210 in 2010 Challenge

I've spent the last few months pondering a new challenge for myself and I've finally decided on one. I'm calling it the "210 in 2010 Challenge". For this challenge I will attempt to commute to work by bike 210 of the 365 days in 2010. 

How did I come up with 210 days? Well, I started with the 365 days that are in a year, and since this challenge is for commuting to work I discarded weekends and holidays. That gave me a total of 251 days. I'm the type of person who uses every last second of vacation and sick time, so after taking all that into account I was left with 234 days. That's 234 days that I could potentially use to commute. I'm giving myself 24 days to use for when it's just not logical to ride, like for my dentist appointment that's way down in Sarasota. That gives me my 210 days.

The "210 in 2010 Challenge" will start on Jan. 1st, 2010 and run until Dec. 31st, 2010. If I am to succeed I'll have to spend over 420 hours in the saddle and travel over 5,000 miles. I'll have to ride in temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 90s and relative humidities reaching above 90%. I'll get soaked by the Florida summer rains and blown over by the tropical storms. It's definitely going to interesting.


I'd also like to challenge all of you to either attempt the 210 in 2010 Challenge or make up a commute by bike challenge of your own. If anyone decides to attempt this challenge or create one of their own let me know and keep me posted on your progress.


Wish me luck and stay tuned for updates.

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Bike Withdrawals

I've been off my bike for well over a month and I'm starting have withdrawals. I spent hours online perusing bike commuting sites and blogs while daydreaming of commuting again. Screw it, I'm going to start riding into work again. Tomorrow sounds like a perfect day, what do y'all think? I'll deal with the running consequences later.

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More Commute Pics

Here are a few more photos taken of my commute route. I've also added all these images to a map if anyone cares to see exactly where they were taken.

Some Canal.

Well maintained bike lanes of Bradenton

With bike lanes mysteriously disappearing Bradenton isn't the most bike friendly city around.

Approaching a new traffic circle in a developing area of Manatee County

Long Bar Pointe Development Sign.

Looks like it's in the middle of nowhere, but it's really not.

At least I get some great sunsets.

Some neat graffiti near our house.

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My Poor, Neglected Superfly

My bad ass carbon fiber Gary Fisher Superfly is just sitting in my garage doing nothing. Actually, I guess that's not entirely true. Over the past couple months it's been collecting samples for it's research on "Particles of matter regarded as the result of disintegration", more commonly known as "dust". Not only is is covered in dust but, I had to pillage the saddle for use on my commuter. So there it sits covered in mud and dust with a lone seat post protruding from it's sleek "nude carbon" frame. What's that? Mud? Did I forget to mention that it's still covered in mud from my last outing at Boyette? Yeah, It is. I know, I'm a horrible bike owner.

I'm hoping to get out for a short ride at Boyette soon. "Hoping" being the key word. I have to run 27 miles this weekend. 9 on Friday and 18 on Saturday. That leaves Sunday open. Providing I can still walk on Sunday I'm going to take the Superfly in all it's "nude carbon" glory out for a spin.

Yes, I'll be re-installing the saddle before I go.

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Memories Of Cold Weather Commuting

I'm not talking about Florida cold weather commuting either. The memories I'm referring to consist of sub freezing temps and lots of snow. I first started commuting by bike while attending college in Spokane, Wa. Although I don't have any images of my actual commute it looked a little something like this.

And here was my route. Oh how I miss commuting in the snow.

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Bike Commuting On Hold

I’m reluctantly putting my bike commuting on hold. I was just starting to get into a good routine and really starting to enjoy it but, I don’t want to jeopardize my running. With the Goofy race less than two months away and my training program pushing my legs to their limits every weekend I’m afraid that I’d be asking too much of them with an additional 24 mile a day bike commute. Besides, I think my wife would kill me if I was unable to run with her for her first Marathon.

Even though I’m planning on running the Gasparilla marathon in February I should be able to resume my commuting after the Goofy race. So why would I be able to commute while training for the Gasparilla when I can’t do it while training for the Goffy? The Goofy race consists running a total of 39.3 miles in a two day period, a half marathon followed by a full marathon the very next day. The Gasparill is just a marathon, that’s it. 26.2 miles and I’m done. This means I’ll only be doing 1 training run on the weekends so my legs won’t be trashed come Monday morning.

Whish us luck as I try to complete my first Goofy race and Theresa completes her first marathon!

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Random Commute Pics

Here are a few photos of my commute home tonight. I had taken a lot more but for some damn reason my phone decided it was only going to keep these two. I'll post some more later.




Some canal on my way home


Where did the bike lane go?

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My Commute Route

I thought I'd share my commute route.

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Florida Coast to Coast Tour

The other day I was having an exceptionally good commute home from work and started day dreaming about what would happen if I just kept riding. Well, I didn't keep riding but I did get another idea. I thought, "I wonder if I could ride from a Gulf Coast beach to an Atlantic Beach". I practically obsessed over it for a few hours wondering what it would be like, what would go wrong, what route would I take, how long would it take...

That night I mentioned the ride to Theresa and she thought it sounded really exciting. So, We're going to start planning this Florida coast to coast tour. Initially I looked up the straightest route from the gulf coast to the Atlantic coast which would have taken us along the same road for over 90% of the trip. Fortunately my man Karlos, the Naked Indian, is very good at planning routes like these and he's offered to work up a route for us. The only stipulation was that the entire route had to be on pavement. Why all pavement? Theresa will be on a full on road bike, not like my cyclocross bike, and I don't think she'd be too happy riding through sugar sand.

Stay tuned for more details...

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Rad Rides From SingleTrack Samurai Productions

For those of you who enjoy self supported endurance cycling and adventure type events you should check out SingleTrack Samurai Productions! All the events thus far have been completely free! My man, Karlos, aka The Naked Indian, comes up with some pretty rad events from quick local tours to epic cross state time trials. Did I mention they're totally free? He does all the planning and organizing himself, and with the help of some local endurance junkies, pre-rides each and every course to ensure they meet his crazy criteria.Oh yeah, and they're free.

