she has done. 

Here is a list of her results and her race report from Kona.

KONA                 5th... 1st American Finisher!

New Balance 1/2	1st
Kansas 70.3	3rd
Boise 70.3	4th
Ironman Arizona	5th
Pucon 70.3	2nd

Greetings,

I am writing you to fill you in on my exciting day that landed me 5th overall and the fastest American at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii! I think it is safe to say that I am still on cloud nine about my breakthrough performance.

People keep coming up to me and asking me if I am surprised about my remarkable race. If anything I am more surprised to see a dream of mine become reality. From the start of the year, I have always been focused on a top-ten performance here in Hawaii. While I credit several factors to the success of my day, when it came time for the cannon to blow, I knew I was as prepared as ever to "crack a big one." I came out to Kona 5 weeks ago to prepare on the course. I was acclimatized and ready for every inch of the race course. My coach, Lance Watson, had me dialed in with some great breakthrough (and key) workouts. I was racing Ironman Hawaii injury-free for the first time ever. I had a great support network of sponsors and friends behind me. I knew I had done the work...Saturday was just a matter of executing my day. Pre-race week was amazing! I was so calm and relaxed and excited to show off how hard I had worked and prove to myself that I could compete well here. It was a great week catching up with friends and sponsors that I only get to see once a year. I made sure to keep things in check and only go to town for the necessities, but other than that, I was all about bottling up all of my excitement for race day and preparing for a BIG effort. Saturday morning, I got into the water nice and early to warm-up. I swam out to the first buoy, and there, in the clear Kona bay, was a giant sea-turtle floating around. It was so surreal to look back at all of the tension and nervous athletes, to hear the drums of Island Breeze... meanwhile I was swimming alongside a sea turtle and feeling so calm and collected. After seeing this little buddy, I knew I was in for a good day and to be blessed with good luck! The cannon went off, the chaos ensued and the race officially began. I found myself in a great position on the swim being surrounded by several blue (mens) caps and some great women who usually swim 57 minutes or so. It was a relief to see that all the hard work I have put in this year on my swim was paying off. Things turned a bit hairy when I got a calf cramp about 15 minutes before the finish, but I held onto some feet to get out of the water in an hour and be right in the mix.

Out onto the bike course, I was lucky enough to be racing the Scott Plasma 2 for the first time ever. I would like to say that bike just rode itself for 112-miles, but we know that is not the case...I had to do some work as well. I will say, I felt remarkable the entire ride, working my way up through the field and having a great time on the course. I hear it was windy out there, but I was having way too much fun to notice it! At the turn in Hawi (a little over half way) I was in 12th place... I used my pre-race training to my advantage, got down in my aerobars, and bombed down the hill paying no attention to the cross winds and found myself in 5th place with 30 miles to town.  At this point, I was beginning to wonder if I had perhaps ridden too hard, as I wasn't quite expecting to be this far up in the field. With 10 miles to go, I had moved into 4th place and couldn't wipe the smile off my face, as I knew I was having the race of my life!

The first part of the run in Hawaii is a cake-walk. There is the ocean breeze, tons of crowd support, and your legs still feel pretty fresh. I stuck with my plan of keeping it nice and patient. At the painted church, about 4 miles into the run, I found myself in 3rd place and just didn't really know what to do with myself! I had never expected to be passing the athletes I had been passing, the ones I had admired in sport in previous years. It was quite humbling to pass Belinda Granger, and then to have her encourage me was even more amazing. I knew if I could stay level-headed and consistent for the next 18 miles, I would end up in the top-ten. Soooo much easier said than done!

The Queen K and Energy Lab is where the race really begins (and ends!). On the way out to the Energy Lab I got passed twice and moved to 5th place. I will say I am quite proud of how I handled the situation! I just kept plugging away and never once gave up on the fact that I was having are markable day out there. Headed back into town is where I really had to dig deep. 6th place was closing in on me. On one hand, I was ready to surrender myself to 6th place (and I would still be over the moon about my performance). On the other hand, I wanted to keep my streak of finishing in the top-5 in every race this year alive. With 2 miles ago, I was still in 5th, and 6th place was only 200 meters behind me. This is where I really dug deep, and learned some valuable lessons that I will never forget. I mustered up the quickest pace my body could handle and got myself to the top of Palani. Once on Palani, I refused to give up my 5th position. All I remember is sprinting down Palani and breathing like a freight train hoping I wouldn't be caught. Did I mention my new Saucony Fastwitches say "No Brakes" on the bottom?! I turned the two corners to Ali'i, glanced over my shoulder and saw myself in the clear. Was this really happening? Cowboy hat in tow (I had to represent Montana!) I crossed the line in a personal best time of 9hours and 28 minutes. My finish was quite surreal and still gives me the chills typing this up. To see all of my hard work pay off is just the most amazing feeling ever. To finish the first American among so many talented competitors is one-of-a-kind. The power of believing is where it is at! A big thank you to my husband Chris, who has taught me that the sky is the limit!

