North Table Mountain

Such a nice ride. Check it out. Many options, I was limited due to wet conditions on some trails.

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Caffeine it’s what’s for dinner

Caffeine it’s what’s for dinner.

I defiantly agree with the article below. During the 2011 season I experimented with my nutrition regiment. The final piece I added was caffeine. The way I utilize caffeine is a s follows.
I use my normal Hammer profile which is Heed and Perpetuem. In addition I ingest a caffeine gel pack every hour. So I take one after the 1st hour and then another 60 minutes later etc. Depending on the length of the ride I may do every other hour. The caffeine can make me shaky and it actually makes me a little tired on long rides say 4+ hours. It can also upset my stomach a bit. Another plus is it keeps the hunger monster away. Sometimes McDonald’s sees so good.
So I defiantly suggest trying a caffeine combination on your upcoming rides.

Original blog can be found here
Caffeine combined with carbohydrate could be used to help athletes perform better on the field, according to new research by a sport nutrition expert.

Mayur Ranchordas, a senior lecturer and performance nutritionist at Sheffield Hallam University, carried out studies on footballers using caffeine and carbohydrates combined in a drink. Along with improvements in endurance caused by ingesting carbohydrate, the athletes’ skill level improved after taking caffeine and carbohydrate together.
Mayur said: “There is already plenty of research that shows that caffeine and carbohydrate improve endurance, but this study shows that there is also a positive effect on skill and performance.

“We carried out three different soccer-specific match simulations of 90 minutes each – two 45 minute sessions – that tested agility, dribbling, heading and kicking accuracy. The test was designed to mimic a football game where the participants had to carry out multiple repeated sprints, dribble the ball around cones and shoot accurately.
“We found that the combination of carbohydrate and caffeine allowed players to sustain higher work intensity for the sprints, as well as improving shooting accuracy and dribbling during simulated soccer activity.

“These findings suggest that, for athletes competing in team sports where endurance and skill are important factors, ingesting a carbohydrate and caffeine drink, as opposed to just a carbohydratedrink, may significantly enhance performance. Our findings suggest that soccer players should choose a carbohydrate caffeine drink over a carbohydrate drink to consume before kick off and at half-time.”

Thanksgiving ride with Tom Danielson

Posted on 303cycling

I wanted to give Tommy D some kudos. Thanks for your Thanksgiving holiday ride. My son is very excited to be a part of the ride. It’s so amazing when athlete’s make themselves available to their fans.

As a parent I know how important it is for kids to have healthy outlets to vent and relax safely. I have been riding since I was 13 years old; cycling is an excellent constructive outlet. My hope is that my son will continue riding well into adulthood. He played tackle football for years as well becoming district wrestling champ last year. He recently switched High Schools and the new school does not offer these programs. In a way I am happy, the risk of injury is so high with these sports. Cycling is a great compromise and we can do it together!

Tommy, I hope to see you on Thanksgiving and thanks!

For more information go to 303cycling

Put the “Hammer” down!

Let’s talk nutrition.

Nutrition has always been a challenge for me. Over the years I’ve tried numerous different nutrition products and finally settled on 2 options.

At the start of the 2011 season I weighted about 195 lbs. In September 2010 I had shoulder surgery; as a result my weight was up. I normally weigh about 185 lbs. The physical therapy required me to work-out daily, so I did and gained 10 lbs of muscle over the winter. In March, I vacationed in Mexico. Upon my return I became very ill. I suffered from a serious upper respiratory infection. Once I recovered I lost 15 lbs so now my weight was down to 180 lbs. I knew starting the season at such a low weight could be a cause some challenges.

As the season matured I started Bonking and cramping on long rides. After trying a few different nutrition products I settled on Hammer Nutrition. They were very easy to work with and answered the phone every time I called. I called them to discuss my needs and they provided great information on how their products work. My nutrition consultant made some suggestions and as a result I made a purchase.

Hammer recommended a few different products that would work for any length ride. For long rides I use 3 main products. A long ride is 2.5 hours or longer

1. Endurolytes capsules, 2-3/hr (depending on the temp)
2. Heed, 6 scoops /100 oz of water
3. Perpetuem solids, 2-3 tablets/hr
4. In addition I use a caffeinated gel pack every other hour
5. Post ride Recoverite at 3 scoops /1water bottle

Now that's spicy!

This cocktail seems to work well. The main issue is remembering to eat every 15 minutes or so in addition to drinking. The only GI issue is GAS! The endless amount of gas is crazy and it lasts all night.

I put Hammer Nutrition to the test in October when I went to Moab for 5 days of hard riding. The rides averaged about 4 hours in length. I went on this trip with a friend and let’s just say the tent was a fun filled adventure. The nutrition plan worked well it’s just a challenge remembering to eat all the items in a timely manner.

In short, Hammer makes a great product. The flavors are very mild, this is a huge plus. They are low in sugar, have no preservatives and ordering is a snap. I recommend giving them a call before buying, they are very helpful.

One other option I will be trying soon is Infinit Nutrition. This product will allow me to mix everything I need into one supplement. I can mix everything in a 100oz Camel Back and be done. No more eating every 15 minutes!!

Check these companies out and let me know what you think. Let me know what works for you and if you have any recommendations.

Let’s talk saddles!

Let’s talk saddles

The Stratos Saddle

I’ve been riding for 30 years now so let’s just say I have some experience. About 7 years ago I developed some prostate issues. Since then I became very aware of pressure points while riding. I did significant research and discovered this company, Selle SMP. Yes, their saddles look uncomfortable but nothing could be further from the truth.