The next event for SingleTrack Samurai Productions is the Cross Florida Individual Time Trials, or C.F.I.T.T. for short. It will be held on Saturday October 10th, 2009. Unfortunately this 170-ish mile trek across the state of Florida is already booked. Don't be scared though, I'm sure he's already cooking up something even bigger!

Most of the info regarding these epic journeys can be found on Karlos' Blog, The Naked Indian Chronicles, but the C.F.I.T.T. was big enough to warrant it's own blog. All the info regarding this epic cross state adventure, including the course maps and gpx files, can be found at http://crossfloridaindividualtimetrial.blogspot.com/

Maybe a SingleTrack Samurai Productions website is on the horizon? We'll see if I can talk Karlos into it. For now you'll have to settle for updates via The Naked Indian Chronicles blog or via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SingleTrack-Samurai-Productions/127304854530

Although these events are free to compete in, they are time consuming and cost money to develop. Please help keep SingleTrack Samurai Productions events alive and donate a few bucks to the cause by vising the C.F.I.T.T. blog and clicking on the "DONATE" button.

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Running With The Florida Summer Heat

Anyone who’s ever tried running in the Florida summer heat knows just how brutal it can be. Theresa and I discovered this first hand last Sunday morning during an 8 mile training run. The run started at Holmes Beach, and was to take us along Manatee Ave to Robinson Preserve, through the preserve, then home. We parked the truck and spent a few minutes stretching and making fun of a few beach bums before we hit the pavement.

The run started well but it didn’t take long for us to realize that the heat was a bit more intense than usual. We got to the Manatee Ave Bridge and I remember looking out over the water and seeing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge thinking “If the sky is this clear the Sun is gong to be brutal”. Our pace was much slower than usual, partially due to a lower leg pain that Theresa was feeling, but mostly due to the heat. Around mile 5 Theresa decided that she didn’t want to take any chances with her leg and that she was going to walk the remaining 3 miles home. Feeling pretty good I decided that I was going to add 2 miles to my run and head back towards the truck. The one thing that I didn’t consider is the lack of shade on that portion of the route. I was still feeling pretty good and I still had 2 full bottles of water with me so I took off.

At mile 6 I started noticing a tightness in my chest, difficulty breathing, and a light head ache. I didn’t think much of it and kept running.  At mile 7 the head ache was fairly intense and my pulse had started racing - more than it should have considering my pace. I figured a short walk break and some water would take care of the problem. After about 1/2 mile of walking I didn’t feel any different. I couldn’t seem to cool down and my pulse was still racing. A that point I decided to finish the remaining 3 miles with an easy walk. Unfortunately I was out in the Sun for the entire walk. I’d see cyclists, both serious roadies and casual beach goers, and wished I had my Superfly. I’d take off and let the wind cool me down, but I didn’t have it and I doubt anyone would let me use their beach cruiser. I kept on walking. Once I got back to the Manatee Ave Bridge I was relieved to feel a slight breeze. Not enough to cool my body down, but enough to make it a little more comfortable.  I didn’t get really cooled down until I reached the truck. I blasted the A/C and headed home.

I need to figure out how to get these training runs in during the summer months without succumbing to a heat stroke. It would be very easy to say “forget it, I’m not running when it’s this hot” as some people do, but that isn’t going to provide enough training for the Goofy. The only thing I can think of is to get up and get the runs over with before the Sun comes up. That means getting out of bed and out the door by 4:00 or 4:30 a.m. depending on the distance and sun rise. That’s very early for a weekend. Does anyone have any advice, suggestions, or ideas? If so please post up.

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Post Peach Tree Road Race Update

The 6.2 mile jaunt that is the Peach Tree Road Race proved to be much easier for both Theresa and I than we expected. We weren’t sure how things were going to end up considering the run/walk routine we’ve been using for training. We started the race with the intentions of running as far as we could without the walk breaks, but were pleasantly surprised when the only one needed was at “Cardiac Hill”. “Cardiac Hill” isn’t much of a hill by most standards, but it sure is for us flat landers here in Florida. We made it about half way up the hill before needing a short brake. After getting back up to speed the rest of the run was smooth sailing. We finished it in 1:30:45, which isn’t the fastest, but hey, we’re training for a Marathon not a 100 meter sprint.

With the Peach Tree out of the way the rest of the week was open for activities. Most of our days were spend hiking in and around the state parks near Helen, Ga but I did manage to get a short 12 mile ride in with Theresa’s step father, Ron. The plan was to ride on a few miles up a forest service road and back. It didn’t get off to a good start though. A few yards from the cabin my chain jumped off the large cog and ended up between the cog and the spokes. Luckily I wasn’t moving very fast so there wasn’t any damage. I quickly pulled the chain back up on the large cog and took off. A few miles down the road the chain jumped ship again, but this time it really lodged itself between the spokes and the cog. It took me about 15 – 20 min to work it free. Everything seemed to be in working order so I made a slight adjustment to the low limit adjust screw on my rear derailleur and took off again. I didn’t have any more problems after that. The rest of the ride was great. I could definitely tell that I’m loosing my base when it comes to mountain biking though. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s completely gone by now as I haven’t ridden since.


The plan for now is to concentrate on my marathon training. The hardest part is consistency. We have a tendency to want to skip a lot of runs which really hurts us in the end. I know that if we’re gong to make it through these Disney runs we’re going to have to get into a routine.

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Pre Peach Tree Road Race Update

The 6.2 mi Peachtree Road Race is just around the corner, but am I ready? I've been following my Marathon training program, I've added weights, and I'm still riding once a week. I'd say I'm better off now than I was before I attempted my first marathon. Unfortunately, that's not saying much considering the little amount of training I did for that marathon.

