The pre-race hype surrounding today’s Ironman 70.3 Panamá triathlon focused mostly on the fact that seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong would be making his first start in a road triathlon in more than 20 years. Although they didn’t get quite as much pre-race attention, there were other important stories taking shape. Who would take advantage of the early-season opportunity to earn important Kona Pro Ranking (KPR) points? How would two-time Olympic medalist Bevan Docherty fair in his first half-iron distance race in 12 years? Would Leanda Cave show the same great form that led to her first Ironman victory in Arizona at the end of 2011? How would the heat and wind of Panamá affect the outcome? All of these questions were answered.

Men’s Race
American Matty Reed, who was the most outspoken about his concerns that Armstrong would receive an unfair advantage with a media circus surrounding him on the bike, led the men out of the Panama canal and into T1. His blazing 1.2-mile swim time of 18:49 came with the help of a current. The time didn’t give him much of an advantage as four men, including Bevan Docherty and Rasmus Henning, were right on his heels. Armstrong turned in the 10th fastest swim of the men, exiting in 19:22 and just ahead of fellow super cyclist Chris Lieto.

It was France’s Bertrand Billard, not Lieto or Armstrong, who pushed the pace early on in the bike. Just 12 miles in, Billard had built a lead of 1:40 over the chase group. About halfway into the bike Armstrong and Lieto took charge, leading the effort to catch the Frenchman. Also in the group with the fast-riding Americans were Henning, Richie Cunningham (AUS), Docherty, Oscar Galindez (BRA) and Romain Guillaume (FRA). Eventually Armstrong, Lieto and Galindez broke away from the rest of the group as they continued to pursue Billard. Billard’s effort on the 56-mile bike course proved to be too much, as Lieto caught him in the final stretch.

It was Lieto leading early efforts on the half-marathon course, with Billard and Armstrong chasing close behind. Billard faded quickly and eventually dropped out. Armstrong’s seemingly conservative effort on the bike paid off. At about three miles into the race Armstrong passed Lieto to take the lead. Armstrong held onto to the front position for the majority of the 13.1 miles, but the win was not meant to be his. A fast-running Docherty passed Armstrong in the final mile of the race to post a run split of 1:12:50 and take the win in 3:50:13. Armstrong’s 1:17:01 half marathon earned him second, finishing just 42 seconds behind Docherty. Cunningham earned the final podium spot thanks to a well-rounded day.

PHOTOS: Ironman 70.3 Panama Race Images

Women’s Race
On the women’s side the race started out with several women exiting the water together. Cave led the charge into T1, thanks to a swim time of 20:10. Close behind her were the United States’ Kelly Williamson, the Czech Republic’s Radka Vodickova, the United States’ Dede Griesbauer, Germany’s Nina Kraft, Denmark’s Michelle Vesterby, Canada’s Tenille Hoogland and the United States’ Bree Wee. One of the pre-race favorites, Magali Tisseyre (CAN), had the bad luck of a flat right out T1. With no technical support in sight, Tisseyre dropped out of the race.

As she always does, Cave paired the stellar swim with an equally impressive cycling effort. Her 2:29:13 bike split was easily enough to give her the lead heading onto the run. The only woman to bike faster than Cave was Canadian Angela Naeth, giving her the second position into T2. Next off of the bike were Belgium’s Tine Deckers and the United States’ Margaret Shapiro. Cave ultimately faded, giving Naeth the lead.

The women’s race would ultimately come down to who had the best early-season fitness. Naeth’s 1:21:44 run split was the second best of the women. She crossed the finish line in 4:15:31 to take her second 70.3 title. Williamson posted one of the fastest run splits of the day, men or women, to earn second in 4:19:11. Shapiro, who spends most of her time racing on the ITU circuit, finished in third.

Ironman 70.3 Panamá
Panamá City, Panamá
1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run

Men
1. Bevan Docherty (NZL) 3:50:13
2. Lance Armstrong (USA) 3:50:55
3. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:52:59
4. Rasmus Henning (DEN) 3:53:38
5. Romain Guillaum (FRA) 3:54:44

Women
1. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:15:31
2. Kelly Williamson (USA) 4:19:11
3. Margaret Shapiro (USA) 4:19:34
4. Leanda Cave (GBR) 4:21:42
5. Tine Deckers (BEL) 4:25:29

Complete Ironman 70.3 Panamá results.

Check out our complete coverage from Ironman 70.3 Panamá and come back to Triathlete.com for photos and video from the race.

Photo: Xterra

Triathlete and Inside Triathlon editors got to chat with Lance Armstrong on the heels of the announcement that he’ll be racing a full season of Ironman 70.3 events, as well as Ironman France. Today the Lance Armstrong Foundation also announced a new partnership with Ironman to raise more than $1 million for people affected by cancer.

Excerpts from our conversation:

On his expectations:
I don’t think it would be prudent for me to have huge ambitions and huge goals in terms of performance. I just need to go in and feel my way through it this weekend [at Ironman Panama 70.3] and then have about 6 or 7 weeks to tweak things if I need to and then do it again in Texas [at Ironman Texas 70.3 in Galveston].

