I am thinking about using an underpad...

In my travels this past week, I struck up a conversation with a head mechanic at one of the bike shops I visited.  This gentleman does very long rides, even in the winter.  It is not uncommon to ride 4 hours in below freezing weather.  He shared a few secrets on how he stayed warm.  Most of the things I had heard of, but one thing he mentioned, I thought, was ingenious and I had never heard before.

He buys underpads from Walgreens, cuts them in half and then puts this pad against his chest, underneath his base layer.  The layer provides 2 functions:  It first wicks sweat to keep the rider dry, especially when the rider is going with the wind.  Next, it provides addional insulation and wind protection.  For him, after 2 hours, the pad is wet and he needs to change it.  So if you are going for a long ride, make sure you bring the other half with you in a ziploc bag.

I look forward to trying this trick.

Sinus Infection (& Exercise)

I have been struggling with a sinus infection this past week and it has been getting worse.  Of course, am I doing anything about it?  Well, off and on, but not as much as I should be doing.  Now it is worse than it has been all week.  I know the recipe to get rid of it, but I haven't been doing it consistently.  The recipe I have used in the past that works is:

- neti pot
- decongestant
- lots of water

I am prone to sinus infections, usually getting one or two every winter, so what is my trigger for getting them?  I always suspected that my allergies were the problem as mold in the house increases starting in October, but I did some reading today and discovered that my suspicions were correct.  So I have added:

- antihistamine

to the recipe.  What I was really looking for this morning was whether I should exercise with a sinus infection.  I saw many suggestions:

- exercise is fine if you are sick above the neck
- cutback to 50% effort if you are sick above the neck

Since I had been feeling a little dragged-out with the sinus infection, I have been laying off exercise for most of this week.  One article I read that really surprised me was one that talked about 2 little known studies.  In these studies, the participants had colds and exercised.  What they found was that exercise has no effect on how fast someone gets over a cold.  While a sinus infection isn't exactly a cold, it is similar in its symptoms.  One thing I read in the article that really struck a chord with me was that "during exercise, the sinuses expand".  With this information, I am going to add this to my recipe:

- exercise followed immediately by using the neti pot

If you don't know what a neti pot is, keep your eyes on my blog as I will be writing an article regarding it soon.  Probably later today or tomorrow.

I love my Garmin Edge

I am in my 3rd week of the 90 Day Fitness Blaster at Cyclo-Club.  I was looking at the Forums and someone mentioned programming the workouts into their Garmin Edge.  I always knew that this was possible but never bothered to do the programming.  This guy had actually done the programming and posted them for download.  That was really nice of him!!  Only problem was that he was doing a different plan than I was.  I am doing the Advanced plan.  Should I be doing the Advanced plan instead of the intermediate plan?  Probably, but that is for another discussion.  But I digress...

So, I thought I would try programming in the workouts and see how they worked.  Wow!! It really helps make the time pass by and make sure I stay on track with my workout.  It is also impossible for me to extend out my recovery like I would do if a little computer wasn't making sure I stayed on track.  "I'm not ready for the next interval... (pant, pant or my legs are too tired) just 15 more seconds and then I will start the next interval."

Anyway, if you have a Garmin Edge, give it a try.  It is really easy to program the different parts of the workout.  You can even schedule the workouts on the Garmin.  It has become a very effective training tool, especially while on the trainer when riding miles on end can get very boring.

Oh, and one more thing... Yes, I have had to have my Garmin replaced twice.  I got mine right after they came out, and the first batch evidently had some connections that would eventually come loose.  Not sure about the next one, but in both cases Garmin replaced them at no cost.  While your mileage may vary, I have been very happy with the way Garmin has treated me as a valued customer.

Now time to go put it too use this morning.

Doctor sentenced to 5 years in prison for assaulting bicyclists in Brentwood

Well, the drama regarding the two cyclists and the doctor in California is over after over a year. The doctor after apologizing to the cyclists was sentenced to 5 years. Considering he was convicted of basically assault w/ a deadly weapon, battery and reckless driving, this was a stiff sentence and a big win for cyclists rights.

When reading the comments to the article on the LA Times website, it makes me sad that there are still extremists on both sides of the issue. Some people complain that it is outrageous that he was given such a heavy sentence for braking hard while others complain it was too light for "attempted murder". Both statements and statements like them are completely ridiculous. This was a fair sentence to a man that had a prior incident involving cyclists showing a pattern of this behavior.

