Wii - great offseason workout??

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!! My family got a Wii for Christmas!! I am not sure who is enjoying it more... the kids or the parents. I played it quite a bit on Christmas, especially perfecting my bowling. I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning and had a limp. My left butt cheek was really sore. I felt like a wimp and figured it is just because I haven't been working out enough. Then my wife said she had the same issue except her right quad was also really sore (I guess with my biking, that muscle is in better shape than hers). Also, I worked up quite a sweat boxing and playing tennis. I played golf when I wanted to take a break, but then I remembered why I gave up golf: It frustrates the hell out of me although my scores were much better than on an actual golf course.

Also, when you get a chance, take the fitness test. It grades you to a age of your fitness. I got down to my actual age on my second try. Feel free to post your fitness age in the comments.

Anyway, if you need to do a lot of lunges for your off bike work, get on your Wii and start bowling. Just make sure that you learn how to bowl with your weak hand also so that you can do your lunges on your other leg, as well.

Yes, this is somewhat "tongue and cheek", but if it is the only thing that gets you off your butt, then it is better than nothing.

The ideal foot warmer

I was at cyclingnews.com and noticed an article on Sidi Toasters. While I don't have a pair, they sound like a great idea and the guy at cyclingnews.com loved them.

Sidi Toasters are warming insoles. OK... sticking something in your shoe to keep your feet warm is nothing new, but these are different. These insoles replace your current insole and they will keep your feet warm for 3 to 4 hours. You just need to charge them up. Also, they have a remote for turning them on and off in case your feet get to warm. They are good for hundreds of charges so if you regularly use disposable warmers in your shoes, these will eventually pay for themselves.

So... that brings us to price. These insoles cost $299 msrp. Ouch!!! That seems a little pricey for foot warmers. I would think that this should attract copy cat products depending on how good Sidi's patent is (assuming they have one).

No matter, this is a cool product that will appeal to the diehard winter riders out there. In summary, pros: keep your feet warm for a long time cons: expensive solution, but could pay for itself if you ride in cold weather a lot.

The Psychology of setting goals

In case you haven't figured it out yet, most of the stuff I write about in my blog comes from articles that I read about cycling that really make me think. Today, there was another good article by Josh Horowitz of Liquid Fitness about psychology and setting goals.

The part I found most applicable to me is the part about positive self talk. I think most people who know me think I am a positive person, especially when it comes to cycling. That doesn't mean that I don't have issues with negative self talk. I am a poor climber; I just am. That is my personal belief. Does it have to be that way? No, but if I don't believe I can improve, then it won't happen. This is something I need to work on. Same thing goes for winning a race. If you don't believe you can win it, then you most likely won't. There are exceptions to that one. I won a race once when I thought I was chasing down a one man break with pack in tow in the last lap of crit. I caught the breakaway guy and kept going fully expecting to get passed. I didn't believe it until I crossed the line. A teammate of mine won a race this past year in a downpour. He attacked halfway through the last lap because he didn't want to be around anyone going through the last turn which was an off-camber turn. When he crossed the finish line, he wasn't even sure he had won. But I digress...

Positive self talk does work!! Sure, you feel goofy doing it, but if it works, aren't you willing to look a little silly in order to improve your cycling or any other part of your life?

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5533&status=True

Enjoy the article.

Winter Training: High Intensity vs. Base Building

I was reading an article about high intensity training in the winter at pezcyclingnews.com and it got me thinking about the right way to train over the winter.

The vast majority of cyclists and many coaches believe that the old way is the best way: Lots of base miles in the off-season. Of course, if you live in a warm or moderate climate, than this is a great way to work toward the next season. If you live in a cold climate, the thought of putting in long base miles on the trainer can be a hard pill to swallow. Also, if you are short on time, putting in high intensity work can be a good alternative.

There have been many studies, but the one I found most interesting was the follow up study done by Gibala in 2006. He tested a high intensity training regimen of only 2.5 hours with a more traditional endurance based training of 10.5 hours at 60-65% VO2peak. The result was that both training regimens produced similar results. They determined this by measuring muscle glycogen levels and the concentration of key enzymes in the aerobic metabolic pathway.

More work is required in order to adapt these results into real-life training plans, but it does indicate that using high intensity workouts in the off-season can provide some of the same benefits that base building does. The key is to use the high intensity workouts in moderation.

You can find the article here: High Intensity Training 2007: Latest Evidence

Good luck in your off season training!!

Finding Time to Workout

Do you have trouble finding time to workout this time of year? I know, the holidays, kids activities, work, etc. keep you really busy, but that is no excuse to not finding the time to workout. It is a matter of time management and prioritization. Here are a few suggestions:

• Do you watch a lot of TV? If so, substitute a bike ride for TV watching or watch TV while riding your trainer.
• Is work 15 miles or less away? Consider commuting to work by bike a few days a week. It will take a bit to learn (clean up, routes, clothes, etc.), but once you do, you will wonder why you hadn't done it before.
• Do you spend a lot of time on the internet? Get on the trainer!!
• Schedule your ride time into your day and don't miss your appointment.
• What else in your daily routine is less important than you health and fitness?