On his ride:
Trek Speed Concept. It’s just your regular Speed Concept disc wheel and probably a 7.0 [Bontrager Aeolus D3 7.0] in the front.

On his training partners:
I swim and run with a lot [of the Austin elite athletes, including pro triathlete James Bonney]. I tend to ride alone, but in the last week I’ve ridden with the Bontrager-Livestrong development team. I swim almost every day with James [Bonney], Brandon Marsh, Amy Marsh… and a bunch of former UT swimmers. A couple days I’ll run with a group of runners and triathletes. There was a track workout Tuesday that Patrick Evoe was at. At Thursday morning runs there’s [pro triathlete] Kelly Williamson, Derek Williamson, David Fuentes (who’s a fast runner), James and Patrick from time to time. The Marshes were there today. You get some of the local talent out. …Jimmy Riccitello is helping with mentoring. It’s an exciting project but also daunting. There’s a lot of stuff that I’ve either completely forgotten or has changed. It’s helpful for me to get a sense of what’s going on currently, whether it’s equipment, whether it’s training, whether it’s the competition…I ask him a lot of those questions. I had a long dialogue with Greg Welch yesterday, just getting background on people, which is always helpful if I’m trying to be conservative in the races I need to know my place and where I fit in.

On doing his first full Ironman distance race:
I’m most worried about anything run related… It’s the [sport] I’ve been away from the longest…adding volume, adding intensity—that’s probably the thing that worries me the most. The one thing that could derail all of this is if you had a nagging injury from running that you just couldn’t get over. I don’t care what anybody says; the run is the most important part of this thing. It comes last and it ends with a marathon. I told someone the other day, “In golf you have your drives, your short game and your putting, and they say, “you drive for show and you put for dough,” but it seems to me in triathlon you ‘ride for show and you run for dough.’ I’ve got to get that right otherwise I’ll be a middle of the packer.

On what’s made the difference for him staying injury free:
I’m a little lucky in the sense that I have a full staff of people around to help, which is maybe not realistic for most people, but basically I have a fulltime person with me everyday that does physical therapy, massage, gets after any problem as soon as it starts. That’s the stuff that I’ve been blessed to have around me in terms of a team. Stuff like plantar fasciitis, you can go on any running blog and see the simple steps that people take, whether it’s the sock or the boot, never walking around barefoot, constantly stretching, the roller or golf ball or tennis ball under your foot—anything you’ve ever read about that injury I did. It seems to have worked for me so far.

On his running:
Jimmy [Riccitello] and I communicate back and forth and prepare a comprehensive training program for all three sports. I think it’s been helpful for me to do these group runs—to go out and run with the likes of Patrick Evoe…or pure marathoners like David Fuentes…essentially they’re like races at the end. Every man for himself and that’s really helped. And then just run repetition—certain days running twice a day and just staying on it…you have to go out and be religious about certain things, including very long runs, which I’ve never done in the past. The final thing about running, which is important in this sport, is body weight…[when you] get to the end of a five- or six-hour effort and start a marathon …every pound at that point matters…makes a huge difference. As my running has ramped up, my body weight has come down, which has helped everything.

RELATED:
- Armstrong Announces 2012 Racing Plans
- Exclusive Photos Of Lance Armstrong’s Return To Tri
- Lance Armstrong: Back To His Roots
- Photos: Lance Armstrong’s Trek Superfly Mountain Bike
- Lance Armstrong Preps For XTERRA USA Championship

Triathlete.com: Are you enjoying your off-season so far?

Linsey Corbin: Very much so. Last year I didn’t take enough of an off-season. I didn’t take it seriously and I learned from my mistakes. It’s been fun. In November I really enjoyed time with my family and enjoyed being an aunt, since my sister had just had a baby. In December I really enjoyed Montana. I tried to spend time in the snow and mountains with no training at all. I actually didn’t ride a bike for the whole month of December. In January we came out to Tucson and I’ve been getting in lots of base miles. I’m just getting my fitness under my legs and getting used to some new bikes. Last year I did Pucon and I didn’t give myself a break. I did Ironman Arizona and started training again pretty much right away and got injured in May. I wanted to change that this year. It’s been nice to relax and not have the stress of training.

Triathlete.com: What’s the winter training scene in Tucson like?

Corbin: I’ve been coming back and forth to Tucson. Last year we came for two months and this year we came for three. The weather has been amazing. It’s basically guaranteed that you can ride your bike outside everyday. There’s a great group of people out here. You can easily train on your own or mix it up with other pro triathletes. I also have friends from Montana down here at the Cycling House. It’s a good balance down here.

PHOTOS: Linsey Corbin Gets Fit To Her Speed Concept At Retul

Triathlete.com: Tell me about the choice to transition to Trek?

Corbin: The end of last year I started to look at other opportunities because my Scott contract was up. I’ve always had my eye on Trek. You look at the fastest riders in our sport and see what they’re doing and a lot of them are riding Trek. Trek was the first bike I rode. We approached them and the more I learned, the more I liked the idea. I spent December talking to them and went out for a visit and came to the conclusion that it would be a good fit.

