The Uphill Battle: Training

Phenomenon

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:04:40 GMT

Last night, I did 29 chin-ups in one set—a new record for me. It was particularly satisfying because I hadn't done a single chin-up in two weeks or more. That may have also been my performance advantage—tapering. But I somehow forgot about the disadvantages that sometimes come with performance.

See, this morning, I woke up feeling grouchy. I got to work, and I grouched when something didn't go my way. After a few hours, I found myself sitting and thinking, "Why am I so stinkin' grouchy today?" Then I realized: I did 29 chin-ups last night.

This is a pattern I've noticed in myself over time—anytime I really really exert myself when my body wasn't properly conditioned to do so, I wake up the next morning feeling like I want to chew someone out, not to mention being sore and absent-minded.

So what I'm wondering is this: Am I the only one who experiences grouchiness after totally exerting myself?

The Blog Roll

I know I haven't been blogging all that much lately. Instead of feeling guilty about it, I'm just going to direct your attention to some other interesting bike blogs. Here's one I just discovered today: Sam Jurekovic's Blog. Sam is on the junior mtb racing team. Perhaps my most embarrassing moment in life was the day I went to the Teton Pass Climb (only my second race ever), and asked some random kid where I stick my race number. I then proceeded to do the race with a t-shirt. The kid, of course, was Sam J. That year, Sam went to World's, and the next year he came back and won the Pass Climb.

That first year, though, the race was won by none other than Matt Shriver. I can also list one of my embarrassing moments as having asked Matt's brother some other ridiculous question before the start. I don't know how I do it, but somehow, I always manage to pick out the race winner and embarrass myself by talking to him—yet another strange phenomenon.

On that note, I would be remiss to leave out Dave Harris, who I parked my bike next to at the start of the E100 12-hour. I managed to keep my mouth shut this time because I knew I recognized him from somewhere. That somewhere, of course, was the E100 video. Dave went on to win that day, and Botched and I survived (which was my goal).

Anyway, none of these guys is reputed as a brilliant blogger or anything, but I actually found some pretty good reading on there. Matt Shriver had a top 10 finish at the National Road Championship last year (when George Hincapie won), Sam won the U23 cross country National Champs this year, and Dave, last time I checked, crashed hard at the BC bike race. Take the time to read Sam's national champ story—it should make up for the lack of content here.

My recovery workout

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:34:12 GMT

If you're like me, you probably want to exercise more than you should. Fortunately, I keep too busy to be able to work out every day. But even if I didn't have other reasons, I'd still be an advocate of taking two days off each week for recovery. Yes, two FULL DAYS—try not to panic.

I used to think you ought to limit your body movements as much as possible on a recovery day. My thinking has since changed. I already spend more than enough time just sitting at a chair staring at a computer—I don't need a recovery day for that. So where I used to be an advocate of inactive recovery, I'm now a definite active recovery proponent. Yes, you can recover by taking a bike ride, in my opinion, but I think there's another option as well. Consider this for a recovery activity: walking.

Why walking? Well, here are my reasons:

• You're still moving enough to get your blood flowing, albeit at a heart rate that would generally be considered below your training level. You're moving enough to get your juices flowing, and flushing out the debris from your workout is an important part of the inflammation process which governs all exercise improvement.

• Being outside and moving slowly exposes you to sunlight, a great source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary to absorb calcium into your bones. Wanna avoid getting osteoporosis or some other bone-density issues? Make sure you get your sunlight every day. Walking is a great way to do that.

• It's low-level exercise, really. It's what our bodies are used to doing—most people used to get their strength from working and walking (that was before we all took jobs gazing at screens all day). With walking, you're not exerting yourself to a degree where you'll need a recovery day to recover from your recovery day—it isn't severe enough to cause you to release cortisol as a result of stress. It's still, in my opinion, healthier for your body than lying in bed or sitting at a computer.

Besides taking a walk, I think it's a good idea to massage out any tight or sore muscle groups. A little bit of stretching won't hurt. Some deep breathing might not kill you either. But take it easy. Don't stress. Get a full night's rest.

How about you readers (the thousands of people who come here every day)? What do you typically do to recover?

Iron-Folk

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:24:33 GMT

I'm pretty excited for this Saturday—the Ironman World Championship. I have my favorites, and I wonder how they'll fare. Truth is, I'd like to see a repeat of 2005 with Faris Al-Sultan winning the men's side and Natascha Badmann winning the women's side, but it's hard to say how everyone will stack up.

Faris, who my wife (with some disgust) refers to as "Speedo guy," has to be my favorite pro athlete at the moment. He's exemplary in more than one way. For example:

• Attitude: "The world keeps going its way whether I win or lose," he told Outside magazine before his '05 win. "It's just a sport, and I can't get crazy about it."

That's probably my all-time favorite sports quotation. It should be the weekend warrior's mantra. Unfortunately, some of us take our sports just a little too seriously (and certainly Faris' attitude changed somewhat when he won the World Champs and had to carry that mantel around) where we should be doing the sport for the simple enjoyment of doing the sport. Faris very obviously does his sport because he loves it. He's the kind of guy I totally could've hung out with in college—even if I couldn't have kept up with him on the bike.

• Strategy: While the last part sets Faris apart from other pros, this part really sets him apart from other pros. Faris is a "balanced" triathlete, meaning he's not really weak in any discipline—although his run isn't exceptional either. Yet, when he races, he just goes to the front and pours on the power whether swimming, cycling or running. He clearly expends more energy than many of the other pros as he spends so much time out front, but you know what? He doesn't care. He's not going to change his strategy because he feels that's how races are supposed to be raced.

He's also a bit of a purist. He doesn't shave anything but his legs before a race, he wears a Speedo (like the triathlon heroes of yore), and he refuses to look at his powermeter numbers during a race.

• Bike: Faris rides a Cannondale. I ride a Cannondale. We might as well be long-lost cousins.

On the women's side, I'd love to see Natascha come back to the front of the race. Granted, she has some scary rivalry coming from last year's champ, Michellie Jones, who's also super-cool, a few IronSophomores, Juniors and Seniors Kate Major, Jo Lawn and Desiree Ficker, and some Ironfreshman, Leanda Cave and Canadian Sam McGlone (you gotta cheer for the canucks!).

• Attitude: Nonetheless, Natascha's the coolest of the bunch. Last year, she got sick (something a lot of race predictors overlooked when making their predictions) and finished a mere 10th (her lowest ever). When asked if the experience ruined her day, Natascha said, "It felt like I'd won." Her victory dance almost had you thinking she won, too.

She got into triathlon because she enjoyed it, and she's vowed to leave the sport as soon as it stops being fun. How cool is that?

• Strategy: Natascha's swim leaves some to be desired. Hey, so does mine! She can outbike any pro out there, and yes, I'm including Michellie in that group (Michellie just outbiked and outran the swimmers last year—look at the stats, Desiree Ficker outsplit her on both the run and the bike). Any pro who wins the race primarily off the bike earns some amount of respect from me. And 2005 proved she can run down a competitor or two as well. She's strictly anti-drafting (and anti-doping), and she shows all of her competitors a ton of respect.

• Bike: Okay, it's not a Cannondale, but have you seen her bike? That thing's an aerodynamic machine! Here, allow me to snag this photo from her website for evidence. I can't be the only one who gets covetous when she pulls that thing out of T1. Granted, it's not really my size ...

• History: I think Natascha has one of the coolest stories out there—an overweight and almost completely inactive secretary who somehow connects with an endurance coach and, after years of training, becomes a world champ. How's that for inspiration?

So those are my picks. I'll admit, I'm wondering if Craig Alexander, Macca, Sam McGlone or Des Ficker are going to spoil the party, but we'll see. Even if they do, these two will probably still be my inspiration for the time being.

