Category Archives: nutrition

Exciting News –New Nutrition Sponsor- INFINIT NUTRITION

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I am pleased to announce that Infinit Nutrition and I have come to a satisfactory and beneficial sponsorship agreement for the 2010 season.

If you haven’t heard of Infinit Nutrition you can become familiar with them at their site here.  Their success is in creating customized nutrition solutions for endurance athletes.  Whether you ride, hike, climb, paddle, swim, or you do multi-sports racing or training Infinit can tailor a formula for your specific needs.  The convenience of having everything you need in one bottle is very key to me as an Ultra distance cyclist.  Having to fumble for capsules for my electrolytes, or having an “off the shelf” formula that is too heavy in protein is not only an inconvenience but can hinder my overall performance.

With Infinit, I can have multiple formulas based on the racing conditions.  Let’s say for example I am racing in really hot climate and I want more electrolytes but less calories because I will be drinking more than one bottle an hour I can dial in that formula and have a batch made. Or maybe I will be completely unsupported and need more protein and more calories I can have that formula made — custom just for me. 

Please visit their site and work with the sliders and customized your own nutrition today!  When you place your order use “Vireo” for your discount code and receive 10% off of your order!

Fixed Gear Century …sorta and new shoes

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Brandy and I went out early this morning with the intentions of riding a century (100miles or 160km).  The plan was to leave in the wee morning hours and have our century done by 11am.  All went to plan except the route was a little short …by six miles.  Well we both thought the extra six miles wouldn’t add any real benefit to our fitness so we called it at 94 miles.  By the way, this was the longest ride for Brandy since April.  I’m proud of her for getting it done.  She didn’t look too bad when it was over either.

The Detour bag was packed to the hilt once the weather warmed up a little. These bags are awesome.  If you are a brevet rider or on a credit card tour you NEED to pick up a Detour bag.  The bag below is the Hightail ULP.

Here’s a short video (90 secs) you must watch until the end.

The weather this morning was just perfect.  I wore my Skins compression long sleeve garment, a short sleeve jersey, arm warmers and knee warmers.  I believe it was in the low 50’s.  It felt brisk at first but about 10 minutes later I thought it was perfect.  The route was coastal without any significant climbs.  We rode at endurance pace and restrained from chasing rabbits. 

On this 6 hour ride I rode a new pair of shoes.  Bont A-One Cycling Shoes.  They are fantastic!  I mean it.  They are the stiffest shoes I have ever owned.  And I’m not just talking about the soles everybody is doing that.   No!  They are stiff all the way up the front, sides and the heel cup.  Even with all that stiffness the shoe is remarkably comfortable.  And my lord are they light!

The toe box is plenty roomy for my feet.  But I think they would accomodate a slightly wider foot without having to buy a “wide” model.  They are heat molded custom shoes and you can mold them yourself at home.  Unlike the Shimano R310 that require all the Shimano doodads (oven, toe caps, bags and suction hoses etc) at an authorized dealer to get the shoe molded to your foot. 

I would strongly recommend the Bont A-One cycling shoe to someone looking for a very stiff shoe. 

Go here for the making of the shoes

More info on the Bont A-One cycling shoe

And finally as far as few I used Prolong Energy for the 6 hours I was on the bike.  I felt great the whole time and I didn’t feel hungry.  Calorie expenditure is higher on the Fixed Gear because you can’t coast which means you spin like crazy on the downhills.  I am doing a product evaluation on Prolong Energy.  Here is a product comparison including some of the iconic brand names of sports nutrition.  John Heiss tells me there is a new production run coming soon where the taste has been modified.  I’m really looking forward to evaluating that formula when it’s available.

Como Street

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Brandy and I did a casual 3 hour ride yesterday.  We visited her new place of employment.  We got a feel for the route she might use on her commute. I’m a little worried because it has a few sketchy areas.  People driving to work are always in a hurry and multi-tasking i.e. cell phones, texting, shaving, applying make up, and I’ve even seen people brushing their teeth. 

On our way home we took Back Bay and merged into a memorial ride for a Steve Hedrick. Steve was a competitive cyclist, among other things.  The turnout was impressive.  There were many riders wearing their team kit shorts with a Steve Hedrick memorial T-shirt.  My condolensces to the Hedrick family.