Triathlete.com: You visited the guys at Retul (see photos here) in Boulder yesterday. Did you make any significant adjustments to your fit?

Corbin: Obviously the bike feels a lot different. The biggest change we made was on my saddle. Last year I was riding with my saddle too low. I was losing power at the bottom of my pedal stroke. I also had tightness in my right hip, which is where my injury came from. We also changed my position in the aerobars. Overall being fit to a different bike was the biggest change.

Triathlete.com: What will be your first big race of the year?

Corbin: I’m going to be racing Ironman 70.3 San Juan in March.

Triathlete.com: It looks like you have Ironman Austria on your schedule for 2012. Why Austria?

Corbin: I’ve done a lot of North American Ironmans. They are awesome, but I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. I’ve never been to Europe before. There’s no time like the present. I might as well take the bull by the horns. I’m going to race Arizona at the end of the year and hopefully I’ll be back at Hawaii again. Between those two I’ll have a good balance of racing in North America. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about racing in Europe, and this race has been on my bucket list. I figured I might as well give it a go.

Triathlete.com: You’ve raced at the Ironman World Championship six times now. How will you approach the build into this year’s race?

Corbin: I need to keep improving on the swim. I had my personal worst swim in 2011. It’s tough because you are working overtime if you come out of the swim behind. My pool times are fast. My pool times are where they should be. I’ve also learned you can’t live and die by Kona. I’ve put less pressure on that race. I’m going to go back to loving racing and racing a lot. Racing where I want takes away the pressure of having an “A” race. That’s not to say I don’t want to win Kona. I just want to focus on on other goals I have also. Hopefully it will lead to success in Kona. I also want to continue focusing on becoming a stronger cyclist. It’s already my strength and I’d like to keep building on it.

Triathlete.com: Obviously Chrissie Wellington won’t be on the start line in Kona this year. As a top female pro on the Ironman scene, what do you think of her decision?

Corbin: I can’t say that I’m shocked. She has taken a different career path than everyone else by winning every Ironman she’s done. I can understand her wanting to take a break or step away while she’s got a great legacy. I can see where she’s coming from. I think she’s caused all of us to step up our game. Everyone is producing stronger results than they were in the past. She set a bar for us and we’ll be chasing that bar whether she’s racing or not. It’s going to make the race more exciting. There’s going to be a new Ironman world champion next year. We know it’s going to be a race. Look at women like Mirinda and Julie, who are willing to take more of a risk to get the win.

Triathlete.com: You’ve finished second at Ironman Arizona three years in a row. Is it a goal of yours to win that race?

Corbin: Definitely. The first time I raced there it was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t have a good race in Kona so I’ll go there.’ I never thought I’d have a tie to Ironman Arizona, but I’ve found that I really love that race. I’m going to keep going back until I get the win. I don’t take no for an answer. For sure Arizona is on the list for this year.

Photo: Kevin LaClaire

She’s conquered the lava fields of Kona and now Chrissie Wellington will tackle one of one of the most iconic buildings in the world: the Empire State Building. According the New York Road Runners (NYRR), the four-time Ironman World Champion will join the field of 650 at tonight’s Empire State Building Run-Up, a dizzying 86-story climb to the skyscraper’s Observatory.

Although Wellington is taking a break from Ironman competitions, she hinted at a luncheon promoting her soon-to-be-released memoir A Life Without Limits yesterday that she still plans on racing other forms of endurance events. But even Wellington herself didn’t know she’d kick off her 2012 season so soon, until John Korff, race director of the Nautica New York City Triathlon and the 2012 U.S. Ironman Championships, suggested she give the Run-Up a whirl.

“Why take the elevator when you can run?,” said Wellington. “I couldn’t be in New York City and not seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take the stairs to the top of the Empire State Building and soak up the amazing bird’s eye view, with a healthy dose of masochism thrown in!”

PHOTOS: Chrissie Wellington’s Inside Triathlon Photo Shoot

Korff, himself a ten-time Run-Up finisher and age-group record holder in the event, says the key to conquering this unique event are strong quads and the ability to run into oxygen debt—two components Wellington certainly does not lack. “It’s all about how much you’re willing to sustain, how hard you can run when you can’t breathe,” said Korff. “It’s hard to say how Chrissie will do, she may just have some fun with it. But I imagine if she turns on those competitive juices, she can win.”

But she’ll face some tough competition:  The elite field will be headlined by four-time champ Cindy Harris and three-time winner Suzy Walsham, a former 800- and 1500-meter specialist on the track. The women’s record, set in 2006 by Andrea Mayr, is 11:23.