I started my marathon training program about 2 months ago with a 3 mile run / walk routine. Although my mileage is still low and I'm still on the run / walk routine my legs are much stronger and more importantly they're injury free. I attribute this lack of injury to my slow introduction to running. It's giving my body time to get used to the constant pounding it'll be taking from the concrete and blacktop. It's also allowing me to more easily adapt to the ridiculous heat index we've been experiencing here in Florida this year.

A few weeks ago I joined the YMCA so I could start lifting weights. I've only been able to go a couple times so far but I'll be hittin em hard after the Peach Tree Road Race. This should also help keep the injuries at bay once I get into the 10+ mile training runs. One small injury and I could very well be sitting out one or both of the Goofy runs come January.

Riding is my passion, but I'm sure you already knew that. I would ride every day if I could, but I can't. I live too far away from the good trail systems to get a daily dose in so we have to make time on the weekend. This once a week ride comes at the expense of a training run. I'm supposed to get a run in both Saturday and Sunday - especially important for someone planning on running the Goofy. I've been riding about 15 or so miles each ride with the exception of a 32 mile ride on the Santos Epic Trails last weekend. My wife, Theresa, had been off the bike for about a year due to some back issues, but she's been joining me on the weekend rides and doing very well. She's even agreed to try a 50 miler with me next year! AWESOME!

I'll post up with a Post Peach Tree Update in a week or so.

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55nine Performance & Wobble Naught

-- UPDATE --

It is with the deepest sadness that I am writting to inform you of the cancelation of my Wobble Naught fitting. I thought I'd have the funds but things aren't looking so good on the financial front. I'll have to hold off for while. Please join me in my mourning process.



A couple weeks ago I had decided to sell my Superfly and order a custom frame. The reason behind this was simple, I wanted a frame that fit me better than the Superfly. The Superfly is an amazing frame with the G2 geometry and the custom offset Fox fork. I simply felt that it was a bit small for me, specifically the stand over height and toptube length. Even though the frame is an XL it doesn't fit me too well due to my abnormaly long wingspan and very long legs.

After some careful considerations, like the fact that I'd be without a bike for 6 to 9 months, and a few discussions with Eddie O'dea from 55nine Performance I decided to hang on to the Superfly and get a Wobble Naugt Fitting. I'm confident that Eddie can adjust the bike to properly fit me despite my previous concerns regarding the size of the frame and my abnormal wingspan and leg length.


The fitting is schedueled for July 9th. This, of course, is durring our annual 4th of July Georgia vacation so I should be able to get some good miles in right after the fitting.

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Toyota Tundra - My First Full Sized Truck

I've been sporting a Toyota Tacoma for the past 6 years. The first Tacoma I owned was a 1st generation extended cab version with the TRD off road package. It was small even with the extended cab, especially for someone my size. I can honestly say that I never got used to cramming myself into it. Despite the small size I absolutely loved that truck. It's till my favorite truck, even today.

In 2006 Theresa and I had decided to trade in the miniature bad ass for a newer, bigger, 2nd generation model. This one had more leg & head room than the previous generation. Plus, we decided to get a double cab in case we wanted to haul anyone else around. We used that truck for everything from tailgating at the Rays games to hauling bikes, from moving friends furniture to moving mulch. It really did serve us well. It was still just a bit too small for me, especially when we were hauling passengers and my seat had to be moved up.

After discussing the possibility of getting a full sized truck for months we finally decided to look around. We knew we weren't going to spend the money on a brand new truck, so we started browsing for a used one. Let me tell you, there aren't many used Tundras around. We went to our friendly neighborhood Toyota dealer, Gettel Toyota, to see what they had. We were in luck, they had 3. After noticing a used ash tray and a bad smoke stench in the first one we quickly moved on to the other two. One was a beige double cab V8 and the other was a white double cab V6. The beige one had the more desirable V8 but the white one had a slightly nicer interior and some body trim that the beige one didn't. It also had close to 30,000 fewer miles.

After weighing our options we decided to take the white one for a test drive. We now own a White 2007 Toyota Tundra. I've already installed my Rocky Mounts Clutch bike racks in the bed so the truck is good to go. We even tested them out this weekend with a drive up to Wilderness Trails and a 15 mile ride. The only thing that the Tacoma had over this truck is storage space, but who needs to tote all that crap around anyway?

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Pulling The Plug on Hammerhead...

...and poppin the top on a Santos ride.

I have officially decided not to ride the Hammerhead 100 this year. It was supposed to be my first hundred miler ever, but I got lazy for a few months and am in no condition to even attempt the 50 mile option. My level of fitness just isn’t there. Not to mention the $70 entrance fee! Finances have been tight in the Schroder household the last couple weeks and that $70 could be used to get a lot of beer..er...I mean groceries. I am instead considering a ride at Santos.

Good luck to those of you who are still panning on riding!

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Boeshield T-9: Interim Review

I’ve been using Boeshield T-9 for just over a month now and I must say that I’m not as impressed as I thought I would be after my First Impressions post. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great chain lube, but it’s not quite a great as some other reviews had let me to believe.

Boeshield T-9 does a great job of creating a nice even coat over the chain which I would assume aids is rust prevention. I’m saying “I would assume” because I don’t know for sure how it handles rust due to the severe drought we’ve been having here in Florida lately.

Where it falls short of my initial expectations is with it’s ability to keep the chain quiet, specifically the squeaking noise that chains often make when they need another application of lube. I have found that, although it does prevent noises for a little longer than the Clean Ride, It’s not by much. I might get an extra 10 or 15 miles of squeak free riding and that’s about it.

To get the best results from T-9 you have to apply it the night before a ride to give it time to “set. If you’re a procrastinator like I am you probably apply the lube right before you load the bike into your vehicle or even a few seconds before you hit the trails. This won’t fly with the T-9. It needs those few hours of “setting”  time to be effective.