One thing the good doctor did say that made sense was that anytime you escalate the hostilities, things get worse. Would he have done this had not the cyclists given him the bird? We will never know, but it couldn't have heard. I understand what it is like to get mad when you are almost run off the road or almost hit. It gets your blood boiling, but it is up to us as cyclists to respond in a way that won't escalate the issue. Get the license plate... call the police... have a conversation with the person if you can. Unfortunately, the only way we as cyclists will get the respect we deserve is to be the bigger person. When confronted with an irate driver, I have made it a habit to smile and wave. You acknowledge that you understand the driver is not happy with what they think you did while not escalating the situation. When the driver throws something at you or comes extremely close to hitting you, get the license plate and report it to the police. If you come across an officer that is unsympathetic to cyclists, ask for another officer or their sargeant. Most of the time, you will find an officer willing to take a report.

With all that said, cyclists need to realize that over 99% of all drivers are considerate to cyclists. How many cars have passed you vs. how many have almost run you off the road or honked at you? Cyclists should not generalize that car drivers are bad. At the same time, drivers need to realize that most cyclists are considerate to cars.

Let's all sing Kum-ba-yah.

Hosting Aaron's Pro Cycling Team

My family and I had the great pleasure of hosting the Aaron's pro cycling team this weekend for the National Criterium Championships. This is the third year my family has done so and we really enjoy it. They are very enjoyable to be around, socializing with my whole family including my young son and daughter. A teammate of mine hosted a few of the riders from the team and they really enjoyed their family's dog. They share their stories and enjoy our stories, as well. It is a rewarding experience and one that we will continue year after year. Thanks Carmen, Brian, Kat, Meredith, and Erica for staying with us. Also, thanks to Rebecca, Carmen and Anna who stayed at my teammates house.

So, in summary, we had a blast this weekend!! So... how do you get started hosting a team? I am not sure the best way, but I can let you know how we did it. When Elk Grove was planning their first cycling event, I found out they were looking for host families. I talked to my wife about it and we decided to take a chance. We were given a choice on hosting 2 couples from different teams or to take 6 people from one team. We decided to take in 5 riders and 1 director. It ended up being only 5 because one of the team members stayed with a friend. It was a great decision we made. We had a wonderful time. We have continued every year since.

I know that Superweek was looking for host families this year. I would imagine there are still opportunities to host teams for Elk Grove and Downers Grove. I would suggest contacting Special Events Management and/or Elk Grove Village Hall regarding being a host family if you are interested. I have yet to hear of someone having a bad experience.

Please feel free to leave your host family experiences in the comments.

Landis Decision preannouncement

CAS has announced that they will release their decision regarding Floyd Landis on 6/30/2008 at 10am CDT. I am very interested to find out what their decision is and what they have to say about it.

Crash and Wound Care

Well, as they say, it isn't if, it is when.... I crashed today on our club's group ride. I won't bore you with the details. The basics are someone crashed up ahead of me and it caught my attention and the person in front of me moved to the left and slowed down to get away from the crash and crossed my front wheel. Down I went and in a hurry. Shoulder hit first and then my head. I have a bit of road rash, but the shoulder is the worst as I know I at least sprained it. I don't know when I will be back on the bike but I expect to ride at least easy rides in a few days, but probably won't race at Sherman Park like I expected to. Anyway, it could have been a lot worse and my bike seems to be no worse for wear. I will take it to Spin Doctor Cyclewerks on Monday to get a full check to make sure there isn't any damage.

With that out of the way, one of the guys in the club has a lot more road rash. My wife helped him get acquanted with the more recent advances in wound care. He only had gauze on the wound which isn't the best. Anyway, here is a rundown in what I use for road rash based on personal experience as well as doctor care and my own personal research.

- If I have a very deep road rash wounds, I start by using non-stick gauze and silvadene creme. Silvadene is by prescription only, but doctors usually have no problems prescribing it. On top of being effective, the creme feels GREAT going on.

- If you aren't concerned about changing bandages often, you can start with Tegaderm, but normally I wait until my road rash isn't seeping a ton so I only have to change it every couple of days. The bandages aren't cheap, but there is nothing like them for effectiveness and simplicity. Tegaderm looks and acts like plastic wrap. It keeps the wound clean and moist which is what you want.

Remember that road rash is nothing but a burn and burns should be kept moist. Also, polysporen and neosporen should not be used. I forget why but it has something to do with killing not just bad bacteria but also inhibiting some of the body's normal healing processes.