RELATED: Train Like A Pro

The Day Before

“I’ve heard stories of folks going out for KFC or other greasy meals the day before a race, but to me this can only be a recipe for disaster—an ‘Original Recipe’ for disaster, that is! That said, I have been known to scarf down a hefty portion of pizza two nights before the race, especially if I’m closing out a large block of training and my body might be deficient in calories. The day before, I tend to eat exactly what I eat on a day-to-day basis. My main goal is to eat an early dinner, which tends to consist of basic rice pasta with marinara sauce. I get around 1000 calories at 5 p.m., then later I’ll eat a snack of cookies or M&M’s so I don’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night.” Michael Lovato

“I eat eggs with veggies for breakfast, fruit for a snack, a sandwich and salad for lunch and egg veggie surprise again for dinner. I guess I like eggs.” Mary Beth Ellis

“For dinner I usually make a buffet of chicken, broccoli, salad, rice, bread and pizza because I never know what I will feel like eating depending on my nerves.” Chris Lieto

“I eat my usual breakfast, a bagel with half peanut butter and half cream cheese, a sandwich of sorts for lunch, and something like white rice, sweet potato and a bit of protein for dinner. It’s usually two days before the race that I really chow down. I used to go by the mantra ‘A hungry fox hunts best,’ but I’m not sure that works for an Ironman—it’s too bloody long.” Julie Dibens

“I like a big breakfast: three to four eggs, avocado, salsa, toast, coffee, potatoes and sometimes a nice pastry. Lots of snacking throughout the day: yogurt, granola, peanut butter and jelly, trail mix, peanut butter-filled pretzels. I like a big lunch as well: a turkey sandwich on wheat with Swiss, avocado and lots of veggies, a piece of fruit, chips and a chocolate chip cookie. I like a smaller dinner: grilled chicken breast, sweet potato with cottage cheese, grilled veggies, quinoa and some nice dark chocolate for dessert.” Linsey Corbin

“I limit fiber 48 hours before a race. This helps keep the weight down and limits the toilet stops on the run. I eat a lot of rice-based foods and potatoes. I’ve been known to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s the night before, too!” Joe Gambles

“Breakfast and lunch can vary, but dinner is always the same: yams, potatoes, carrots and rutabaga all mashed together, steamed spinach and fish (mahi mahi or trout) with added salt. I drink First Endurance Ultragen, EFS electrolyte drink and lots of water to stay hydrated.” Heather Wurtele

“I start off with a bigger than normal breakfast (Denny’s!) and taper throughout the day. At my last race I had a First Endurance Cappuccino Ultragen shake mixed with almonds and two bananas for dinner.” Amanda Lovato

“I eat a normal breakfast of toast and eggs, a sandwich and salad for lunch, Muscle Milk, and ham and pineapple pizza for dinner with water and Greek salad. I usually have a cookie or ice cream sandwich for dessert.” Matty Reed

“I like this day. I have a good-sized breakfast: double toast with tahini and banana, coffee and then a mid-morning scone or muffin. Lunch is pasta with ketchup—it sounds disgusting but it is so good! Dinner is pizza—it has fat for fuel and carbs for my muscles.” Joanna Lawn

Photo: Paul Phillips

Cycling is an extremely repetitive sport that involves long duration and high-intensity training—which can ultimately lead to injury. Much like changing your car’s oil allows it to perform better and last longer, these five injury prevention techniques can help you perform at a higher level and reduce your risk of overuse.

1. Pre-workout: Perform dynamic stretches for 5–10 minutes, such as leg crossovers and scorpions to open up the hips and spine. They will help reduce joint and muscle stiffness prior to hopping on the bike.

2. During the workout: Keep your cadence at 90 rpm or greater to reduce stress on the knee, specifically the patellofemoral joint (kneecap area). High-intensity training at lower rpm may have rewards but also comes with greater injury risk.

3. Post-workout: Use the foam roller to reduce muscle soreness and tightness. Focus on the iliotibial band, quadriceps and piriformis (a deep gluteal muscle).

4. Gear: Assuming that a professional bike fit has been done, keep well-documented measurements of saddle height and fore/aft position. Always check measurements when traveling with the bike and after a bike crash.

5. Shoes: Tighten cleat screws/bolts, as they sometimes loosen and cause the cleat to shift. Once you have the cleat in the ideal position, make sure you outline the cleat in permanent marker. Overuse injuries can be created if the cleat shifts too far forward or back, increasing stress on the knee.

More cycling articles from Triathlete.com.

Rhymes with diamonds: It doesn’t really bother me when people mispronounce my name, but I know my grandpa would be mad if he heard them. My friends want me to adopt the nickname “Jeff Diamond Symonds” so people will get it right.

Sin City dash: I was in Vegas once before the world championship—on a four-hour layover. I decided to run from the airport to the Strip. Being from Penticton you just don’t get to see the big buildings and stuff. Plus I figured one guy had to be the worst dressed in Vegas that day. With run shorts, black compression socks and a souvenir T-shirt from “The Hangover” that I bought at the airport—why not me?

1:13:33: Everyone kept saying, “Where the hell did that come from?” But I’ve always had the good run—it’s just being able to be there after the bike to use it. Last year I did Oceanside 70.3. Michael Raelert, Matt Reed, Richie Cunningham, Tim O’Donnell and Rasmus Henning were all there, and I had the fastest run split. But getting third in Vegas was a surprise to me, too. I definitely don’t think people should have been thinking about me before the race. My mom didn’t even pick me in the top three.