The bottom line is that it is up to you to prioritize the important things in your life. So, if you think you are too busy to get on the bike, reevaluate. I bet that there is time during the day to at least get on your trainer for 30 minutes. Remember, cycling is a sport of momentum; the more you ride, the more you WILL ride.

Lastly, if you are working toward goals for next year, then it is imperative that you start your training for next year NOW. Don't wait. I am speaking from experience of doing it both ways. Last winter, I didn't workout much at all and I wasn't as good as I should have been come summer. I was kicking myself the whole year, not to mention, my confidence wasn't there. If you start now, you will be impressing your riding buddies come spring and you will have the confidence to have your best year ever on the bike!! Good luck in your training.

Have you started your off-season training, yet?

If not, it is time to start. If you want to have a better race season in 2008 than in 2007, then you need to start training now.

I get newsletters from different companies and one quote I see stated more than any other is the one from Chris Carmichael. He states that Lance won the Tour with what he did in November, December and January or every year. While his competitors were taking time off or doing light training, he was putting distance between himself and his competitors.

Everyday cyclists, whether the fast recreational cyclist that wants to put down the hammer in group rides, or the racer that wants to compete at a higher level, everything that you do this time of year will pay great dividends come the heart of race season. So, get off your "duff" and start training for next year. You may not like riding in the cold, riding on a trainer or doing strength training workouts, but you will be happy come next spring when the competitors that never noticed you before are now looking at the back of your jersey at the end of a race.

Don't know how to structure your off-season plan? Hire a cycling coach. It has been shown to be a better investment than any equipment upgrade.

Cold Weather Riding: Why are we slower?

If you remember my first post about Cold Weather Riding, it originated from a USA Cycling Coach that was posting the question. It talked about why the rider was slower.

Since then, I have noticed the same phenomenon and just attributed it to being a little out of shape at the start of the off season workouts. While that is partially true, it is not the biggest reason. I stumbled across a thread on Bike Journal that referenced this article:

Slower in Winter?

Basically, due to increased wind resistance from wearing more clothes and the higher density of air at colder temps, we have to work harder in order to achieve the same speed. The factor the article states is anywhere from 15 to 30 percent. For me, I think the difference is less than 15 percent but more than 10. Check out the article; it is an interesting read. It certainly makes me feel better about my recent workouts.

Also, check out the Cold Weather Riding article on my club's website:

32 Suggestions for bicycling when it’s Thirty-two

Lastly, check out another tidbit about Cold Weather Riding that is especially important to those looking to lose weight:

Nutrition for Cold Weather Exercise

The crux of the article is that fat utilization is decreased when riding in cold temps. The article describes why. So, if you are trying to lose weight, consider using the trainer more than outside rides in the winter in order to maximize fat loss.

Goal For Off-Season - Lose Weight

Today is the start of my weight loss for this off season. Last off-season, I let myself go and I only lost about 6-7 pounds since then. I am currently about 20 lbs heavier than my lightest weight and that is the weight I will get back to.

I didn't have a great cycling season this year and I feel that with this weight loss, I will be ready to turn it around next year. I plan on losing 2 pounds a week for 7 weeks so that I am down to 175 by the end of the year. After that, I will take off the weight 0.75 pounds a week.

Obviously, I will need to modify what I eat. Also, the training program I have developed for myself will have me exercising 10 hours a week on average so that will be important for me to lose weight.

I am using the same system that I have used when I have lost weight in the past: Leanness Lifestyle. When I first used the system along with the "bootcamps" they have, I lost over 40 lbs. The users and Dave, the coach, are all very supportive, but also let you know if you are whining. I remember when I first started and said I was exercising a lot but no weight was coming off even though I was watching what I was eating. Dave came back and said "Use the tools!!". He was right. Thanks, Dave!!

Anyway, I will report back periodically on my progress along with my regular type of blog items.

If you are committed to losing weight but need some help, check out Leanness Lifestyle. You can find Leanness Lifestyle HERE.

Gatorade - they like me... they really like me :-)

Sorry, I couldn't resist being goofy with the title to this entry. Anyway, Gatorade let me know that they accepted me into their pool of cyclists available for their studies. I am excited about this since it seems like a lot of people who come in to be screened don't pass a part of the stress test. On the day I was tested, there a few other people scheduled (I think 3 others) and I was the only one to pass the stress test. Also, I know of one other person on a different day where the stress test was stopped in the middle because the person became slightly hypertensive (increase in blood pressure above normal). And this person is the last person you would have thought wouldn't have passed; very lean and in great shape.

So I post this information for 2 reasons: One, because I am very happy to be, what seems to be, one of the few that gets approved and two, I don't want anyone who is thinking about going through the process to get their hopes up.

Since Gatorade has a non-disclosure, I most likely won't be able to share my experiences of the actual testing with all of you. On the other hand, I will ask so I might be able to share some info.

Bartlett Cyclocross - Sunset Park

Yesterday, I attended the inaugural Sunset Park Cyclocross Race in Bartlett, IL. This was the first 'Cross race I have ever attended. I was impressed!! The race organizers did a great job. You can find pictures of the Cat 4a and 4b races at:

http://cycling.smugmug.com

The weather was great and the course was varied. The one thing I noticed was that the barriers were on uphill sections and the riders that ran up the hill after the barriers before remounting generally did better than the riders that tried to remount immediately after clearing the last barrier. These riders almost came to a complete stop. This is merely an observation as I am a 'cross novice who has never actually raced 'cross.