I’ll keep using the T-9 for a few more months so I can give it a proper final review, but I think my next chain lube review will be the Epic Ride that The Naked Indian suggested when I first started this review.

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Mountain Bike Feed Bag

Endurance Mountain biker Karlos (a.k.a. The Naked Indian) just published a great review on a bike mounted bag called the Feed Bag. If you’re looking for easily accessible storage while you ride check out his review.

http://singletracksamurai.blogspot.com/2009/05/extended-review-part-two-epic-ride.html

I’ll definitely be purchasing one of these in the near future for my longer rides.

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Marathon Training in Progress

Yesterday was my first of many marathon training runs. Starting with yesterdays 3 mile walk/run routine my training program has me scheduled for 4 runs per week for the next 7 months, all the while preparing me to run a total 39.3 miles in two days. My ultimate goal is to someday complete an ultra marathon of 50 miles or more.

 

Yesterdays run was a very easy 3 mile walk/run routine. I’ll be using this method for the first couple weeks to prepare my legs for running the mileage required for a marathon training program, to give me a base to work from. I learned a valuable lesson in not training for my last marathon. I learned that although I have the lungs and heart to run a marathon the rest of my body couldn’t handle the physical abuse that comes with running 26.2 miles, specifically my knees. This is the reason I have decided to not only do a regimented marathon training schedule but also a mileage buildup program. I’m hoping these base miles will be help keep me injury free for the next 7 months.

 

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Life & Laziness

Life & Laziness – These are the two most destructive forces in my quest to become an endurance athlete. I haven’t been on my bike in over two weeks and it’s been even longer since my last run. We’ve had a lot of family visitors over the past couple months which seems to drain all motivation from me. I seem to eat a lot of ridiculously unhealthy restaurant food and drink an absurd amount of alcohol while they’re here. This results in entire days being used as hangover recovery days. Then, on the days that I'm not hung over I have no desire to do anything at all, including riding.

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to get my first off road hundie in. I was planning on completing it at the Hammerhead 100. Now, I’ll be lucky to finish the 50 option. I need to gain my motivation back and start hitting the trails again. Also, my marathon training starts this Sunday and I can’t afford to slack on that.

What do y’all use for motivation to get out there and ride and / or run when you really don’t feel like it?

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Enter Stage Left - Running

I, in all my wisdom, decided to run a marathon with virtually no training earlier this year. This brilliant decision resulted in a serious case of ITBS. Fortunately it didn’t effect my riding. Running, however, is a different story. I ran a 5K with Theresa a few weeks back, my first run since the marathon, and just about bit the dust a couple times from the severe ITBS pain. I hoped the 2.5 months of rest would have given it plenty of time to heal. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. I’m going to have to deal with it until I can figure out how to get rid of it. I’m considering getting a Patt Strap to get by for now.

 

In an attempt to complete an entire marathon with out injury I decided to actually train for my next one. There’s just one catch, this time I’ll be running a half marathon the day before the marathon. This combination is called “Disney’s Goofy Race and a half Challenge”. So, not only do I need to be able to run an entire marathon, I’ll have to do it after completely exhausting my body physically and mentally the day before. Oh yeah, and I’ll have to remain injury free through all this.

 

There are a lot of training programs available out there. I found one that I like on www.marathontraining.com . While perusing their site I also noticed a program for “mileage buildup” which contains very low mileage for 19 Weeks. This is to get your legs in shape and used to the pounding they’ll be taking later on. After the 19 weeks of mileage buildup I’ll start the actual marathon training program which will last another 18 weeks. This should get my body used to running the longer distances required for the Goofy. I’m going to have to modify this program slightly to get my body used to running the longer distances 2 days in a row but I’m confident that, providing I can stay injury free, I’ll be able to pull this one off.

 

P.S. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on ditching my bike. I’ll have to use it as my cross training.

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PowerBar Gel: First Impressions

The first of the energy gels I'll be reviewing are the PowerBar Gels. I’ve had a couple opportunities to use them and my initial impression is very good. I’ve done several rides using only these gels and haven’t had any issues. PowerBar Gels can be purchased in 7 different flavors. and although I’ve only had the Strawberry Banana and the Vanilla I’m very impressed with the taste. They are in more of a liquid form than the Gu Energy Gels and Hammer Gels which seems to help them go down much quicker and easier. I’ll give the final word on these after the Hammerhead 100.

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Endurance Nutrition: Energy Gels & Carbs

As part of my path to proper endurance fueling I’ll be testing and reviewing different foods, diets, and fueling suggestions. The first on my list of fuels to test are energy gels. The three gels I’ll be reviewing are Hammer Nutrition’s Hammer Gel, PowerBar Gel, and Gu Energy Gel. These reviews will come later though, right now I’m going to discuss the types carbohydrates in each gel, weather they are simple or complex, and how the mixture of simple & complex carbs may be beneficial during exercise.

First, I’m gong to discuss the different types of carbohydrates contained in each gel. I found a great comparison chart of all the popular gels that states the different carbs for each gel.


As you can see from the chart all three gels being reviewed here have maltodextrin which is a complex  carbohydrate. Both the Gu Energy Gel and the PowerBar Gel have fructose, a simple carbohydrate, and lastly, the Hammer Gels contains dextrose which is another simple carbohydrate. I couldn’t locate anything stating the amount of each carb contained in these gels but a description from the webpage of each product gives us a clue as to the percentage of complex carbs and simple carbs. Hammer Gel states “we use long-chain complex carbohydrates for smooth, consistent energy release. There's only a trace of sugar”. This tells me that their product contains mostly complex carbs. Both PowerBar and Gu claim to contain a mixture of 80% complex carbs and 20% simple carbs.

Now I’m going to talk about simple and complex carbs. Simple carbohydrates can be defined as sugars that are composed of a single sugar molecule or two joined sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are large chains of sugar units that must be broken down before absorption can occur. It is widely known that simple carbs are more quickly absorbed into the body than complex carbs. This is because they don’t need  to be broken down. They are already in a form that the body can absorb.