The design makes complete sense from an anatomical perspective. Being a Radiographer I have extensive knowledge in regards to human anatomy. I purchased the “Evolution” for my road bike about 6 years ago. The saddle has served me well and is still going strong. I can’t ride anything else.

In September I decided to buy a new mountain bike from Golden Bike Shop, in Golden Colorado. They have a great demo program. I test rode 6 different bike over the course of 2 weeks, all with different shape, size and manufacturers saddles. Let me tell you I was in serious pain and talk about E.D. (yes I said it). They had an extra demo bike that I was able to use for a week or so while my bike was being built (very cool of them to do this for me). I must say after being on that seat for 1 week I could barely walk.

I was reluctant to use this saddle on my new Niner mountain bike. The design seems like it locks you into one position with very little room to move around. As we all know mountain biking is very dynamic and involves numerous riding positions. I decided it was worth the risk and purchased a “Stratos” for my mountain bike. It has a little more padding than my road saddle but the same shape. Well I went to Moab right after the bike was built and the saddle was exactly what I needed. Nose riding was not a problem nor was off the back riding. I rode 2.5 to 5 hours at a time for 4 consecutive days and no discomfort at all.

The saddles are expensive but I’ve had my road saddle for 6 years now and it’s in great shape. They are worth every penny. I never had E.D issues until I starting test riding the mountain bikes. It only lasted a few days but forget that! Vecchio’s in Boulder has a demo program, so it makes the selection process much easier if you live near Boulder. In addition BikeTiresDirect sells some of the saddles. They are a great company, great prices and they know their stuff. They often list specials on Twitter, I would recommend following them. The saddles can be hard to find but eBay is another possible source. The SMP saddle line is extensive but the information on the site is very useful. The selection process can be overwhelming but I would recommend the Stratos. My road rides would go from about 3-6 hours on average with numerous hills and saddle comfort is exceptional.

Hands down the best saddles on the market.

Fins N Things trail review, Moab UT

The following is my experience on the Fins-N-Things tail off Sand Flats Rd in Moab.

We planned our trip from October 13, 2011 – October 18th, about a week after The 24 hrs of Moab. The weather was great, mid 80’s, dry and not a cloud in the sky. My friend had never been to Moab before so I thought Slick Rock would be appropriate. We hit the practice loop and realized the crowds were going to make the ride less than stellar. I knew about Fins for a long time but never hit it. Now seemed like a perfect time.

Beautiful slick rock section

There are many great things about this ride. A major plus is that it’s right off the road and never wanders very far from it. In my opinion this makes for a great intro ride to the area. The ride has great slick rock sections but not as technical as the “Slick Rock” trail. It does have sand but it’s manageable. The views are great and there are numerous “problems” (the crazy hard stuff) to test your skills, but most can be bypassed via well established trails. DON’T BUST THE CRUST!!

The number of trail variations is a perfect opportunity to learn how to navigate through the ocean of off-shoot trails and slick rock terrain.

The other trails were busy but we only saw 2 jeeps and 1 motorcycle, unlike a few days later when we ran into endless jeeps and motorcycles on Poison Spider. We rode for about 2.5 hours and did most of the trail. The main trail is well marked and easy to follow. I plan on taking my kids on the trail in the future. My kids rarely ride and this trail is perfect due to its close proximity to the road and all the camping on Sand Flats Rd.

Trail Head

The trail head is marked with a large sign right off Sand Flats Rd and is easy to find. Everyone should have a map if they are riding trails in the area and Fins N Things should be marked. If not, get a better map! lol.

I believe the trail can be linked to Porcupine Rim and plan on linking them together on another trip.

Swan Mt KOM

The 411 on my experience watching The USA Pro Cycling Challenge stage 5 at the KOM on Swan Mountain.

I rode up Swan from the Breckenridge side with my friend Allison. This was the 3^rd stage that I was able to watch up close and personal.

I had VIP passes to the start in Salida (will discuss this in another blog) and then drove to the finish in Crested Butte, the Vail TT and now Swan KOM.

As we got closer to the summit we could see the crowds start to form. The big red KOM banner popped as we rounded the corner, it was an amazing sight. We quickly stashed our bikes in the trees and started exploring the crowd.  I couldn’t help notice the loud music coming from just below the KOM, so we headed down the hill. To my surprise there was a DJ spinning tunes out of his mini-van. Speakers were out on stands and the bass was thumpin. There were a bunch of people in spandex and costumes dancing in the middle of the road, how often do you see this kinda stuff? I thought for sure some of it would make a great Tosh episode.

Allison and I did some crowd surfing for a bit then settled in about 150 meters from the KOM by some of her friends. Allison has a way of knowing people all over the place. We bumped into many of her friends that day, including Pooh and Tigger.

The caravan of cars and motorcycles started coming through. The cool part was all the passengers that were videoing the crowd. Even the CSP officers were recording as they drove by.  The energy was palpable. It was like static in the air during a lightning storm at altitude. I had goose bumps.

Andy came truckin by so fast, followed by Ivan Basso’s group. Etc….

It’s one thing to see this stuff on TV, to finally get to see it in person is outrageous! The cars that speed past you, only inches from your face. Crowds of people enveloping the riders like awnings, horns blaring and sirens screeching. It was off the charts exciting! I have been following cycling since I was 14 years old. I could remember waiting for the next issue of “Winning Magazine” to come out to get all the race data. Cycling did not get any press back then. There was no Versus let alone TV coverage. So this kind of race was a dream come true for me on so many levels. I plan on seeing all next year stages. I hope everyone gets a chance to see some of the race live next year. It is an amazing sight.

I would like to take a moment and thank everyone that made this event possible. The CSP was amazing THANK YOU!!!

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