MOTOR TABS Tri Squadron Captures Two Podiums at OC TRI!!

The 2010 Orange County International Triathlon 1.5k swim / 40k bike / 10k run at lake Mission Viejo CA. Cool morning temperatures gave way to warm Santa Ana winds thru Santiago Canyon, making this tough, hilly course even more difficult.

Leading the way for the Motor Tabs Triathlon Squadron was Miguel Ramos burning up the course in 2:17:20 capturing 2nd place in his age group and holding off the 3rd place finisher by 2 seconds, thats great racing!

Team Captain Kirk Fitzek had strong competition in the 50-54 age group, with the top 3 men finishing within 1:20 of each other, KF coming under the finish banner in 3rd place. Nice work men - looking forward to Big Rock results as well!!

Winter Hydration Protocols

Does Proper Hydration Play a Significant Role in Training and Performance in Cooler Environments?

By Ronald Mendel, PhD

Now that summer is over and we are heading into the winter months, how many of you are already changing some of your exercise related habits? In particular, what is your thought process regarding proper hydration and energy needs? Even though winter (colder environmental conditions) is upon us, proper hydration and nutrition should not be ignored. In fact, you might be surprised to know that there are more environmental issues that must be addressed for athletes to maintain their performance levels in the cold than in the heat.

Here’s what we know…..

Cold exposure has been shown to cause fluid losses on the order of 2-5% of body mass (O’brien et al. 1996). Many reasons have been linked to this dehydration induced by cold exposure including reduced voluntary fluid intake, poor access to water, reduced thirst sensitivity, sweating due to exercise and clothing (O’brien et al. 1996, Ramanathan 1964, Freund and Sawka 1996, Wyant and Caron 1983). Kenefick et al. (2004) examined whether hypohydration (dehydration) altered thermoregulation and cardiovascular responses to exercise in the cold. We know that these responses are altered in the heat, but it was unclear in the cold. The data demonstrated that moderate intensity exercise while dehydrated did not alter metabolic heat production, skin temperature or heat loss. It also did not increase thermoregulatory or cardiovascular strain.

Despite these findings, one thing remains clear. It is imperative to maintain hydration status even in cold environments. From a practical standpoint, prolonged exercise in the cold can still produce heat at a greater rate than heat is lost. This will obviously lead to heat storage and a subsequent increase in core temperature. This increase in core temperature can, and will, be compounded by dehydration due to any one of the reasons noted earlier. Ventilation (breathing) increases in the cold. Most people don’t realize how much fluid is lost through ventilation even normally. So when ventilation is increased due to cooler temperatures, the amount of fluid loss just from breathing has the potential to be rather significant. Reduced voluntary intake is also a major factor that may lead to dehydration of athletes while exercising in the cold. Athletes tend to think less about fluids and proper hydration because they don’t perceive themselves to sweat as much when they train in the cooler environment, and therefore, have a tendency to consume less fluid. This may or may not be true depending on the clothing that is worn. An overall reduced sensitivity to thirst is also a contributory factor in not consuming enough fluids while exercising in colder environments. Also of significance, and maybe even more important than hydration, is the metabolic response to training in cold temperatures. Cold exposure increases the use of carbohydrates as a fuel. Even during light exercise, muscle glycogen decreases at a faster rate in colder temperatures than warm temperatures. This increases reliance on glycogen reduces the ability to exercise at a higher intensity for extended periods of time because carbohydrates fuel intense exercise. Therefore, ingesting fluids and carbohydrates prior to and during exercise in cooler environmental conditions seem to be quite prudent.

Let’s not forget about those that take their training indoors during the cold times. Environmental conditions may more closely mimic those of summer, but one can still make the argument that hydration is still less of a concern. Because of this, athletes may not properly hydrate themselves prior to training and therefore be setting the stage for suboptimal training. With potentially higher sweat rates during high intensity indoor training, optimal hydration, adequate carbohydrate intake and replacement of lost electrolytes still remain a priority for optimal performance. Fortunately, a product like Motor Tabs fits the bill. Don’t be fooled by the weather outside - let Motor Tabs help you continue to train optimally by providing you with the proper hydration and fuel to be a winner!

