Tis the Season for Fresh Tart Cherry Juice

Terry VanderWert on May 10, 2020

tart cherry tree in bloom

A few weeks ago, bright white blossoms covered the Montmorency cherry trees in our backyard. My thought? First, I was reminded at how beautiful they are. Next, I began to imagine the fresh cherry juice, cherry flavored kombucha, and tart cherry salsa we would soon enjoy.

The taste of freshly picked and pitted fruit from these cherry trees is wonderful. However, the mouth puckering liquid from this fruit also heals and strengthens. You see, tart cherries are packed with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds.

Incorporating tart cherry juice as part of a healthy eating pattern can be a great way to add variety into an individual’s diet.

Sikako Minagawa, MS, RDN, Peak Performance Sports Nutrition, LLC

Related post: What Masters Athletes Need To Know About Nutrition

What Does the Science Say?

On February 20, 2020, the Cherry Marketing Institute issued a press release titled “New Meta-Analysis: Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate Found to Help Improve Endurance Exercise Performance”.

For the report cited in this release, researchers analyzed results of ten separate studies on the role of tart cherry juice on performance in endurance exercise. Only those based on randomized controlled trials were included in the research.

For their work, researchers used meta-analysis to analyze the combined results of individual studies. For reference, meta-analysis is a common research method. Meta-analysis applies statistical analysis to dig deeper into combined results of multiple scientific studies that address the same question.

According to the press release, co-author Philip Chilibeck, PhD, professor in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan concluded:

“The results of this meta-analysis found that tart cherries did help improve performance, and we gained greater insight into the potential mechanism responsible for this benefit.

Other findings of the study were:

  • Timing: Tart cherry concentrate is effective when taken for 7 days to up to 1-1/2 hours before exercise.
  • Fitness level: The least trained athletes showed the lowest improvement from consuming tart cherry juice.
  • Dose: The daily consumption of anthocyanins (compounds with anti-oxidant properties) by study participants ranged from 66 to 2,760 mg. However, the study did not identify the relationship between the amount of tart cherry concentrate consumed and athletic performance.
  • Mechanism: Improvements in performance are most likely related to the low glycemic index, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and blood flow enhancing effects of tart cherry concentrate.

How Can Triathletes Most Benefit from Tart Cherry Juice?

According to registered dietician Beth Schutt, tart cherry juice has the greatest benefit for athletes who are well into their training plan. In an article for USA Triathlon, she wrote:

“It is readily agreed upon, though, that prior to racing and directly after racing, tart cherry is most useful.  For the athlete who is deep into racing season and in a cycle of race, recover, repeat, tart cherry should be on the menu consistently.”

As the study cited above shows, there is less benefit when beginning to train and during the base building phase. Conversely, tart cherry juice’s benefits for recovery and performance become more valuable as race day approaches.

Benefits Beyond Sports Performance

For older adults, there are additional reasons for consuming tart cherries. According to registered dietician Sakiko Minagawa:

“In addition to sports performance, research suggests other benefits for older adults. Tart cherry juice may help reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and LDL cholesterol in this group.”

Looking for Tart Cherry Juice?

Not sure where to purchase tart cherry juice or its other forms (powder, juice concentrate)? One source is Swanson Vitamins. Please note that Senior Triathletes is an affiliate of this business. This means I will earn a small commission on any purchases from this company if you use this link.

Leave Your Questions and Comments Below

What is your go-to food or drink for post exercise recovery?

“Atomic Habits” for Triathletes

Terry VanderWert on March 19, 2020

cover of Atomic Habits by James Clear

“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear is for those, including triathletes, who wish to create new, performance-enhancing habits. It is also for those who want to eliminate destructive habits.

In the introduction to the book, Mr. Clear shares a powerful case study involving the British Cycling team. By applying the principles in this book, the team went from a perennial loser on the world stage during the 20th and early 21st centuries to the dominant competitor from 2007 to 2017.

During this ten-year period, British cyclists earned 178 world championships and sixty-six Olympic or Paralympic gold medals. They also won five Tour de France races.

This is the first example of many that highlights how so-called atomic habits have been used to improve fitness training, running, and personal and professional development efforts.

Following are my takeaways from the book, from the perspective of a triathlete.

What are ‘Atomic Habits’?

Atomic habits are regular activities or routines that, while small (hence the word ‘atomic’) and easy to do, provide significant impact (also related to ‘atomic’) on a process. Repeating these over time (as a habit) leads to a compounding effect.