Also, I noticed that the riders that were able to take the tight right turn before the short steep climb, were able to make up positions/distance on other riders.

Also, you can find the results to the race at:

http://chicrosscup.com/results07/ABD_Oct_29_2007.htm

Good luck to all riders in the next 'cross race in St. Charles.

The Iban Mayo case and how it helps Landis

Does anyone find it interesting that in Iban Mayo's case, the Spanish Cycling Federation had the common sense to test the B sample somewhere else other than the Chatenay-Malabry lab which is the same lab that had inconsistencies with the Landis' tests? Hmmmm... one can only wonder what would have happened if USADA had actually listened and agreed to the request to test the B samples from the other stages at a lab other than Chatenay-Malabry. Hopefully, WADA will shut down that lab or at a minimum, make it a regular practice of testing the B samples at 2 different labs.

Landis' legal team has to just LOVE this story. While Iban Mayo was caught for something different, Landis' legal team will infer that Mayo would have been wrongfully convicted if it were not for the testing at labs other than Chatenay-Malabry.

The Iban Mayo story may just be enough to swing the pedulum in Floyd's favor. Get ready for round 2 everyone.

For complete coverage:

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

For additional commentary:

http://rant-your-head-off.com/

***UPDATE***

Anne Gripper of the UCI said this today:

She said it would be another "five or six weeks" before the second round of tests is completed. Even if the follow-up tests are negative, the UCI said it might consider an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

So, let me see if I get this right... if your A sample tests positive and the B sample tests negative, the UCI will try to get you suspended on the basis of the A sample by appealing to CAS. How much more screwed up can WADA and the UCI get about doping?? How about following your own rules for starters? Talk about a witch hunt.

All I can think of is that Monte Python sketch where they go around yelling "witch!!" I can't believe Landis hasn't spoken up about this, although maybe he is just waiting for it to play out. So far, everything the lab and UCI is doing should help Landis with his appeal to CAS.

Cold Weather Riding: How is it different?

Over the last week or so, the USA Cycling Coaching yahoo group has been discussing cold weather riding. It all started when one of the coaches presented a question about a junior rider who said that he didn't feel as powerful riding in the cold. There were many good possibilities as to why the rider was feeling this way as well as solutions to each of these issues. I will summarize a number of issues that come up with cold weather riding.

- Clothing / Staying Warm. This is the most obvious thing that is different when riding in the cold. Most people can figure this out. You must dress in layers and feel slightly cold when first starting on a ride. Also, keeping hands and feet warm are the biggest challenge. See my previous post on my new winter gloves. Here are the things I hadn't thought of:

- Wear bib tights. This prevents bunching of tucked in layers around the waist. With reduced bunching, sweat doesn't gather thus not causing a rider to get chilled. The dryer a rider is, the less chance of getting chilled.

- Go out on a ride and get cold. You know how in the spring a lot of people start wearing shorts when it barely turns 60. This is because our bodies have been conditioned for the cold over the long winter. Cold weather riding is the same thing. The more you go out and ride in the cold, the more your body will get used to it.

- Line your helmet with something to keep the wind out. Along with a good skull cap or balaclava, lining your helmet with plastic or covering it with tape, will help to keep the air out. Those vents are used to help you stay cool so if you cover them up, it will help you stay warmer.

- Focus on nutrition. In the winter, our bodies don't receive the same amount of Vitamin D due to less sun exposure which can lead to a deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can cause overall achiness, muscle soreness and the feeling of decreased power. Also, Vitamin D is related to Calcium absorption so Vitamin D deficiency can lead to other problems. The best way to alleviate this is to take a good multi-vitamin, especially in the winter.

- Focus on hydration. As we head into cooler weather, our thirst mechanism seems to be turned down a bit. I know I have trouble making sure I drink enough in the fall on and off the bike. While the amount you drink while riding can be reduced a bit due to lower sweat rates, the amount you drink off the bike should probably be increased a bit due to the low humidity environments in the winter.

- Increased chance of getting sick. Riding outside in the cold has its own set of problems. In the Fall, riders with asthma and/or allergies tend to have more problems. Also, as the temperature drops, some riders tend to have noses that run all the time. These problems can lead to Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI). If you have any of these problems, make sure you take care of your sinuses. One solution that has worked is a neti pot. Decongestants can help also once you feel a URTI coming on.

- Looser fitting tights. Some people develop knee problems because tights or leg warmers do not allow the knee to move the same while cycling. This is caused by increased pressure of the tights on the knee cap. If you have this problem, try looser fitting tights or make sure your tights are not pushing the knee cap up or down.

- Appetite. You may notice that you are hungrier while riding or after riding. This is due to 2 things. Generally, winter rides are not the hammer fests that you may be used to in the summer. Also, in the summer, your body doesn't want to waste time digesting food because it is too busy keeping you cool and keeping your muscles working. In the winter, your body isn't worried so much about keeping you cool and thus your appetite is increased.