I want to thank you all for being such a big part of my race and
allowing me to do what I do: Base Performance, Big Sky Brewery,
Clif Bar, Full Speed Ahead, Katalyst, Lifesport Coaching, Missoula
Bicycle Works, Oakley, Power Tap, Saucony, Scott Bicycles, TP
Therapy,  Zipp & Xterrra Wetsuits. I fly the colors with pride!

Thanks for reading,

Linsey Corbin
www.linseycorbin.com

End of the Year Races

 

 

Recovery and hydration are the keys to a well planned taper. Fuel up with Base Performance Nutrition to ensure that you get to the start line rested, recovered, and ready to go.  Nutrition is one of the most important components to recovery and it becomes even more important as we near our final races of the season when we are resting and letting our muscles repair.

 

By taking Base Amino consistently over the final weeks or month leading up to your race you will ensure that your muscles are getting the correct fuel that will help you get to your peak level. If you are racing in the next couple of weeks of months, chances are your season has been long.  During a long season it is hard to maintain high performances and peak condition; your body needs more fuel to keep you going. The body has become efficient at using fuel and needs protein, more importantly amino acids in order to fight that overtraining bug that creeps up towards the end of the season. Use Base Amino before every run, swim and bike to ensure your body has those amino acids readily available to be used as energy, so that you body does not loose any muscle mass over the final weeks leading up to your race. Make sure to take Base Amino during exercise lasting longer than one hour and take another serving directly after exercise within that 30 minute window which is so essential to post-exercise recovery.

 

Hydration is the building block to health. Everything starts from being well hydrated. Your body digests nutrients more efficiently, muscles fire more forcefully and you are able to recover faster. Hydration is cumulative; if you do not drink enough before an event in the week or weeks leading up to a race then your body will not be fully hydrated.  It is exponentially important for you to focus on hydration in the week leading up to your race.  Combine a gallon of filtered water with one ounce of Base Water to take with you throughout your day in the week leading up to an event. By taking Base Water you will be fully hydrated and recovered come race day.

 

Good luck at the races!

 

-Team Base Performance

Two National Championships in Two Weeks!

The Cal Giant Cycling Team added another great result to their resume with a second national title in as many weeks.  Ken Hanson of Cal Giant won the Elite Criterium National Championship in Downers Grove, IL a week after James Mattis won the Elite Road Race National Championship. 

Ken had added that typically the heat is not his ideal racing conditions, but he was able to stay strong with the help of teamates Patrick Briggs and Steve Reany. This was a big result for the Base sponsored team creating a climactic finish to a tough weekend of racing. Congratulations to Ken Hanson, James Mattis and the rest of the Cal Giant Cycling Team!

"The Power of Protein"

An article written by Dr. Ryan Iverach, recently was published by xtri.com about the importance of protein in the diet, more importantly amino acids as the base for protein synthesis.  Dr. Iverach explains that protein is getting another push by the nutrition community as the missing component to an endurance athletes daily needs.  Endurance athletes are always focusing on the ways to fuel their bodies and athletes tend to emphasize their carbohydrate intake along with fruits and vegetables, but protein often gets overlooked.

Dr. Iverach explains that "a number of bodily functions and substances are dependent on the presence of protein in the diet, or, more specifically, the amino acids of which they are comprised. Our bodies digest dietary proteins and break them down to their constituent amino acids, which are then shipped off to different parts of the body to be used in the synthesis and repair of muscle and connective tissue, supporting the nervous and immune system, creation of hormones, enzymes, nails, hair, and, in some cases, providing an energy source."

Dr. Iverach also points out that amino acids are essential in the absorption of glycogen when added to recovery drinks after intense endurance activities.

To take a full look at Dr. Iverach's article, go to http://www.xtri.com/reports.aspx?riIDReport=4861&CAT=0&xref=xx

Base Performance Featured in Triathlete Magazine!

Be sure to check out Base Performance Nutrition in the August edition of Triathlete Magazine! Word has caught on about how great the products are. Simply put they work and we are proud to extend our base of supporters!

Inside Triathlon reminds of the importance of our drinks and what is in them....

Sodium Replacement Keeps Your Mind Sharp
By Monique Ryan, MS, RD

With the hot weeks of summer stretching out before them, triathletes are paying closer attention to their sodium replacement strategies during training and racing. Sodium replacement during training can prevent hyponatremia or lowered blood sodium levels. At the very least hyponatremia can slow down your training efforts while more serious symptoms include headache, confusion, nausea, or cramping. At the very worst, severe hyponatremia can be extremely dangerous or even fatal.

REPLACING SODIUM
While there are multiple causes of hyponatremia, the main instigators are excess fluid intake in which blood sodium is diluted, and a high rate of sodium loss from sweating. Triathletes who have a high concentration of sodium in their sweat and/or a high sweat rate are more susceptible to this condition.