According to James Clear, “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them.”1

Developing the habit of consistent, regular, and structured training is an example of an atomic habit related to triathlon.

How to Develop Positive ‘Atomic Habits’

“Atomic Habits” summarizes the approach to developing new, performance-enhancing habits in a two-step process:

  • Determine the person you want to be and how you want to be defined.
  • Take small actions that prove that you are this person. Repeat these actions.

In How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide, James Clear clarifies what he means by ‘small’ relative to new actions.

One of the actionable pieces of advice from this book is “Start with a small habit”. Or, to say it another way, begin with an activity to which you cannot say ‘No’ because it is so easy to do.

This can, for example, mean combining walking and running until your fitness reaches the point that you can run for an entire session. It can also mean breaking up a larger activity into smaller ones. An example of this principle is swimming 10 minutes separated by a rest rather than swimming 20 minutes right away.

Before you know it, you are running the entire distance or swimming for 20 minutes (or more) without a break.

Related post: Book Review: The New Psycho-Cybernetics

Focus On Who You Want To Become

Rather than focusing on the action you want to achieve (such as to complete an Olympic-distance triathlon), the approach described in “Atomic Habits” starts with defining yourself in terms of the person who will achieve the goal.

In the triathlon example, the person makes the subtle but important change to define him/herself as an Olympic triathlete. From here, the triathlete develops a training plan, eating habits, sleep behaviors, and so on (the process) consistent with an Olympic-distance triathlete.

The new habits develop through a four-step process detailed in the book and described in the first column of the table below.

StepMakes an object of a good habitMakes an object of a bad habit
CueObviousInvisible
CravingAttractiveUnattractive
ResponseEasyDifficult
RewardSatisfyingUnsatisfying

James Clear also describes ways to make sure the new habit sticks. These include habit stacking (combining an existing positive habit with the desired new habit), changing the environment, and reframing a habit (from “I have to go for a run” to “I get to go out into the fresh air and improve my heart health”).

You will also learn about the Diderot Effect and the Goldilocks Rule and how these can support building new habits.

Be Patient, New Habits Require Time

It often takes time to make new habits part of our new-normal routine. Mr. Clear cautions us to be wary of how we interpret the results as we work to develop new habits.

The tendency is to expect linear results. For example, in my training, I expect to see consistent (linear) reductions in my 5k time as I restart running after a break. However, this is not the way results typically come.

The graph of Results vs. Time below shows Mr. Clear’s representation of our expectations and experience as we build new habits.

Figure 1: Plateau of Latent Potential from page 22 of “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.

While we expect linear results, actual results are non-linear. The gap between the expected and actual results creates what Clear calls a “Valley of Disappointment”.

Seeing this graph for the first time created an ‘Aha-moment’. My experiences in run training definitely follow this, one reason that patience is so important. When impatience wins, I will try to speed up the results by training harder or longer. The result is usually injury and longer recovery time.

Summary

Our beliefs and the views of ourself can be engaged to drive processes that help us achieve our goals. Focusing on becoming the person we want to be can lead to greater performance than if we had focused on the goal. Atomic habits help us become who we want to be and perform at a higher level.

For More Information About “Atomic Habits”

“Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” is available in print and audio versions at Amazon.com by clicking the link or picture below.

Throughout the book, James Clear refers to resources on his website for creating atomic habits. Please checkout the website at https://jamesclear.com/.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

  1. Clear, James, “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”, Avery, 1st edition (October 16, 2018), p. 17.)

Affiliate disclosure

Share Your Questions and Comments Below

What has helped you develop new habits related to triathlon? Let me know what you think about the ideas presented here.

This post, originally published in March 2020, was updated on February 23, 2022.

Why Should Seniors Use A Triathlon Coach?

Terry VanderWert on February 7, 2020

Dr. Jeff Sankoff, the Tri Doc, triathlete and triathlon coach for seniors

Why would a senior triathlete hire a coach for triathlon training? Triathlon coach, Dr. Jeff Sankoff, also known as The Tri Doc, shares his thoughts.

Meet the Tri Doc

I became acquainted with senior triathlete Dr. Jeff Sankoff during the January 23, 2020 episode of the Tri Swim Coach podcast. In that conversation, Jeff shared five common myths of triathlon, including the myth that we must get slower as we get older.

