Journal

My "America's Freaking Fat!!" Rant

brian — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:04:06 +0000

Alright, I apologize. This concludes another, "I suck at consistent blogging", phase. I'm gonna blame it on a sputtering, intermittently failing internet modem that had me questioning whether I would lose any narrative I might put here. Lately, it's been pretty consistent so I'm going forward with this. We also got a new one in the mail so I should be styling soon.

As the days and then weeks passed without word one finding it's way onto these pages I was feeling guilty. I mean, I'm gonna lose what few readers I have. That would suck. I want to write a big piece on off-season ski mountaineering race training but getting started has been daunting. I want to put some fancy photos and video in so getting all that together is slow. I will probably get that knocked out about the time we put on skis for the season. Nice timing. Still, I think it's worthwhile for the future so I will persist. Stay tuned for that.

So, I still needed a little ditty just to get something out there to let you know I'm still breathing...and thinking. I traveled by plane to New York to the in-laws this past weekend for a few days of eating, sleeping, talking and not much else. I made one pathetic attempt at a work out on day 3 but pretty much resigned myself to a short rest cycle before leaping back into training full-on after the holiday. I feel fat. Even more annoying was having to navigate the sea of human blubber while moving through various airports to connecting flights. It probably would have been better if we were going west to L.A. or some other epicenter of overwhelming narcissism but we were going east. Let's face it, the fewer number of days during the year where one is compelled to take their shirt off because the weather is so nice, the less people give a shit how they eat and, thus, look. Holy crap! America is FAT!

Data Overload

brian — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:28:33 +0000

Following the last article on cardiac arrhythmias, a reader wrote in with a question which I think many recreational athletes may also harbor. I thought it would be helpful to answer it as a mini topic.

"...do you think a weekend warrior like me should invest the $150 or so to have a LT and fuel efficiency test? I don't really compete, but am curious about training heart rates. I just use general guidelines and a monitor. I am also not worried at all that I am overdoing it! Your opinion is respected and appreciated." - Ralph

(Ectopic) Rhythm Nation

brian — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:05:35 +0000

Okay all you horny Janet Jackson fans. Just sit the hell down. I’m trying to be clever here. Yes, Rhythm Nation was the name of her album back in 1989 (tell me you didn’t watch MTV at some point in the last two decades) and her naked midriff set the standard for abs everywhere for some time after those videos. But the rhythm I really want to talk about is the cardiac kind. And not just the normal rhythm kind. I’m more interested in, as the title suggests, ectopy. This is the term cardiologists give to heart beats that are generated outside of the normal electrical pathways in our hearts.

Bjorn Dahle Days

brian — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:13:57 +0000

Training on a bike outside this time of year can be an adventure, particularly if you live in the mountains like I do. When the weather turns bad like it often does around here this time of year, suiting up and getting after it requires dedication and a certain amount of masochistic pleasure in being uncomfortable while training. Today was one of those days.

Different Muscles...WTF?!

brian — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:20:29 +0000

Thought I would go off on a little rant here regarding a topic that has bugged me for years. The final straw was drawn following my one climbing outing this summer. Although I now consider myself a full-time recreational bike racer, it was not long ago that I was a climber, Exum guide, all that stuff. I gave that up to maximize my performance in cycling. However, I have a couple of nephews that are kind of crazy about climbing, enthusiasm I am guilty, at least in part, of fostering. These two teenaged go-getters wanted uncle Brian to take them up the Grand Teton this summer. Timing and scheduling issues lead to a two-day window of opportunity two weeks before LOTOJA. I knew I was going to be seriously wrecked after walking downhill for 7,000 vertical feet but I could not resist the pleasure of getting those two guys up on top of the Grand. I figured I could recover in time for the big race.

Logan to Jackson wrap-up

brian — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:20:20 +0000

My first Logan to Jackson is in the books. I finished, did not flat, did not bonk, suffered through some scary quadriceps cramps and nearly achieved my one lofty goal heading into it. It seems strange to have this long event behind me. The idea of it consumed me during much of the summer. There were few training rides this season where the thought of the race did not come up at some point. Even though I raced nearly every weekend for 3 months, some part of those races and the training leading up to each of them were geared toward preparation for the 330 km beat down I faced this past weekend.

Farther, Longer

brian — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:20:24 +0000

Well, this is it. The final push to what should be the longest event of my sorted cycling career...the Logan to Jackson road race (LOTOJA). The season leading up to this point has gone as well as I could have hoped and is documented in these pages. I've had the privilege of winning a few races and been close a few more times. My top-end speed is good and my endurance at the end of the typical road race is adequate. But the upcoming event on September 12th is anything but typical. It is the longest, one-day, USAC sanctioned event in the country. The 209 mile distance provides a unique set of challenges that are encountered in few other races during the year. Training, mental preparation and nutrition all must be attended to in ways not needed for other events.

Finding Form

brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:36:19 +0000

For cyclists who live in true 4-season climates, cycling is not a year round sport. Fall comes, the snow flies and the bike is traded for skis. As a competitive ski mountaineering racer, my training focus shifts to skiing as soon as it starts getting cold and the white stuff appears on the high peaks. The roller skis get some use and I start looking forward to the first race in December. What this means is that the high level of cycling fitness obtained during the season is essentially abandoned for other things until the focus is renewed in the spring. At that point, the long journey begins again.

Back to Base(ics)

brian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:01:00 +0000

A couple of days ago I came across a post on Mountain Athlete's website where a reader was asking Rob Shaul advice regarding training for endurance sports. Although Rob would never claim to be a true endurance athlete, he does dabble in longer efforts in the mountains and is surrounded by athletes he trains who are true competitive endurance types.

Sticks and Stones...

brian — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:11:02 +0000

Race a bicycle long enough and you're bound to hit the pavement. Actually, you don't even have to be a racer, just someone who trains long enough for the odds to catch up. I got my first road bike in 1985 and have lots of scars to show for it. Some of them self-induced, sliding out hauling ass around corners thinking I'm Eddie Mercx or someone. Other episodes involved other riders knocking me down or putting me in situations where crashing was unavoidable. Whichever the cause, the resulting grief usually entailed only frequent dressing changes and sticky sheets for a week or two.