Motor Tabs at Las Vegas Interbike 2010!

Las Vegas 2010
Sunday:
We departed for Las Vegas at 9am with venti Starbucks red-eyes in hand and Johnny Cash in our ears.  It was a quick trip and headed directly to the Sands Expo center to pick up our badges.  There was no line, and after obtaining our badges headed to Bootleg Canyon to set up the Outdoor Demo booth.  We were greeted by 100 degree+ temps and howling winds.  Once our compound was set (FRICTION FREEDOM, SDG COMPONENTS, FLUID RECOVERY and ICE TOOLZ), it was time to head back to the fabulous Circus Circus to rest up for what would be a grueling yet completely spectacular week.

Monday:
Out the door early and headed to Bootleg Canyon to get rolling for Outdoor Demo.  The show started at 9am and thousands of bicycle dealers from across the globe swarmed the venue to test the 2011 bikes from the top manufacturers.  The high heat was the perfect chance for them to try MOTOR TABS as well.  In fact, the attendees consumed over 50 gallons of Tabs over the two-day affair.  Strangely enough, there were only a small handful of sport nutrition outfits in attendance:  Fluid Recovery, H20 Overdrive, nuun, Camelbak and PowerBar.  That boded well for us, and we were quite busy each of the two days.

Tuesday:
Another solid day in the Las Vegas heat enabled us to touch hundreds of new and existing customers.  John and Rachel from Bike Religion stopped by the booth, and test rode a couple of new rigs from Cervelo.  Patrick Brady (Red Kite Prayer) stopped in to top off his bottles on several occasions.  Once tear-down time hit at 5pm we scrambled to shift gears and head over the Sands Expo center to set-up the indoor portion of the show.  We were adjacent to Fluid Recovery and it worked well as our product is designed for before/during whilst theirs is for  post training.  The MOTOR TABS/FLUID combo is quickly becoming a favorite among elite and aspiring elite endurance athletes.  Maximum respect for the two young men who founded Fluid (Brown and Smith).  Team Fluid Las Vegas, a top road cycling program, was also on hand.  Melinda and Nathan jumped in helped pour drinks.  Melinda was especially helpful and took over the booth!!

Wednesday:
Day One of our sixth installment of Interbike commenced.  Big Troy from Friction Freedom was on hand to help man the booth and did a phenomenal job!  Michellie Jones, the world’s premier triathlete, stopped by for a visit.  We touched hundreds of bike shop owners, buyers as well as quite a few people who had absolutely no business even being at the show.  Sometimes it can get irritating when those types demand free samples, bottles and whatever else isn’t tied down.  That’s part of the show, however, and adds an element of danger.  The braintrust from CrossFit Endurance paid us a visit, including endurance training pioneer Brian MacKenzie, Carl Borg and Doug Katona. 

Thursday:
Day Two was another solid day and we touched even more bike enthusiasts.  Our first employee from yesteryear, Saacha, jumped back into the mix and did a great job.  Melinda from Team Fluid was on hand once again and her passion was clearly evident as she discussed the merits of MT with the attendees.  Bahati and his entourage came by for a visit.  We sponsored his program this year and he embraced our product.

Friday;
Final day of Interbike 2010 and another solid day at the booth.  Fluid Las Vegas members were once again present and helping pour drinks to the parched (and  hung over) attendees.  After a quick tear down it was a wrap to a very successful show!

Saturday:
Although Interbike was over, we had yet another event in Las Vegas last weekend…this time it was the Mr. Olympia expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  We had a couple of key meetings, then it was time to say goodbye to Las Vegas after a full week of brand building.  Overall, we had a great time and enjoyed connecting with our customer base, athletes and potential partners!!

Motor Tabs Athlete Michellie Jones @ the Ironman 70.3 Philippines!

Michellie jones takes 2nd at Ironman 70.3 Philippines

Magali Tisseyre of Canada, Bronze Medalist at the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, won the women’s category of the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines at the CamSur Watersports Complex in Pili, Camarines Sur.

Michellie Jones of Australia, 2006 Ironman World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist, grabbed second place.

Magali Tisseyre and Michellie Jones seconds apart from the swim with Michellie leading the field. Once onto the bike the Duo continued to dominate the rest of the women’s field. At the Bike to run transitions only a few seconds separated the pair.