Domestic disturbance: My mom and my girlfriend were home watching the race on Ironmanlive.com. They were cheering so loud that the neighbors called to ask if they were OK.

Move over, Hugh Hefner: After the race, someone asked me if being third in the world changed anything with the ladies. I told him in Vegas there were literally guys handing me cards of girls who wanted to meet me.

Bringing home the bacon: I usually work 25–28 hours a week at the Bike Barn. The pro would be that I like eating a lot. The con would be that I could spend that time training or recovering.

Yo, Adrian: Rocky’s the kind of guy everybody wants to be like. He’s this total underdog, hustling and stuff, but he gets a shot at the title. That’s what kind of attracted me to the sport of triathlon. Out there in Vegas, 1500 people had a shot at the title. I may not have got the win, but I’m the guy who works really hard part-time at the bike store, and I had that chance. It was pretty cool.

PHOTOS: Ironman World Championship 70.3

Professional triathletes may have more time to train than age-groupers do, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take their best ideas and make them our own. You can copy how the pros structure their training using a smart plan with clear-cut goals for your next iron-distance race. Here’s how to do it.

Creating A Plan For Success

When training Ironman champions, I break each training block into three-week portions, or training mesocyles, providing an emphasis and theme for each mesocycle. While the demands of the race course and the developmental needs of each individual dictate the specifics of the weekly program, age-group athletes can benefit from taking a similar general approach to training, starting with a basic outline that also includes some specific goals within each mesocycle. When age-group athletes sign up for an iron-distance event, it tends to be their personal “championship” event in the sense that it is the focal point of their season. Working backward from an iron-distance race, here is an example of creating mesocyles. Note that you can formulate a similar plan for all distances by adjusting volume and intensity.

Beef

Choose: Grass-fed beef

According to a 2010 study, grass-fed beef is a worthwhile splurge. Compared to their soy- and corn-stuffed brethren, grass-fed meat has higher levels of omega-3 fats, a beneficial fat called conjugated-linoleic acid (CLA), vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants such as glutathione. It also contains less saturated fats.

Smart buy: Look for the label “100 percent grass-fed and finished.” Or better yet, the green American Grassfed logo, which guarantees no antibiotics or hormones. Cuts that say “loin” (as in sirloin) and “round” (such as eye round roast) are the leanest.

Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper than options like tenderloin because processors charge extra for deboning.

Photo: Nils Nilsen

I have my athletes do broken sets—rather than one long continuous swim—for testing. I find that it’s easier for swimmers to pace themselves during the test, making the results more accurate for use in workouts. In both of the test sets (one for sprint racers and the second for Olympic distance or longer) the goal is to swim the fastest sustainable speed for each repeat. Avoid sprinting on the first repeat only to fade on the last one, resulting in a big discrepancy in times. After the test, you’ll know your T-pace (test pace) that you can apply to future workouts.

For both tests, warm up with your choice of swimming, kicking and pulling for about 15 minutes. Near the end of your warm-up, include 4–6 x 25 at goal pace or slightly faster with 10 seconds’ recovery between each.

Sprint test: Swim 3×100 fast. Recover for 20 seconds between each. Note your time for each 100, aiming for no more than 5 seconds’ difference between each one. Your T-pace per 100 is the average of all three times.

Olympic, half-Ironman, Ironman test: Swim 3×300 fast. Recover for 30 seconds between each. Note your time for each 300, aiming to have less than 15 seconds’ difference between each. Average the times to determine your average 300 pace. Your T-pace per 100 is that number divided by 3.

Once you have determined your T-pace, use it to design swim workouts. For example, let’s assume your T-pace is 1:45 (105 seconds) per 100. If you’re a sprint distance racer, swim a set of 5–8 repeats of 50 on a repeating send-off of 1:15. Your goal would be to swim each 50 faster than your T-pace (105 divided by 2, or 52.5 seconds). By swimming shorter segments faster than T-pace, you can work toward improving your speed over longer distances. Retest your T-pace every six to eight weeks so you can make adjustments to your workouts.

Gale Bernhardt co-authored Workouts in a Binder: Swim Workouts for Triathletes and coaches amateur to elite athletes through Galebernhardt.com.

More swim training articles from Triathlete.com.

I never planned on racing a triathlon on Nevis Island, but how could I say no with Winston Crooke’s smile? My wife and I had come to his store looking to rent bikes and were greeted by Crooke—a tall, thin, athletic man with dreadlocks and a surprising British accent (he was raised in the U.K.). “We have a little local triathlon on Saturday if you want to race,” Winston said, pointing to a sign listing the monthly winter races of the FLY (Forever Live Young) Miniseries that lead up to the island’s major triathlon, TriStar Nevis (won in April last year by none other than Chris McCormack).

Nevis is the smaller island of the two-island federation of St. Kitts-Nevis, just southeast of Puerto Rico. Its small airport receives some direct flights, but it’s easy and significantly cheaper to fly into St. Kitts on a major airline (American Airlines offers daily flights) and then take one of the frequent boat ferries to Nevis.

