A Busy Spring Turning Into A Busier Summer

Posted on June 1, 2014 by aa

blingMy 2014 mountain bike season is off to a strong start. For what I call my pre-season as I ramp up for the New York State MTB Series and the several ultra-endurance races that are quickly approaching. I’ve raced 3 races from New England’s Root 66 Race Series, and came out with two 2nd place podiums and a 4th. All three races I felt good…I feel like I’m way ahead of my typical training curve for the spring.

While the New York State MTB Series starts June 8 with the Williams Lake Classic, I am training hard for three ultra-endurance races that follow the Williams Lake Classic…June 22 – Wlimington-Whiteface 50k, June 28 – Wildcat 50k and July 5 – Cedar City, UT 60k. Throw in two local mountain bike races in between all this and I’ll be very busy with 6 races coming up within 28 days.

When I get back from Utah, I’ll take a week off before I start to get ready for Nationals in Bear Creek Resort, PA. This year is definitely the toughest and most demanding season that I’ve planned. And I have to say it…I couldn’t do it without being fueled by Hammer Nutrition.

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10 Mountain Biking Trails in America – Men’s Fitness

Posted on May 20, 2014 by aa

Finding a flawless mountain biking trail isn’t that hard. It’s all about what type of terrain, flow, and length you want. Jumps, bridges, wet ground, hills, turns, and obstacles (think: boulders, roots, and streams) dictate the speed and accessibility of your ride. Looking for less pedaling, more fun? Opt for a buttery-smooth roller-coaster track void of technical elements to slow you down. Crave leg-and-glute burning cardio? Choose a steep climb that tops out onto a ridge and finishes with a flying descent. With these 10 mountain biking trails, you can’t go wrong. From unfurling high-altitude paths to challenging tight switchbacks, each demands agility, stamina, and grit. Don’t forget your helmet.

Reed the Men’s Fitness article here->> Best Places to Mountain Bike in the US: Mountain Biking Vacation Ideas – Top 10 Mountain Biking Trails in America – Men’s Fitness.

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For Sale: 2007 Jamis Exile SS

Posted on May 17, 2014 by aa

I’ve decided to sell my Jamis Exile SS 26er. It’s in excellent condition and there isn’t a lot of miles on this bike. I rode it only two season and that still was only part time as I mostly rode my geared bike. I’m selling it because I have a 29er singlespeed that I ride. This bike just doesn’t get used anymore.

2007 Jamis Exile SS

2007 Jamis Exile Singlespeed

17 inch frame

Color: Copper

26 in wheels

Reynolds 631 butted main triangle

Easton EA30 Stem/Bars/Seatpost

ESI Chunky Grips

TruVativ Firex crank with bashgaurd

Avid BB5 brakes with *NEW* Avid levers

Manitou Relic 100mm fork with manual lockout

WTB SpeedDisc rims w/ sealed bearing hubs

*NEW* Duro Triton 26×2.2 tires

Includes 16T, 18T, 20T cogs

$550.00
(PayPal only. Shipping not included. Shipping only in the 48 contiguous States)

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How to Fight Back | Road Rights | Bicycling.com

Posted on May 14, 2014 by aa

From Bicycling.com

If you’re a victim of an assault on the road, a civil suit could compensate you for your losses—even if the police don’t press charges.

By: Bob Mionske

When Anders Swanson set out for a ride on Tennessee’s Raccoon Mountain last winter, he had no idea that his peaceful spin would turn into an assault and battery case that would outrage cyclists nationwide. First, he was buzzed (passed way too closely) twice by a pickup truck carrying two teens who, according to the police report, “thought it would be funny to blow an air horn.” When Swanson returned to his car, he was greeted by his tormentors, one of whom blasted him with pepper spray. The case took an even stranger twist when the assailants confessed to their crime, only to reverse their stories within a day and claim that Swanson had assaulted them.

via How to Fight Back | Road Rights | Bicycling.com.

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My Ultra-Endurance Countdown

Posted on May 12, 2014 by aa

There’s only six weeks until the Wilmington-Whiteface 50k mountain bike race. I like where my fitness is right now, but it is time to pick up the pace and start training for success in this race. I like this race race a lot, and it will be my third time racing Wilminton-Whiteface. The race is actually a 100K Leadville qualifier, but in 2013, they added a 50K race. That is a nice distance for me. So far this spring, I haven’t really done much training for ultra-endurance events…until now. Work schedules are mostly stable and the weather has finally improved.

Cannondale Scalpel 4 with Hammer Nutrition, Duro Tire Rudy Project, AXO RacingI don’t like to use the word epic to describe a ride. I think the word is used way too much. But, Saturday’s ride was epic. 32 mile of grueling climbs, rocky trails and fast descents. 3 hours and 45 minutes of riding. That’s the way I like to spend a Saturday afternoon…or any other day for that matter. The climbing starts one mile down the road from my house with a 2 mile paved climb to the start of a huge network of dirt roads, abandoned logging, abandoned farm roads, power line trails and ATV trails. There is also single-track to ride, but this ride was for the time and distance…stay focused on the goal.

