New Performance Nutrition

AVP Long Beach Tournament

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:12:00 -0700

This past weekend the AVP event in Long Beach was a 16 team tournament. I played with a new partner Pedro Brazao and we had a very difficult draw in the first round, the gold medalist's from Beijing, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers. They came out strong against us and we has no answer losing the first set 10-21 ouch. But the next set we got a much better rhythm and had a much better side out game. We were all tied up at 18-18, when Phil reminded us who the best player in the world was by by finishing off the game with a few blocks. The final score of that match was 11-21, 18-21. Our next match was against Matt Olsen and Jeff Nygard. A very tough second round opponent, however in a small draw such as this, there were not going to be any easy games. The match started off neck and neck, side out after side out, until they got on a huge run closing out the first game with ease. The next set we started strong and were all tied up down the stretch. With a few plays not goi ng our way we dropped the set 23-25. As a team I think Pedro and I have a lot of potential, we had some moments where I thought we were really good. In a 16 team event there are no easy draws and we will have to play our best to get the results we want. In Long Beach we finished 13th.

Chris Foster races in Hamburg, Germany and London, England!

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:57:00 -0700

After my early season success and jump in rankings, my coaches and I made the decision to go to Europe for a few weeks this summer and do two ITU World Championship Series races in Hamburg, Germany and London, England. These races are known as the most competitive triathlons in the world, where the best athletes are essentially racing on home turf. A strong majority of the racers either live in Europe, or are based there for the summer, so they are at their fittest and fastest. Going into Europe, I knew the racing would be hard and good results would be even harder, so I was essentially looking to get some good experience for the next few years.

The first stop on my European trip (the first time I've ever raced in Europe as well) was Hamburg, Germany to compete in the largest triathlon in the world (just under 9,000 participants!!) with the largest amount of spectators in the world (officials estimated 300,000 were in attendance for the men's race!). The field was easily as competitive, if not more, than the Olympics--since countries could send more athletes to Hamburg than to the Olympic Games. All active Olympic medalists were present at the starting line, so the race was going to be crazy!

The Hamburg course had us swimming in one of the cities many rivers and even passing underneath a tunnel three times! The water was incredibly dirty from recent rain and runoff, so it was like swimming in a green swamp. The bike and run took us through the skinny streets of Hamburg through tight twists and turns lined with 300,000 screaming German fans.

Once the gun went off, the swim immediately took off faster than anything I have even been in, I moved over behind a pack and tucked in for a "ride" to the first buoy only 300m away. At the first turn, everyone pretty much stopped because of the 60+ guys hitting the buoy and once and fighting for position. The first two turns were some of the most violent swimming I have ever been a part of. Despite that, I was able to get through and stick in the middle of the group through the first two thirds of the swim. Unfortunately, in the last 200m, a small gap opened up when we went underneath the tunnel for the last time and a few athletes and I lost contact with the main pack.

As I made my way onto the bike with a few other athletes, we watched as the pack in front of us sprinted off as hard as they could. We tried to respond and make up ground, but the tight turns and technical course made it hard to catch up. After the first few laps of riding as hard as possible, all I had done was drop the other riders around me except for one. Being stuck by myself (as the other rider refused to do any work and help out), I put my head down and tried to lessen the gap between me and the main pack, but it was no use as there were numerous attacks and hard riding on the front that made the pace incredibly fast. Heading onto the run, I was still stuck in the middle of nowhere and was faced with an unusually large deficit to make up.

After riding so ridiculously hard to try to catch the storming pack ahead, my legs had been completely used up, and made the run a very painful event. I did my best to keep moving, but with a big gap and fried legs, I was only able to finish in 49th place. On the positive side, I had a very good swim given the speed, and I was able to tough it out and catch a few guys on the bike and run, even with an uphill battle. Many other athletes lost contact with the hard-charging front group and dropped out of the race, but I was glad to finish and build toughness and experience for future races.