Nevis offers a variety of lodging options, from a recently renovated five-star Four Seasons resort to private rental homes. The remains of the sugarcane plantations that drove the island’s economy during its early British colonial days are now home to upscale hotels including beachfront Nisbet Plantation and mountainside Golden Rock Inn.

The island, which surrounds the often fog-covered mountain peak of an inactive volcano, is only 7 miles long and 5 miles wide, with a major 21-mile road that goes around its perimeter. Driving is on the left side on this former British colony, and though the road is narrow and the rules of traffic a bit improvisational, most island drivers are accustomed to watching the roads carefully for everything from bands of green vervet monkeys to sheep to the wild donkeys that roam the island, so cyclists are just part of the mix.

Winston Crooke’s bike shop, Wheel World (Bikenevis.com) is the primary bike rental option on the island and it’s far better than your typical beachside bike rental shop. Remember to bring your cycling shoes because Crooke not only offers the typical bike rental platform pedals with cages, but can also set up a bike with Look or Shimano SPD pedals. Crooke and Reggie Douglass, a local triathlete known as the “Flying Rastaman” who qualified for the Ironman World Championship 70.3, lead regular road and mountain bike tours.

If you want to get in some serious winter triathlon training, Nevis has two ITU-certified triathlon coaches—Crooke and James Weekes. Training can be arranged through Crooke’s Wheel World bike shop. One of the incredible things on Nevis is the number of young triathletes Crooke and Weekes are training. Expect to see some of these kids one day gracing the stage at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix and beyond.

Nevis has several beaches, mostly associated with various resorts, but even if you are not staying at the resort, you’re usually welcome to access the beach, especially if you pay your dues at the bar. Nisbet Beach offers the whitest sands and the best water for swimming undisturbed by boats.

After a swim or bike ride, relax at one of the island’s many excellent restaurants. Most of the resorts have good restaurants, but Golden Rock Inn stood out. The broiled lobster tail accompanied with mashed plantains made us pause over every bite. There are several excellent restaurants outside of the resorts that any visitor should certainly check out. Sunshine’s is on Pinney’s Beach and offers a great open-air dining experience. The lobster sandwich is a filling meal after a swim and with a side of conch fritters could easily feed two. Sunshine’s menu changes regularly with what’s just come in from the local docks. The Killer Bee, Sunshine’s version of rum punch, is a favorite. In Charlestown, the capital city, you can stop at the Jamaican Bakery to get a roti, a local favorite that resembles a savory stuffed crêpe.

In those dark days of winter, when the whir of the bike trainer and treadmill are all too familiar, Nevis is a welcome break to up your vitamin D and get a solid start to your season. “An athlete can come to Nevis and indulge themselves in their sport without distractions,” Crooke says.

On our last full day in Nevis, while temperatures were still below freezing back home, I raced my first triathlon of the year. There were only a handful of us, 20 or so, mostly locals, several of them the high-school-age kids Crooke is training. But there were also some other tourists, with Ironman T-shirts and new beach tans, who I’m sure were convinced as I was that a triathlon on a beautiful island, on a rented bike, with a group of friendly people, can be a wonderful way to start the season.

If you want …

A rainforest hike Try “The Source” trail. Named for the island’s freshwater spring, the trailhead starts at Golden Rock Inn. Expect to see monkeys and to climb an ancient rusty ladder. Golden-rock.com

A beach-side massage Go to the Four Seasons Spa. A variety of massage therapies and other spa treatments are available. Fourseasons.com/nevis/spa

An introduction to scuba Go with Ellis Chaderton’s crew to get a taste of reef life and a first-time scuba experience without having to go through a pool practice. Experienced divers can also get a great dive with sea turtles and rays abounding. Scubanevis.com

Island-style pizza Eat at Mem’s. This is a local place, not visited by many tourists, but it has some of the best pizza we’ve ever had. Toppings range from lobster to pinneapple and ham (Island Style). (869) 469-1390

To visit Alexander Hamilton’s birthplace Tour the Hamilton estate. This Founding Father was born on Nevis, and the ruins of his family’s estate just outside Charlestown offer a wonderful view of the island. Nevis-nchs.org

Take in breathtaking gardens Visit the Botanical Gardens of Nevis. The gardens mix the skill of British horticulture with the wonders of a tropical ecosystem. Botanicalgardennevis.com

RELATED: Seven Scenic Fall Triathlons

Photo: Nils Nilsen

Goal setting is one of the defining characteristics that separates athletes from exercisers; we set our sights on specific targets and we strive for performance. As you get ready to put your 2012 goals down on paper (which I highly recommend), here are some guidelines to keep in mind. I’ve divided these goal-setting tips into categories based on three groups of triathletes I frequently talk to. You may fit squarely into one category or identify with more than one.

“I want to be a contender.”