By keeping the wound moist, you also minimize the scarring. If you let it go to scab, scarring will be dramatically increased. Speaking of letting it scab up, it will take a lot longer to heal if you let it go to scab, not to mention that the scab will get ripped off at some point and have to reheal itself at least once.

One drawback to Tegaderm and products like it is that you see the wonderful secretions from the wound. Some people can be grossed out by this, but I suggest either wearing pants and/or long sleeve shirts if that is the case.

One product I have tried that many people like is Duoderm. I found that Duoderm leaks too easily. I find with Tegaderm, you can tell when it is time to change the bandage (if you can call it that) to alleviate a "leak". The more margin you have when applying the initial Tegaderm, the longer you can leave it on.

Lastly, you can also find Tegaderm with a gauze pad in the bandage. I don't really think this is anymore effective except that they cover up the secretions so others aren't grossed out.

Please feel free to comment on this post with your own suggestions or comments.

Memorial Day Weekend - Day 3

Wow... Today was a great day! It could have been better, but I am happy with the results and what it could mean for the rest of my season. Also, we could not have asked for a nicer day to race.

This course had about 40 feet of climbing ever lap which was about 3/4 of a mile. The course had 6 turns. The first turn was fine, turn 2 was a bit hairy if you took the wrong line or too fast as it was off a down hill and the exit of the turn had a concrete wall. Turn 3 was also downhill but a much easier turn. Turn 4 and 5 came one right after the other off the downhill. After turn 5, the road turned up with varying grades, with the steepest grade of around 8% right before turn 6. The surprise came after turn 6 going up the false flat to the start finish.

With the hill on the course, I wasn't expecting too much as I am not the lightest rider at about 195 right now. The race started at a pretty easy pace, but it sped up pretty quickly. I concentrated on staying in the top 10. After a few laps, a prime was called. With where the start finish line was, I had no thoughts of taking a prime, but I thought I could help pick up the pace, so I went to the front for the downhill. Well, in turn 2, I learned that you didn't want to take that turn too fast or start the turn too early. I thought I wasn't going to make the turn. I did make the turn, but I had swallow as my heart was up in my throat. On the brighter side, I had a lot of speed that I carried down the course. After turn 6, the guys going for the prime went around me and I tagged on to a few guys that went around.

Pretty much after that, I was just trying to hold position by taking agressive moves on the downhill and just spinning up the hill without giving up too many positions. Over the course of the race, we cut the field down to 12 riders. Mid race, I found a good line to take down the hill, but somehow lost the line as I got more tired. Also, I learned that spinning it up the hill in my 53/23 or 53/25 was the best way to conserve my legs, especially after the previous 2 days of racing.

I ended up coming in at the end of the 12 person group. Considering I felt it was a possibility that I might get dropped, I was happy with the result. I was disappointed that I finished 2 spots out of the money. It is hard to have great results when you have such low expetations and negative thoughts. One guy watching the race noticed that I was actually making up ground on the hill. If I approached the hill with more confidence, I would have been more relaxed and possibly finished better.

With my racing this weekend, I didn't get great results, but I got in great intervals and it gave me a lot of confidence going into the Winfield race weekend.

Memorial Day Weekend - Day 2

Today was a frustrating day, but I got a GREAT workout. Today's race was on the same course as yesterday except the wind was out of the south instead of the east like the day before. Also, the wind was stronger. I figured with the wind that a break wouldn't be able to stay away. Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong.

I found myself without teammates today, so I decided to see how things would pan out and make decisions along the way. Right away, as the race started, the pace was faster than the day before. In one of the first few laps, a break of 2 got a way. For quite a while, the field kept the break at around 10 seconds, but then the break started to increase the gap. At this point, I decided that I would put in hard efforts to try to bring the break back and encouraged others to help out. I started pulling about 1/2 of the next 5 laps. Now, it was the stretch with the wind and the other stretch was downhill, so it was the easiest part to pull, but you don't put a 190lb, 6 foot 2 inch guy with broad shoulders to pull up a hill or into the wind. There were a few other guys that decided to help, but very few. Thanks to those that helped try to bring the break back. It was all for not as the break caught the field with 4 to go.

I was spent by the time the finish came around from the time I spent chasing the break, so I only managed 13th out of a field of around 25.

On a brighter note, one of the guys I coach won the Cat 5 Masters race. We went over the plan before the race and he executed it perfectly.

Next on the schedule is Batavia. I have no idea what to expect for this race. It is a very technical course, so taking a technical course with a Cat 4 field is always a little nerve wracking.