I am sure I have left out some issues, but hopefully this will help you to keep riding through the winter. Feel free to add thoughts in the comments.

TGIF - Level 2 Coach & Landis

Level 2 Cycling Coach

I went to the USA Cycling Level 2 coaching clinic last weekend. I completed the test this week and passed, so I am now a USA Cycling Level 2 Coach!! Honestly, I didn't think I was going to learn that much from the class as I have read a lot of material on training and nutrition, but I did learn A LOT. Thanks to Sam Callan from USA Cycling; Al Gandolfi, part owner of ABD; and Stephen McGregor, professor of exercise physiology at Eastern Michigan. They were all fantastic teachers and they made the class FUN. Thank you Sam, Al and "El Ranchero" :-).

So, what did I learn, stay tuned... I will be touching on topics that I learned about in future posts to this blog.

Landis Appeals to CAS

Just as the ceremony was planned to give Oscar Pereiro the yellow jersey, Landis announced he has appealed to CAS. I think this is the right move considering the appeal should be considerably less expensive than the initial hearing and CAS has been known to side with the athlete when warranted. Also, most of the analysis is already complete. I only wish that Landis had announced it earlier. I do feel for Pereiro. Here is a guy that doesn't know whether he finished first or second in the biggest bike race in 2006 in the world and he won't find out if he won it until the start of the 2008 season. Also, does anyone know if any of the riders have been paid for the 2006 Tour de France? According to Landis at one of his book signings, he didn't think anyone will get paid until a final verdict in his doping case.

So, what's my point? There are plenty of other riders that are affected by this case other than Landis. Think about how much easier this would have been if WADA's certified lab, LNDD, had their act together. They either would have never found a positive test or the positive test would have been without reproach. Anyway, hopefully CAS gets the verdict right and WADA cleans up their act as a result of this case. Anyway you look at it, Landis and other riders are the losers in the case no matter what the verdict.

Specialized Sub-Zero Gloves

Today, I received an email from CTS reminding me that cold weather is right around the corner. Here in the upper midwest, we have enjoyed very warm weather for the beginning of October (heck, for any time of the year), but we are in for a rude awakening. It will be time to get out our cold weather gear very soon or head inside until next spring.

A couple of weeks ago, I knew it was going to be cold (less than 40 degrees F) for one of our Saturday morning rides. I had not been happy with my cold weather gloves and I knew I wanted to be able to ride into the 20's (F) this winter. My LBS suggested the Sub Zero gloves from Specialized. I bought them and I love these gloves.

These gloves have 2 layers. The base layer can be worn when it is not so cold (30-50 degrees) and then when it turns below 30, you can add the 2nd layer. I have not had the opportunity to use the 2nd layer as it was 38 at the start of that ride, but my hands never got cold on that Saturday ride. More importantly, the gloves breath so my fingers/hands never got sweaty or clammy. With my old winter gloves, my hands would be cold at the beginning of a cold ride and then get cold again toward the end because the gloves got wet from sweat. Specialized touts these gloves as being breathable. I can tell you that they worked for me. My hands never got sweaty and stayed.

So, for cold weather gear, I can check gloves off my list. Next will be something to cover my head.

Last Race of the Year

For me, at least. This coming weekend, I have a USA Cycling Level 2 Coaching Seminar that I will be attending so that I can become a Level 2 coach and to better serve my athletes. Back to the race...

Mike, Paul and I all lined up for the race in Lombard. This race was very unusual as I was actually on time and Mike and I beat Paul to the race, so it already started out as a little bit of a strange day. I didn't have my normal pre-race jitters. I have had a stressful week, so I guess the stress of this race didn't compare, especially since I didn't have high expectations. Translation... I didn't come in with a positive attitude which usually doesn't help.

We take off after normal instructions. We find out very quickly that the wind is very strong, especially between turns 3 and 4. There are a number of attacks off the front, but a break wasn't going to stick with this wind... or so we thought. Evidently, a rider got off the front and with a lot of riders attacking, most riders didn't realize that there was a rider still off the front until after the race was over. Very impressive performance for this young rider from Turin.

The rest of the pack stayed together. It was a normal race where if you sat in the middle of the pack, you faded back so you move to the outside of the pack and moved up. This work very well until minute 32 into the race when I started to run out of gas. I haven't been riding a lot, so it started to catch up with me. I did my best to catch my breath but by the time I did, it was too late to move up and I finished in the bottom half at 39 out of about 60. The good news was that Paul finished 5th and I am pretty sure he sits 3rd overall in the Cat 4 Fall Fling overall going into the road race.

This was a bit of a disappointing season, but it was to be expected. I took the winter off last year as I let work and a crash become excuses as to why I didn't get on my bike. That won't happen this winter. Now that I am a coach, I have to set an example for my athletes. I will be strictly completing my workouts in my program just as I expect from my athletes. I will talk about my goals for next year in a separate post, but let's just say that I will not be the same rider come next spring.

Cornering and Other Skills Info

I was contemplating what I wanted to talk about in my entry today. Yeah, I know I need to write up my last race report of the year, but I will do that tomorrow. Today I was looking at the Chicago Bike Racing website and the latest entry was a riding tip. BTW, that website is full of great information and tips for beginning and experienced riders. Check it out.