In sharp contrast to the festival atmosphere of Hamburg, London was a much more tense and serious affair. The athletes seemed to be placing much more importance on the event in England since London would be hosting the Olympics in 2012. Everyone seemed intensely prepared to go as hard as possible from the gun and really make a mark in the future Olympic city. The British--most of whom did not race in Hamburg--seemed particularly intent on showing off in their country's capital and went into the race fresh. After a brutal weekend in Hamburg, I was looking forward to giving it everything I had from the start and gain more valuable experience racing in Europe.

The mood on the starting line was far more intense than in Hamburg, and from the beginning I knew the pace would be crazy. When the gun went off, the swim pace seemed way faster than even the weekend before and I really had to work to stay with the group into the first buoy. Again, with a short distance to the first buoy and 70 or so super fast swimmers, the violence at the turn was unparalleled. After being dunked, kicked, punched and grabbed all the way around, I came out of the first 500m bruised and exhausted. I worked as hard as I could to stay with the group through the first half of the swim, but really hit a wall at about 900m and lost the group. I struggled to try and lessen the time gap heading into transition, but the pack had even picked up steam.

I got out of the water with a swollen lip and a torn off swim cap--looking pretty bad--and headed out to the bike by myself. Once onto the bike, I made up my mind to give everything I had and leave it all in Europe, despite being completely alone on the bike course with a bunch of fast groups at the front. I put my head down and rode as hard as I could for as long as I could before I eventually caught up to a group ahead of me that had actually been dropped from the front pack! Just to give an idea of how fast the front pack was going, people *never* get dropped from the front pack once they make it--it's pretty much unheard of. Once I joined with the small chase group, I made the quick decision to go to the front of my pack and ride hard until someone decided they could do better. Only a few times did someone actually move up to do some work, but I was more interested in doing everything I could to make up any time at all. Because of my crazy efforts at the front, I actually got a lot of cheers from the fans along the course as they seemed to appreciate the fact that I was killing myself all alone to try to get back into the race!

After 40km of riding myself into the ground, I made it into transition, threw on my shoes, and took off on the run. I instantly dropped the rest of the guys I had been riding with (or who had been riding behind me) and ran as hard as I could. I wanted to still have a good run, despite being so tired, and know that I gave 100% effort for this last race. I pushed the final run until I almost passed out and refused to give up, even as half of the other US athletes in London dropped out of the race. For my efforts I finished in 53rd place overall, but 3rd American of the day.

However, after the finish, I was surprised by the number of fans that came up to me and congratulated me on sticking with it in the face of such odds. One guy even said that he and his family (who were all British) were cheering for me the whole way since I never let up and did all the work by myself! He went on to say that he was now thinking of doing his first triathlon after watching us. It was a nice consolation to know that the spectators appreciated our efforts and saw the value of hanging in there and finishing even when things don't go to plan.

With two weeks of crazy traveling and racing behind me, I know that I have gained invaluable experience that will help me in the next few years. While the races themselves didn't go perfectly, I learned a lot about traveling, training, and racing at the highest level of sports--I've learned how to hang tough in the face of bad situations and not give up, I've learned about bouncing back and also what I need to do to succeed at this new level. I've always said I wanted to race the best in the world of triathlon, and now I'm getting my chance. The best thing I can do now is take what I can from my experience in Europe and use it to become a better athlete. I always knew this wouldn't be easy, so now it's time to respond to the challenge!

Thanks, as always, for your support--which means so much to me now more than ever. I now find myself on the biggest stage in triathlon and sports, and without everyone's help, I would never have made it so far. I'm proud of the huge gains I've made in the past few years, and I'm excited by the potential of the future! The best is surely yet to come.

Henry Hagenbuch takes 7th at Nautica NYC Triathlon

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:19:00 -0700

A report from Henry: "I wanted to send you an update of my latest East Coast trip for two Life Time Fitness Series triathlons (Minneapolis and NYC). Thanks again for all the support!

On the 10^th of July, I raced in my first Life Time Fitness Series triathlon in Minneapolis. Competing against the highest quality field I have yet to come across, I toed the line knowing I had my work cut out for me. With a mediocre performance across the board, I finished 13^th , virtually racing the entire triathlon against myself. I left Minneapolis headed for New York and determined to redeem myself. The Nautica NYC triathlon consisted of a straight, down-stream swim in the Hudson River, an out-and-back bike course and followed by a single run loop through Central Park.