Sports nutritionist Namrita Odea suggested that I use PowerBar Gels or Gu Energy Gels over Hammer Gels. She stated that they would be better absorbed by the body due to the mix of simple carbs, fructose, and complex carbs, maltodextrin. To help explain why it’s important to have a blend of simple and complex carbs I’m going to refer to a quote from an article titled “Latest Research on Carbohydrate Recommendations During Exercise” by Tricia L. Griffin:

glucose-fructose combination works better than glucose alone because having multiple carbohydrate sources allows more carbohydrate to be absorbed from the digestive tract. Research indicates that glucose and fructose have their own separate transport systems in the digestive tract. These transporters help carry ingested glucose and fructose from the digestive tract into cells. However, the glucose transporter can only carry glucose, and once it’s filled, it can’t carry any more.

Glucose and fructose are mentioned in the above quote. Fructose is one of the carbs contained in the PowerBar and Gu Energy Gels. The glucose however was not. So, you’re probably asking yourself “where does the glucose fit into this discussion?. When maltodextrin is broken down it becomes glucose. Now we have two simple carbs, each with their own “transportation system” allowing a quicker absorption into the body. The Hammer Gels have dextrose, which is also known as glucose. Once the maltodextrin breaks down and becomes glucose you end up with much more glucose than the other two gels. Since the glucose “transportation system” can only handle so much it is absorbed into the body slower.

Now, I’m not an expert and know there is a lot more to it than I’ve stated here, but this is how my mind understands it. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if I’m completely wrong.

Please post up and let me now if I’m an idiot or if you agree with me.

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The Path To Proper Endurance Fueling

I began my quest to become an endurance athlete with absolutely no knowledge of sports nutrition. I slowly began running and riding longer and longer distances without know what fuels my body would require. Over the past few months I have struggled severely with nutrition and blood sugar levels during endurance related events. I have now decided to become a student of the art of endurance sports nutrition. I don’t mean that I’m gong to go enroll at the local college and sit in a class room all day, no, that’s not for me. I’m going to start experimenting with different foods, techniques, and diets until I find the one that suits me best.

 

Last year my doctor diagnosed me with moderate hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is defined as having abnormally low blood sugar levels. The symptoms can include trembling, hunger, dizziness, moodiness, confusion, and blurred vision. All of which I’ve experienced at one time or another during endurance events. Hypoglycemia is very manageable in my daily life but when I tax my body to the point that’s required to finish these endurance events it becomes very difficult to maintain my blood sugar levels. I’ve come very close to passing out numerous times on the course.

 

I’ve had the opportunity to discuss these issues with a few sports nutritionists including endurance mountain biker  Namrita Odea, who is currently working on completing  her masters in sports nutrition, and 3-time Ironman Champion and Nutritionist Melissa Spooner. I’ve also been given information about an entire diet that could help control my blood sugar levels during these severely taxing events. I’ve been given a lot of information and much of it is conflicting. Over the next few months I’ll be experimenting with some of the foods, diets, and suggestions that i have been given. With any luck I’ll find a combination that works for me.

 

Please post up if you have any suggestions or comments for me.

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Weight Distrobution: Thank You Harvey Minton

I just had the best ride I've had in a long time. It was only 12 miles and it was on paved roads, but it was definitely the best ride I've had in months. Why was this ride so good? Well, I had my first bout with good weight distribution. That's right, I finally found a good spot to place my beer gut while riding.

A few weeks back I attended an advanced mountain biking skills class put on my the Swamp Club and taught by Harvey Minton. One of the topics he touched on was weight distribution. I struggled with the idea of having most of my weight on my pedals while still maintaining a little weight on my saddle and handle bars. I have always put my weight either on the saddle or the pedals, until today that is. For some reason while riding home today I started playing with my position on the bike and just happened to notice that I was picking up speed while riding into the wind fairly easily. I started paying attention to how my legs felt and then I noticed that a lot of the power was coming from my body weight, not just my quads and hammys.

I know this is very elementary but It's a big discovery for me. My average speed was significantly increased on my ride home even though most of it was against the wind. I'm excited to do some more experimenting with this.

Any tips or tricks on weight distribution that you would like to share?

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Boeshield T-9: First Impression

For the past few months I’ve been using White Lightning’s Clean Ride to lube my chain and it has served me well. It wasn’t until about a few months ago that I heard about Boeshield T-9 for the first time. My friend and fellow rider, Luis, uses it and swears by it. So, I decided to give it a try. I called around to a few places and found a West Marine store that carried it. The only problem was that the store closes at about the same time I get out of work and I always seem to forget about it on the weekends. Fortunately for me Crowder Brother’s Ace Hardware in Bradenton also carries it. I was there last weekend picking up a few odds and ends for the house when I stumbled upon it. So, I bought a can.

 

Last night I removed my chain, degreased it to rid it of the White Lightening lube and all the crap that it had attracted, re-installed it, and applied the Boeshield T-9. I had heard rumors that it needs to set overnight to get the full benefits. So, I left the bike alone until this morning. I rode a 12 mile route in to work this morning and the lube seems to be working quite well. With the Clean Ride lube the chain would start to get a bit noisy around 10 miles but with the T-9 it was quiet sailing the entire 12 miles. The real test will be the ride home. I’m curious to see what another 12 miles and 80+ temperatures will do. I’ll follow up after a few weeks with a final review.

 

What do Y’all use and how often do you apply it?

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Suiggy 6 Hour Failure

I participated in my first ever solo race on Saturday, March 14th. It was the Squiggy Classic 6 hour. I’ve participated in a few 50 mile challenges but this was my first real official race. Please note: I didn’t say that I completed my first ever solo race. Just that I participated.