Back at Last

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:16:48 GMT

I finally got out on a mountain bike ride this year—out in Kelly Canyon on Saturday. The weather was, as it is every fall, perfect. Blue skies, cool temperatures, and nothing but a light breeze in the air. I'm sure the LOTOJA (I believe it's pronounced Low-to-jaw, since it's derived from "Logan To Jackson" by the way) racers were counting their lucky stars since they weren't getting rain or snow.

But riding around there reminded me so much of my favorite Kelly Canyon rides: I think it was late at night two years ago when my brother-in-law (the only person who says 'yes' when I ask for mountain biking company anymore) and I went and climbed the road on mountain bikes. In the valley it was raining gently, so we dressed in layers—you never know when you'll get too hot.

The road up there is about a 900-foot climb in two and a half miles or so, so it's not a cakewalk. The two of us got to huffing and puffing pretty hard. Because I had more bike-specific fitness, I'd ride ahead and then come back down to join my bro-in-law on the way up.

As we crossed the cattleguard and made our way up the winding road through the trees of the canyon, the light drizzle turned to soft, fluffy snow. All around us, the dark fields changed from mere shadows to whitewashed walls amid the evergreens.

It was gorgeous and perfect.

Beneath us, our tires retained their grip on the asphalt—no ice—while above us, misty clouds swirled and rolled.

Eventually, of course, we got too high in elevation where the road was covered in a sheet of snow and ice. So we turned back there, but the experience before that was just awesome.

So while I'm enjoying the fall weather and temperatures, I can't wait for the snow.

Off Season Already?

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:14:15 GMT

It's true, I'm back to watching my heart rate and lifting weights. I'm trying a new approach to training this year. If it works out, I'll tell you guys about it so you can try it out too. Of course, I may not know that until spring.

Fortunately, I'm finding that my new area has just about everything I need—even a sustained climb. I have a 1,500-foot climb just three miles south of here (also the location of this past summer's hillclimb time trial), I have flat roads galore to the north, and I even have a rolling hill section just a mile east. To the west, however, it's all suburbia and city.

And, BONUS, it's even windier here than it was in the last area.

DOUBLE BONUS, I'm really not much farther from my main mountain biking routes. Now, if I can just talk my wife into letting me take a Saturday morning to ride, I'm set.

The only bummer is all the stop signs. My flat time trial course in the last town was a continuous (no stop signs, traffic lights or cattleguards) 15-mile road. I figure if I ever go after my own personal hour record, I'll probably do it there.

But yeah, I'm really itching to get into the mountains. It's been a long, flat summer.

How to be nerdy and supporting at the same time

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:50:18 GMT

I love to watch time trials from the Tour de France. Maybe it's because I've been into time trialing so much lately, but it's fun to watch this rider pumping his way up the road in front of the camera, facing the wind alone with everything he can muster. You see the rider's rhythm and the line he takes. I realize some people think it's the least interesting part of stage racing, but I think otherwise.

You might recall that I recently signed up for a triathlon. It's a short one this time—the bike part is only 8 miles long—but I'm going into it with almost no training under my belt. My wife signed up for the super-sprint division this time—half the distance—and she, unlike me, has never really had any specific training under her belt. So this last weekend, we went swimming (yes, she's still much, much faster than I am), and then on Saturday, I recommended she do a brick workout. As she was headed out the door with her new bike helmet (I had to buy her a youth size helmet because she wasn't fitting into an adult size), it occurred to me that the baby and I could come along—even though we don't have a bike trailer. We would be her SUPPORT CAR. Heckya!

So picture, if you will, a woman riding a mountain bike with slick tires wearing a youth bike helmet followed closely by her husband in a gold Chevy with the hazard lights flashing and a baby seat in the back.

Hmmm, I wonder why those passing cyclists didn't wave back.

Even though my wife was thoroughly embarrassed, she tolerated my enthusiasm for the duration of her four-mile excursion. And for me, it was a lot of fun. I'm starting to think it would be a really good time driving the sag wagon for someone at an event like LOTOJA or, heck, the Tour de France or RAAM or something, but it would also take a lot of time.

I might just have to talk to my co-worker (who's doing LOTOJA in a couple of weeks) to see if he needs someone to crew for him.

Cause for Celebration!

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:12:42 GMT

Just this morning I performed a brick workout—y'know, the kind where you ride for a while and then run right off the bike. I did the riding on a stationary bike at the office gym, and did the running on the industrial roads behind the office, and yes, the roads are made of asphalt.

But unlike every running workout I've done in 2007, this one did not hurt my knee. Not even a little bit! Whoopee!

That's pretty convenient since I just signed up for another triathlon that will take place a week from this Saturday.

Good News and Bad News

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:15:19 GMT

I read somewhere recently that if you ride your bike for eight hours a week, it will take you two years to reach your maximum aerobic capacity. Now, based on the source, I'd say that hypothesis was arrived at with strictly experiential evidence--as in, it's probably not entirely accurate. But it nonetheless left me with two thoughts:

1. Hey, it's actually possible to achieve my full capacity while riding part time!

2. Rats, I have to ride every single week for two years.

See, since my wisdom teeth came out, I've gone a family vacation, come back, and been completely swamped at work. That means that for about the past three weeks, I have maybe six hours of riding time to report, and that's it. Some weeks, that's just how life is--riding just isn't always a option.

So while that stinks, at least I know now I can be a weekend warrior and still maybe pull out some bike fitness. In some ways it provides hope; in others, it's a little discouraging.

Trust Me

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 22:50:40 GMT

No really.

Okay, I have a boring job most of the time. Some weeks, it's pretty exciting. That may be next week. It may be the week after. But this week, my job has been extremely anticlimactic. But what that means for you is that you'll have a ton of fun training info from me--because I've spent all of my paid work time (well, not ALL of it) looking through training literature online.

Be excited.

First item of interest: Heart Rate Estimations.

You've probably heard the "220 - your age = your max HR" formula, which is the traditional formula for calculating that. But, interestingly enough, it's not even close for about 50% of the general populus. So what do you do? Well, you have the option of doing that psycho heart rate test Fatty had to do recently--where you attempt to discover your actual maximum heart rate--or you can simply find a more accurate formula.

Somehow, the more accurate formula health folks are using nowadays can still be about 6 beats per minute off, which is funny to me. Clearly there are enough factors involved in maxHR that it's individual for everyone. But hey, nothing wrong with doing a little math, even with low confidence intervals. So here's the formula (straight out of wikipedia):

HRmax = 205.8 ? (0.685 * age)

For me, this formula is more accurate--at least I think so. I haven't really been pushing my HR up to my max lately, so I suppose I wouldn't know. But this looks more like the numbers I've seen on my HR monitor (with a few more significant digits, of course).

Second item of interest: Cross-training

Okay, I wrote what I wrote about cross training a week or two ago, and it didn't seem to garner much in the way of comments. But I felt rather flattered when I was reading an article about motivation on a sports psychologist's web site recently and the author suggested spending one day a week cross training (not the WHOLE day, but your workout time for that day).

The funny thing about winter is that your cross-training activities actually increase because you have things like snowshoeing, skating and cross country skiing to do as well.

Besides cross training, the sports psych also suggested having variation within your workout routine, not taking yourself too seriously and setting goals. FYI.

'Nuf said from me today. Remember to watch the Ironman World Championship on TV tomorrow--4 p.m. EDT.

Warm Memories

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 18:40:22 GMT

Below you'll find a photo from the top of one of the small climbs in my area (it's about a five-minute climb--give or take). That's what it looked like in the summer when the LDS temple was just barely getting built. Nowadays, everything you see would be covered in white--except the road.

Yep, it's winter training season. Woo hoo. I've got to be honest, I was actually a little excited for winter training this year (as opposed to last year when I whined and sniveled my way through the chilly months. Winter meant I could pull out the trainer and just focus on developing some more power in my legs. I don't know if it's working. The poor man's powermeter (aka outdoor time trials) simply isn't accessible right now, so I'm just hoping for the best. My hope is that I'll optimize these months just by keeping consistent. Last year I was anything but consistent, and I definitely saw the results when the summer came. This year, I want things to work out a little better.