After my poor swim performance in Minneapolis, I wanted to make up for it, by leaving it all out in the Hudson (so to speak). I exited the water in 12^th (out of 16) and quickly picked off 3 more racers during the 1000yd run to transition. The bike leg was also a bit of a dog fight as I moved up and down a few places. I came into T2 in 11^th ready to find the first top 10 finish of my Pro career!

I secured 10^th early on in the run, but wasnt finished and I kept finding those carrots as I cruised through the rolling hills of Central Park. I passed three more competitors and wound up finishing 7^th in yet another tough field of competitors, posting the third fastest run split of the day (33:25).

As I continue my inaugural pro season, I will next head to Canada for an ITU race on August 22^nd , and then followed by another Alcatraz triathlon on the 29^th ."

For more on Henry, visit his website: http://www.gohhgo.com/index.html

Chris Foster Wins San Diego Triathlon for 4th Consecutive Year!

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:38:00 -0700

Congratulations to Chris Foster for his 4th consecutive win at the San Diego International Triathlon. His report:

"Last weekend I drove south (instead of flying across the international date line!) for my fourth start at the San Diego International Triathlon. Over the years, the San Diego Tri has become one of my favorite races on the calendar for a few reasons: the short swim, hard bike, and long run suits my strengths; the atmosphere in San Diego is so laid back, but the competition comes out when the gun goes off; and it certainly helps that I've won three years in a row!

This year was missing the usual cast of characters like Luke Bell, Michael Simpson, or a fast, young Aussie as a late entry. However, it did have all of the local pros from San Diego who always put up a good fight.

After an early morning starter's pistol sounded the start of the race, we tore into the water and were immediately into a tight pack. I decided to be conservative during the swim and try to sit behind the front guys but to be vigilant for a break off the front. I came out of the water firmly planted in the front group, exactly where I wanted to be.

Sprinting out of the water, I passed a few guys en route to a very fast transition. After I hopped onto my bike, I had already moved into second, and by the first mile of the bike, I was in the lead. This was my first race with my new Felt DA, so I was excited to put it to the test on some rolling hills. I rode up the first climb at a moderate pace and really put the hammer down once at the tope of the rolling plateau. During the middle nine miles I worked to extend my lead, and was able to cruise into T2 with a solid cushion on the field.

With a good lead going into the run, I was able to put it into cruise control. At each turnaround I was careful to check and make sure no crazy runners were trying to shoot for the front, but I was able to bring it in comfortably for the win!

This marks my fourth consecutive win at the San Diego International Triathlon, and I'm always glad to return. It's always a breath of fresh air to go back and compete at one of the first triathlons I raced as a pro so many years ago. I love not having to take a long flight, sleep in a crazy time zone, and eat weird food, but at the same time I miss the white-knuckled competition I find when I race on the ITU circuit.

San Diego was a great race, but I am really looking forward to going to Europe in three weeks to race in Hamburg and London against the best in the world. World Championship Series races always present unique challenges and the toughest competition, but it's also the kind of racing I've found that I love so much.

Thanks, as always, for your support. Races like San Diego remind me of why I got into the sport, and at the same time help me realize that I will not be content unless I am racing the very best. Thank you for the continuing support that has allowed me to come so far in the past few years, and I am excited knowing that the future still hold so much!"

AVP Virginia Beach Open

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:36:00 -0700

Joey Dykstra's report on AVP Virginia Beach Open:

