Riding the High-Carb Wave

No new science in this post. Just some musing about my run of good form. If you have read the previous two posts then you know that I have been rebounding from a bout of apparent under-nourishment. Not sure if my increased feeding is responsible for my recent winning ways but it may be so I'm going to continue eating nearly everything. I'll get to last weekend's competitive outing in a bit.

Back in the late eighties when I was starting both my cycling career and my education in Exercise Physiology at Boise State, I was introduced to Dr. Robert Murray. Before my arrival at BSU, he ran the Human Performance Lab and taught undergraduate courses. By the time I came on the scene he had relocated to a sweet position with Gatorade (Quaker Oats) in their Sports Science Institute. There he conducted many of the ground-breaking studies on carbohydrate drinks, gastric emptying and performance that guide today's sports drink manufacturers when formulating their products. Many of these investigations are still referenced today by researchers doing additional work on the topic(s). One of my favorite Bob Murray quotes that guided me over the years and one into which I recently tapped is, "...most athletes who are "over-trained" are actually under-fed." Amen.

Back in the day, I always used that adage as an excuse to eat plenty when in a heavy training block. This sentiment is echoed by many athletes today engaged in a variety of athletic endeavors including heavy endurance work, hybrid weight training and body building. There is really no athletic activity that will not be improved with optimal caloric and nutritional intake.

Well, I certainly screwed the pooch on that one over the last several weeks. When I reflect back, I realize that I was pre-occupied with getting my weight down to improve my climbing performance but was not adequately fueling the endurance volume I was putting in. I was also experimenting with the whole gluten-free trend. The result, besides feeling like shit at my "A" race a couple of weeks ago, was a inadvertent decrease in training volume and intensity, just the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. I needed additional recovery days between hard bouts and simply did not perform well when the hammer went down. It all happened insidiously so this fatigued state became my "normal" without me really realizing it. Now that I have "re-fed" I know exactly how crappy I was feeling. Kinda messed up a good chunk of the season, too.

And how could it be anyway else? I mean, what was I thinking??? When I look back on the most successful years of racing back in the early 90's, I truly believed that I could not eat enough. A half dozen bagels each day would go down the hatch during school hours. I would make pasta sauce by the gallons and buy noodles in bulk from Costco. However, when it got really hot in Boise during the height of summer, the last place I wanted to be was in front of the stove cooking. I also developed what we affectionately called, "flavor fatigue", referring to our general ambivalence toward anything that needed to be chewed and swallowed. To combat this potentially calorie-limiting state we supplemented our intake with Champion Nutrition Weight Gainer shakes. These frosty calorie bombs added another 1000 kcal to our 5,000+ kcal/day diet. They were awesome tasting after a hot ride and I never suffered any deficiency like the one I just got over.

Now, I should add that I'm not the Jan Ullrich type, prone to wild swings in body fat. I'm a skinny dude who usually raced at about 2-3% body fat year around. I don't know what I'm at now but it's not much higher. This fact allows me some dietary leeway, permitting me to eat whatever I want and still stay lean. Imagine my surprise, then, to hear from my pro cycling friend that some of his peers actually "diet". GASP!! Hell, one of the reasons I loved cycling so much was for the sheer volume of food I could get away with eating. Couldn't really see the point if you had to train 20+ hours a week and eat like Kate Moss on a methamphetamine binge.

There is also a certain degree of subconscious stress that occurs when an athlete over-controls aspects of diet. I hated always thinking about what I was downing at meals. I mean, I am always aware of the nutritional content of everything I eat but adding the whole gluten issue on top of it put me over the edge. Now that I have rid my life of this burden, things are certainly better. Winning races doesn't hurt either.

Hailey Criterium

So, last weekend was the latest confirmation that I need to eat more to perform better. The Hailey crit is a fun event near Sun Valley, Idaho that gives away a ton of cash to riders. It's a typically fast, 4-corner course that takes place immediately following the 4th of July parade so the crowds are big. I like to do the Pro, 1,2 event an then the Masters event to maximize race time. This year, there was only 20 minutes between events so it was going to be a tough outing.

Exergy from Boise sent 6 riders which immediately upped the competition level in the Pro, 1,2 event. There were several other local and regional sprinters present to keep things fast. The promoter threw out $20 to $200 primes every couple of laps to ensure a fast pace. Cyclists are true mercenaries when is comes to cash prizes. An Exergy rider managed to lap the field early on although I never saw him go up the road. I must have been asleep at the wheel. Once he came back around the race continued anew. With about 10 laps to go Exergy put everyone on the front in order to control the race for the finish. Several of us wondered out loud if we were going to beat their train at the finish.

Well, the promoter had some mischief up his sleeve in the form of a couple of big primes he threw out like bombs with a few laps remaining. The effect was to completely disrupt Exergy's lead out as riders sprinted for hundreds of dollars. I bided my time, being more interested in the finish than the cash. With a couple of sprinters spent after chasing money, the final lap started with a strong surge by one of the faster riders in the race. It was nice to see him jump on that grenade. I was able to get his wheel and followed him around the backside. Just as his pace eased I hit him hard and got a gap with two corners and the final straight to go. I easily won the sprint for second. Lucky break.

After downing a Coke and refilling my bottle, I got back out on course for the Master's event. This was going to be only 40 minutes compared to the hour I just finished. We sprinted off the line right from the gun and quickly got a gap. This was neutralized a couple of laps later. Another lap later, a $20 prime came up and I encouraged the guy in front of me to go for it as I dragged the speed down into the last two turns. No one came around so he quickly got 10-15 seconds. I jumped on the next lap, bridging to him and we were off with 32 laps to go.

Although I hoped we could lap the field for all the glory that entails, our tired legs never allowed us more that 10-30 seconds. It was interesting watching the field behind us surge and fade as individuals made attempts at closing the gap. My partner and I rode the same steady pace and held our own. I was really feeling the burden of the effort with 15 laps to go but soldiered on knowing the end was near.

As crappy as my legs were starting to feel, I figured I was racing for second (again!). The final lap came and we let out a sigh of relief knowing that we would do no worse than second. We slowed slightly preparing for the final sprint and I even indicated out loud that I doubted I had the legs to beat him. He responded with equal doubt so I guess he was tired too. I took the last two corners at the front. In the last turn, I took it very tight, an unusual line compared to the other 30, or so, we had just completed. I also jumped hard just as I cut the turn and committed to the sprint full gas. I kept waiting for him to come around me but the line came first and I threw my arms up, surprised by the win. Go figure.

Although my climbing has suffered this season, the increase in weight room training and dedicated sprint work has paid off lately. I certainly hate getting dropped on long climbs but the trade off in finishing speed right now feels worth it. Regrettably, there are few road races left this season but perhaps I will find that my increased feeding will translate into improved uphill performance, as well. I'll let you know. - Brian

Comments

[jen]

Hey Brian-
Wondering what foods you eat during sustained efforts, like ski mountianeering? Do you try to include protien with every meal/snack, or do you just gobble down the GU?

I've been experimenting with the Zone Diet, but not long enough to have an opinion on it yet in regards to my own performance.

Just curious how other folks eat in the mountains. Thanks