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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Nutrtion thoughts

I wanted to write some stuff on nutrition for longer race and training that I do or have have done. I think its a huge key to success in longer races lasting 4+ hours. Because the body can only survive at a high intensity for no more than 1.5 to 2 hours without shutting down and going into a metabolic state of feeding of your muscle and fat. But if you to the right fuelling you can teach your body to use the calories you consume along with stored fat as fuel and not your muscles. At least you can prevent the big bonk from happening.
On my 24 hour racing my goal is to average 300-500 calories an hour through out the entire race. Its so important to hit this goal all 24 hours. And when I say 300-500 calories an hour I don't mean you can quit eating for 3 hours and then double up the next few ours. If you do that you are done and that's not a good thing or healthy way to do it. I used not to be able to handle this amount of calories but over my first year of doing this I trained my body to eat and drink my way to this goal amount. And your calories can not be from cookies and coke, or pizza and bear. It has to be clean burning fuel. I use a lot of banana's and dates, good quality carb drink and protein drink. Not saying I don't eat other stuff like chips and pop tarts and jerky I do, but not as my hole calorie intake, just as a treat. And all this depends on temperature. Obviously the hotter it is the more difficult it is to process calories when the temp are hotter than your use to unless you train like that, but that is always difficult to do. Again this is all done during training. So with the right calorie combination and good fueling of liquids I do not bonk and I am able to hold my pace hard and fast and don't have to let up because Of lack of fueling. My water intake is in the range of 25-35 ounces of water, that's including the carb/protein drinks also. Again your body has limits on what it can do and go over those limits and shit starts to go real wrong. I try and keep my sodium intake no more than 700 mg per hour. I feel that the reason I cramp is not the lack of sodium or water but the lack to control my pace in the beginning. When I go out to hard I will always start to cramp even though I have enough fluid and calories. It is so important not to get behind on the calories, water, sodium in the first hours, those are key factors. Because once you fall behind you can not catch back up. You will be done.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

24 hours of Cool race report

Another win to the collection of well earned victories.
Its always hard to know where to start with these reports.

I would like to commend Jim Northey on the excellent job at putting on a race. Thanks Jim! I appreciate everything you do.

I really chilled out 1 week before the in order to rest up and get ready. I had 3 hours total biking before that week before the race.

I left my house on Friday morning to hook up with some new crew members on the way to Cool. My new crew members were a son and father addition to the madness. Not sure if I mentioned it but my awesome wife (Amanda) couldn't make it nor could my friend/mechanic. So i had to approach this race differently mentally. I arrived in Cool early (noon) so I could pre ride the course and get a feel of what to expect beside a lot of pain, and get a feel of what the temperature was going to be. So I get riding the prelap and bike wont shift good. So 2 trips to Auburn bike works (thanks Pete) and 4 hours later I'm back on the trail pre riding the course. Know it was time to make dinner and chill out and watch some of the 2007 Tour de france stages, really gets you pumped up. Saturday morning came and it was time for the traditional pancakes and coffee to get get started. Then it was off to the racer meeting and then to the start line. Because of the amount of riders there were start time gaps in between categories. The solo's went first. As always I hit it hard and fast. I hit the trail in good position and was the first of a few riders out front. By the half way point I was getting passed by the team riders. I was told later I came thru the start finish line the first solo but I could swear I chased a rider in front of me for 5 laps never to catch him. When I almost finished with the second lap I had to evaluate how I was feeling and what pace I could hold. I realized it felt like my fourth/fifth lap and my body was starting to feel it. So I decided to drop my pace and try and hold steady. Going on the next 4/5 laps wee real tough. I just could find my groove or pace, I felt all over the place. But I still have a long way to go and I had to keep going. My pace is where I'm always on the verge of cramping. I will push real hard until I start to cramp then I will let of some and just hold that for as long as I can. So darkness is about to arrive and I'm told I'm a lap up on the next Solo geared nut job. I feel real good abut that and know I'm ready to ease up a little more. And not that I had a choice t ease up. I was hurting so bad by this time and was started to walk a few laps into the night. I always have mental issues with walking. It's tough for me to succumb to that part but. But after a few laps I just gave in and decided not to let it bother me. And a I could see I wasn't alone out there walking up the steep parts. Some time in the wee ours of the morning I get about half way thru the course and come around a sharp corner and there come a gorilla jumps out at me. All of a sudden I find myself screaming like a girl, then laughing so hard I almost fell over on the bike. I will never see that corner the same. But it was freaking awesome and funny. Okay know it was all I had to do was make it to the morning until the sun came up. It was still mentally tough for me than usual to get there. Just never seemed to get comfortable with my pace. But I kept on going like a good suffering rider. I find myself stopping more than usuall. I was trying anything to just keep going and was digging deep. I would stop and thenwhen I knew somebody that would go buy and would jump back on the bike to chat/ride with to get me going again, that helped so much. A little before day break I'm sitting at the halfway point drinking coffee when the Hammer head Dez Wilder geo's buy, on his single speed. So I got of my ass and jump on my bike to catch him. I figured he would be stronger at this point but I wasn't going to give up yet. It took a lot to catch him but I finally did. It was nice to talk to Dez to the finish line. Dez and I were on the same lap but we were in different race division. Every time he shows up to race I'm at I definitely know I have my work cut out for me. As we head out again we rode for a while chatting it up trying to pass the time. I wanted to ride with Dez as long as could just to pass the time. Well that lasted for a while until he just pulled away from me. Thanks Dez for kicking me when I'm down...lol. I was still still only 1 lap ahead of second place ( Mike )so I wasn't out of the woods yet. And it was Mike's first 24 hour race. I was still suffering something terrible but just kept riding and walking the steeper sections just to finish. Before my last lap one of Mike's pit crew came to congratulate me for winning. I thought that was class act. Mike' was one lap behind me. So at that point I didn't have to go out again but decided to after all. It wasn't to put another lap on Mike but just for myself. I figure I had 2 hours to do a lap and was in no big hurry. So I finished with 19 laps. First place in the 24 geared solo division. Even after all the pain and suffering not a bad job. Dez Wilder finished with 20 laps, Congrats Amigo!!! You got me this time, I hope we will meet soon to battle again..

Here's something funny: I carry paper cups in my jersey pockets with different stuff in them. Anything from potato chips, jerky, pop tarts, and a lot of other stuff. This was during the night when I had a paper cup filled with potato chips. When riding on the trail at night I would always here stuff moving in the bushes on the bumpy section. This went on for a while before I figured out it was my paper cup filled with potato chip. Every time I hit a bump it would make a swooshing noise. I just thought I should share that.

Wanted to thank Auburn Bike works for there helping me out with my last minute issues. Also wanted to give a big thanks to Tharyn for taking the time and helping making sure the bikes were all tuned up and in running order.

And the biggest thanks to my Family ( Bill, Bonnie, Tom, Amy) and friends ( Dave and his son Mike). Thanks for everything. It helped me out so much just you being there.

And the bigger biggest support from my Wife Amanda, who I know could be there but was calling all the time to see how I was doing and to give me love! Thank You!

And a big thank to my sponsors
Santa Cruz Bike: The fastest/durable bikes on the planet. My Back didn't hurt at all the hole night.
Fiber wise pasta: For the healthiest pasta around.
Nuun electrolytes: For keeping my cramping issues at bay
Hayes disc brakes: For he braking power one needs when comming into a corner at mach 3
Sock Guys: The most comfortable sock you ever wear. Didn't even have to change once in 24 hours
Recover Ease / Energy Ease: Keeps my training racing above everybody else.