"Roadie" Named to Library of Michigan's 2009 Notable Book List

Library of Michigan’s 2009 Michigan Notable Books Recount State’s Triumphs, Trials and Tenacity

The Library of Michigan announced the 2009 Michigan Notable Books (www.michigan.gov/notablebooks), 20 books highlighting Michigan people, places and events. Giving life to the diverse experiences of Michigan’s people, this year’s selection runs the gamut from novels depicting characters persevering through life’s challenges, the 100th anniversary of the Model T and an historical account of a of Great Lakes shipwreck, to books that capture the local flavor of Michigan’s culture, tourism and recreation.

“The Library of Michigan is proud to celebrate the best in Michigan literature, which represents the breadth of our state’s culture and variety of our residents’ experiences,” State Librarian Nancy Robertson said. “This year’s Michigan Notable Books provide both an opportunity to enjoy reading at its finest, and a chance to explore the wonder of Michigan’s history, natural beauty and everyday life.”

Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer by Jamie O. Smith. Illustrated by Jef Mallett (VeloPress) – With a keen sense of humor and a wealth of experience as a cyclist, Smith explains the wonderfully addicting but equally strange world of bicycle racing, including many of its charming habits and obsessive practices. Training, diet, several of the Michigan courses, cycle repairs, race strategies, and the puzzling question of why cyclists wear Lycra are all outlined in this unique book. Mallett’s comic illustrations perfectly complement the narrative.

Each year the Michigan Notable Books (MNB) list features 20 books published in the previous calendar year that are about or set in Michigan or the Great Lakes region or are written by a Michigan author. Robertson explained that selections include nonfiction and fiction and typically have a wide appeal to audiences, covering a range of topics and issues close to the hearts of citizens of Michigan.

For more information about the MNB program, call 517 373-1300, visit www.michigan.gov/notablebooks or email michigannotablebooks@michigan.gov.

Media please contact:
Randy Riley, special collections manager
Library of Michigan, (517) 373-5860 or rriley@michigan.gov

Bicycling for Women Is an Essential Resource For Women Who Love to Ride

Boulder, CO, USA - January 28, 2009 - Women are different from men. From bike fit to nutrition to aging patterns, women ride differently. Most serious cycling books fail to address the specific concerns women have about cycling. In Bicycling for Women, cycling authority Gale Bernhardt discusses all things female for women who love to ride.

Bicycling for Women is up-to-date, smart, and clear. Gale addresses basic questions on bike fit, equipment, and training before moving on to more complex issues like cycling and pregnancy, injury prevention, nutrition and diet plans, and making cycling more comfortable. The book features five detailed training plans to help women meet their cycling goals, including 50-mile and century rides, improved hill climbing, and multiday bike tours.

Encouraging for newcomers and invigorating for experienced cyclists, Bicycling for Women is an essential resource for women who love to ride.

Gale Bernhardt has coached and instructed athletes since 1974, and was selected to be the USA Triathlon team coach at the 2004 Olympic Games. An elite-certified USA Cycling Level I Coach, she has also served as the Chairperson of the USA Triathlon National Coaching Committee for five years. Bernhardt has traveled the world as a USA Triathlon World Cup coach. Bernhardt is the best-selling author of Training Plans for Multisport Athletes, Triathlon Training Basics, and Workouts in a Binder(R): Swim Workouts for Triathletes.

Bicycling for Women by Gale Bernhardt
Paperback. Illustrations, charts, tables throughout.
6" x 9", 328 pp. | VP-BFW, $18.95 | 978-1-934030-28-8

VeloPress is an endurance sports and fitness publisher focusing on the sports of cycling, triathlon, and running. VeloPress training books help both serious athletes and beginners build skills and fitness. VeloPress is the book publishing division of Competitor Group, Inc., publisher of VeloNews, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and Competitor magazines; and producer of Elite Racing marathons and half-marathons and the Muddy Buddy adventure series.