Memorial Day Weekend - Day 1

Today was the first of 3 races put on by ABD. The first 2 races are in Wood Dale and the 3rd is in Batavia. The course today was downhill between turns 1 and 2 and uphill between 3 and 4. Also, the wind was from the east so it was with the riders going down the downhill and against the riders going up the upslope.

I wasn't sure how this race was going to go, but I had decided not to attack early and wait to see what opportunities present themselves at the end. The race had its normal eb and flow. I found it easy to move up after turn 2 if I was able to get a good line through the turn so I didn't have to brake. I found that I could take this turn faster than the others, so I filed that away in the memory banks. There was a big crash between turns 3 and 4 which went completely across the road. It started on the left and went like a domino across the road. If I remember correctly, there was a rider who almost saved it by riding to his right, but he lost control as he reached the right side of the road and 2 or 3 riders fell on top of him. I can tell I am over my fear of crashing as I made smart moves to miss the crash, but didn't have the normal post crash adrenaline crash. I hope everyone was OK from the crash as I know a Team Mack rider had to go get x-rays. Also, I heard there was a bad crash in another race. I hope everyone is ok from that crash as well. Ok, back to the race...

A couple of brakes got off the front and a few actually looked somewhat promising as there were 4 riders in one break, but the field never let them get very far. Without any dominant teams, there wasn't much chance of anyone getting away. I will say that Albertos probably did the best job of doing some amount of teamwork. Kudos.

Anyway, with 3 to go, I moved up in the field and felt really good going into the last few laps. I started thinking that I would have Mike lead me out at the beginning of the lap or I would lead him out. When the field took the bell, I told Mike to catch my wheel. Unfortunately, he didn't hear me. I took off and flew through the first 2 turns. I should have pedaled more through turn 2 but I had a good gap. As soon as I came out of turn 2, I caught a stiff gust of wind. That was a bit of a bad break, but it wouldn't have mattered. I snuck a peak half way between turn 2 and 3 and saw I had a gap of at least 100 meters, probably a bit more, but the pack was charging fast. I thought with about 1/4 of a mile left, I might have a chance. As soon as I took turn 3 into the wind, I knew that was it. I let up a bit and tried to catch a wheel as the field came up. No dice. I had nothing left. I ended limping in at around 30th.

I have no regrets about trying the flyer. It was worth a shot. Now, I have to take a look at the wind tomorrow and strategize what to try tomorrow.

Even the best make mistakes

If you watched the race today in Begium, you saw that one of the world's best racers made an embarrasing mistake... He started to post up before crossing the line and got nipped at the line. I never expected Tom Boonen of team Quick Step to make a mistake such as this especially considering Boonen started his sprint early. He got nipped at the line by Mark Cavendish of team High Road, but half a wheel.

Let this be a lesson for all racers out there... It is much more important to practice your sprint and bike throw, than it is to practice your post up. If Boonen had held his sprint and did a bike throw there is not doubt that he would have been the winner.

First Race of the Season & other updates

I had my first race of the season yesterday. It was a blast. First, kudos to Burnham Racing for putting on a great race at a great venue. These guys need to right a book on how to put on your first race as this was the first race for this team.

I raced the masters 4/5 & cat 3/4. Since I haven't lost the weight
using the "hope" diet (I hope I lose the weight), I had modest goals.
For the masters 4/5, I decided I would be aggressive and see what
would happen. I attacked a few times, bridged to a solo break and won the prime. I was cooked after the prime. There were only 2 laps left after the prime which wasn't enough time for me to recover and get good position for the finish at this time of the year so my final position wasn't very good. That is ok because I did exactly what I planned.

For the second race, I had much more modest goals. I knew the pace
would be faster so I decided to sit in and hang on. I had not tested
my fitness so I thought this would be a good plan. I rode the race
near the back and watched a number of riders get popped, especially
during the last 2 laps. I passed at least 15 guys during the final
400 meters to take... 49th. :-). It wasn't about the place; it was
about ralizing how much I had left. Again, I accomplished my goal for
the race.

Considering my weight is still high and I have less than 1000 miles in
my legs this year, I have to give most of the credit to my new bike,
my new Specialized Tarmac Pro. I love it. It really made a big
difference. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds as I
lose wait and my form improves.

Also, it was fun to watch the riders I am coaching. While they are at
different abilities, I felt they did extremely well!

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.

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.

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.

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.