Since then, I have also listened to several episodes of the Tri Doc podcast which Jeff produces. Jeff is an Ironman University certified triathlon coach and finisher of over 50 triathlons of various distances. He is also a husband, father, and emergency physician living in Denver, Colorado.

Jeff possesses a unique ability to communicate information from his medical training in a manner that I can easily understand.

After listening to Jeff, I asked him to make a case for triathletes age 50 and over to hire a coach for their triathlon training. I came away from our conversation with a new perspective which I have organized into three reasons for seniors to hire a triathlon coach.

Before Starting Triathlon Training

Jeff recommends that anyone with risk factors for heart disease should be cleared for training by a medical doctor before beginning training. You may have heard of deaths that have occurred during triathlons, rare as they are. Check out the Tri Doc podcast from July 22, 2019 for more on this subject.

The Tri Doc’s Three Reasons for Hiring A Triathlon Coach for Seniors

Many older athletes are intimidated by the thought of doing a triathlon, often because of its three sports, one which may be especially challenging to an individual. For many this is swimming. This was also the case for Jeff.

Triathlon is an underappreciated sport for older athletes.

Dr. Jeff Sankoff, The Tri Doc

The reality, according to Jeff, is that triathlon is excellent for older athletes precisely because it does involve three sports. Training for the three sports of triathlon leads to a broader range of fitness and reduces the risk of overuse injuries common in older athletes.

So, now that you are convinced of the merits of triathlon, consider the reasons you should hire a coach to guide your training.

Reason#1: Realistic Goal Setting

Goals are useful for new and experienced triathletes alike. They provide clarity for defining and for evaluating the results of a training plan. For this reason, goal setting is one of the first benefits of hiring a coach.

For the beginner triathlete, one who ‘doesn’t know what he doesn’t know’, this can be especially valuable. The triathlon coach will work with the athlete to identify his/her goals. The coach can also provide a ‘sanity-check’ on the individual’s goals, helping the triathlete set achievable ones and prioritize triathlon gear purchases.

To illustrate, let me share how a triathlon coach would have helped me with my first triathlon.

To be clear, I did not have a coach. However, before my first triathlon, I read almost everything on triathlon that I could find and trained diligently in swimming, biking, and running. My daughter and I held a mock triathlon, including the transitions, a week before the race. I felt prepared.

However, days before the race, my thoughts ranged from ‘just finishing’ to ‘winning my age group’. I really had no clue of what the race would be like.

On race day, I saw my first tri-bikes, initially in the transition area and then as they sped past my hybrid bike and me as if I was leisurely riding in the park with my youngest grandchild.

I finished with relative ease but also learned that there are some very fit ‘old people’. There were many other lessons from that day, all learned while I fell in love with the sport.

In hindsight, a coach would have helped me set realistic goals beyond finishing the race.

Reason #2: Smarter Triathlon Training

Are you looking to compete in a longer distance triathlon? Or do you have your heart set on standing on the podium at the awards ceremony of a major triathlon? If you and your coach agree that your goals are realistic, the coach will provide a roadmap for realizing them.

A coach typically begins with an assessment of the athlete’s current fitness and capability in the three sports. Jeff usually requests videos of the athlete swimming, biking, and running. He studies these videos to identify changes to the swim stroke, bike fit, and running form that will improve performance and reduce the possibility for injury.

With focused goals for the training, the coach will develop a customized training plan for the triathlete. The customized plan often includes advice for recovery and nutrition and a strategy for race day.

Through periodic communication, the coach and triathlete will review progress against the plan and make any adjustments, keeping in mind the athlete-specific goals and the reality that our bodies are less forgiving of training errors as we age.

Reason #3: Minimizing Injury

As we age, we become more prone to overuse injuries. For this reason, all Tri Doc training plans incorporate strength training.

Most people misunderstand strength training as part of triathlon training. For example, many of us have visions of bulging biceps and broad shoulders when we think of strength training. However, bulk is not the aim in triathlon training.

Example of a strength training plan by Jeff Sankoff Tri Doc, triathlon coach for seniors
Strength training is an essential part of triathlon training according to Tri Doc, Dr. Jeff Sankoff. Pictured is an example of a personalized plan. Picture courtesy of The Tri Doc.

Instead, the goal of strength training is to maintain the muscle that we have and strengthen muscles around joints to prevent injury. Strength training is especially important for older athletes since muscle loss occurs at an increasing rate as we age.