Yesterday, though, a buddy of mine called up and said he wanted to head to the gym for a triathlon-style workout. That seems to be the sport of popularity lately--that will make four people in my apartment complex alone who've told me they want to train for triathlons next year (only one of them had ever done one before). But now I'm conflicted: do I go do the workout with him? Do I stay home and do my regular trainer workout in my living room (for the sake of consistency)? Do I invite him to head outdoors on my wife's mountain bike and hope he doesn't crack his skull when his front tire slips out from underneath him?

I know: too much suspense on my blog today!

Two Observations:

Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:37:19 GMT

Observation Number One:

It's way easier to cramp in cold, wet weather. Okay, so I already knew this. But the weather has reinforced my perception of this phenomenon by being cold today; thus, cramping was really easy on my early morning ride.

Actually, my legs had been pretty crampy in general after swimming the other day (yes, I actually tried out another sport), but they got really bad after my ride in the rain today. What is it about the cold that does that?

Observation Number Two:

Not always, but frequently, I can be really cranky on recovery days. Cranky--as in hitting the brakes when someone is tailgating you type cranky. I don't know why that is either, but it is.

So I've figured out that e-mail posting thing just fine, but there's occasionally an unrequested advertisement at the bottom of the page when I do it. That'll likely persist, since I might not have a whole lot of time to edit the post after I send it through. Thanks to anyone still reading.

'Tis the Season

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:40:46 GMT

I heard a rumor it's going to snow tonight here. I don't know if it's true, but when I'd returned from my after-work ride, I'd have believed it. I got done with work and then didn't manage to get out the door until almost 6 p.m. Right off the bat, I noticed how chilly it is outdoors and how weak my legs are--I'd assume as a result of the hill interval session I did Tuesday. Nonetheless I was determined to get a little time trialing in.

After a mere eight minutes and only three miles of time trial pace, I'd about had it. I'd only managed something like 22.8 mph--nothing fantastic--but I took consolation in the fact that it was into a headwind. I turned around and did a little recovery riding. When I got to the point where I'd usually start cooling down, I decided to turn on the jets and just see what I could grind out of my legs--around the 90-degree street corners and small hills. I think it's been a while since I've gotten so dizzy during such a short ride, but I moved my focus to the ground ahead of me and tried to find a rhythm.

Suddenly I had a debate going in my mind: Do I hit the button on the computer or leave it off? Do I want to know what kind of speed I average on this little ride? Aw heck, why be afraid of defeat? I turned it on. And I can't say that my average speed increased, because it didn't. But I enjoyed the experience of getting lost in the pedals--in the dizziness.

Of course, when I got home and took a shower and saw the steam rising off my skin, I enjoyed something else even more: the knowledge that I have a mag trainer just waiting to be used all winter. Thank heaven.

P.S. I just checked the weather, and it's only 54 Farenheit (with rain--I suppose that makes it feel colder). Tomorrow's supposed to be a balmy 44. Yikes.

Lessons learned ...

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:36:50 GMT

I've learned that it is indeed possible to ride your bike after having kids. It just isn't super-easy. I went out for time trial practice on Saturday and immediately noticed that I was holding a speed about 1-2 mph slower than I had only a few weeks ago. "Maybe the wind is blowing harder," I thought to myself. I would've expected to be quicker on the climbs since I also lost 2-3 pounds during the whole giving birth process (I'll tell you my secrets later, I swear).

Then, yesterday, I was reading through training information on Mountain Bike Action Magazine's web site. Somewhere in there I came across one artcle that said something about how it takes two weeks of slacking off to really damage your training regimen. Yep, that's about how much time off I took with the baby.

But yeah, I've already started brainstorming next season, and here's what I'm thinking: I have time to do some time trial practice--three to four hours a week--so I might just try to target the State Time Trial in June next year. Maybe. I also really enjoyed doing the moutain bike thing, but I don't really have time to train for anything too big. Still, I'd like something that will get me out and riding a little more in the summer, so, provided the Teton Pass Climb is still scheduled on a Sunday next year, I'm thinking about doing the 100 km (62-mile) course of the E100, which, interestingly enough, was won by my cousin-in-law this year. And while we're at it, I'm hoping I can actually pull off talking someone into doing Lotoja with me, perhaps just in a relay team.

How's that sound to you guys?

A whole new world (no Aladdin theme music, please)

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 04:02:50 GMT

Yup, it's true, I found a way to get back on my blog. A miracle of sorts, I suppose. I won't even begin to tell you the hassle I've gone through with the internet. Instead, let me just explain that the wiring to my apartment still isn't fixed, it has just been bypassed.

It's also true that we have a beautiful baby girl (Caloi Jr, for all intents and purposes), whom we love, and who has just been an angel since she was born last week. Believe it or not, we actually sleep pretty well at night since our child has already mastered the art of reverence. Thank heaven for that.

Okay, so contrary to popular belief, my child isn't keeping me from riding as much as people predicted. What is keeping me from riding is a steady flow of random tasks that just won't go away, among them our internet. And those things have forced me to be a little more careful about how I spend my precious workout time. I actually resorted to doing a trainer workout on Labor Day so I could watch the baby while my wife slept in the other room. Still, 40 minutes with my heart rate at 170 or higher isn't a bad workout. But usually, I'm resorting to a quicker, but often tougher brick workout. Never heard of a brick workout? That's probably because it's something triathletes do.

The Brick Workout (Caloi Style) Explained: My version of the brick workout is perhaps a little tweaked. See, I live beside a small hill--by small, I mean it takes about 6 minutes to climb it on a mountain bike. So that's element number one of the brick workout: climb the hill as hard as possible, spending the entire climb out of the saddle. Element number two is similar, after pedaling downhill partway, I lock the bike up and beginning running. Initially, I run just a little downhill, which is followed by a steep uphill that lasts for the better part of half a mile, which is then followed by some more downhill back to the place where my bike is locked. Conveniently, my bike is locked up at the spot where the run both begins and ends--a bunch of chin-up bars built by a previous class of health science students from the local college. So when I get back from running, I begin element three: I do a few chin-ups, followed by some reverse push-ups (for those of you who aren't familiar with reverse push-ups, it's where you lie horizontal across a bench with a bar just over arm's length away from your chest--you grip the bar and hoist yourself upward in a sort of rowing motion).

Okay, so what's the effect of this brick workout thing? I dunno. I'm hoping it'll keep me skinny for the time being and improve my overall fitness. See, I wrecked my shoulders when I was younger, so I have to keep my back muscles strong. Also, I read that running can actually assist with muscle tone--something that appeals to me since I'm not too interested in gaining more weight--so that needed to be on the program. But really, this is all playing into my new theory about races. Indulge me. Just for a little longer.

See, I'm starting to think that, since I'm never really planning on winning any high profile races, the more fun way to approach racing is to spend the bulk of the year trying simply to maintain good overall fitness. When a race comes up, I'll change my workout or training routine three months in advance to prepare for it. But until that point, the idea is just to keep fit, and to do so without spending all of my time. Thus, basically, if an activity doesn't get me fit fast, it isn't going to fit my schedule right now.

That's just my current theory on the subject.

In August 2004 ...

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:30:27 GMT

... I went to get my fitness checked at the college health center--just for kicks (it was free back then, after all). I was a little surprised when my stats came out--the pinch test gave me a mere 6 percent bodyfat. Usually, I'd been about 8 percent. My VO2 Max at the time was supposed to be about 55--not phenomenal. A month later I checked again, and my VO2 max had risen all the way up to 65, where my bodyfat had gotten back to 8 percent.

As long as I've been riding, the closest semi-steep hill to my house has been this 300-foot climb over a mile and a half. It has two short sections of double-digit gradient, and the rest is probably in the 8 percent range. Back in '04, the fastest time I clocked was a measly 6 minutes and 30 seconds.