Anyway, I started thinking about the skill that made me a better racer and that was cornering. Once I learned the David Phinney way of cornering, I was able to corner much faster. In short, his technique is basically tucking in your inside knee toward the top tube. That was the piece that was missing for me. Evidently, this tucking of the inside leg turns your hips which helps to counter steer the bike. I was already putting my weight on my outside foot and pushing in with my outside thigh. So, where did I read about this technique? I am not sure where I first read about it, but the easiest way to get a full description about this technique is by signing up for the roadbikerider.com email newsletter.

If you sign up for this newsletter, they give you a pdf file that contains 29 pro secrets. I wouldn't exactly call them secrets, but the document is full of valuable information about training, sprinting, cornering, etc. The document details the cornering technique and gives examples of some drills that will help to reinforce the technique.

So, what is this newsletter? It is a weekly newsletter that provides an update on all things cycling including everything that went on in pro racing over the prior week, a couple of articles on training and equipment, and an comedic article that, to me, is the most entertaining article in the newsletter. I really enjoy it; I read it every week. They also have a premium site that you can subscribe to if you are interested.

Anyway, if you sign up for the email newsletter (did I tell you it was free?), you will receive the document that has the info on the cornering technique. Or you can search the internet under "Davis Phinney Cornering Technique". I know their is at least one more entry that describes the technique.

Here is the link for subscribing to the Road Bike Rider newsletter:

http://www.roadbikerider.com/

Key Off-Season Objectives

Flexibility, Core Strength and Leg Strength. These are areas that every serious cyclist should be looking to improve in the off-season. So what will each one do for you:

1. Flexibility - increase your power output - especially when TT'ing, reduce the risk of injury.

2. Core Strength - increase your power output, improve bike handling.

3. Leg Strength - increase your power output.

As you can see, increasing power output is common to improving in all these areas and isn't that what we all want. Three is a no brainer except for maybe the most elite level of cyclists. Most people know about #2, but may not do anything about it. With #1, most people understand the importance of stretching, but may not understand that lack of flexibility will hamper our muscles ability to operate correctly and thus, produce less power.

Anyway, this is what my athletes will be working on for the last few months of the year while still getting in their share of miles. Here are a few links for core exercises and other off bike work:

http://training.active.com/TransactionManager/viewPlan.do;jsessionid=537108FCFD7AEFC4E69B431A9F3F8C25?tpId=146 (be sure to click on the "strength training" days to bring up more detail)

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1138272038/bctid958475643 (from Fit Chick at Bicycling Magazine)

http://www.coreperformance.com/eodArchive.php?p=1&s=3 (Exercises of the Day from Core Performance)

These three sources should give you plenty of exercises to choose from to constantly challenge your body to adapt.

Group Rides... help or hinderance?

This is a question I have struggled with for a long time. I have a structured training plan, but I enjoy my 3 group rides every week. I have a hard time getting in the workouts I am supposed to riding these 3 group rides every week. I am a coach so I know what I am supposed to do, but that doesn't mean I always do what I should. As my parents used to say "Don't do as I do; do as I say." :-)

The problem with group rides is that the are unstructured and impossible to accomplish the specific tasks that your training plan calls for. Of course, there are some exceptions like when the group ride is a recovery ride and you need that. Also, there are "training" rides where a group of riders get together and agree on a specific purpose for the ride that agrees with their training plans. Training rides have structure while group rides do not.

For me, I need to make a change next year. While I will continue to do my 70 mile Saturday Club Ride, I will need to think about what I will do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really want next year to be a break through season for me, so I need to make some changes.

You may ask, why I am thinking about this at the end of the season. I read an article on Pez Cycling News that talked about this very subject. That article can be found here:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5336&status=True

Let me know what you think about this topic.

Floyd and Bike Crash Incident

There are 2 items that have been on my mind this week:

Vehicle causing crash of cyclists - A pickup truck went around a group of cyclists riding single file in Lake County and then proceeded to slam on his brakes. The cyclists piled into the vehicle which then sped away. No one was seriously injured, but some were serious enough that they had to be taken to the hospital for stitches and x-rays. The good news is that the driver was caught and arrested. Thanks go to the two witnesses who attempted to follow the pickup, but returned to the scene when they could not follow. Thanks also go to the driver for returning, although he did give a bogus story about something being in the road, which is where the witnesses come in. Also, thanks go to the officer on the scene that took the report seriously and the police are pushing for a charge that would be a felony. You can find more information about the incident at:

http://www.chicagobikeracing.com/

Floyd Landis - After reading more about the majority and dissenting opinions, I am more convinced then ever that Landis got shafted. As I have said before, I am not proclaiming his innocence, but if the data isn't clear or is corrupted, then you can't have a decision against the athlete. First, all of the original testosterone to epitestosterone tests have been thrown out as worthless. This is the initial test that is done to determine if a rider is cheating. The follow-up test that determines whether the testosterone in the rider's body is his own is what held up according to the majority decision. This is the topic that is highly debatable. This topic is being discussed on 2 sites in detail. I find this very interesting, but others will find it good bedtime reading material because it would help them fall asleep. To each his own. Here are the two sites:

http://rant-your-head-off.com/WordPress/?p=383#more-383

and the best source on all things Landis:

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

Gatorade Sports Science Institute

A couple of weeks ago, I was told about an opportunity at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). They were looking for competitive cyclists for a number of studies. If you were accepted, they would pay you $25 an hour to participate. Hmmm... "I am going to workout anyway, but they will pay me for it? How can I lose?"