Should injuries occur, the triathlon coach will ‘tweak’ the training schedule so the athlete continues to increase their fitness and endurance while the injury heals.

Related post: Six Principles of Triathlon Training for Seniors

Not everyone needs a coach but everyone can find a reason to hire a coach.

Dr. Jeff Sankoff, The Tri Doc

One More Benefit of a Triathlon Coach for Seniors

Most triathletes in their 50s, 60s, and 70s are highly motivated and competitive. However, as we become less energetic or suffer injury, the motivation to train can wane. A coach will encourage the older athlete to continue training and racing, helping him/her recover from injury and even reach new levels of performance.

Related post: 5 Ideas for Staying Motivated with Age Young – A Conversation with Tony Schiller

What Does It Cost to Hire a Triathlon Training Coach?

Jeff described two approaches for amateur triathletes to involve a triathlon coach in their training:

  • Purchase a ‘canned’ training plan – For somewhere around $30/month, one can purchase a training plan based on a specified triathlon distance (e.g. sprint, Olympic, Half-Ironman, Ironman). Most plans are not age-specific, a major concern to this audience.
  • Personalized coaching – This approach provides the triathlete regular access, usually by phone, text message, and email, to a triathlon coach. The goal setting, video analysis, and personalized training plans referred to above are included. The cost, which typically ranges from $150/month to up to $600/month for elite athletes, depends mostly on the frequency of interaction between the athlete and coach. Jeff’s average monthly fee is around $200.

One caveat. Many, but not all, triathlon coaches are certified by organizations such as USA Triathlon or Ironman University. Some experienced triathletes are also coaches, even though they have not taken time to become certified. Do the research, putting your relevant life skills to work.

For More Information

Email Dr. Jeff Sankoff, The Tri Doc, at tri_doc@icloud.com with questions and for more information about his coaching services.

Leave Your Questions and Comments Below

What has been your experience with triathlon coaches?

How have they helped you with training and racing?

Please share your comments below.

5 Ideas for Staying Young – A Conversation with Tony Schiller

Terry VanderWert on December 20, 2019

Tony Schiller exiting the swim in Lake Erie at the 2019 USAT National Championship for the Olympic distance triathlon.

“People give up their youth too quickly”.

Tony Schiller’s words resonated, to the point of making me feel guilty. That is precisely what I was doing – giving up my youth with only a little resistance.

So, how do we avoid becoming old too quickly? By staying active. Day-in, day-out activity reduces, and sometimes reverses, aging. Science supports this.

Related post: Six Principles of Triathlon Training for Seniors

I hope that this post will give you some ideas to remain active and compete in triathlon events even when the drive to do so wanes.

But, first, a bit about Tony. You will see why his perspective is worth listening to.

Meet Tony Schiller, Fitness Champion on Many Levels

I am embarrassed to say that I was not acquainted with Tony Schiller until I skimmed the Fall 2019 issue of USA Triathlon magazine. Tony was listed as the winner of the 60-64 age group in both the Sprint and Olympic distances at the 2019 USA Triathlon National Championships.

Since the article listed Tony’s home as Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb a few miles from my home, I contacted him. He graciously agreed to speak to me.

Why the embarrassment? I learned during our conversation that Tony has been involved in the sport of triathlon since its earliest days, even racing professionally. Running and later triathlon turned out to be his sports.

During a career that is far from being over, Tony has achieved seven world championships. He is also one of only two men to be named USA Triathlon’s Male Amateur Triathlete of the Year (1995) and Masters Triathlete of the Year (2002 and 2015).

A Disturbing Trend

In speaking with children of all ages about the benefits of endurance sports, Tony observed that each year, the children appeared to be less fit than the previous year.

Deciding to do more than just speak about fitness, Tony introduced the MiracleKids Triathlon. The mission of the triathlon was “to build a world-class race to motivate kids and inspire fundraising for families of kids fighting cancer.” Over the next ten years, 12,500 kids, including two of my grandchildren, raced in the event. They also raised $4.5 million to help kids with cancer. 

In 2014, Tony co-founded CycleHealth as a Minnesota 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to kid wellness. CycleHealth merged with the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities in 2017. Today, they work together to sponsor endurance events around the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

Tony Schiller with four-time finisher of the CycleHealth Resilinator. This time, the young man finished the 2.4 mile course using crutches,
Tony Schiller with a four-time finisher of the CycleHealthTM ResilinatorTM. This time, the young man finished the 2.4 mile course using crutches, Talk about inspiring! (Picture courtesy of Tony Schiller.)