This morning, (we're back in 2006--are you following?) I wandered into a friend's office where he has an electronic bodyfat checker thingy. We put all the stats in and hit the start button, and my mouth dropped open. It claimed my bodyfat at a whopping 13.9 percent. I checked again for safety's sake and still measured about 14 percent. In fairness, he'd said that the thing could be off as much as 5 percent depending on what I'd eaten, etc., but dang, that meant I'm at least at 9 percent, and likely more.

And, truth be known, I have gained weight this summer. I think I'm about three pounds heavier than I was. That means I'm still about 10 pounds lighter than I was before I started riding my bike, or before I broke my jaw.

But still ... I started thinking I needed to get back into construction or something ...

All of this information was getting a little depressing to me. I started thinking I could legitimately do mountain bike races under the guise of mid-life crises. Aw heck, I might do that anyway. Just don't tell my wife. But I do have, as of this weekend, one consolation out of all of this:

Because, even with all of my chub ...

I can ride up that stinking hill in 6:20 this year.

Anybody else have any other personal records to speak of?

P.S. For anyone curious, today is indeed my wife's due date, but no, we haven't had the baby. Because it's today, that means that, yes, as of now, I've been waiting for that earth-shattering phone call for a good three weeks. The majority of first-time pregnancies go late rather than early. You think your wife's an exception?

Cross-training (not the same as cross-dressing)

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 04:16:18 GMT

It's true--I've gone over to the dark side. I just kept looking at that quote in my copy of The Quotable Cyclist. You know, the one that says, "Too many bike riders just ride their bikes." Eventually, I'll probably ease my way back into the gym.

Actually what really got me out pounding the pavement was when I read a line in bike magazine to the effect that some Tour de France cyclists have the bone density of 80-year-old women because they don't do anything that actually puts impact on their bones. I got to thinking that bone density might actually be important some day. And as much as I dislike running long distances,I'd rather not get osteoporosis (my wife drinks milk like mad so she doesn't get it either). I've also read that runningcan provide muscle tone and strengthen soft tissue. And I do own a pair of Asics that don't get a lot of outdoor use.

Besides, (you know I'm grasping at straws when I write the word 'besides' as a sentence adverb) if Lance can get into it, I figure I can probably jog a few laps around the block occasionally too.

It's not like I'm new to running or something. I used to run three times a week all through high school. But I also crushed my knee cartilage into a pulp--one of the main reasons I decided on cycling (the other being that I really enjoyed doing it). And although cycling initially made me lose something like 15 pounds (I weighed 155 and then dropped to about 138 within a couple of months), I don't have the time to ride as much as I used to, so I'm looking for alternatives that won't take too much time out of my schedule but will pay off in the love-handle reduction category.

So I'd also like to know what you, the elite cycling public, think on the subject: will running just slow me down by increasing the muscle mass on my legs? Or will it improve my overall health and help me keep the fat off?

All 'er nuthin'

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 06:15:43 GMT

I think I'm getting the hang of this "short distance" give-it-all quickly style of training. Basically, you kick the tar out of yourself as much as possible in 40 minutes (about the time it takes to climb Teton Pass), and then you try to avoid looking at bikes for 48 hours thereafter--until your next tar-kicking.

Okay, so I haven't quite got that second part down, but the basic premise is there. Here's my thinking: I'm really not going to lose much more weight (back when I had six percent body fat--yes two years ago--I weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 138 pounds). But since climbing is a power-to-weight activity, I figure I can work on the other side of that ratio: power. And lately, that's been my focus, keeping up the speed for the duration of a 40-minute climb or a 40-minute time trial ride. I really don't know if it's working because I haven't had any chances to go back to the Pass lately, and I probably won't have any for a while. But that's not the point.

I recently got a look at the Teton Pass Climb results from the race this year, and it looks like I would've come in 24th with my current time trial time, and that's a heckuvalot better than last year's 40th or so (even if it is relatively close to the same time). It also looks like a lot of people slowed down; Kit DesLauriers didn't produce the same speed she did last year, so heck, I might've even been able to keep up with her again. Woulda, coulda ... so much for that. But the reality was that most people didn't really improve much on their times--maybe a minute or so at most--so improving by leaps and bounds is going to take a lot more than my casual training regimen.

But you know, really, I'm just excited about the fact that I have already been able to put a dent in last year's time. Coming in under 42 minutes was a thrill, and if I have to spend all winter dreaming about rounding that final corner and rising to a sprint just so I can attempt to kill 40 minutes next year, I think I'm okay with that.

But yeah, that hasn't stopped me from going to 'extremes' in training lately. Just today, I did something I never would've done before: I ... used a trainer despite semi-nice weather outside. Wait, I can explain: I just needed a 40-minute high-resistance workout, and I wasn't sure I'd get one outdoors. Either that, or I just wanted an excuse to rewatch the Plateau De Beille stage from the '04 Tour. I realize it's no '06 Tour stage 17', but it sure got my juices flowing.

Wednesday, I'm planning on doing something else a little out of character for me ... I'm going to ... go to the gym and actually do some squats ... I know, weird. But really, I'm hoping to see some results from a more clinical approach to this power thing. And heaven knows, I might actually be able to shed a little poundage with the weights.

In other news:

Did y'all read that they're making a Pantani movie in Italy next year? You think we'll get to see it with subtitles?
Also, despite the fact that Epic frame and shock combinations are going for a minimum of $750 on Ebay these days, I found new hope today when Specialized started showing off their '07 (or is this still their '06) line, including a new Brain shock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that'll lower the value on the older Epic Comps and frames.
And I must apologize, I neglected to take my camera with me on this past weekend's mountain bike ride. So no pics.

Inconvenience

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:17:52 GMT

I’ve come to accept that anytime you plan a major ride, the elements will combine against you. Face the facts with me: headwinds are more the norm than the exception, busy weeks at work almost always coincide with major race days, and if you aim for a big riding weekend, you’ll inevitably have to help someone escape from a burning vehicle the day before and be too weak to walk …

Okay, that last one didn’t happen to me. Instead, I’d planned a trip to Teton Pass on Friday followed by a major riding day on Saturday and what happened was I spent Friday night helping a good friend and in-law move from a third-floor apartment. Yes, that involved running up two flights of stairs followed by walking slowly down those same two flights with stuff in my arms. It was actually quite fun, but I’ll admit to being a little sore the next day.

But I wasn’t about to give up a trip to Teton Pass when my wife had given me permission. Permission is such a rare thing, after all, for three hours of driving and one hour of riding.

Saturday morning, after breakfast, etc etc, I loaded my Cannondale in the car and we headed for the Pass. Upon discovering that my musculature wasn’t feeling so hot, I changed my goal from “Beat 40 minutes!” to “Finish without puking!” So instead of running a personal time trial, I’d be spinning up trying not to fall off the back of my saddle. My lovely wife, who needed some relaxation time of her own, promised to meet me at the top when I got done, eliminating the need for any hair-raising descents.

Despite my goal, as I passed the place where the Teton Pass Climb startline will be, I couldn’t help but hit the button on my computer, just to see how things go. I didn’t start storming up the hill right away, but climbing a 10 percent grade is never easier when you do it slowly. I got to the gradient and shifted into my granny gear (something I didn’t even touch at last year’s Pass Climb).

You know, I didn’t even tell you guys the most interesting part of the Pantani book the other day. The most fascinating part, in my opinion, was the fact that when Pantani set the record on L’Alpe D’Huez, he used a gearing of 39x17 for most of the trip up, moving occasionally to 39x19 for the really steep sections and 39x15 for the flat part at the top. And here I was on Teton Pass spinning a 30x23—give or take a tooth.

As I got to the top of the initial psychotically steep section—a little past the halfway point on the ride—and I figured I’d check my computer to see how I was doing. To my shock and amazement, it wasn’t going too bad. I was at 34 minutes and there wasn’t too much mountain left. So I attempted to pick up the pace a little.