The race was held at Morris Bridge Park near Tampa, Fl with a start time of 10:00 am. Prior to the start of the race all of the bikes were placed about 25 yards in front of the start line. The racers all lined up and waited for the signal to go. Once the signal was given everyone had to run to their bikes, get on, and start riding. I thought this was an interesting way to start a race, but then again, this was my first. The first couple miles were spent weaving in and out of traffic and “warming up”. Once I felt warmed up a little I started riding a little more aggressively. Aside from a pain in my lower back, the first lap went by without incident.

The second lap however was not incident free. The pain in my lower back was much worse than during the first lap, my feet fell horribly asleep, my hands were going numb more than usual, and my tire pressure was way high. To top things off I started having some serious issues with sugar and food. My motivation and morale began rapidly deteriorating. By the time I was half way through my second lap I wasn’t sure I was going to go for a third. Fortunately, while going past the judges table I saw the crowd cheering. This, of course, got my adrenaline going and persuaded me to head out for a third lap.

After passing the judges table I stopped at my self supported pit to refuel. I also dropped my camelbak and threw a water bottle on my bike in hopes of controlling my lower back pain. After polishing off a cliff bar and some water I hit the trail again. It didn’t take me long to realize that a third lap was a bad idea. My back pain seemed to be gone but my foot had been asleep for so long that I started experiencing extreme pain across the ball of it. My energy level seemed to be completely depleted and my morale had hit rock bottom. I had to stop every 1 – 2 miles just to rest and try to get some feeling back in my feet. After pulling into the judges area I threw my bike on the ground and sat on the edge of a fence trying to recover enough to walk over to the water table. This is when I had decided to pull the plug. Things just weren’t going my way.

After recovering enough to walk to the water table I drank some water and Gatorade then headed to the truck to put my bike away (the picture to the left was taken at this time). I changed, ate some food and hung out watching some fellow riders finish the race. It was a great experience but a horrible ride for me. I’m still undecided as to whether or not I’m going to participate again next year or just help out a fellow rider in the transition area.

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AJ’s Bikes And Boards, Do We Even Need The Internet?

Most of my bike related purchases are done via the internet. You can do all your shopping right in your living room and you’re bound to find exactly what you need. I will on occasion stop by one of the local bikes shops to see if they have what I’m looking for but most of the time I leave empty handed. I have two local stores that I frequent quite often. Ryder Bikes, who has been instrumental in getting me setup and ready to ride, and Ringling Bicycles. These are both great bike shops but they seem to be more focused on road and tri bikes than mountain bikes.

The other night I took a field trip up to Valrico, Fl to visit a seemingly popular mountain bike shop called AJ’s Bikes And Boards. Upon initially entering the building I though it looked very small and cramped inside. I wondered how they could possibly have enough product to keep an entire mountain biking community satisfied. I soon realized just how much product they really had.

With products thoughtfully placed in just about every nook and cranny I spent a good hour just browsing. Each time I’d revisit an area I’d find something I had previously missed. They really did seem to have everything. It was like I was virtually browsing an online store. Seriously, with a store like AJ’s Bikes and Boards who needs the internet?

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A Weekend of Endurance for the Schroders

This weekend was a weekend of endurance for the Schroder Family. I participated in the Croom 50 Challenge and Theresa participated in the Sarasota half marathon. The Croom 50, as I'm sure you've guessed, is a 50 mile mountain bike challenge. The Sarasota half marathon, as I'm sure you've also guessed, is a 13.1 mile course that winds through Sarasota waterfront neighborhoods.

Croom 50 was a pain in the ass! Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the event, but it was difficult. Last year there was an enduro event that tore up many of the trails that the Croom 50 encompass. It was, by far, the most difficult thing I've ever done! I didn't mind the sand for the first 30 miles or so (I later discovered that this was due the higher cadence that I typically spin). But, after 30 miles the sand started to piss me off. This was partially due to the fact that I was getting tired but mostly because of the blood sugar issues I was experiencing. Around mile 30 I started to hit the wall. At mile 32 I just about passed out. I was light headed, disoriented, weak, and shaky. Luckily I had packed plenty of food so I stopped and ate a cliff bar. I was able to control everything until I got to the next sag. As a result of this hypoglycemic issue my pace slowed significantly to somewhere around 6 - 8 mph. Unfortunately the food that I ate at the last sag didn't kick in until I had almost finished the ride. I went the last 15 - 20 miles at a much slower pace than I had planned. I finished the ride after 6 hrs with a total ride time of about 5 hrs.

Although I don't know all the specifics of Theresa's run I do know this: She can't run right now due to a lower back injury and an ankle injury so she has learned to power walk. She finished the half marathon in a record power walking time of 3:02:53. Great Job Theresa!

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Thigs Are Looking A Bit Different Around Here

If you've paid a visit to my blog in the last couple days you've probably noticed that things are starting look a little different around here. It's true, I've made a few changes and what I think are some pretty big improvements. Recently I've been doing a lot of research on blogging and I've come to learn that, although content is king, there are also a few other attributes that attract readers and keep them coming back. Attributes such as the blog template, colors, and cleanliness just to name a few.

In the blogging world content is king and god knows I desperately need help in this area. Unfortunately there are no magical red pills that I can swallow that will give me mad blogging skills. These skills, I believe, will come in time. Lots of time. But until my content is actually worth reading I figure I should do anything and everything to start attracting readers and followers. The easiest way for me to accomplish this is to improve the way my blog looks. Most of my research, or at least the information I trust, explains that the blog should have a clean look. It should be "easy on the eyes" and visual distractions should be limited. In an attempt to accomplish this I've uploaded a slightly modified version of Ourblogtemplates.com's The Professional Template, removed a few widgets, and uploaded a new header image. I've also added a new Subscribe widget that will allow readers to more easily subscribe to my blog.

Hopefully these changes will help me in my quest to attract more readers and followers. I know I have a lot of work to do on the content as well as my writing skills but I'm confident that both will improve with time and experience. Let me know what y'all think? What you do you like or dislike?