Another small-world-story was born when Tony told me of one of their events, a race at Fish Lake Park in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Ironically, I have watched this event twice, once from our living room window. The second time, I was so curious about what was happening at the park that I walked over to check it out from the ground.

Besides problems with youth fitness, Tony also recognized that adults became less active with age, often out of lack of interest or motivation. This has not been Tony’s experience, however. He has maintained an enjoyment for swimming, biking, and running making him an ideal champion for triathlon and other fitness activities.

Five Ways to Keep the Passion for Fitness Alive

The challenge of keeping the passion to train alive is real. 2019 was the first season within the decade of the 2010s in which I did not complete a triathlon. Why? No excuses; just a matter of priority. I did not train as I needed to race competitively so took the year off.

But I cannot quit. I have nine more states in which to complete triathlons after which Joy and I will have been in every USA state for a triathlon. This is what we call the ‘Triathlon Across the USA’ adventure.

“You aren’t old until age becomes your excuse.”

Joe Friel

During our conversation, Tony shared the importance of staying active. He also described ways he has seen work, some he has applied, and some he is planning to use. I added a couple to round out the list.

I am sure you have other ideas or experiences so please share your comments below.

#1 Set goals

My goal of completing a triathlon is each state will run-out, Lord willing, within the next two or three years. Then what do I do?

Set a new goal.

Tony’s advice: “It’s best to set goals that don’t run out”. However, if you do, think ahead for goals that will not run-out.

One of Tony’s ideas is to set a goal of “Eight triathlons in my 80s, nine triathlons in my 90s, etc.”. Or, if you are like Tony, you set a goal of winning a world championship in your age group in each decade.

#2 Sign up for a race

Over the last few years, my wife and I sit down around the first of a new year to decide on a road trip/triathlon schedule for the coming year. What area would we like to explore? Who would we like to visit?

We are grateful that we have used travel to triathlons to visit many friends and family members. Some of these are no longer with us.

Tired of racing alone? What about racing with a friend, spouse, child, or even a grandchild? My oldest grandson and I are planning to complete the California triathlon in the 50-state goal together.

for Tony Schiller post - family celebration at the 2014 Maple Grove Triathlon
Completing a triathlon with family members can be a great motivator.

Related post: The Road to Ironman Triathlon – Laurent Labbe’s Story

Wow, I just realized that I have another goal, to beat my grandson in the triathlon we do together. The challenge is that he is both a competitive swimmer and distance runner in high school. And he has access to a great road bike. Better get serious!

“Age is a matter of mind over matter—if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Jack Benny

#3 Work at moving younger

What does it mean to move younger? Tony Schiller describes it like this.

“When I first see someone running along a road on which I am driving or running, I guess their age based on how they are moving – their posture, stride, foot bounce, etc. As I get closer, I adjust the guess. Finally, when I am beside them, I look at their face. Are they moving younger or older than their age? If their form makes them look younger than I guessed, they are moving younger.”

Today, Tony’s training includes a focus on moving younger. For example, “If I am swimming, I will focus on proper form, such as extending my reach”.

#4 Get ‘really’ good at swimming, biking, and running

In his latest book Master of One1, Jordan Raynor concludes “It is only when we get insanely good at what we do that we don’t just fall in love with our work but stay in love with it over a long period of time”. Having read the book, I am sure that Jordan would agree that this applies to non-work activities to which we have committed ourselves.

#5 Join a triathlon club

I follow the Facebook page of The Villages Triathlon Club. This triathlon club provides encouragement and training opportunities for newbie sprint triathletes; accomplished iron-men and -women in their 60s, 70s, and beyond; and everyone in between. The Club is there for everyone interested in getting and staying fit.

Check the related posts that include interviews with two of the members of the club.

Related post: “My First Sprint Triathlon was in 19 Days” – Pat Johnson’s Story

Related post: ‘Gotta Tri’ – Triathlon in The Villages, Florida

How Do You Keep the Passion Alive?

The five ideas presented here are not the only ones. If you have found other ways to stay active despite the challenges of age, please share them with the Senior Triathletes community.

  1. Jordan Raynor, “Master of One – Find and Focus on the Work You Were Created to Do”, p. 192, Penguin Random House LLC.
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