So, today I went in for my stress test. Their facility is in Barrington right accross from Barrington High School on Lake Cook Road. A 30 minute drive from Bartlett.

So, I went in, got changed into my shorts and filled in some paperwork. After taking my blood pressure, they wired me up for the test. I should mention that if your BP is too high, they won't even conduct the test. Mine was 130/80. I am not sure if this disqualifies you completely or if you can come back, but if you can't complete the stress test due to a high BP, they won't accept you. But I digress...

Once they wired me up, they had me hop up on the treadmill... yes, treadmill. I haven't run for a workout in... I can't remember when. My thing is cycling; that is what I like to do. This made the test pretty darn hard considering I was using muscles I haven't used in a long time. Anyway, they start you out easy. Every 3 minutes, the treadmill speeds up AND the incline gets higher. The speed I could handle, but the incline was killing my calves as they are really tight. By the time the treadmill got to a speed to run, my calves were on fire and it felt like I was running up the Hideaway Hill. For those that aren't familiar, this hill averages about 14%. I am sure the treadmill was closer to 6-8%, but it didn't feel that way. It reminded me why I don't like to run. Anyway, I got through it and had decent results. Most importantly, I was ok'd for participation in their studies. I have one more test. I have blood work that needs to be scheduled since I indicated that my last cholesterol test was a bit high (around 240). That test was taken in March after 6 months of eating bad and sitting on my ass all winter. I will be curious to see what my new test says.

A couple of final thoughts: I think this is a great opportunity for anyone who has the time to participate in the studies. I just got a free stress test which gave me a clean bill of health and I will end up getting a free cholesterol check because of my disclosure of high cholesterol. After all that, they are going to pay me to test their product while working out in their lab. Sounds pretty cool to me. Plus, the Linda who sets everything up, the Linda who helps run the test and the other woman (sorry, can't remember her name) who takes your blood pressure are all extremely nice. I really had an enjoyable experience; at least as enjoyable an experience as you can getting your butt kicked during a stress test.

If you are a competitive cyclist and are interested in participating in the GSSI studies, send me an email at vanmald@gmail.com and I can put you in touch with Linda from GSSI.

Kenosha Race Report

After doing 70 miles yesterday, I wasn't expecting too much in my race(s) on Sunday. With that said, I was encouraged by my new found "oneness" with the bike with my new Speedplay X2 pedals that I picked up along with new cleats. My old cleats and pedals were over 2 years old with at least 8000 miles on them. The X5 pedals I had were so badly worn that you could bend the it back and forth a bit between the pedal and the spindle. Thanks to Spin Doctor Cyclewerks for determining the cause of the squek and figuring out a way to remove my cleats from my shoes (the screw headss were so worn I couldn't get them out). I went in with a squeak. The identified the problem as the pedals. We figured we would try to lube them first, but after evaluating the pedals, it was determined that new pedals were the best way to go. Anyway, I tried the new pedals on Thursday's ride and immediately noticed an improvement, so that gave me a little bit of confidence going into today's race(s).

Paul and I drove up to Kenosha. We stopped and had lunch at my favorite spot to have lunch, Noodles. We got to the race about 90 minutes before the Cat 4 race time and got about 25 minutes of a warm up in. The wind was strong out of the SE, which we knew would affect the racing. All of the major players competing in the Tour of WI/IL were there. Right on time, we started our race of 45 minutes plus 2 laps.

I wasn't sure how this race was going to go, but it became quit apparent that there weren't going to be many attacks and they weren't going to be taken seriously. The wind was sure to kill any break, at least at the Cat 4 level. I also determined that you could be anywhere in the pack and still be within striking distance of the front with only 21 riders in the race. So... the race was relatively easy in that I felt strong for the finish.

With about 5 minutes left, Paul and I were at the back. Paul seemed a little concerned with this, but I told him we were fine. We would move up soon enough. We got the bell lap and the pace was pretty tame. I was in the top half. We came around turn 2 and the field slowed dramatically and I coasted in behind the 2 lead riders, but I was boxed in as they just had shut down the inside line, so I moved to the left to catch more of the draft. That was a bad move because the lead riders moved over and a train of riders came screaming through on the right. I managed to catch the end of that train, but had to give it a hard effort as I had lost all my momentum coasting up to the lead riders. I came into the home stretch and got passed by 2 other riders. Not exactly the way I wanted to end the race, but considering I am still at least 15 lbs more than last year, it was an uphill (slight incline), and I rode 70 miles yesterday, I can't really expect my legs to have or show a lot of snap. Lombard has a slight downhill finish, so I am looking forward to that. Anyway, Paul finished 3rd to hold onto his 4th place finish in the Tour of WI/IL. Congrats, Paul!!! I finished 9th.