Also, any suggestions on what content / topics you would like to see more of would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

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Ausie Cyclists Help Quench Koalas Thirst

While the US is being pounded with a an unusually harsh and cold winter Koalas in Australia are going to extremes to stay hydrated. The quote and images below were sent from a distributor or ours in Australia.

While some of you are freezing overseas we here in Oz are boiling + 40 centigrade

Below are some photos of what Koalas are having to do to get a drink.

The photos with cyclists were taken on Tuesday night (3/2) on the old Eagle on the Hill Freeway.

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New Prized Posssession

I finally got my 26.2 sticker for my truck! I wanted one so bad after running the marathon but the local running store didn't have any. Theresa found one online and placed an order for it along with a 13.1 sticker for herself. I eagerly awaited the arrival of my prized sticker but it never came. After two weeks of disappointment Theresa decided to send a friendly reminder to the company that she ordered it from. They didn't give an excuse as to why it hadn't been shipped but they did promise that it would arrive by the end of the week. Wed...No luck. Thurs...No luck. Friday...26.2 sticker!!! I was so excited that I slapped it on before I even went in the house. 

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Ranting (HELP!)

Before I get going on my rants I wanted to take a minute to congratulate Karlos - The Naked Indian - The Single Track Samurai himself on his new sponsors. Great job man! Your mother and I are so proud! Ha-ha. But seriously though, Congrats!

Ok, on to my rants now...

Lately I've only been getting about 25 miles a week on my Superfly. I would like to some day actually hang with the guys I go riding with. I'm getting tired of getting dropped. MT and Q have been patient with me long enough and it's time that I start taking things a little more serious. I have two ideas for getting more time in the saddle. One - Commute to work. This could add at least 20 miles a day. Two - not only ride both Saturday AND Sunday but ride more miles each time I hit the trials. To kick it off I'll be riding both this Saturday and Sunday. My mileage is undetermined as of now but I'm sure it will be in the 35 - 40 mile range for both days. I have the SSSAR coming up for crying out loud! I need to get my ass in gear.

Alcohol is the devil...sometimes. I drink WAY too much alcohol! "My name is Ryan and I'm an alcoholic". At least that's how I feel. On an average weeknight I'll drink anywhere from 3 to 6 beers. Yes, I really do drink this much and it happens almost every single night. The numbers go up exponentially on the weekends and holidays. Never before in my life has something had so much control over me. The first thin I think of when I get home from work is beer. The first thing I think of when I finish a workout is beer. I don't like it and I'm going to do something about it. I'm not going to completely give up alcohol, that would be insane. What I'm going to do is limit my intake to one beer OR one glass of wine a night during the week. Weekends are a bit more tricky. I'll have to call on my friends and family to help me out here. Hopefully they'll be able to remind me of this post and what I'm trying to accomplish. Wish me luck here, I'm gonna need it!

I've put a  lot of time and money into researching and developing the perfect beer belly. Unfortunately this has been at the expense of my core strength which is now very weak. I'm hoping to take some of the time I spent drinking and sitting at the computer on the weeknights and turn it into workout time. I'm currently researching strength training methods using only my own body weight. Although this won't be as difficult as the alcohol portion it's still going to be pretty tricky. I have a tendency to start a workout routine, follow it for a couple weeks, and then completely give up on it. I'm going to need y'all to keep on me about this one too. 

I've started a "Training Log" to keep track of any and all of my training. You can access it by clicking the "My Training Log" tab above. It's kept through www.MapMyRide.com and every entry I make should show up on that page. I ask that anyone who reads this blog to please help keep me honest about the things I've talked about above. I'm going to post on my progress for each of them from time to time. If you notice I haven't posted about a specific topic in a while send me a friendly reminder. Chances are I've slacked and just don't want to tell anyone.

Thanks!

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Ididaride Weekend

I participated in IDIDARIDE XV on Jan 31st, 2009. My quest to participate in this event began over a year ago when I stumbled upon the SBA website and found the link for IDIDARIDE. I didn't even know what it was but the name itself spiked my curiosity. After reading the description of the ride I decided that I wanted to give it a shot. Unfortunately my registration for IDIDARIDE XIII was a little late. All the spots had already been filled. I made it a point to find out when registration for IDIDARIDE XV was to open. When the time came I sent my application and registration fee overnight and secured a spot.

The weekend began on Friday when Kevin, Luis and I loaded up the bikes and gear and headed out of town. We made a stop along the way at San Felasco for a pre-IDIDARIDE ride. We met up with Scott (Anthem1) and hit the trails. We rode 21.5 miles of some pretty sweet single track. It was a bit more than I had anticipated but I figured that it would be good training for the upcoming SSSAR. After loading the bikes back up we headed out for White Springs, Fl and the SBA head quarters for pre-registration.

Karlos (Naked Indian) invited us over to the KOA for a bond fire and some good company. The stories were plentiful and the fire was inviting. It was a great end to the day. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

The Temperature was a scorching 31 degrees at the start of the ride. I had all my cold weather riding gear on and was still freezing. My fingers and toes were numb within minutes. I didn't regain feeling in my fingers for about another hour and half. My toes remained numb for a total of about 3 hours. Despite the cold start the weather did warm up to about 60 degrees.

Somewhere between the first and second sags I had an issue with my blood sugar. I had to stop and eat something and I had to do it fast. I was getting very shaky, light headed, and somewhat disoriented. I always Carry a lot of food for this very reason. I reached in my jersey pocket and pulled out a Cliff bar. Once that issue was resolved I started pedaling again.

Aside from the initial temperature and my blood sugar issue everything went smooth. I didn't fall, crash, get cramps, or get lost. All in all, I'd say is was a successful ride. The new Superly performed flawlessly and everyone seemed to really like it.

I finished the ride in approximately 6 hrs with an actual ride time of 5:07:25.