Alas, I underestimated my mountain. The last section was windy and just as tough as I remember it, requiring me to really knuckle down. I got to the bottom of the finish line climb and saw my wife standing next to the car at the top. I couldn’t just sit there, I had to give her some kind of show, so of course I stood up and sprinted just like I always do on that section, and of course my stomach felt like I’d swallowed a pile of coal by the time I got to the top. But the air at 8,300 feet felt pretty good in my lungs.

My computer seems to have some kind of calibration problem as it listed my distance at 5.6 miles (and I already know that ride is only 4.7), but all of my concerns melted away when I saw my time. No, I didn’t quite beat 40, but then I wasn’t trying too hard. Thus, I wasn’t too disappointed in reaching it in 43 minutes.

My wife’s response (did I mention that she’s a saint?) was just to say, “Well, you’ve got the month of July to beat it, right?” She’s a saint.

Cramming

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 04:49:02 GMT

Two weeks away from the PC 12-hour, of which I am responsible for half. No pressure.

But yes, I decided it was time to bite off a little more than I could chew today. This morning, Jason and I took to Kelly Canyon for an mtb climbing workout. We took on much of the race course from the Kelly Canyon race, but we also did some exploring that led us to a few trails I'd never ridden on. I have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in.

After two hours (or more, I wasn't really counting) of mountain bike fun, we got to the end of Moose Run to discover that somewhere along the way my derailleur cable had snapped and left me shiftless. So that was the end of that.

We got back and decided to give the road bike hillclimb a go instead. I ate a sandwich and some Hammer Heed, and we headed out for hill repeats on Poleline. After that, we hit Jason's favorite climb, Millhollow, for a cool down when, somewhere along the route, Jason, who'd borrowed my only remaining spare tube just to do the ride in the first place, had a flat. Apparently my luck with flats is contagious. So that was the end of that.

That's okay, I was pretty much blown apart by then anyway. Now that I've had the realization that I'm down to a mere 13 days before my first major endurance race, I'm starting to really wonder where I'll find the time to get the training in. I suppose we'll see. Either way, the plan right now is to have another one of these kill-your-legs sessions next week, with or without ride company.

P.S. So far, the Hammer Heed is good stuff. I wasn't nearly as dizzy as I usually am at the conclusion of today's ride, which is promising. It seems to be making recover a lot easier, and that's the name of the game, right?

One more for the road

Wed, 17 May 2006 22:52:08 GMT

Okay, I'm going to attempt to be efferent and informational for one more day here. Here's one other tip for you that won't guarantee speed, but will help you avoid some injury and/or even death:

Do you remember your mom telling you that water was the best thirst quencher? Mom, forgive me, but I disagree. Here's why:

When you sweat, you lose more than just water. You lose electrolytes as well--the salty taste in your sweat. These include sodium, potassium, calcium and two others that I can't think of right now. And these need to be replenished as you continue physical exertion. Case in point: at the time trial I was at two weeks ago, Bry actually had a calf cramp on the home stretch and had to pull over and stretch his leg. It's not unusual for a calf cramp to result from a lack of calcium. No guarantee, but I'll bet that if you asked him, Bry would admit that he hasn't drunk any milk lately.

Now, with temperatures rising, you're probably sweating just a little more than you were two weeks ago, and that means you need to be replenishing your electrolytes more often. Find something that is more water than it is syrup, something even less sticky than Gatorade (which is pretty sticky--especially in a race), and check the nutritional information to see what it says about electrolytes. Gatorade Endurance (not the same as regular Gatorade) is supposed to have all five, but I wouldn't know because I've honestly never been able to find the stuff anywhere. Regular Gatorade has two. If you find a powder drink source, use it at double strength about a half-hour before a competition, and then use water during the competition--assuming it's not too long. That way you can spray yourself with your water bottle and feel good about your hydration.

As for the calcium thing, I know how gross it can be to drink milk right before aerobic exercise--your aerobic capacity gets pretty low when you start coughing up milk curds in the middle of a game. So my solution is to drink milk--in a glass, not just out of a cereal bowl--immediately after I've put in a workout. That way, I have 24-48 hours before my next workout session, and all the time in the world to wash that milk down with some good crisp water or juice.

Anyway, I'm sure you get the drift. You could cramp up without the electrolytes. I discovered that the hard way--by experiencing a nasty calf cramp in the middle of 11th grade rugby try-outs. But you could also die from a rare condition called hyponatremia if you don't keep your salts up. Yeah, that's when the paramedics pull out the IV and start plugging stuff directly into your blood. So pack more than just water on your rides!!

Caloi Training Tips

Wed, 17 May 2006 04:32:07 GMT

When I was a brand-new cyclist, I'd read everything I could to try to make myself faster. If I took a ride where my legs petered out before my lungs did, I'd do some things to strengthen my legs. If I took a ride where my lungs petered out before my legs did--well, I'd come back for more later.

I used to read through the Lance Armstrong books looking for some kind of subtle tip-off about how to improve my training. I'd scan cyclingnews articles hoping for some kind of guidance as to what I should do with my next ride. I'd plug Bry, the LBS owner, for info every chance I got. And I've got to be honest, the best advice seemed to be obvious: just ride. I learned that if I wanted to improve, I needed to take the time to make it happen. And that first season, I really did notice some speed differences. I even once pulled a little Pantani breakaway in a group ride, and that made me feel all warm and special on the inside.

I will tell you this much: nutrition made a difference. I really need to kick soda pop. Not because of the calories, but because of the effects of carbonation on your lungs. Have you ever drunk a 7up right after taking a lung-busting ride? Hiccups, really uncomfortable ones that don't last very long. At least that's been my experience. Whatever makes those hiccups simply can't be helping you ride faster. And I know I gave up soda before I picked up speed.

Carbs? Eat all you want--if you're riding often enough, you don't have to worry about them being stored as cellulite in your love handles. Protein? Fish--which also gives you the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids, an extremely effective antioxidant. Only trouble is that fish and pregnant women don't mix. So if there are pregnant women in your household, you might just want to buy an omega-3 supplement.

Whether a course broke my legs or my lungs first usually just depended on the topography. And the topography for your rides should depend on what type of race you're training for.

One last point: consistency. It will make a world of difference if you keep a regular training schedule each week, which I haven't been doing at all this year. Sporadic training, my current program, brings its own gains, I'm sure. But I got faster so much more quickly when I was doing the exact same stuff each week--two 30-milers during the week and a 45-50 on Saturday. Don't worry about the specifics, just know that you get there much quicker if you keep the same schedule.

Okay, enough of me trying to be useful. Here, read the official Caloi diet health hints section. It's written in broken English, much like my blog, but their excuse is that it was translated from Portuguese.

P.S. I purchased a new jersey on eBay recently in anticipation of an upcoming mountain bike race. I was the only bidder, which I can only assume means that I got completely ripped off. Anyway, I'll provide details when it arrives. Ooo, here's a photo:

Giro D'Idaho

Sun, 14 May 2006 05:08:13 GMT

You probably read in Cyclingnews where Johan Bruyneel criticized the Giro organizers for sending their riders up gradients that require 34x28 gearing. Well, I've got to be honest, I've always fantasized about a stage race that included a mix of both road and mountain biking. So, unlike Johan, I think that's pretty stinkin' cool.

In fact, I've decided that if there ever was a stage race in my area, it would include a mountain bike portion of necessity. After all, how else are you going to get the mountain stages in? Sure, the riders could take road bikes all the way up to the ski hill at Kelly Canyon Ski Resort, at which point the pavement ends and the gravel roads, jeep trails and sweet singletracks begin. And there's no end to them. It seems like every time I take a mountain bike up into that area, there's a new trail screaming for my attention.