Paul and I decided to do the Cat 3 race, also. This race was much harder with about the same number of racers (20). From the start there were many attacks. The accelerations were taking their toll on Paul and I. Paul told me that he considered dropping out at 20 minutes. I considered dropping out at 25 minutes. About the time we were thinking about dropping out, a break of 4 guys was up the road, never to be seen again. We also had a couple of DNF's and a few dropped riders well into the race. Again, Paul and I found ourselves at the back, but we moved up soon enough; one of us more than the other ;-). Going into the bell lap, Paul found himself at the front and I was fourth wheel. Paul pulled halfway through the backstretch when someone attacked. I responded with everyone else. After turn 3, the pace slowed again. I had a clear line up the inside, but thought I should wait a bit. That was a mistake because in retrospect, that would have been a perfect move. Someone else decided to take it as riders came screaming up the inside. I tried to re-accelerate as best I could, but I was pretty cooked at this point. I finished 13th and Paul finished 15th. Not bad for a couple of 4's that already raced once that day.

All in all, it was probably one of my best races this year. That isn't saying a lot, but it is encouraging for next year. I am sure if I don't take 6 months off from the bike this winter, that I will be much stronger next year.

Next up is my last race of the year which it the Fall Fling Crit #1.

SRAM to Buy Zipp!!

Very interesting development. Two great companies and equipment manufacturers. SRAM is much more of a corporation than Zipp, so let's hope that when SRAM takes over Zipp that they continue to be as successful as a whole. Here is one that these two innovative companies will be much stronger when combined. Here is a link to the velonews article:

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/13362.0.html

Floyd Landis Found Guilty

I am really disappointed in the arbitration panel. I can't believe that they actually voted 2-1 that he was guilty. I haven't read too much, but from the reports I have heard, the panel threw out the T/E test results saying they were not reliable, but they were basing their results on the IRMS testing. Well, at least they got it half right, but it doesn't change the result.

From what I can remember about the case, there were problems with the IRMS testing. The biggest thing I remember is that LNDD primed the liner before conducting the test. During the hearing, a witness from the manufacturer stated that this was not proper procedure and could likely produce positive tests where they were really negative. There was a memo from an executive at the manufacturer that stated the same thing.

I believe more than ever that this is a witch hunt, especially after hearing when the suspension is effective: in January. Every other athlete that has been suspended has had their suspension effective from around the time of their last competition. Not in this case. The UCI wanted to penalize Landis for making them and WADA look bad. UCI also wanted to send a message with the recent penalties: There is no use fighting us because we will find you guilty whether the science supports it or not. If you fight us publicly, we will give you a longer suspension. If you admit to doping, whether you did it or not, your penalty will be reduced (see Jorge Jaschke's one year suspension). And don't forget, even if you didn't do it, we will find you guitly anyway, so you might as well lie and say you did it. In an athlete's career, one year is a lot different than two years.

If the UCI really wanted to figh doping, they would require all teams to implement the Slipstream/Chipotle model. Yeah, it isn't cheap, but neither is finding a new sponsor because your sponsor has lost faith in the team and the sport. But, in my opinion, the UCI would rather have high profile cases against certain athletes such as Valverde, Landis, Vinikourov, etc. They all may be guilty, but when the science doesn't support it, they should be vindicated as Landis should have been. And the UCI should be more concerned about preventing future doping through baseline testing.

I welcome all comments, especially ones that have better facts than me.

Vote for the 2008 Slipstream/Chipotle jersey

Slipstream/Chipotle has been a model of what professional cycling needs to do in order to prevent doping in our beautiful sport. They have a fantastic roster for 2008 with Vandevelde, Zabriskie, Millar, Backstedt, Danielson and many other strong riders (Floyd Landis in 2008 or 2009?). Now, they are giving you, the fan, the opportunity to vote for their 2008 team kit. (They were giving everyone the opportunity to submit designs, but that time has past.) My favorite is Entry #5, but don't let that influence your vote.

Go vote here:

http://www.slipstreamsports.com/fun.jerseytop5.php

And while your at it, support the team by eating at Chipotle, who has upped its investment by becoming a co-title sponsor.

Patellar Tendonitis - Jumpers Knee

After the ride last night, a few of us were discussing one of Spin Doctor Cyclewerks Cycling Club's (SDCCC) member's knee problems. I remember coming across this article that I figured would be helpful to those struggling with knee pain. Patellar Tendonitis is pain in the front of the knee and the pain mostly occurs after the ride when soft tissue tightens up.

I had this problem when I played basketball. All the pounding I took would gradually wear on the tendon so near the end of my seasons in high school, I would have to ice my knees after practices and games. It was manageable mostly because there was an end to the season so my knee could recover.

A few interesting observations from the article, they mention cleat allignment as a possible cause of the pain. If you have free float pedals, such as Speed Play, you reduce your chances of having knee problems. I know Speed Plays solved my knee problems.

Also, bike fit is mentioned as a solution. Greg at Spin Doctor Cyclewerks has a Fit Kit and a Waterford fit bike. If you are having physical pain from riding your bike, go get a bike fit.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5310&status=True

Added 9/22/07:

Greg from Spin Doctor Cyclewerks was mentioning he read my blog and also mentioned that he has a special tool that will align your cleat to maximize efficiency. The device shows if you are moving your foot a lot during your pedal stroke. He will modify the cleat alignment in order to minimize your foot movement. This will also help keep your knees nice and happy :-).

