PROTEIN: The Pros, Cons, and Confusion
Copyright: Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD September 2007

Athletes who want to build muscles and recover well from workouts often feel confused by ads for protein supplements. They wonder how much and what kinds of protein they should consume - and if egg whites or chicken can do the job. The following information can help you optimize your protein intake - and your peace of mind.

The GoLite USARA Adventure Race National Championship is the "Heart & Soul" of Adventure Racing in the United States. Co-ed teams of 3 compete in 45 USARA regional qualifying events across the U.S. for a chance to battle it out for the title of USARA Adventure Race National Champion.

There are several Texas teams to keep an eye on this year, including four of our very own:

• Werewolves of Austin (Ashley E., Tom L., Paul M.)
• Houston Fit AR / The Willies (Jim W., Michele W., Jason W.)
• Oasis Racing (Bobby K., Helena F., Piers P.)
• Houston Fit AR - Endeavor (Chad G., Tracy J., Jason M.)

Chad Holman

So, we've all been there on race day before, right? A teammate forgets an important piece of gear. You see another racer with something you wish you had remembered to bring. An unexpected mishap mid-race is made even worse by being unprepared.

In a sea of pre-race letters, mandatory gear lists and recommended extra equipment, it can be hard to keep your head from spinning - especially in your first few long adventure races. Thankfully, a little bit of forethought and planning can go a long way.

Variations of this fancy gear worksheet (download the Excel file below) have been floating around the AR community for a while now, and I've found it to be absolutely invaluable when planning for your next race. Personalize it to suit your needs, distribute it to your teammates to open the lines of communication and use it as an outline for your pre-race team meeting. You might just find that at your next AR, other racers are looking at you in envy as you pull out that carefully packed zip tie or duct tape that just so happens to save the day.

Copyright: Adventure Racing Zone
www.a dventureracingzone.com

A good team and good teammates are always looking for a way to go faster together. Whether it is making sure that everyone is drinking and eating, or taking weight for a slower teammate or towing. Some people say that your team can only go as fast as your weakest link, but good teams go significantly faster than their weakest link.

We still need a few more volunteers to help make this event a success. If you have any free time on Saturday, November 10th (even if it's just a couple of hours) we can use you! Email Megan at organizer@houstonfitar.com if you'd like to help.

You can read more about the day's activities by clicking on the link below. There's even a cool promo video you can download that mentions the USA Fit AR Clinics.

Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this Sunday, November 4th. The time officially changes at 2:00 am.

Terra Firma (10/6)
Houston Fit AR / Out of Excuses (Coach Alan H., Andrea S., Coach Jason M.) - 4th Coed, Extreme
HoustonFitAR.com (Josh T., Coach Chad H., Coach Tracy J.) - 5th Coed, Extreme
neveresttraining/HFAR (Morris B., Kirk B., Coach Ashley E.) - 6th Coed, Extreme
Oasis Racing (Nicki A., Bobby K., Elliott R.) - 8th Coed, Extreme
Werewolves of Austin/HFAR (Coach Chad G., Sabine B., Kelley S.) - 10th Coed, Extreme
HFAR/Threesome in the Woods (Coach Steve M., Andrea D., Alejandro A.) - 11th Coed, Extreme
Double Team (Deserea W., Kevin B., John M.) - 14th Coed, Extreme
Action Heroes (Jason Q., Sara S., Chris S.) - 16th Coed, Extreme
Double Daves and Helena (Helena F., David T., David F.) - 2nd Coed Masters, Extreme
Spunky Monkeys (Brian C., Damon V., Neil D.) - 5th Male, Extreme
Sausage King HFAR (Ben M., Craig L.) - 20th Male, Basic

Aqua Terra Expedition (10/12-13)
Werewolves of Austin (Tom L., Coach Ashley E.) - 2nd Coed
Oasis Racing (Helena F., Bobby K.) - 4th Coed
Houston Fit AR / The Holmanators (Coach Chad H., Megan H.) - 6th Coed
Houston Fit AR / Raceaholics (Coach Chad G., Nancy A.) - 7th Coed
Girls in Chaos (Nicki A., Cynthia B.) - 1st Female

24 Hours of Dirt - Rocky Hill Ranch (10/20)
HoustonFitAR - Gabe (Gabe H.) - 4th, Solo "Expert" Male
Houston Fit AR - Endeavor (Coach Chad G.) - 5th, Solo "Expert" Male
USA Fit AR (Coach Chad H.) - 14th, Solo "Expert" Male
Houston Fit AR (Coach Ashley E.) - 2nd, Solo Female

TERRA FIRMA AR (clockwise from top left): Sara S. and Andrea D. smile for the camera. | Team HoustonFitAR.com finishes first bike leg. | Team Out of Excuses pre-race. | Team Double Team finishes their first 12-hr race smiling!

If you've got something to say, we want to hear it! Email Megan at organizer@ houstonfitar.com with your articles, photos, story ideas or suggestions, and we will try to include them in our next issue.