Author interviews, media copies, sidebar content, and events:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors/specialty retailers, please order through:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

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Power Training Coaches Offering Free Power Data Analysis

January 28, 2009 - Roanoke, VA - Hunter Allen and Dr. Andrew R. Coggan are collecting data for the second edition of Training and Racing with a Power Meter via the www.peakscoachinggroup.com online power profile analysis survey. The first 250 applicants will receive a free power profile analysis and the first 1,000 will get a sneak preview of the results.

“Power is the tool for training endurance athletes,” stated Hunter Allen, cycling coach and co-author of Training and Racing with a Power Meter. “By comparing power results between cyclists, it gives insight into the athlete’s strengths and weaknesses, helping us improve our training and racing techniques and strategies.”

“Peaks power profiling system takes comparative data and builds a strengths and weaknesses analysis that allows self coached and/or coaches a way to utilize power data comparisons to build more effective training programs and produce better race results”, continued Allen. “I am hoping to collect over 1,000 data files to be part of a new comparative analysis which will be featured in the second edition of our book, Training and Racing with a Power Meter.

Matt Fitzgerald's New Runner's Diary Helps Runners Set Personal Records

Boulder, CO, USA - January 7, 2009 - Next to running shoes, a training diary is the most important piece of training equipment a runner owns. Running coach and fitness journalist Matt Fitzgerald has improved upon this critical training tool with his new book, The Runner's Diary: A Daily Training Log. Whether training to set a personal record in a 5K race or to complete a first marathon, runners of all abilities will improve their times and run injury-free with The Runner's Diary. The book includes Fitzgerald's Target Pace Level and Intensity Factor systems to make sure runners are gaining fitness from every workout. Also included is a daily nutrition log to easily monitor diet. The book is available in bookstores, running shops, and online.

The Runner's Diary helps runners plan and monitor their season. Using Fitzgerald's step-by-step guide, runners can design a customized, season-long training plan. Fitzgerald guides runners through selecting peak and tune-up races, designing a weekly training cycle, and planning peak training weeks, mileage targets, and key workout progressions.

The two-color diary pages offer plenty of space for key data such as resting heart rate, mileage, pace/splits, intensity, aches and pains, subjective workout ratings, and daily nutrition. With this detailed log, runners will gain insight into their fitness and performance.

Runners can use Fitzgerald's Target Pace Level and Intensity Factor systems to ensure that they are on track and gaining fitness from every run. The Target Pace Level system is a simplified, performance-based version of Jack Daniels' VDOT pacing system. The Runner's Diary includes pace charts and peak training weeks for 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon events.

The Runner's Diary: A Daily Training Log by Matt Fitzgerald Paperback with semi-enclosed wire-o binding and two-color interior 6 1/2" x 9", 232 pp., VP-RDD, $15.95, ISBN: 978-1-934030-36-3

• 16 million Americans ran on 100 or more days per year in 2007. (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association)
• There were 15,500 running events in 2007 including 630 half-marathons and 425 marathons. (Running USA)
• Fitzgerald is a regular contributor to leading health and fitness publications, including Runner's World, Running Times, Men's Health, Outside, Bicycling, and Her Sports.
• The Runner's Diary is based on the successful format of the VeloPress training diaries from Joe Friel.
• VeloPress is the book publishing unit of Competitor Group, Inc., which produces Elite Racing's Rock 'n' Roll marathon and half-marathon events.

Matt Fitzgerald is a prolific health and fitness journalist and author of 12 published and forthcoming books on fitness, nutrition, and weight loss, including Brain Training for Runners and Performance Nutrition for Runners. Fitzgerald is also a featured coach with Training Peaks, where he creates interactive training plans for runners and triathletes. More information on Matt is available at MattFitzgerald.org.

Media review copies, excerpts, author interviews and events:
Dave Trendler, Marketing and Publicity Manager, (303) 245-2138, dtrendler@competitorgroup.com

Distributors and specialty retailers please order through:
Jen Soulé, Sales Manager, (800) 811-4210 x169, wholesale@competitorgroup.com

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