Your Mind: Nutrition & Training

I recently came across a couple of articles on the mind of an athlete. One focused on nutrition for the brain and the other on training the mind.

With regards to nutrition, the article talks about all the different vitamins, minerals and fats that are important to the brain. What I basically determined from the article is that taking a good Omega 3 supplemnet (salmon fish oil is supposed to be the best, but flax is also a good source) and a good multi-vitamin are important to maintain top brain function. When training, your body is using a lot of the nutrients you take in so a good multi-vitamin is important. I take Premium Insurance Caps from Hammer. This pack of multivitamins also supplements your Amino Acids. I covered the importance of that in my previous post.

With regards to training the mind, it is important to be able to control your stress and anxiety levels and also to work at eliminating negative thoughts. I can relate to both of these issues. I am working at keeping my heart rate to a manageable level at the start line because it has a tendency to increase well above my physical exertion level. Also, while I am generally a positive person, I also find myself with negative thoughts. For example, I didn't do as well as I would have liked in a recent race and I said after the race to my teammate "I suck". I said it kidding around, but I half meant it. Negative thoughts like that do not help and need to be eliminated from your mind. The article takes you through a process to help eliminate these negative thoughts. One of the techniques used is positive affirmations. When I think of positive affirmations, all I can think of is that Saturday Night Live skit. You know the one... "Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and, dog gone it, people like me". As quirky as that skit made positive affirmations out to be, they have been proven to work.

Anyway, here are links to the interesting articles:

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/13178.0.html

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5287&status=True

If Landis is found not-guilty...

So... if Landis is found not-guilty, then what? First, I had heard that Slipstream was very interested in signing Landis if he was found not-guilty by a vote of 3-0. While I think this is unlikely (2-1 either way is pretty much a lock), how can Slipstream sign him if they have only one more slot open and Vaughters has stated that they are targeting Jason McCartney for that slot? Maybe, Vaughters is assuming that the UCI, USADA, WADA or anyone else who is allowed to appeal will appeal the decision to CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) which would take Landis off the market for the 2008 season thus giving him a 2 year suspension whether he is found guilty or not. Great system, huh? Also, how long does anyone have to appeal the decision to CAS?

My prediction is that we will have a 2-1 decision and the losing side will appeal to CAS. Folks, we are almost halfway through this saga. What is your prediction?

For complete coverage of the Landis saga, go here:

http://trustbut.blogspot.com/

The Importance of Glutamine Supplementation

I have been using the products EFS and Ultragen from 1st Endurance. Ultragen has been great, but the first few times I used EFS, it gave me what I would call "rot gut". The last few times have been great so maybe my stomach has adapted. Anyway, in my interest of their products, I subscribed to their newsletter which I found to be very informative and reinforced many of the things I have learned from Hammer's website.

In 1st Endurance's latest newsletter, they discuss the importance of Amino Acids. Also called Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAA's, these are very important to the body during and after exercise. Of particular importance is Glutamine.

Glutamine is especially important because it fuels our immune system and can be significantly depleted during prolonged intense exercise. Most of the time, the three Spin Doctor Cyclewerks group rides each week could all be classified as prolonged intense exercise. Keeping adequate glutamine levels in the body is especially important to preventing Over Training Syndrome (OTS) and upper respiratory trace infections (URTI / sinus infections).

Over the past 2 years, I have experienced both OTS and URTI's, but especially the URTI's. It didn't seem to matter when I started my training, but just about 3 months after starting serious training, I would get a sinus infection. I think part of this was due to inadequate glutamine supplementation. I also have had OTS at times which were more related to the addition of stress outside of cycling, but I believe glutamine supplementation would have been beneficial in order to prevent my issues with OTS.

So, what should you do? The recommendations from the article are:

1. Supplement with 5 – 10 grams of glutamine during a pre-exercise meal approximately 1-2 hours before a long exhaustive training session (e.g. greater than 3 hours).
2. Supplement with 0.5 - 1.0 gram/hour during training (included in a carbohydrate, electrolyte drink).
3. Supplement with approximately 5 grams of glutamine immediately post-exercise (included in a recovery drink).

Seems like a lot of glutamine, right? Well, I like to keep things simple. Supplementing with glutamine immediately post-exercise using a recovery drink is going to give you your best opportunity to supplement with glutamine. This supplementation will help prevent the greatest threat to your training and improvement: getting sick or OTS. Another point the article makes is to supplement with a full complement of BCAA's in order to keep a balance of BCAA's in the body. Both Recoverite from Hammer and Ultragen from 1st Endurance are good products for immediate post-exercise recovery as they provide adequate amounts of glutamine while many other recovery products provide glutamine in lower amounts.

The article also spends time discussing the benefits of BCAA supplementation during exercise to increase performance. While I agree with their conclusions, I think this is not nearly as important as supplementing during recovery and the article admits that the research is not as clear in this area.

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.firstendurance.com/newsletter_aminoacids_vol5_9.html

Comments are welcome.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog!! You will find 2 main topics of conversation: race reports & cycling. Feel free to post comments. I welcome open debate, constructive criticism, and positive comments.