"This event went much better than Huntington for Adam and I. We played better all around winning our first match in 3 sets against Curtis Jackson and Kevin McColloch, a very energetic team that has lots of fire and can unload on their jump serves. The next match we had a rematch against the team that knocked us out the previous weekend, Matt Fuerbringer and Nick Lucena. They played very well winning the first set 14-21. However in the second set we made a big run to tie up the game at 21-21 only to lose 21-23 on center court. With thought we had some good opportunities to take it to 3 sets but just didn't execute. Still we felt good about how we battled back and were ready for the next round. We then beat a good qualifier team who upset a main draw team in the first round of the contenders bracket. We won the first game by out blocking them. the second set however they came back blasting jump serves and getting a big lead for most of the set. The third and deciding se t was in our favor when we held a 3 or 4 point lead most of the time and ended up winning 15-9. The next round was going to be a tough one against the Brazilian team of Pedro Brazao and Fred Souza. We played hard despite the heat and humidity only to fall short of staying alive in the tournament and losing the match 16-21 and 16-21. So we finished 13th. Through the day it was difficult to stay cool and had to constantly drink water, electro mix, NPC whey protein powder, D-Ribose, and Glutamine to stay strong. By the end of the tournament Adam and I had positive thoughts about our play and are excited to keep improving. This weekend we have another great opportunity in Belmar, New Jersey."

New Performance Nutrition to give Fly V australia wings

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:31:00 -0700

New Performance Nutrition, the makers of ultra pure pharmaceutical grade vitamins, supplements, 100% natural energy bars, whey and endurance powders is proud to sponsor the Fly V Australia Pro Cycling Team.

“Fly V Australia has put together a tremendous program with eyes on being the first Australian Pro Tour team,” said NPN’s Director of Sales and Marketing. “We are thrilled to be partnering with this organization and support them and all their objectives.”

In addition to supplying the riders with ultra pure products, NPN will be conducting a series of tests to help craft and monitor the team’s daily nutrition needs. NPN will create a custom nutrition program based on the data from VO2, the athlete’s biochemistry, blood work and full mineral, hormonal and lipid profiles.

“Every athlete is unique and has individual requirements that make them function at the highest level, “said Matt Mahowald NPN‘s founder. “For over 16 years I’ve been developing custom programs utilizing the latest technology for athletes in all sports to perform at their peak. We are very excited to bring our services to this talented team of professionals”

“NPN’s attention to detail and their drive to provide outstanding Nutrition products is strongly aligned to our mantra of being the best we can be.” Said Team Managing Director, Chris White. Chris went on to say, “It’s the little things that make the difference and with NPN providing us with the very best in Nutrition and nutritional support we are well positioned in front of the pack.”

About New Performance Nutrition

NPN offers a full-line of nutritional products and supplements – all 98% pure and pharmaceutical grade. So whether your specific goals require whey protein powder, energy bars, supplements or vitamins, you can trust New Performance Nutrition to get you there safely and effectively.

Our individual nutritional program is scientifically designed to meet your specific needs based on your lipid profiles. We use medical information and progressive medical practices to create a personalized program for each client. We take the time to get to know the person, including their lifestyle, stress levels and personal goals. We assess the bio-chemical engine to provide nutrition and training protocols designed to enhance an individual’s performance.

For more information please visit www.newpfc.com .

Ben Day flies to ITT win and overall lead Tour de Beauce

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:29:00 -0700

Ben Day convincingly won today’s Stage 4 Time Trial with 1.01 separating him from second place and in the process taking both the Yellow jersey (overall leader) and White jersey (points classification).

Ben’s win today adds to his growing list of ITT wins in 2010 that started in February at the Calville Bay Classic and have since included wins in the race of Truth at; San Dimas, Redlands and Gatineau.

Fly V Australia teammate Darren Rolfe rode into 3^rd on today’s ITT stage and 2^nd overall at 46 seconds from the race lead. Darren said, “I have been feeling good this week and during the two previous stages I was in long breakaways but seem to have recovered well, to have a good TT and be second behind Ben with two stages to go gives us some great options.”

Ben added, “We also have Jai Crawford inside the first 10 at seventh I think at around 1.30 secs, Jai is coming back from a short competition break and seems to be getting stronger by the day. Having married Isabelle here in Quebec in January this year, it is like being home for me. I am sure that this will give me added motivation to keep the jersey until the end of the Tour.”

As expected the 20-kilometer TT proved decisive with a reshuffle of the contenders for the 2010 Tour de Beauce title. Over night leader Marc de Maar (UHC) lost 1.57 in the stage and now sits in 4^th position 1.18 seconds from the race lead.