Even today, when snow pack prevented my making it all the way to the top of the main road, there were still plenty of trails down on the lower section that were clear and challenging enough to ride on. Heck, if it weren't for all of the ATV and motorcycle riders going by, it would've been a pretty gorgeous nature-hike style ride. At one point, we even found a trail that landed us right in the middle of the ski slope.

Heck, you'd think including a mountain bike portion to a stage race would just be part of the natural progression of cycling. Just think about it this way, Johan: the whole point of having a stage race is that the GC winner must be a complete rider--a time trialist, a decent road racer, and a climber--so why not mix in a little mountain bike action too? I promise it'll only add to the fun.

Am I Odd?

Fri, 05 May 2006 02:44:58 GMT

Today I went for a ride with my co-worker D again. But there was a stark contrast between today's ride and my usual training ride with D. See, normally, when we ride, we stay together in the flats until we hit the climbs, and then I drop him, ride to the top, and wait there until he gets there. Now, I'm not so naive as to believe that I'm a superclimber or something, but I can usually ditch my citizen riding company when I get to the climbs, even if I'm not fantastic.

But today was different.

Today, I rode D's wheel the entire way to the climb, dropped him momentarily, and then had a realization: my tank was absolutely empty. My legs that had felt completely normal while I was sitting at my desk at work, felt weak, skinny, and pathetic. And, yes, you guessed it, D caught me and dropped me and then rode to the top of the hill where he waited while I soft-pedaled up at 4.5 mph.

Frankly, it seemed extremely reminiscent of a group ride I'd had last year three days after the Teton Pass Climb--where I was completely dropped by this group that I usually make a strong showing at. I can't help but think that I'm riding so weakly because I haven't yet recovered from Tuesday's time trial--you know, the one where I did "okay, but nothing fantastic."

So I've got to ask, does this happen to anyone else? Or should I get my blood checked for diabetes? Is it odd to need four days or more to recover after a race in which I've expended the bulk of my energy?

Base Miles

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 02:37:03 GMT

So there I was on the side of the road. Alone. Cell phoneless. Just me and my flat tire, a few passing semi trucks and an overabundance of wind. It wasn't too bad a place to get a flat--just the farthest point of my ride from my residence, comfortable nestled alongside a state highway more than 1,000 feet higher than the valley I call home.

I don't recall how long I took with replacing the tube. All I can say is that Panaracer tires are stinkin' tough. I nailed some rock--not that I saw it, so I suppose I don't know for certain--hard enough to just about send me over my handlebars, and the tyre was in good shape. The tube must've pinch-flatted or something because it leaked out slowly, leaving me with a marshmallowy soft feeling under my rims before I realized I'd flatted.

Only moments after getting back on the bike, a large semi-truck hauling a tree or something came up nice and close to my edge of the road and blared its horn just as it came alongside me. I've decided that the only way to keep that kind of person from victimizing you is to convince them that you're crazier than they are. I mean, really, who rides a bike on the edge of the state highway?

Coming down off the foothills, I faced an oppressive cross/headwind that seemed intent on smearing me across the highway. What do you do but grab the drops and keep spinning, right? And somewhere in that mechanical response to the situation, I started to feel as if I were becoming part of the bike--like the aluminum had creeped up into my legs and the two of us were working together, both feeling the weight of the ride in its fullness, and both responding with stiffness and tension. Pardon me for waxing poetic.

I really ought to start taking a camera with me on rides. Yesterday I found a yak ranch near my town (who knew?) and today I saw some gorgeous scenery of the dust being blown across the valley. If you can imagine this impressionistic horizontal smattering of color, and then add in there the ox-like bob of your own head and maybe a little pain to make the picture complete, you'd see why I appreciate Idaho. Perhaps not love, but appreciate. It's a beautiful state. And I think it offers views that no other state can match. But then, that's my opinion.

More uphill battle talk ...

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 04:48:00 GMT

I take comfort in the knowledge that, in Idaho, the only gawkers checking out my Lycra™-clad keyster are the herds of smelly cows I pass along the roadside.

With that out of the way, I'm going to do something unusual--give you useful cycling training information (which means that if you're not of the cycling persuasion, you still have to pretend to read it--perhaps right before bed--you might find it soporific). I went on a ride on Friday with serious mt biker Jason (who I've accepted is just a step ahead of me training-wise), and we got to chatting about some advice we'd received relative to building climbing strength. Specifically, a particular source informed us that if you don't have mountains to train on, you can get pretty close to the same workout riding into a headwind. After spending a half-hour riding with our heads bowed to the wind, our conclusion was to the contrary (which isn't to discredit the source--the wisest cyclist either of us know, and a former expert mountain biker).

Riding into the wind is a great way to build strength, to tone or build leg muscles, and probably to get faster in general, but riding into headwinds doesn't provide the cardiovascular pain of climbing. On the contrary, it seems as though the only thing to produce the lactic acid threshold experience of climbing really is climbing.

Toward the end of our ride on Friday, Jason said to me, "You're strong--your muscular strength is fine--it's your cardiovascular endurance that needs work." I don't think he was paying me an idle compliment, either. I'd held a pretty decent pace on the flats (both into headwinds and with tailwinds behind us), and I'd even done really well on the initial portions of the climbs, I'd just popped on the climbs earlier than he had.

But I'm only going to slightly disagree. I probably could use some cardio work, so Jason was right about that, but I'm thinking it may be more a question of just confronting the lactic threshold--a psychology thing. I think too often in my training, I've been letting up after a short stint in the red zone. I'll bet it's just a matter of holding that out longer. Knowing that, of course, doesn't make it any easier.

Anyway, just wanted to pass that semi-useful piece of information along. Windy season has just started here, which means that if you're lacking in strength, now is a good time to build on it. As to the climbing ... I have some ideas, but I'm not totally smitten with any of them yet. I'll let you know if I find the magic climbing pill in my training in these next weeks

Campus Crit

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 01:03:35 GMT

You know where liars go, don't you? They become weathermen on TV.

Yeah, there wasn't a flake of snow falling from the sky today or last night, so I ended up riding both times. Yesterday, I raked in a sandbag-slow road 15 miles on the flats (it was still a touch windy), but today things were a little more interesting. My buddy Jason suggested doing a mt bike ride around the local college campus. I was intrigued. I'd ridden on most of the sidewalks in mad dashes to make it to class on time, but I'd never really tried it for exercise. So I threw on my mt bike garb--cut off shorts with tights and wool socks, duct-taped sneakers to keep the toes warm, and gloves and sweaters for my top half--and we took to the concrete trails.

The campus is conveniently located on a gradual-sloped hillside, and has architecture going back to the first half of the last century. There were plenty of tight turns and sand or gravel to wash out on and plenty of different routes to take to get to them. But this time the idea for me was just to hang with Jason--who's a pretty serious mt biker. The guy rides a Scott Scale with some pretty sweet componentry, and he's in some decent shape (conversation today revealed that his bodyfat is currently in the 7 percent range) so just not getting ditched would be complimentary toward my fitness.

We carved in and out of the sidewalk lanes, in between students and traffic, and then rode up toward some of the higher elevated buildings on campus, swooping past the "Ride bicycles at walking speed only" signs before climbing the grades to the road up by the water tower. The ride started out cold, but ended up being balmy--my gloves were clammy by the time I put the bike back in the backseat of my car. And, oddly enough, I didn't do too bad on the climbs. I did peter out at one point when my gut indicated that it had had enough (so clearly there's plenty of room for improvement), but all-in-all, it wasn't so bad today. By the end I really felt like I could muster up a few more accelerations. But it was an hour-long ride at most.

It probably didn't hurt that I'd wolfed down three pieces of french toast along with a half-quart of syrup when I got up this morning, huh?

How 'bout y'all? Any races to speak of? Epic rides? Centuries? New trails? Old trails that you've reridden? Come on, y'all, fess up!

Addressing the question "Are you crazy?"

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:22:16 GMT

I finished work around 7:30 last night (only an 11-hour day as far as I can tell) and quickly bolted home--if you can call a 40-minute commute "bolting." I walked in the door to find my wife frustratingly digging through information for a take-home test for her current least-favorite class.