In addition to the Wilmingtom-Whiteface race, training rides like this are also for the Cedar City, UT 60K in July. While I have many other cross country races throughout the season, these two races are my main objectives for the 2014 season.

Rides like this are also for fine tuning my fueling needs for the ultra-endurance events. My Hammer Nutrition fueling for this ride consisted of: 1 bottle Grape Fizz, 2L hyration pack with 2 scoops each Heed and Perpetuem (both orange) and 1 flask Montana Huckleberry Gel. Next time I’ll use the Peanut Butter Gel. The added protein can only benefit.

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3 Random Things

Posted on May 4, 2014 by aa

Sometimes I just like to tell people about some of the things that interest me and some things that I like. So, why not write about those things here. Hopefully, I can stick to my plan of  a “3 Random Things” every week or two. So here is my first post…

one…

GripShift ESP

GripShift ESP

The original ESP rear derailleur and X-Ray shifters…Still my favorite shifter and rear derailleur. I used GripShift for such a long time. I loved those shifters. And I still do. Unfortunately, the X-Rays didn’t advance with technology. I can’t tell you what changed, but I’ve never found a shifter I liked as much GripShift X-Rays. I also remember when I first used the GripShift ESP rear derailleur. I go it on a shop pro-deal before it was on the market to the general public. Yeah, I felt special. If the original ESP and X-Ray combo was available again in a 3×10 configuration, there would be a good chance that I would be back using it.

two…

Hammer Nutrition Peanut Butter Gel

Peanut Butter Gel

Of course I have to throw a sponsor into the mix here. Hammer Nutrition Peanut Butter Gel…what a product this is. If you love peanut butter (as I do), this is a must for your fueling arsenal. It has a true peanut butter flavor, the expected carbohydrate energy of all of the Hammer gels and 1g of protein. It’s easy to ingest, it’s easy to digest and it’s easy to improve your performance. And if you are like me, you will want to mix it with Hammer’s chocolate gel too. It’s my favorite gel.

three…

“Once a cool thing is done…it cannot be undone” One of my favorite movies is Tread: The Movie. Tread is the first feature-length film about mountain biking and it stars Greg Herbold and Hans Rey. Those two guys alone is worth seeing this movie. There’s no real story here, just riding. Riding in some of the coolest places that there is to ride. There is a lot of footage of the early days of mountain biking…remember NORBA? There is no 29er…no 8 inches of plush downhill suspension…and not even 80 or 100mm of front suspension. Remember bar ends? After seeing this movie, you can also see how far technology has advanced. Whenever I sit down to watch Tread, all I want to do is ride.

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Race Season Is Underway With a 2nd Place

Posted on April 14, 2014 by aa
2nd place Root 66 - Hop Brook Dam MTB Race

2nd place Root 66 – Hop Brook Dam MTB Race

The 2014 race season has started for me with the Root 66 opener at Hop Brook Dam in Middlebury, CT. Near perfect weather, in fact, it was my first day in short sleeves since sometime in September. The same course as I remembered, with a very good mix of double and single-track. I moved up in age category to 50+, which means smaller fields, but in no way means lesser competition. I ended up finishing a strong 2nd place. I just couldn’t hang on the climbs, with the guy that won. My new Cannondale Scalpel 4 handled great, but I still need some fine tuning on the suspention.

Thanks to my sponsors: Hammer Nutrion, Duro Tire, Rudy Project and AXO Sports for their support for this season.

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Hammer Nutrition Endurance News Issue #89

Posted on April 4, 2014 by aa

Being a Hammer Nutrition sponsored athlete has many perks. But this has to be the coolest one…being featured in print and online advertisements. Hammer Nutrition’s Endurance News #89 (http://www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/ENews/ENissue89.pdf) has been shipped and here is the inside back cover…pretty cool, huh?

Endurance News #89

Hammer Nutrition Endurance News #89

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Video: More Winter Training

Posted on March 12, 2014 by aa

…And another video from my winter training. This video being 13 minutes long is more of a “movie short”. The snow is slowly melting, and unfortunately, more is on the way. So, I’m enjoying riding my new Cannondale Salpel 4 29er on the dirt roads. Little or no traffic to contend with is always a good thing too. http://youtu.be/5mfPBDmjq7I

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Working Out at Night Won’t Affect Your Sleep

Posted on March 7, 2014 by aa

Good news for the busy fit man (or bad news if all you want to do is sink in a couch and zone out at the end of a hard day), a new study says that gut-busting workouts late in the evening won’t affect how well you sleep that night. Typically, “sleep recommendations suggest avoiding exercise prior to bed,” Matthew Buman, the study’s lead author told Reuters. “We found evidence to the contrary suggesting that individuals need not avoid exercise at night.” The researchers collected data from the 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll, and found that people who exercised right before bed reported that they had slept just as well as those who didn’t. [Reuters]

via Men’s Fitness – Working Out at Night Won’t Affect Your Sleep, and Other News.

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