With three in the first 10 positions Team Fly V Australia also have taken the lead in the Team’s classification.

Two tough circuit races are ahead in stages 5 and 6 and to retain the race lead Ben and his Fly V Australia teammates will need to be attentive.

Overall general classification heading into Stage 5;

1 Benjamin Day (Aus) Fly V Australia 12:27:19

2 Darren Rolfe (Aus) Fly V Australia 0:00:46

3 Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 0:01:02

4 Marc De Maar (Ned) Unitedhealthcare p/b Maxxis 0:01:18

5 Morgan Schmitt (USA) Unitedhealthcare p/b Maxxis

6 François Parisien (Can) Spidertech p/b Planet Energy 0:01:34

7 Jai Crawford (Aus) Fly V Australia 0:01:36

8 Derrick St-John (Can) Garneau Club Chaussures

9 David Boily (Can) Spidertech p/b Planet Energy 0:01:49

10 Ryan Roth (Can) Spidertech p/b Planet Energy 0:01:52

Fly V australia first and second overall, Tour de Beauce, Canada

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:28:00 -0700

Ben Day has clinched the overall title at Tour de Beauce and in doing so, repeats his overall win from 2007.

In another great display of depth in V australia’s roster, Darren Rolfe was 2^nd overall, the Team won the Team’s classification and Ben won the points classification to add to his overall win.

Ben Day noted, “Each of my teammates this week earnt the success that we have achieved in Beauce. Right from Stage 1 on Tuesday when Jay Thomson went on the attack, I have seen each won of my teammates riding towards this win today. David Tanner’s stage win; Charles Dionne, Jai Crawford and Darren Lill dedicating themselves to our overall result was tremendous. With support from them it was hard not to win.”

Ben added, “To win the Tour de Beauce for a 2nd time is a dream come true and something that I hold close to my heart with my wife and family being from this area. I dedicate this to them.”

Today’s stage was much the same as yesterday on a beautiful course but unlike Stage 5, rain increased the degree of difficulty. In the end both Ben and Darren finished safely with the leaders to retain their positions ahead of the field in the general classification.

Team DS, Ed Beamon said, “Today was a tough day to defend the jersey but the boys did a fantastic job. Taking the jersey at the TT with two days to go meant we only had to control the race for two days, even so with such hard and fast racing this week, the boys were pretty well spent. I have had a good track record here in Beauce in the past, this is my fourth overall win as a DS, a record that I am proud of.”

Ben Day becomes the second only two time winner if Beauce’s 26 year history.

Tanner delivers, wins stage 2 Tour de Beauce

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:14:00 -0700

Beauce, Canada – David Tanner has been in scintillating form in recent weeks and has delivered a strong win in Stage 2 of the Tour de Beauce.

Covering the 160-kilometer stage in 4 hours neat meant that the race was hard and fast from the start.

Fly V Australia were well placed throughout with Darren Rolfe in the main break of the day. The break enjoyed most of the day off the front but never gained the type of advantage that was required to fight out the finish between themselves. With 20 kilometers left to race it looked likely that the break would be caught.

Dave Tanner said, “When we were pretty sure that the break was coming back, we go set for the stage win. I had Jay Thomson to take me to the 400-meter mark where I was meant to be leading Charles Dionne out but we lost contact and when Metlushenko (Amore & Vita) went I got a great ride to the line. Since my win a couple of weeks ago in Somerville I have been feeling really good and I hope to carry this form all the way through Beauce.”

Tomorrow’s Stage 3, 155 km – 1,800meters of vertical climbing and Mountain Top finish is set to be decisive. A strong result will be important in Stage 3 for those with ambition for the overall.