“I coulda’ been a contenda,” lamented Marlon Brando in “On the Waterfront.” But he wasn’t, because as a fighter he didn’t have anyone looking out for him and he went for the easy buck instead of the long-term gain. If you want to step up your performance in 2012 and stand atop the podium, get yourself:

A coach. I know I’m biased, but during the natural ups and downs of the training process athletes benefit from external guidance. Coaching is not just a training program or data analysis; it’s the relationship that guides you through the dark days, when fatigue causes self-doubt and insecurities to cloud your judgment.

Performance monitors. If you want to win, invest in a power meter for the bike and a GPS-enabled heart rate monitor for your other activities. Even more important: Download the data and use it. You’d be surprised at the number of athletes who have the gear but do nothing with the useful information it provides.

Speed. Endurance gets you to the finish line, but speed wins races. If you want to win you have to put your time into high-intensity speed work on the track, cycling intervals above lactate threshold intensity, and VO₂max intervals in the pool.

RELATED: Meet 5 New Male Pros

In the summer of 2004, Jon Smith was as lean and fit as he’d ever been. Then he became a father and stopped training for marathons and triathlons. At the same time the New Orleans resident began dining out and eating mostly fatty foods due largely to his work in the wine business. Over the next two and a half years he gained 100 pounds. On New Year’s Day 2008, Smith got fed up with his condition and decided to make a comeback. He signed up for a triathlon and cleaned up his diet by removing the worst junk food from it, including fried foods and soft drinks. But by the time race day came around, Smith had lost only 15 pounds and he was not much fitter than when he started.

Smith knew he needed to raise his game. So the lifelong meat lover took the radical step of becoming a vegetarian. Within several months he was back down to his old racing weight of 180 pounds and finishing Ironman 70.3 events with ease.

The lesson is clear: To manage weight successfully, every triathlete has to become a vegetarian.
Wait a minute—that’s not the lesson at all. Because for every Jon Smith there’s a Christian Peterson, a runner and duathlete from Maple Grove, Minn., who struggled to lose weight on what he describes as a “typical runner’s diet” that was low in fat, high in carbs, and almost meatless before switching to the popular and meat-heavy Paleo Diet and quickly losing more than 20 pounds. And for every Christian Peterson there’s another endurance athlete who has lost weight on a high-protein diet, a gluten-free diet, a low-fat diet—you name it.

Triathletes are never more focused on losing weight than around the new year. If you’re looking to shed a few pounds ahead of the 2012 racing season, you’re probably looking for the best diet for weight loss. But as the examples of Smith and Peterson suggest, and as science affirms, there is no clear “best” diet for weight loss. There are many effective ways to lose weight.

In fact, real-world and scientific evidence indicate that the specific diet that a person uses to shed fat is not especially important to success in the effort to lose weight. What’s far more important, it seems, is the motivation level and attitude of the person seeking weight loss. Men and women who are truly ready to commit to a particular weight-loss strategy are almost certain to succeed, regardless of the diet they choose (provided it’s healthy and realistic). By the same token, those who are not prepared to fully embrace their diet are bound to fail, no matter which diet they’ve chosen.

Follow The Losers

Ever heard of the National Weight Control Registry? It’s basically a national database of men and women who have succeeded in losing at least 30 pounds and maintaining at least 30 pounds of weight loss for one year or more. Whatever these people do, it works. It’s not theory, but practice. So what do members of the NWCR do?

For starters, their diets are all over the place. Some are on low-fat diets; others are on low-carb diets; still others do Weight Watchers; some are vegetarians, and so forth. Another interesting characteristic of NWCR members is that the vast majority failed with weight-loss diets a few times before finally succeeding. The combination of these two characteristics—variety in successful diet approaches and failures preceding success—suggests that people succeed in losing weight when they are psychologically ready, and fail when they are not ready.

Other studies support this idea directly. For example, researchers at Italy’s University of Florence recently used a standardized scientific questionnaire to evaluate the “motivation and readiness” of 129 obese individuals starting a six-month outpatient weight-loss program. Weight-loss results at the end of six months were significantly greater for those subjects who earned the highest scores for motivation and readiness.

Adam Bohach, 27, Clinton, Iowa

A high school science teacher, Bohach has a thing or two to teach his students about being a fast triathlete. He wrapped up his final amateur season ranked first among men ages 25-29 by USA Triathlon (USAT), scooping up big wins at the Hy-Vee 5150 U.S. Championships in September and topping his age group at Ironman Racine 70.3 (his 4:12:06 finish was good enough for ninth overall, beating several pros). Bohach is also an accomplished runner, clocking 2:26:25 at Grandma’s Marathon in June and a 25:45 8K on the roads in 2010. Bohach, a biology major while at Luther College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is clearly a student of the sport: His senior project involved VO2, lactic acid, and cortisol levels in endurance trained athletes, for which he was awarded an NCAA post-graduate scholarship.

RELATED: Meet 5 New Female Pros

Photo: Triathlon.org

Winter running breeds some interesting misconceptions, so we decided to get the straight story. We enlisted the help of one of the key scientists studying cold-weather workouts: John Castellani, Ph.D., research physiologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass. See if you can separate the truths from the lies below—and stay warm and fit all winter.