Today I did the Como Street ride.  I get dropped everytime I do the ride but I keep hoping that one day I’ll stay in.  I usually get dropped going through Santiago Canyon near Modjeska Grade/Canyon.  I tried to stay on Jason Bausch’s andJamie Paolinetti’s wheel.  I was successful for a while but eventually I got shelled.  When I popped I was averaging 191 bpm for at least 2 minutes.  According to my Power Tap download on Training Peaks Software I avg 189 bpm for 5 minutes before I popped.  I was only 700 feet from reaching the crest of a roller where I could have recovered slightly.

My pacing was good, my positioning could have been better but I have to be happy with my performance.  I’ve been doing Ultras for so long that doing rides with this type of intensity is not my forte.  And of course there is the question of genetics.  Do I even have the genetics to stay with these guys and girls?  After the ride I rode home with Jason and he offered a couple of tips.  I told him I would be doing less Ultras next year and possibly some USCF racing.  I may focus more on Double Centuries next year and leave things like 400km, 600kms and 300 milers on the table.  I did the long events this year and I believe they led to my burnout.  Besides I have a goal to run more next year. 

After my ride my recovery consisted of Fluid Recovery Drink and my Skins Recovery Tights.  I am evaluating Fluid Recovery Drink.  I like their simple formula, low calories for faster absorbtion, high levels of L-Glutamine, Lactose free Whey Protien Isolates,  and heck it even taste great.  Read all about Fluid Recovery Drink I think you will be impressed how they differ. 

Stats of the ride.

Total mileage —58.4  miles
Duration——— 3 hours 9 mins
Total Elevation–1,900
Avg Speed—— 19.2 mph
Avg Power—— 163 watts
Normalized Power- 207 watts
Total Kjs———-  1784 kjs

Stats for just Como Street

Mileage————  33 miles
Duration———–  1 hour 35 mins
Elevation———— 1600 feet
Avg Speed———-  21.4 mph
Avg Power———-  181 watts
Normalized Power—  231 watts
Total Kjs————- 1007 kjs

Nutrition

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People often ask what I use for nutrition on my long training rides and events. The answer I always give is “well it depends…”

Nutrition is a very personal subject and requires a lot of experimentation out on the open road in various conditions. Those conditions should include heat, cold, hilly, flat terrain, high altitude or sea level. It should be a good representation of your typical race conditions. You need to experiment with different intensity levels and different durations. For example, something that taste good at hour one may not taste so great at hour five of your bike leg in an Ironman or an Ultra event. I have found that different intensity levels require different nutrition protocols. For me I like and perform better with less solid foods at higher intensities. The longer the duration my intensity is more moderate and I supplement my liquid nutrition with solid foods. For me the breakpoint at which I seek more solid foods is somewhere over 200 miles.

You should experiment and may I suggest that you document how you felt on your ride–if you are serious about your training and want to follow your progression. You should have a training diary/journal where you log, at a minimum, your nutrition, climatic conditions, duration and intensity (perceived or actual from a power meter) of your ride. Here are things that work for me.

I really like Sportquest products. I have a product sponsorship from them but I chose them out of the many nutrition suppliers available. Carbo-Pro powder is very easy on your stomach. It is pure carbohydrates but without SUGAR. Carbo-Pro is a Maltodextrin. It does not contain electrolytes, fat or protein. You supplement your electrolytes through the use of Vantage VO2 capsules.

Here is an important distinction from the many products containing electrolytes. You now have the flexibility of moderating the electrolytes required for the conditions. You may increase your electrolytes without increasing your fluid intake which may lead to bloating and subsequently poor performance. I personally use Motor Tabs tablets for my no hassle electrolytes and to add a little flavor. Each tablet contains 250mg of Sodium and 75mg of Potassium and 65 calories. So here is my mix– TWO SCOOPS OF CARBO-PRO POWDER AND ONE MOTOR TAB TABLET. 290 calories 250 mg of Sodium and 75 mg of Potassium.

You will often see me using Carbo Pro 1200 which is a liquid concentrate in a 16oz bottle. Each bottle is 1200 calories. CP1200 has Sodium and Potassium which I have found even in 100F (see last weekend’s post) is enough to stave away cramping. the flavor is very light considering the concentrated formula.

These are just three products I use from a full range of nutrition products that Sportquest offers. The Motor Tabs tablets offer a convenient and portable way to supplement your electrolytes. I would say if you still haven’t found your favorite or “secret potion” give Sportquest Carbo Pro powder a try. It is the easiest product on the stomach that I have found. If you start Carbo Pro you have a solid foundation from which to build on. You will discover that you can perform at your best from the beginning to the end of your training or racing event without stomach upset or GI issues.

If you have any questions please drop me a line directly.