"It's better off if I'm out of the room right now, huh?" I asked, and received an answer in the affirmative.

Well, it was 8:30 by then. And I got to thinking "what's the point of having a reflective vest if I'm not out riding at night?" So I called my brother up at about 10 minutes to 9 pm: "Hey you wanna go for a ride?"

"Now? You mean on a real bike? No, I don't want to go for a ride now, it's freezing out. I'll ride indoors on a stationary bike. Besides, my bike is in pieces in my closet."

"Oh, come on, it's as warm as it's been in the past month--it doesn't get any better than this. I'll be right over, I'll help you get your bike put back together."

When I arrived, though, I just met with more opposition. "Are you crazy? It's freezing cold out here." This from the guy who lived in Alaska for the past five years.

So I went for the ride by myself on the mountain bike (it was still a little icy). I did the local hillclimb to build up some heat and then rolled into the road that leads out to the potato fields. It was gorgeous out there. The snow reflected a blue hue, and for some of the time, I was the only one out enjoying it. My legs didn't feel great, but I'll point to earliness in the season for that. I turned back and showed up at home before 10 pm. Nothing like a peaceful ride to get you to sleep faster, eh?

Every morning there's this group of husbands outside the apartments warming up their cars. It's kinda like that cheesy cliche of the husband in the bathrobe out picking up the paper from the sidewalk--except no bathrobe and a lot colder. But this morning, as I ran into my neighbor, whose designated nickname is Huge (not because of his body size) the conversation was, "Huge, hey man, it's really warm out here today."

"It's actually just 26 degrees right now, but it sure feels warm."

Holy cow it feels warm. The predicted high for Saturday is 36 degrees, so that means it's time to get that aerobic base in. All I can say is: it's about time.

On a side note: I just went and visited our local wellness expert here at the company, and he had me take a quick chub percentage test. It's official, I'm at the chubbiest I've ever been: 11.3 percent and 143 pounds. Ain't no way I'm hauling this much of myself up Teton Pass in July. That's 15 pounds of chub. It's time to trim.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Climbing

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:42:04 GMT

Tayfur brought out a good point in yesterday's comments. Nobody with any kind of weight likes to climb. Except that Fat Cyclist. Well, I've got to tell you that I don't qualify as a heavy guy, but I have my moments of hating climbing too. And I have them quite regularly.

No, seriously. I know, I write a blog that's all about my pursuit of a better hillclimbing time, but even I have my moments where I just hate crawling up the side of a hill like a spider about to be squashed. Take, for example, my regular hillclimb, performed on the slightly steep hill near my house. The hill probably holds a steady 4-7% gradient for the most part mixed with two excruciating 10% points. I've done it enough times now that I can probably draw you a picture of every patch of that road. Often I do the whole thing out of the saddle, face down, with only occasional glances to make sure I'm not weaving into traffic. I've even had days where I show up at the bottom, ride part of the way up, and then turn tail and think "Not today." And the more of those partial rides I do, the more I dislike climbing.

On the flipside, the more rides I do where I end up at the top of the hill, the happier with climbing I am. See, if you were to stop me halfway up and ask how I'm enjoying my ride, I'd probably reply that I'm not throwing up yet, but if you hang around long enough, I might treat you to a good puke show. At about that moment, the road rises for its second 10% stint, my speed drops and my heartrate skyrockets. The road appears to level off after that (to about a 7 percenter) and I attempt to pick my speed back up. Yes, at that moment, I'm hating it. Check back in with me three minutes later, though, and I'm at the top of the climb overlooking the valley beneath me. I'll be leaning against the handlebars, gasping for a little bit before I start rolling down again. And at that moment, there's nothing I'd rather do than climb some more.

I know, sounds like an addiction, huh? Teton Pass is the same way. The whole way up, I'm asking myself things like "You really like this?" and trying to reply with positive thoughts like "Come on, you haven't puked yet. You could do this all day." Of course, last time I really did get to the top and puke, so I didn't have time for my regular look-over-the-valley session, but that's a minor detail. (Hey, it's a race--if you don't give it your all, you probably shouldn't have entered.)

So somedays climbing and I love each other. It feeds my self-esteem, and I say good things about it. Other days, it reminds me of that time when I was 10 and my best friend Ross punched me in the schnoz ... little punk.

P.S. I should add that after writing this entry, I promptly went to lunch and rode said climb. Yeah, today's not a strong day, but it sure felt good.

Horse Category?

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 22:06:11 GMT

You know, I keep finding myself awake at night long after the rest of the universe has gone to bed. Just me and that obnoxious noise that I think was coming from my roof last night. A little late in the season for eight prancing reindeer. But that wasn't the reason I was awake so late into the evening. Truth is, I've been substituting imagining climbing Teton Pass for counting sheep, and it's been backfiring. Instead of falling asleep, I get twisted up in the sheets, my eyes bug out of my skull and my legs tense up. I'm taken captive by one thought: if I really really want to do better this year, I have some serious work to do, and it needs to start now.

Categorization

In the Tour de France, there's a categorization of climbs. I'm not saying that mine exactly mirrors theirs, but I have my own guesstimate system running here of how climbs measure out, and I'd like to share it with you today.

Category 4: The Category 4 Climb is the kind you run into all the time with your friends where you race up it and feel all mighty and tough. It's quick, usually a few miles at most, and it's really quite gradual followed by a decent poke of a peak at the end. It sounds wussy, but let's face the facts, most citizen-grade climbs fall into this category. If you're doping with more than Red Bull for these ones, you're not getting your money's worth.

Categories 2 & 3: Okay, now we're talking. You can make yourself puke on a Cat 2 or 3 climb, easy. Well, it's not easy, but you know what I mean. These are the ones you and your cycling buddies go to when you really think you want to show off. The grades are a little steeper, let's say 7% or more. These are the kinds of roads you make an appointment to ride on, and when you get to the top your lungs burn and the nerves in your lungs start sending hate mail to your brain.

Category 1: You know those climbs where you start gripping the handlebars tighter because you're worried you're going to fall off the back of your seat? You lean forward because you're afraid to wheelie. You think to yourself, "This better not last for too long, or I'm going to puke like a pregnant woman in her first trimester." You stand, thinking that will help, only to slump back down again frustrated that gravity appears to have quadrupled since you started climbing, but you don't dare stop pedaling out of fear that your bike will actually roll backwards down this hill.

Hors Categorie: I believe this category gained its name because you'd be crazy to ride it on a bike, so people used to ride horses up instead, at least until the Humane Society complained. These are the Man + Mountain = Mortality climbs, the ones where you get to the top and yell either "you race organizers are murderers!" or "where's my EPO!?!" And when you get done climbing, you look like a starved Ethiopian refugee.

So my hillclimb is a 10%, 2,200-foot climb, which means it falls into either categories 1 or 2. Trouble is, I need to train for it using, at most, Category 4 climbs. I did manage to get out last week and put a few quick hillclimb time trials in, so I have some idea of where my fitness is as compared with previous years. And, yes, I have room for improvement. It's time to get the climb on. It could just be me, but I think it's a matter of training the body to channel a whole bunch of energy into one big, powerful spurt. Trouble is, spurt training doesn't facilitate the development of very good aerobic capacity, so I've got to mix some distance in as well. I can't afford EPO, and even if I could I have no intention of using it or even Red Bull, so I'll have to make do with the natural stuff.

The sun is out, and the spring is almost here. I still have six more months before my half-hour race, and I'm already losing sleep. I know, I've got it bad.