The fastest American amateur at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii last October, (9:51:17) Piampiano made her pro debut one month later at Ironman Cozumel, finishing seventh (9:57:58). The former investment banker for HSBC Securities in New York City now lives and trains in Los Angeles and will next race in April’s Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston and also has three Ironmans (Texas,  Coeur D’Alene and Lake Placid) penciled in her schedule. “Last year I was able to consistently place as either the top or one of the top overall amateurs at every race,” she says. “It was a huge accomplishment for me, but I am not ready to stop there.”

The Seconds Pro interval timer is a fantastic app for triathletes available for purchase from the iTunes App Store. It is a great way to keep track of your favorite cycling and running interval workouts using your iPhone.  If you’re like many athletes, you already depend on your smart phone to keep track of your busy life. Everything from scheduling workouts around business meetings to sending emails to your coach on the fly, your phone is never more than an arm’s reach away.  So why not take it a step further and actually use your phone as a training partner and motivator?  Think of the Seconds Pro interval timer as a coach who comes along with you, guiding you through your workouts, and alerting you when intervals and rest periods begin and end.

This app works by allowing users to program interval workouts into it and then running as a countdown-style timer during a workout.  The menus are intuitive and easy to navigate, and athletes can customize the experience, down to what color the screen will be during certain intervals, and what sound will indicate the beginning of an upcoming interval.  The app can even announce the name of an interval when it begins using a text-to-voice feature. Users can program their music to match their workouts, with the ability to play a specific playlist during a specific interval. Think fast, upbeat music for a more intense interval versus more ambient and relaxing music during recovery time.  The app allows users to share favorite workouts with their friends or training partners via an easy, built-in interface.

This is the perfect time of year to begin integrating the Seconds Pro app into your training program. While the days are short and the temperatures are cold, training time is limited, and much of it is done indoors. The benefits of winter interval training are two-fold: for one, doing intervals is a great way to get a lot of bang for your training buck when you have a limited amount of time. And doing creative interval workouts can also help you to keep things interesting while stuck inside.

One of the easiest ways to use the Seconds Pro app indoors is to place the phone on a hard surface that is easily seen and reached from your position on the bike or treadmill.  This way you can not only stop and start the timer while working out, but seeing the timer can help you along during a workout by keeping you abreast of the time remaining in each interval.

The Seconds Pro app can be useful outdoors as well as inside.  With the previously mentioned text to talk feature, it will read the name of an interval as it starts, alerting you to the specifics of your workout even if your phone is still tucked safely away in a jersey pocket. If you regularly run or ride with music, the app will run concurrently with your iPod, with the app’s alerts playing over your music letting you know when your next interval is beginning.

The app does have functionality that allows users to share their workouts automatically via Facebook and Twitter. This can easily be turned off if an athlete doesn’t want to alert their whole social network to the latest endeavor.

RELATED: iPhone Apps For Triathletes

There are a couple of additions we think would be useful in terms of how Seconds Pro allows users to share workouts. It would be great if, in addition to sharing via email or social network, users could post their favorite workouts to a website for others to download and use. And while the majority of the Seconds app’s functionality is very sleek, the process required to share a workout is not. It requires a user to copy a large amount of text directly from an email and then paste this text into the app. While not actually difficult, it simply doesn’t match the rest of the well thought out menus and functions.

The only other improvement we’d like to see is a minor one. Occasionally when running the app and playing music, either through Apple’s AirPlay or through headphones, the tones of the app can be off by a few seconds. All this means is that the audio tones signaling the start of an interval don’t sync up with the timer on the display. It is never more than a couple of seconds off, and only happens intermittently. The developer of the Seconds Pro app seems to actively update and improve the software, so this small bug will almost certainly be worked out in a future version.

At only $2.99, we find the Seconds Pro Interval Timer is very affordable for the benefits it provides.

Photo: Nils Nilsen

Many athletes assume that the lower the aerobar, the faster the rider. This supposed dogma is wrong. Here’s why.

You still have to generate power

Lowering the aerobars shrinks the angle between the rider’s torso and thigh. Closing this angle too much creates biomechanical and metabolic limitations that can compromise both power and aerodynamics. One of these problems is hip flexor impingement. The hip flexor muscles pull the femur up toward the pelvis, and when the hip angle gets too small, these muscles can no longer pull effectively.

Photo: Jon Davis

Staying hydrated is the greatest concern for an endurance athlete looking to optimize performance, so it’s important to find a drink that works for you. Here are my recommendations for different fueling needs.

Heavy/salty sweater?

Do your workout clothes end up crusted with salt? All sports drinks contain some sodium and electrolytes, but think about supplementing with a little extra (note: adding too much makes the drink unpalatably salty). Also experiment with salt supplements and/or include salty foods as part of a pre-race or mid-race fuel.

Try: Clif Shot Electrolyte or E Load endurance drink for their higher-than-average sodium plus other electrolytes; Nathan Catalyst or Nuun (when fuel needs are low but electrolyte needs high).

Even if you don’t have Lance’s skills or extreme mental toughness, you can race stronger in the wind by following some basic guidelines.

VIDEO: The Big Island’s Mumuku Winds