As both women hit the run, Tisseyre began to pull away – taking a 45 second lead at ten kilometers - and built what was to become a final two minute buffer. Upon finishing, the first word out of Tisseyre was ‘hot,’ and that really said it all. Or perhaps it was just the warmth of the locals as Governor Leroy suggested.

Michellie Jones announced it was one of the most memorial race due to the local Villages cheering loudly and at every possible opportunity over the 70.3 Mile course.

It was a testing race, not only for the professionals but for the age-groupers out there later in the day taking on the afternoon sun and rain. It is a tough event, but also a well-produced and well-supported event – leaving little doubt why competitor numbers doubled from 2009.

"Don't give up the ship!"

Race recap from tri star Timothy O'Donnell 

"Hi everyone,

I am proud to report I took 2nd place last weekend in Immenstadt, 
Germany at the ITU Long Course World Championships.

Racing in Europe is never easy but I could not let the title go 
undefended.  Since I have not raced longer than a half-ironman I knew 
the 4km, 130km, 30km race would be a challenge.  To add to the 
difficulty of the longer distance the bike course was absolutely 
brutal with over 6500 ft of vertical gain and several dangerous 
switchback descents.  While it rained all week when race day came 
around it was sunny and dry making for fantastic race conditions.  I 
started the race in a great position, settling into the front pack of 
the swim.  I exited the water and with a short course style quick 
transition took an early lead on the bike.  Unfortunately I ran into a 
problem as I dropped my chain on the first climb only several 
kilometers into the ride.  To make matters worse the section of the 
hill was about 18% and I had trouble getting going again  I even 
having to run up the hill to a less steep section.  Once I got going I 
had lost over 50 seconds to the leaders.  Much like Contador and 
Schleck in the TdF last month it turns out triathletes don't wait when 
someone drops a chain!

If there is one thing I have learned from my Navy days it is "Don't 
give up the ship."  While I was in a bad position I stayed calm and 
just kept charging.  I rode through the field and joined the three 
leaders about 17km into the ride.  Back in front I settled into a 
rhythm at the front of the race.  I felt great going through the first 
90km and then I started to pay the price for the first 15km of 
catching up.  In the last 40km my inexperience at longer racing 
appeared as I fell off pace and lost what would end up being a 
devastating 5 minutes to the leaders.

When the smoke cleared I entered T2 in sixth position.  Of course I 
stayed true to my motto and did not give up.  I began the run and felt 
absolutely horrible!  I remember saying to myself "if this is what 
Ironmans are going to be I think I'll stick to short course!"  I lost 
some time to the front 5 competitors in the first 5km but I began to 
find my stride.  In a methodical manner I caught the racers in front 
of me, moving into 5th after lap 1 and 4th after lap 2.  I entered the 
final lap in 4th place and while 2nd place was 1:40 up the road I knew 
if I stayed strong I could get there.  On the last lap the difficultly 
of the bike made another appearance as everyone began to stat moving 
backwards.  Before I knew it 2nd place was in sight and with 5km left 
in the run I made the pass and did not look back.

While I was not able to defend my title I was very proud of the fight 
I put up in its defense.  I learned a great deal about long course 
racing and I it was an important step in my progression to Ironman 
racing.  All in all the trip was an invaluable experience!

Feel free to read more and check out the results at www.timothyodonnell.com

Thanks to everyone for your support and remember "Dont give up the 
ship!"

All the best,
Timothy"

Motor Tabs Motorsicles: A How-To

Are you getting tired of ingesting pre-training or pre-race electrolytes by sipping on your bottle? Give yourself a change of pace and enjoy them as a refreshing, frozen treat. These frozen popsicles will be sure to bring back childhood memories and take the rut out of your training routine.

All it takes is a simple 3-step process from start to finish. Let's get started!

Step 1: 

Pick your favorite flavor of Motor Tabs, or do them all! Don't be afraid to mix flavors either... different tabs mixed together actually give a nice change to the palette.