In some endurance athletes, measured sweat losses have exceeded 1.8 L per hour and range from 0.5 to 2.5 liters per hour. While you can check body weight pre and post-training and make some educated calculations about sweat loss, estimating sweat sodium losses is more difficult. Research measured results have ranged from 230 to 1380 milligrams per liter or even higher. Sodium sweat losses per hour are then multiplied by your sweat rate and sodium content of sweat, and for heavy sweaters and salty sweaters result in high sodium losses per hour.

You may have identified yourself as a heavy sweater or as a salty sweater and made the switch to a higher sodium sports drink, or even added electrolyte tablets to your training mix. If you are getting good results from your current sodium replacement plan, some new research recently presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Meeting this past May presented yet another twist on the benefits of smart sodium supplementation during serious training.

Read more.....

Base Athlete Linsey Corbin Checks in....

Hello,

My racing stampede continued this past weekend in the mid-west at the Kansas 70.3. On a day that I will remember as a "perfect Kona training day" I came third behind two of the finest women in our sport: Jo Lawn and Sam McGlone.

I arrived in Kansas with perfect timing, I just missed the tornado that had blown through the night before. Perfect! I was met at my homestay by my new favorite Kiwis: Jo Lawn and her husband Armando. Chris and I quickly became friends with them and I am already looking forward to more fun times together. A big shout out to the best home stay on the circuit: Kent and Liz Dobbins (and the rest of there family). They treated us all like royalty and we shared some good laughs together!

Race day started similar to Kona with a non-wetsuit swim, however, the aquarium landscape was replaced with a mid-western murk. The coolest part was watcing the Navy Seals parachute there way down to Clinton Lake as the national anthem played. The gun was fired, feet were kicking, arms were flying, and I ended up having a non-impressive swim. I excited transition knowing I had my work cut out for me with the leaders nearly 4 minutes up on me. Time to get riding on my stealth Scott Plasma! The bike course in Kansas was just like Kona: hot, humid, hilly, and windy. It was a great course with 3 out-and-backs that gave me lots of opportunity to see what my competition was up to. I worked hard to ride myself into the top-5 but all morning I was wishing I had my half-ironman legs with me and not my heavy yellow-brick-road legs. I did manage to enjoy all the mid-west super fans that were out on the course. I entered T-2 with two girls in sight and I was looking forward to slipping on my dancing shoes: Saucony Fastwitches! I ran my first 10k pretty well and moved myself into third place. The run course was great, and had the feel of Wildflower as it weaved its way past camp grounds and RV's. Let me tell you, the bbq sure smelled good at mile 10! I finished my day cowboy hat in tow with a feeling of "mission accomplished."

So, there you have it. 5th place at Ironman Arizona, 4th place at Boise 70.3, 3rd place at Kansas 70.3, 2nd place at Pucon 70.3... this can only mean that first place is just around the corner!

Thanks to all of you for keeping me moving in the right direction!
Linsey Corbin

BASE Van

Base Athlete - Chris Lieto Wins

Two-thirds of the way through yesterday's Silver Columbia Triathlon at Centennial Park in Ellicott City, Chris Lieto found himself in familiar territory. Having made up considerable ground during the bicycle portion of the race, Lieto now had a different, albeit more desirable, problem to contend with.

"When you're in the lead, you don't know what's going on behind you," said Lieto, who was in first place going into the final leg based on his outstanding performance on the bike. "You're not running scared, but you don't get any input, either."

Fortunately for Lieto, he didn't need much input, because in the end the 36-year-old had enough output to not only capture the overall title but also break the course record. His time of 1 hour, 51 minutes, 13 seconds broke the mark of 1:51:46 set by U.S. Olympic qualifier Matt Reed in 2006. Reed did not participate in this year's event.

"I didn't know I was on a record pace until I came down the stretch and saw the clock," said Lieto, of Danville, Calif., who won for the second time this season after a victory in Miami in April. "At that point, I made sure I gave a pretty good effort at the end."

With race conditions described by several contestants as nearly perfect, the event consisted of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 41-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. It featured 24 professional competitors as well as more than 2,000 amateurs. Race organizers estimated the crowd to be about 7,500.

The outcome was decided on the bicycle course.

Lieto, considered one of the strongest cyclists in the sport, was not among the leaders after the swim portion. Neither was 2007 Ironman world champion Chris McCormack, who began the race as the odds-on favorite to win. While Lieto was busy catching and eventually passing those in front of him during the hilly parts of the bike course, McCormack and two other riders lost valuable time after some confusion with a race coordinator led them to veer off course. McCormack would recover and finish third with a time of 1:57:22 but afterward was clearly thinking about what could have been.

"It's disappointing," said McCormack, Triathlete magazine's 2007 Athlete of the Year. "I really wanted to win, and I was definitely in a position to do that but ... these things happen."

McCormack's troubles opened the door for 18-year-old Andrew Yoder to finish in second place at 1:54:31, improving his time from last year - a junior record - by more than five minutes. Since he turned professional midseason last year, his time does not qualify for the junior level. Still, the person some were calling the future of the sport was thrilled not only with his improvement over the past year but also to be sandwiched between two of the sport's elite.

"I hung with Chris Lieto and finished in front of Chris McCormack. ... It was awesome."