While my trails are still unrideable with 12+ inches of snow cover, I do have miles and miles of dirt road. http://youtu.be/lF7xMF0Z1M8
Had to just suck it up and ride…19 degrees
I just couldn’t stand to be on the trainer again today. I started a treadmill running program that didn’t last as long as the plan said it should. I’m not a runner. But I’m trying. I want to race one or two off-road duathlons this year, and the first one is in late April. I’m not expecting to be a runner, but I do want to be able to get through the run leg at a reasonable time…and without walking. So three days a week on the treadmill.
That doesn’t mean that I’ll forgo the bike on those days. I’ll still ride. And as I was getting ready to ride the trainer today, I just couldn’t get myself to do it. I wanted to ride outside. Actually, I wanted to ride my new Cannondale Salpel 4 29er. The only problem was that it was 19 degrees out. Okay, this will be the coldest that I have ever biked. I have a theory about keeping warm…keep the top warm and the bottom is warm. I had two layers under my bib shorts and five layers on top…base layer, Hammer Nutrition long sleeve running shirt, Hammer Nutrition long sleeve t-shirt, Hammer Nutrition long sleeve jersey and Hammer Nutrition cycling jacket. The jacket was the key to it all. It blocked the wind from even having a chance to get through the other layers.
With cold weather in the extended forecast, I had to suck it up and get out there and ride in the cold. If I could handle 19 degrees, I can handle 20’s and 30’s. Hmm, 45 will be shorts weather.
AXO SX Gloves and Berm Shoes
I signed on with AXO Sports for sponsorship to wear their cycling shoes and gloves. For the 2014 season, I will be wearing the AXO SX Gloves and Berm Shoes. I’m excited about riding for AXO…many years ago, when I had my bike shop, I carried AXO gloves as the only full finger glove that I stocked. I wore their gloves ~15 years ago and I excited to be wearing them again.
About AXO:
Mission
To develop, manufacture and distribute apparel, footwear and accessories for motorsport and cycle riding, for every level of riding skills: from beginner to champion. To help riders achieve and go beyond their limits in sports, thus better defining who they are as persons and enrich their lives and well being through the activity of those sports.
History
AXO Sport was established in 1978 and immediately became industry leader in footwear, clothing and protective apparel for motorcycle enthusiasts. Initially focused on the off-road, AXO quickly broadened its range of products. Today AXO provides its customers with a full set of gear from head-to-toe for street and motocross riding. AXO’s range of products is constantly evolving; new and innovative items are developed daily, to suit the needs and ever-changing tastes in the motorcycle apparel market. Super-moto and free-styling are now part of AXO’s priorities and a mountain-biking collection has recently been added to AXO’s catalogue. Not to mention the lifestyle collection, which suits motorcycle lovers when off the bike. In 2003 Axo America Inc. was established; it is a vibrant commercial center and an important R&D location. Based in California, AXO America researches the American market at the core, to expand and improve AXO’s collection and explore international trends.
AXO put together a crew who is dedicated to the two wheels; the design and R&D departments are on a continuous quest to find the best materials and design applications for racing and riding. This restless effort brought AXO at the top and made it a reference brand internationally in its market. To keep this real, AXO sponsors riders in MotoGp, Superbike, Supercross, Motocross, Supermoto and other side championships. Technicians and designers work together, using sophisticated machinery to guarantee the best quality of our products and to offer the highest safety to all riders. Today, AXO is the only brand that can give its riders all they need from head-to-toe for both off-road and street riding; this confirms that customer satisfaction and product diversification are our main goals.
We understand the needs of all riders, because we are riders ourselves, and we are the first to test our products. In creating our items we also follow the advice of our champions, who, with more experience and sensitivity, can better test suits, helmets and boots in extreme situations: on the tarmac at 300 km/h, over a triple or through a mud bog!
I’ve been saying this for a long time. Sure, chocolate milk for recovery may be better than nothing, but do yourself a favor and recover properly. I’m not a medical expert…I’m not a scientist…but I know what works for me…Hammer Nutrition’s Recoverite! So, here is the Hammer Nutrition article that shows how Recoverite it the better choice for recovery.
NOTHING COMPARES TO RECOVERITE…NOT EVEN CHOCOLATE MILK!
Before you jump on the chocolate milk “bandwagon,” take a closer look at it in comparison to Recoverite. Once you do, it’ll be clearly evident that Recoverite is the true ultimate recovery drink. Chocolate milk simply can’t compare when it comes to maximizing recovery.
CARBOHYDRATES – The nearly 12.5 grams of carbohydrate in 100 calories of chocolate milk is comprised of sucrose, lactose, and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). If you’re at all serious about your overall health, let alone enhancing your recovery, you are likely trying to avoid excess sugar and HFCS in your diet.
Not only does 100 calories of Recoverite contain nearly 36% more carbohydrates than chocolate milk, none of them are in the form of simple sugars, lactose, or HFCS. Recoverite contains only complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin) and a small amount of xylitolboth overwhelmingly better choices than the low quality carbs found in chocolate milk.