You are going to want to pre-dissolve these tablets in 10 oz. of water, versus the normal recommended 20 oz. of water, for a more flavorful Motorsicle. Adjust the amount depending on desired flavor strength. 10 oz. seemed to be the optimal balance of flavor

Step 2:

Now, you're going to need a popsicle tray for this next step. They shouldn't cost any more than a couple of bucks at your local supermarket! Once the Motor Tabs has fully dissolved, begin to pour into the popsicle tray. Depending on what kind of popsicle tray you've purchased, be sure to leave enough room for the space displaced by the handle/rod combination. Pop them into the freezer after completing this.

Step 3:

Alas, the fruits of your labor are ready to be enjoyed. Remove the popsicle tray from the freezer and pull out one of the handles. However, be sure to check that it is frozen all the way through. You shouldn't see any fluid moving around in there! If you do, set to freeze a little while longer before you can enjoy this awesome treat.

Feel free to let us know what works for you! We want to hear back from our community to see how you guys are enjoying this treat! After all, without the support of you guys, we wouldn't be here! Be sure to find us on Facebook @ Motor Tabs Fluid Replacement Systems and on Twitter @MotorTabs ! 

Rise to the Occasion!

You will rise to the performance & health level that you choose.
In the quest to help you spark you on your path to improved vitality...

You Don't Know Squat?!  Then Know Squat!Watch people walk.  Look at the posture.  Good gait while walking and strong posture is
imperative when it comes to being agile, mobile and therefore capable of taking on more
stress/load.  There are a lot of people who "exercise" but can't do a deep squat.  I see
alleged "yoga" takers who would fall down if they were asked to squat deep.  Bottom
line - if your bottom can break parallel on a squat with your shoulders up and weight
centered, that's a good start!  The Squat is a fundamental, critical component to building
the rest of your program.  Can't squat?  Can't do much else then.

Nutrient DensityI get asked to look at more wrappers, ingredient lists and food options than that Man v. Food
guy (great show by the way).  What most of you are really asking is "will this food make me
fat," or "is this healthy for me."  Here is what I look for when consuming ALL foods:  How dense
is the nutrient makeup of the food?  Example:  a piece of white bread is not nutrient dense. 
Broccoli is.  Both carbs but way more density in the broccoli plus you get a boost of vitamins
and essential chemical components that will add to the nutrient value of the food.  The next
time you get ready to suck down something, think of how packed it is with nutrients.  And ask
yourself what your body will do with that food (how it will affect and support your health and
performance goals.)

Get Strong, Lift HeavyTo get strong, you gotta lift heavy.  That's it.  You don't get stronger by doing 20 reps of the
inner/outer thigh machine after you do a few bicep curls.  You do get strong by learning and
progressing at movements like the push-up, squat, deadlift, pull-up and other compound
movements.  Stretching, "core" work, LSD (long slow duration) cardio work and "power
walking" just delay the inevitable decline.  Power is the end game.  There are no excuses
for not lifting heavy.  Regardless of where you are at right now, you can progress and see
marked results by focusing on getting stronger.  Most are just afraid.  Fear is easily overcome
and you will soon ask yourself why you didn't do this sooner. Plus you'll like the thinner waist,
increased metabolism and better energy!

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens (Jimi Hendrix)
Celebrate the fact you have the potential to find more potential!
- Doug Katona

Don't Wait For Something To Happen! Make It Happen NOW!

It feels good to feel good.

Eating is A Gauge
Train harder and more consistent and you will eat healthier.  Training smart = eating clean.
Food is fuel...when you train well, you will not crave sugars, you will crave what your body
needs - lean protein and nutrient-dense foods.  If you're looking for a diet or for a quick-fix,
chances are you are also inconsistent with training or not training with sufficient intensity.
Result - you feel tired, hungry (mainly for carbs) or less motivated to get done what you
need to get done.  So...get it done!

The Engine In Review
By popular demand...here is my Q & D (quick and dirty) on the 4 parts to the Engine.  When
we say engine in an athlete, we often refer to their physical abilities that are developed...
those are the easy things to get.  So, for your reading/contemplating pleasure, here are
the 4 key pieces that determine how powerful your Engine is (in order from easiest to
train to the hardest:  (remember, this is for endurance-related sports)
1.  Leg Strength
2.  Power Output
3.  Lung Capacity
4.  The Mind - this is where most athletes/fitness athletes miss the opportunity.  Call it what
you want (dedication, desire, suffer threshold, intent) but if you remember that no physical
action happens without a mental action first then you'll begin to understand...