The after ride party was a blast. A huge bond fire, great people, good stories, and a few brewskis proved to be a perfect end to a great weekend.

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Foiled again...

Foiled once again! I picked up my new Superfly frame a week ago and started gearing up for a few endurance rides. After just two short rides I start experiencing a debilitating pain in my knee. After a bit of research I learn that this pain has a name. It's called Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) occurs when there is irritation to this band of fibrous tissue. The irritation usually occurs over the outside of the knee joint, at the lateral epicondyle, the end of the femur(thigh) bone. The iliotibial band crosses bone and muscle at this point; between these structures is a bursa which should facilitate a smooth gliding motion. However, when inflamed, the iliotibial band does not glide easily, and pain associated with movement is the result. So much pain in fact that I can't even complete a 3 mile jog.

This injury is the result of my own stupidity. I tried running the Disney Marathon with very little training. Approximately 20 miles into the marathon the pain in my knee was so severe that I had to stop running completely. I did manage to jog across the finish line but it was a very painful feat. I thought taking two weeks off form running might help alleviate some of the pain. Apparently I was mistaken. I attempted a 3 mile run last night but was forced to stop running after a mile and a half. I walked the remaining mile and a half back to the homestead.

I was planning on participating in 6hrs of El Legarto this Sunday but am now reconsidering it. I'd rather rest and do an easy ride this weekend in an effort to "save myself" for Ididride, which is being held on Jan 31st. I'm planning on doing an easy ride at Alafia on Saturday morning at which time I'll make my decision on El Legarto.

For now I need to start stretching, icing, and taking some sort of anti-inflammatory. Hopefully I can get the inflammation down enough to alleviate some of the pain in time for my next event.

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A Few New Goals

I am going to start keeping a list of my goals, short term & long term, as well as my achievements. Two of my goals for 2009 have already been meet, finishing a marathon and completing my first 50 mile ride. I met my riding goal on Jan 3rd 2009 during the Naked Indian Ride with a total of 56.3 miles. My first marathon was completed one week later, on Jan 11th 2009 with a time of 6:10:15. Although the marathon was somewhat unsuccessful it has left me with an unusual sense of motivation. I am going to layout a few new, more ambitious short term goals for 2009 & 2010 as well as a few longer term goals for the years to come. The new goals will all be endurance related.

Shorter term goals

• Complete my first off road mtb century.
  
• Participate in Fools Gold.
• Complete a solo 12 hr mtb race.
• Finish a half marathon in under 2 hrs.
  
• Run an entire Marathon.
  
• Complete Disney's Goofy Run and a Half Challenge.
  
• Complete in my first Triathlon.
  

Longer term goals

• Complete an ultra marathon.
  
• Complete an Iron Man.
  
• Complete a solo 24 hr mtb race.

I know I will have my skeptics but I'm going to shoot for them anyways. Wish me luck.

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My Frst Marathon

I completed my first marathon on Sunday, Jan 11th 2009! I did it with very little training. I'm very sore and very tired. It was not an easy accomplishment but it has left me with an unusual sense of motivation. So much so that I have set a few new, more ambitious goals.

The adventure began almost a year ago with a conversation between my wife, Theresa, and I. Theresa had jokingly told me "Good Luck" after I announced that I thought I could do a Marathon. So, with a few beers in me, I did what any other typical "dude" would do. I signed up for a Marathon, the Disney Marathon to be exact. Over the next year I would change my mind so many times as to whether or not I was actually gong to attempt it I lost count.

The time I took to make my decision was at the cost of my training. I ran more miles during the race than during all my training runs combined. I did three training runs consisting of a 2 miler, 5 miler, and a 10 miler. These training runs all went surprisingly smooth which gave me confidence that I actually could finish it. I made my decision to give the marathon a shot about a month before it was to take place.

Come race day morning I was having quite a mix of feelings and emotions. I was a little nervous about finishing it yet excited at the opportunity to cross the finish line. I was proud of myself for even attempting it but embarrassed that I let my training slip so much. I was worried about getting a permanent injury but confident that I would finish. I rolled out of bed at 3:00 am in order to get a shower, get dressed, and catch the bus to the start line. Once at the start line I was in for a 2 hour wait. The 2 hour wait went by fairly quickly though as most of it was spent walking to my corral and watching the pre-race entertainment.

The course led us by way of the Disney's Highway system and service roads through EPCOT, The Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and back through EPCOT before finishing in the EPCOT parking lot. In typical Disney fashion, there was no a lack of entertainment with music, Disney characters, animals, and cheer stations strategically located along the entire route. Entertainment wasn't the only thing we had though, food, drink, and medical stations were also available to us if we needed them.

My half split (13.1 Miles) was 2:36:48. I was hoping for a 5 hr finish time so I wasn't doing too bad. Unfortunately my IT band started to go around mile 18 so I decided to let up a bit. I started a run / walk routine but it wasn't long until I realized that that my jogging distances were getting shorter and shorter due to the pain on the side of my knee. I made the decision to walk the remainder of the marathon. The next 6 miles I spent trying to figure out how "Power Walkers" do it. My muscles were burning, my knees were shooting pain full reminders of my poor training, and my feet were bruised and swollen. Somehow I managed to start jogging again with about 1/4 mile left. I trotted across the finish line of the 26.2 mile event 6hrs, 10 min, & 15 seconds after it started. It took a bit longer than I would have liked ,but I did it! I finished my first Marathon.

I spent the rest of the day hobbling around EPCOT and "drinking around the world" with my family and friends. Although I felt a sense of pride in wearing my Marathon Medal I couldn't help but admire everyone I saw wearing a Goofy medal and shirt. For those of you who aren't familiar with Disney's Goofy Race and a Half Challenge, It consists of a half marathon followed by a marathon the very next day. I have decided to sign myself up for the 2010 Goofy Race and a Half Challenge. I know I'll have to train hard for this one and I can't be indecisive about participating. It's one of my goals for 2010.

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