Overall general classification heading into Stage 3;

1 Rafael Serrano Fernandez (Spa) Heraklio-Murcia 8:11:10

2 David Tanner (Aus) Fly V Australia 0:00:13

3 Sergiy Grechyn (Ukr) Amore & Vita - Conad 0:00:15

4 Andrew Pinfold (Can) Unitedhealthcare p/b Maxxis 0:00:19

5 Charles Dionne (Can) Fly V Australia

6 Darren Rolfe (Aus) Fly V Australia 0:00:21

7 Jean-Sébastien Perron (Can) Garneau Club Chaussures 0:00:22

8 Roger Beuchat (Swi) CKT Champion System 0:00:23

9 Hugo Houle (Can) Garneau Club Chaussures

10 Derrick St-John (Can) Garneau Club Chaussures

11 Benjamin Day (Aus) Fly V Australia

Chris Foster takes on the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Des Moines, finishing with a stellar performance!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:38:00 -0700

After having raced on four different continents for the beginning of my 2010 season, last weekend was a real change of scenery as I traveled to Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the Hy-Vee Triathlon. Offering the largest prize purse in the sport of triathlon ($200,000 to the winner of both the men's and women's race!), Hy-Vee attracts the absolute best in the world for a shot at the big prize. All active Olympic medalists, a host of world champions, and every big name in the sport showed up in Des Moines on Sunday for a day of fast racing. In addition, NBC was filming a full-length segment about the race so the course was littered with TV cameras, camera-laden motorcycles, and helicopters catching the action as it unfolded--this race was certainly the big stage!

The morning before the race was plagued with the threat of thunderstorms and rumors of possible delays, cancellations, and "sprint-ification" of the course. Fortunately as race time neared the clouds lifted, the temperatures rose, and the race was on.

When the gun went off, over 70 men (well over the ITU World Cup limit) dove into the murky waters for a raging fast swim. The swim was made even faster by a huge bonus waiting for the first man out of the water. The large group and fast pace made for a particularly violent swim with lots of contact--kicking, punching, pulling, and fighting the whole way. After a solid first lap of the swim, the group accelerated and I lost a little bit of contact. Going into the bike, I had a few other athletes around me, but I had a small gap to make up.

After riding hard for about five miles, I was able to bridge the gap up to the main group of roughly 65 on the tight and twisty course. Once I joined the group, I knew I had to move to the front--difficult because of the huge group and tight roads--so I took the only open route and rode the gravel shoulder on the side of the road! After getting some surprised looks from the other guys, I took a little time to relax and set a slightly faster pace in order to catch another rider who had gone 30 seconds off the front. While on the front, I did my best to soften the legs of the weaker riders in the back, all the while securing a little bit of TV time for myself and sponsors...haha! The pace continued to quicken as people took turns trying to attack off the front. However, none of the attacks stuck, and we came flying into transition as one giant group.

I was positioned well near the front of the group, and as we racked our bikes and put on our shoes, everyone took off almost sprinting. I found out later that our first kilometer was run in 2:40 (around 4:19 per mile pace!!). Unfortunately this crazy pace took its toll on everyone pretty quickly and guys began to fade halfway through the run. I did my best to hang on for dear life, and still have a respectable run and a good overall result.

I finished 19th overall, and 2nd American in the field--beating some big names in the sport such as Matt Reed, Brad Kahlefeldt, Stuart Hayes, and others. I was also able to beat many of the guys who had been ahead of me earlier in the season at WCS races in Sydney and Seoul. My ranking has also moved up to 31st in the world on the ITU Points List and third American!

I am very happy with my overall performance given the stellar and highly motivated ($$) field in Hy-Vee. Everyone who showed up was rested, ready to race, and gunning for the big prize. At the same time, I am proving that I can be a consistent performer for the US team, which will help my chances to make the Olympic Team in 2012. While many are starting to level off in their racing, I am still improving, and I know my best races are still to come.

Thanks, as always, for everyone's support through these busy (and expensive!) seasons. My sponsors, family, friends, and fans really help me through all of these tough high-profile races. I have always made it my goal to race the absolute best, and I am now starting to get my chance. I am confident that as my experience grows at this level, my performances will continue an upward path.

As a final note, mark the calendar for Sunday, July 4 at 2pm (time zone unknown...) immediately following the Wimbeldon men's final--NBC will be broadcasting a full-length show about the Hy-Vee Triathlon with extra footage and better commentating than the live internet show. I'll try to send out another e-mail as the date gets closer, but it should be a great program!