Phat K

Sat, 14 Jan 2006 20:31:15 GMT

Okay, I did the Phat Kilometer. If you're not familiar with the Phat K, it's just basically a time trial that lasts for one kilometer (.6271 mile). The sun was setting as I left work yesterday, but the roads had melted enough that it looked like I might be able to pull the TT off. I got home, hopped on the bike and rode to the previously-chosen spot. I rounded the corner slowed to a near stop, hit the button and took off riding.
I'd picked the flattest road around for the ride, so it ought to be pretty fair. My first look at the distance meter came at 0.2 miles, at which point I was chugging along at 31.5 mph. Sometime around there, I sat down and my speed dropped into the 20s. I know, I'm a slacker. I picked it back up after I crossed the 0.4 mile mark and sprinted out the last little bit until I hit 0.63 miles.
What was my time? The clock read 0:01:26 or one minute and 26 seconds. Not too pathetic, I hope, but there's definitely room for improvement. Specifically, I only averaged 26.5 mph through the kilometer. What was the point of sitting down in the middle? It was only a kilometer.
I haven't done the B5 3-mile TT, but it'll happen ... maybe.

Weight Loss

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 19:27:05 GMT

You'll recall that a couple of days ago, BotchedExperiment talked me out of using a particular food that he thinks is detrimental to my health. In the process of explaining it to me, he also gave me some instructions for weight loss. I responded that he ought to share them with all y'all as you guys are all looking to lose weight before the summer hits. I think we all have a few pounds we'd like to drop, so that's what today's post is about. Here, first, are Botched's recommendations:

"Remember that there is a difference between exercising for performance and exercising for weight loss. You start using fat for energy after you've used up blood glucose, and muscle and liver glycogen stores. Thus, if you want to lose weight, go into exercise with normal blood sugar (don't drink a soda or eat anything before exercise) and low liver and muscle glycogen stores (no excess of carbo's in diet).

"Do not eat during exercise (including long rides). If you exercise at moderate to high intensities, your body cannot supply energy fast enough from beta oxidation of fatty acids to keep up with energy demand (without you eating or drinking some carbs). You will get low blood sugar and 'BONK'. Therefore, exercise at lower intensty (65-75% max HR) and don't supplement with sugar. At these intensities, burning of fat alone can keep up with energy demand and you can go 'indefinitely' on burning fat.

"After exercise don't 'eat and drink for recovery'. You DO NOT want to replenish liver and muscle glycogen stores. Eat some fat and protein after excercise, not carbs.

"THE ABOVE SUGGESTIONS WILL REDUCE EXERCISE 'PERFORMANCE'. You'll ride slower and feel worse while you're riding, but you'll burn more fat and lose weight. Don't get caught in the trap that high intensities burn more calories. Of course they do, but then you also have to eat more calories to maintain the intensity, and the net result is typically an energetic balance (no weight loss). The exception to this is those that are able to exercise at a VERY high intensity for a very long time. These folks will burn more calories than they can eat during exercise, but then they have to concentrate on recovery (more calories) to be able to maintain the high performance exercise.

"If your body has trouble regulating blood sugar, be careful about not eating while exercising."

In case you're not aware, Botched isn't far away from becoming Dr. Botched, though his specialty is actually cancer, as I recall.

Now for some less professional recommendations from yours truly. Okay, I've had my moments with weight loss in the past, and I've decided that weight loss is really dependent more on changes in your diet than it is on your workout routine (though the workout is a necessary element). Before I go any further with this, I've got to express my opinion that carbs are not BAD for you. Your whole body runs on them, they're the most easily accessed form of energy, and they keep your brain running. I'd keep them in your diet if I were you. But some foods we can use less of, include high-fat meats, cheeses (especially processed), soda, and creamy sauces.

I realize salad tastes better with ranch, pizza wouldn't be pizza without pepperoni and cheese, and hamburgers are still very convenient, but the last time I abstained from these foods, I went from 155 to less than 140 in a couple of months. The holidays are over now, and that means it's going to be easier to eat right. I don't advocate taking fat, protein or carbohydrate out of your diets, but I will say that the average American eats far too much of the above-named foods, and it's my opinion that that's what's keeping people chunky. I know, me and my opinions. If anything, your active lifestyles should warrant eating more carbohydrate, though, at least pre-workout. Keep the hefty protein until after.

Okay, the last piece of advice, and the hardest part of this whole thing, is going to be getting other people to go along with your new food choices, because people in general don't eat like that, and lots of them are going to be making food choices for you. "Let's go out for a burger." "Can we have pizza tonight?" you get the point. The toughest part of this is going to be getting other people onboard with you. Best of luck.

Nutrition

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 15:11:16 GMT

Every day, I swallow four quercetin-based antioxidant tablets, which eliminate free radicals in my blood.

I chase those down with four phytosterol/omega-3 fatty acid capsules to lower my cholesterol and, I’m hoping, keep down my insurance premium.

Before aerobic workouts, I munch on an ingestible adenosine-inhibiter so I get the most fat burned that I can (it's supposed to lessen lactic acid as well, and I'm always grateful for that).

Following the work out, I pull out one of the big tubs of protein powder I have in my cupboard, I mix it in with milk, and chug down 15 grams of protein.

If I’m in the mood, I might chew on some fish jerky (though that’s a sacrifice because it means my wife won’t be kissing me for a few hours).

And yet I’m getting soft in the middle (isn’t there a Paul Simon song about that?), my blood pressure’s a little high, and I have a difficult time attaching the title ‘endurance athlete’ to my name. “Caloi-Rider, Endurance Athlete.” See, it doesn’t even sound right with my fake blog name.

Well, we pulled a mini triathlon again yesterday. I'm taking less time to recover between laps in the pool. I mixed in stationary spinning with squats to simulate the ride. Gosh, it was tough to run after that, though. Triathletes, you have my respect.

Dead Legs

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:29:09 GMT

I've been itching for a ride lately, but it's just been to icy or wet. Friday night, I went to the gym and jumped on one of the SSSBs (stupid stationary spinning bikes). I set the resistance and rode and rode and rode for a full 50 minutes before my brother came and joined me. He hung on for a half hour and then went and did something else. I admit, I stuck it out for so long because there was some other guy in there riding at a decent pace on one of the computerized bikes (which are worse than the SSSBs). He hadn't been there as long as I had, but I couldn't let him outpace me, so naturally I kept up my rhythm, competing with some guy who didn't even know he was competing with me.

Finally, at my hour and 25 minute mark (I think he'd been there for 20 minutes), he dismounted and left the gym and I was free to unglue my feet from the pedals. But I didn't. I stuck it out until the hour and 35 minute mark, and even then, I wanted more of a workout. It had been a while since I'd toyed with the hip-flexor machine, so I went and cranked out a couple on that.

Was I done yet? Of course not. I wandered down to the indoor track and ran a mile, and then it registered--the signal I could stop: serious hunger pangs. My gut was aching for food, and there wasn't even a water fountain nearby. All-in-all, a good Friday night workout.

Saturday, I could tell, was not a day for a ride. But there's a chin-up bar in a park near where I live, so I figured I might try out an upper-body Saturday workout. Only problem is that my wife took the car. So what's a guy to do? Of course I pulled out a bike and, despite the slushy wetness and chilly temperatures, decided to ride up and do the chin-ups. That meant riding about a half-mile of moderately steep hill. While putting on my warm duds, I stopped and thought about it for a minute:

"Your legs are totally exhausted," I told myself. "You're not even going to make it up there."

Whatever. That was just negative thinking. I rolled the bike out the door, down to the bottom of the stairs and then I hopped on.

"See," I told myself. "I feel great. This cold water spraying across my rear end feels refreshing, and so does the cool winter air."

In reflection, I'm not sure which voice was the little devil on my shoulder and which was the angel.

DANG climbing that hill hurt. I barely made it up. My legs had no juice left in them at all. I don't even remember doing the chin-ups, though my back's a little sore today, so I must've done them. I do remember rolling back down the hill like a cadaver in a wheelchair. And I do remember lying on my couch exhausted after getting back. So you can imagine what thoughts entered my mind when I awoke this morning to find another three or four inches of snow on the ground: "Rats! Well, gotta take the car after all."