The Scoop on Oatmeal

By Marni Sumbal (for usatriathlon.org)

I love oats. I find myself getting creative with oatmeal and not just eating it for breakfast, and I typically use instant oats and add in fruits, raisins and nuts. I've never used steel cut oats but I'm always open to trying new things. Although any food that undergoes processing will be lower in certain vitamins and minerals than a highly processed food, I am not suggesting that you have to use steel cut oats over instant.

For most of us, we choose from three different types of oatmeal. While oats provide a number of health benefits, some kinds of oatmeal are better than others.

I found this on Chow.com:....

Rub shoulders with the Pros.

Join OptumHealth Performance for a fun, FREE event to meet the 2012 men's and women's Optum Pro Cycling team where you'll enjoy full access to talk to the riders and coaches of the team, including 2011 Nature Valley Grand Prix champion Jesse Anthony and 2012 Olympic hopeful Janel Holcomb.

Enjoy the sponsor expo where you'll get to check out the Pro's gear and learn what it takes to fuel these riders.

Come early, the first 50 attendees get a free Optum t-shirt that you can have autographed by the team.

Ride one of the team bikes on our CompuTrainers to see how your cycling power measures up against a Pro rider....

How I Spent My “Off” Season and/or Doing Stupid Things So You Don’t Have To...

By Jason Digman

One of the greatest things about endurance sports, in my opinion, is the fact that we’ve created all these different absurd things to do, and somehow we’ve gotten others to join us. Why would I want to swim and bike before running a long way? Why would I want to ride my bike around a park in cold weather while occasionally jumping off to run up hills too steep or slippery to ride up? The second of the stupid options I just mentioned, and by stupid I mean that in the best way possible, is cyclocross. This fall and winter I did some fun races and this article is about those adventures.

I’ve been involved in multisport since 1997 having done all sort of races. I really enjoy the challenge and fun of multisport, it’s why I spend so much time surrounded by it. Over the last few years, I have developed an interest in cyclocross as well, in some ways it’s the yin and yang of triathlon. At a larger level they have similarities, i.e. riding a bike, but the specifics and feeling of each are quite different. Before getting into this in too much depth, I should briefly recap the gist of cyclocross for those of you who are not very familiar with it.

Going Off Course - Have you ever hiked gaspingly to the top of what you thought was a pointy-top mountain and discovered that it didn't really have a pointy top? Talk about disappointment!

When Twin Citizen triathlete Tiffany Storms (photo L) arrived at the top of Mount Normandale, the least-publicized member of Colorado's 14,000+ foot Collegiate Peaks (the others are Mt. Harvard, Mt. Oxford, Mt. Stanford, Mt. Columbia and Mt. Yale), she found that there was enough room up there to park a couple of rock star tour buses. She had hoped to be able to balance on the point for a full minute, sorta like the guy in the photo (R), which she later learned wasn't real. (The guy was Photoshopped into the pic. If you enlarge the shot you'll be able to see a rock star tour bus parked alongside the heel of his left foot.)

A few years have passed and Tiffany, who is very, very pretty and looks great in an Ironman beanie, can finally laugh about her dispiriting mountain adventure....

ED. We filched this motivating story and images from Craig Alexander's Facebook page.

A new study called, "Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass in Masters Athletes," which you can read HERE graphically illustrates what happens to your muscles (with and without) the type of regular and beneficial exercise that the sport of triathlon provides....

OptumHealth Performance Indoor Tri #1 - A research study at a semi-prestigious community college in Nickeragwah (phonetic spelling), wherein nine people were interviewed, proved conclusively that ONLY COOL PEOPLE BECOME TRIATHLETES.

Truer gibberish was never spoken, and the findings of that groundbreaking study were echoed loudly on Sunday at the inaugural Optumhealth Performance Indoor Tri, which launched the 2012 OHP Indoor Series. Only cool people were there.

Like who, you ask?

* Well, let's start with Trisha, 15, from Prior Lake, who is as cute as a button. She rides a Cervelo, which means that her parents are doing okay financially. Lately, she's been bugging her mom, who is very, very...

Star Events opens North American office and names new General Manager

January 20 - Star Events owned by Star Production SARL and Star Events USA announce their selection of Lindsey Kurhajetz to fulfill the new position of General Manager for the North American development, branding and operations of the TriStar Series and GranFondo USA cycling events. Under the direction of Star Events Board Member Brett Craig and Chief Operating Officer Olivier Castelli, Kurhajetz’s work begins immediately to launch the high quality sporting events in popular North American destinations.

“Our expansion into the U.S. marks a significant milestone for Star Events. This development allows us to bring new ideas, formats and experiences to the vibrant U.S. market. Now with Lindsey at the helm and an emerging team, I’m excited for the year to unfold,” said Star Events Chairmen and CEO Georg Hochegger.

“After a search that included many qualified candidates, we are very fortunate to bring Lindsey into the General Manager role. The combination of her leadership, dedication and energy was for us, a paramount decision,” confirms Brett Craig, Star Events Board Member....

By Erika Sperl-Imhoff

With temperatures well below freezing, there might be one or two (or ten thousand) Minnesotans wishing they could “get out” right about now. Personally, I’d rather spend three months in a toaster oven than deal with temperatures like this, but year after year I find myself still here and loving the [all too short] non-winter season. They’ve gotta be putting something in our water…

Back on track. Should you be pining for a piña colada or any other semblance of summer and warmth, there are a few getaways that just might tickle your fancy. At the very least, dreaming about sunny sandy beaches just might warm you up from -11° to -10°.

1. A training camp

If you’re married, hopefully it’s to another triathlete, or they might not be as enthusiastic as you about this “wonderful escape!” If your single, book two camps back to back and tell your boss, sianara sucka!! (Kidding… don’t get fired please.) Google..

NOOSA HEADS, Australia (AP) Chris McCormack's friends joked that he was going through a… Read

USA Triathlon announced today that it has renewed its partnership with official supplier Athletes… Read

At today's U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly in Colorado Springs, Colo., Charlie Paddock was… Read

Team USA athletes impressed on the world multisport stage Sunday by claiming 14 age group world… Read

Three-time Olympian Hunter Kemper won a record seventh career men’s elite national title, and… Read