Just Meat It
All meat ain't meat.  Chicken can be about as healthy as milk these days.  Beef can have
the same amount of fat as a doughnut.  Buy lean meat. It packs protein and is very nutrient
dense.  It helps build lean tissue, maintain metabolism, keep energy level and helps with
recovery.  Read the labels!  Go organic, grass-fed and avoid the hormones.  Then take a
look at the saturated fat and keep it under 3.0g per serving. 

Delay training...then delay getting to your goal.  If you wait...well, then weight.

- Doug Katona

Testimonials on How To Save a Life

Here is what fellow athlete and MotorTabs user Bob Burnes had to say to us.
 

"I am never without my beloved Motortabs at the track. Once again, no BONK. I started drinking some MotorTabs a few hours prior to racing and I just don't suffer from the BONK or muscle stiffness. I love it. 

I don't know if I've told you or not, but MotorTabs is being credited with helping a man survive. I was going to school to become a police officer in Orange, CA last November. During the arrest and control portion of the class a fellow officer became very ill. I recognized the symptoms as dehydration and the start of heat exhaustion. I had him chew on a bit of MotorTabs then I put the rest in a bottle of water. I gave him two more to take with him to the hospital as he was carried off by ambulance.

When he got back from the hospital he left a message for me. The doctors informed him that the officer's survival rate was greatly increased because he was able to get much needed electrolytes, minerals, and salts back into his system quickly. The doctors took a look at the MotorTabs and we're impressed. Instead of hooking him up to IVs right away, they allowed him to cool down naturally and drink two more MotorTabs over a period of two hours. The next day, his color was better, he was well hydrated, and did well in the class despite the heat."

Power Starts In The Mind: by Doug Katouna

Regardless of what you tell yourself, you alone decide how you feel, perform and look.

Happy In Decline? 
On my group ride Sunday (Como Street), I found myself in the lead group of about 15 riders
(out of about 85 that started).  Lots of ugly going on.  Then I looked around at the top of
the final climb (now only about 10 of us left).  Only 1 fire breather under 35 years old!  Why?
Wisdom.  Experience.  Consistent training.  Passion for the sport.  Fight.  Fun.  I bet some
of the younger guys that got dropped (and maybe some older ones too) had some good
excuses (dog ate my homework, too much of not enough, not enough sleep 3 months ago).
None of us 35+ guys were thinking about our age when it was Go Time.  As you age, why
not think about drawing on your expansive base of everything (see the Why? above) and
put it to use.  Do you?  No decline as you mature, only more tools in your arsenal to use!

Lift.  Run.  Ride.  Who the F Cares?
How strong is your weakness?  If you ride good, can you run good too?  Can you do some
endurance in the morning then knock out some heavy shoulder press in the afternoon? 
What are you good at (fitness/sport related, not at Bingo or gardening)?  But more importantly,
what area of your performance/fitness do you need to work at?  That tells me more about
an athlete's potential than anything else.  Target yourself to be able to perform efficiently
at multiple skills that require varying degrees of load, time and power requirements.
Then, whatever the activity or workout, you'll lick your chops instead of getting your chops
kicked in.

L.O.W. Losers
28.  101.  0.  The last FAC email I sent out included my Lean Out Week shred routine.  28
of you did it faithfully, 101 pounds lost and 0 surprises from me.  Bottom line - if you want
to get lean, you can.  Read that line again.  Get it done or it will be harder to get it done.

Coffee & Coconut
Coffee is a food group (I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere???!!!).  Coconut is quickly
becoming the new power substance over soy and other genetically-modified junk touted
as healthy.  Well, now there is Coconut Creamer for your bean!  Yep, I have done my
own brutal field tests over the last month (had to drink some good coffee while I sampled
the Hazelnut, French Vanilla repeatedly).  It's an athletic alternative to other creamers.

Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him.
(A. Huxley)

If you wait for the motivation or the right time to get where you want to be, then
you will get lost in the abyss of opportunity.

- Doug Katona