Nothing Compares to Recoverite…Not Even Chocolate Milk
PROTEIN – Over 80% of the protein in chocolate milk is in the form of casein, and the remainder is in the form of whey. Based solely on its bioavailability, casein is a poor protein source for recovery, with a mediocre Biological Value (BV) rating of 77.
You’ll receive significantly more protein in 100 calories of Recoverite than you will with chocolate milk, and you won’t find inferior protein sources such as casein. Pure, 100% whey protein isolate is the ONLY type of protein in Recoverite, offering the following benefits:
The highest BV rating (154) of any protein source
A greater percentage of the all-important branched chain amino acids than any protein source
When it comes to optimizing recovery, whey protein isolate has absolutely no peer.
FAT – Whole chocolate milk has nearly 5 grams of fat in 100 calories, and the overwhelming majority of those are saturated . . . definitely not beneficial for recovery or overall health. Recoverite contains no fat, saturated or otherwise – end of discussion!
rBGH AND ANTIBIOTICS – Non organic chocolate milk may contain traces of unwanted hormones and antibiotics used in the beef and dairy industries. Recoverite contains none.
SUMMARY
To get the full value out of all the time and energy you put into your training, you MUST put the highest quality fuel back into your body. Because recovery is such a key component of athletic performance, you simply can’t cut corners. When you compare chocolate milk’s profile to that of Recoverite, it’s abundantly clear that there’s really no comparison. Recoverite, not chocolate milk, is the true “state of the art” recovery drink! HN
This is a very good video to help you learn or improve your mountain biking skills. Even if you think, ” oh, I know how to do that” or “I don’t need this”, take the time to watch. Use it as a reminder to keep you away from your bad habits.
The 2014 HRRT Central Park Race Series in Schenectady, NY has been posted. HRRT founder, Heather Rizzi, has been putting on some great and fun races at Schenectady’s Nature trails in Central park for many years now. The courses typically consist of approximately 5 miles of fast, rolling, singletrack. You can find the HRRT website here.
2014 HRRT Race Schedule
Full details and Online registration coming soon
(From Hammer Nutrition Endurance News Issue#87) I’m writing this while working at the Hammer Nutrition expo booth at the U.S. Masters Swimming Summer National Championships, an event that we sponsor. As is the case with this and previous events I’ve worked at in the past few months, I have a couple of coolers of HEED on one of the tables, mixed up and ready for the athletes to consume (and boy, are we going through a lot of HEED today!). Next to the 5-gallon HEED coolers are plastic Tupperware containers, each one holding several dozen single-serving sample packets of various flavors of Endurolytes Fizz, which we’re providing to the athletes at no charge so they can try them.
Several times throughout the day – and I’ve noted that this has occurred at not only this event, but at every one of them that I’ve attended over the past several months – someone will take a drink of HEED (usually sampling both of the flavors I have available), saying how much they like the taste, that it’s really refreshing but not too sweet, etc. Then they’ll look at the plastic containers holding the Endurolytes Fizz, examine the product’s single-serving packaging, and ask, “Is this what’s in the coolers?” or “Is this the same thing as what I’m drinking?” thinking that the two products are the same. That’s when I politely tell them that these are two different products, which then leads to an explanation as to what the two products are, what makes them different, and what they’re designed for.
Read the full article here–>> HEED vs. Fizz | Hammer Nutrition.
The Dirt- with Drew Edsall @ The Arboretum, Chaguaramas, Trinidad. This is part of a clinic that professional mountan biker and coach, Drew Edsall did in Trinidad. There is some very good riding information here for some basic and typical riding.
Phytolean – Diet Optimization
I’ve been using Hammer Nutrition’s Phytolean for a few months now, since it was first available. I typically gain about 10 pounds during the winter months. Yeah, it gets harder and harder for me to train outside Dec, Jan and Feb. My indoors training isn’t nearly as efficient as being on the bike outdoors, so on comes the “winter weight”. By using Phytolean, I have actually maintained my end of season weight instead of gaining a few pounds each month. And when the northeast winter weather breaks, I’ll be able to shed current pound instead of added pounds…and still with the assistance of Phytolean.
Here are the benefits of Phytolean:
Successfully reaching your target weight and keeping it there may be a real struggle for you, especially if you’re a “carb junkie.” Not anymore! Phytolean will help you win the war against weight. The Phytolean formula is safe, natural, and plant-based. Unlike weight-loss products that offer unrealistic promises and deliver no results, we guarantee that Phytolean will work for you. Not “may” work, WILL work – Phytolean is that effective!
In a nutshell, Phytolean:
All of these help you to lose weight, maintain ideal blood sugar levels, and achieve optimal body composition without any undesirable side effects that can occur from stimulant-based weight-loss products.
The New York State MTB Series has finallized theier 2014 race schedule too. The 2014 NYS MTB Series dates:
armandarekian.com 