Try a Pre-Workout Fast

June 16th, 2010

Bike Nutrition

A recent study by researchers in Europe suggests that fasting before a workout might help get rid of more fat.   Here’s the reasoning:  If you don’t eat before exercising, you don’t have carbohydrates lying around to burn, so your body burns fat instead.

“When you exercise (after fasting), your adrenalin is high and your insulin is low,” said Peter Hespel, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Leuven in Belgium, in an Associated Press story.

The AP reports that in a 2008 study, Hespel tested the effects of this concept on men who did their endurance training workouts after fasting compared to those who ate before their workout.  In the men who didn’t eat, researchers found an increase in the amount of proteins needed to process fat – the fasting got their bodies ready to burn more fat.

Deb Acord

Note from UltraRob: Hammer Nutrition has long recommended not eating for 3 hours before long workouts or races, not for weight loss, but to increase endurance for the same reasons as this study found. It has worked well for me but I have to start eating right after starting or I get behind on calories.

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Win Gear or Entry to a Tough Race

June 15th, 2010

RAAM Team Icebreaker

Photo Courtesy Icebreaker

Racers in the Race Across America continue to ride toward the Atlantic. Tailwinds in the desert made for fast times early for the solo riders but storms in Colorado slowed the leaders down. Jure Robic continues his dominance of the race in his attempt to win a 5th time. He has crossed the Mississippi, 2043 miles raced with 961 miles to go. In the women’s solo race, Barbara Buatois has continued to increase her lead and has ridden 1894 miles.

The relay teams left Oceanside and are starting to catch the solo racers. The fastest team so far is Team Type 1 which is in the 8 Person Open class. They’ve averaged 23.3 mph over 1441 miles.

On of the teams this year, Team Icebreaker from New Zealand, is wearing Icebreaker’s new line of cycling apparel. Icebreaker makes outdoor merino wool clothing.

“The Race Across America is going to be a huge adventure for us, and we’re up for the challenge,” said VP of Product and Creative Director Rob Achten. “We’re excited to see how four cyclists with funny accents from the Southern Hemisphere can do getting across this massive country of yours.” Jeremy Moon, founder of Icebreaker, said “We’re looking forward to seeing how our gear performs and stands up to the test of this epic race.”

The team and support crew have been rationed two Icebreaker garments each for the duration of the race. Achten said, “We’re convinced that we’ll have the big speed advantage over our competition as we won’t have to spend time washing our jerseys, thanks to Icebreaker’s wondrous, non-whiffy merino.” So far not having to wash their jerseys doesn’t seem to be an advantage as they’re in 8th place in the 4-Person Male relay category and have ridden 1216 miles.

During RAAM, visitors to raam.icebreaker.com will be able to enter two contests: The Icebreaker Race Across America Daily Prize Draw and the Speight’s Coast to Coast Endurance Contest.

Icebreaker Race Across America Daily Prize Draw

Every day of RAAM, Icebreaker will be giving away gear. To enter the daily draw, simply post a message of support, ask a question of the cyclists, or answer the daily question via the raam.icebreaker.com website, Facebook , Twitter or email (raam@icebreaker.com). Each day, Icebreaker will randomly draw one winner to receive an IcebreakerGT top.

Speight’s Coast to Coast Endurance Contest

While Icebreaker is charging across America, people can enter to win one of four entries to New Zealand’s own coast-to-coast race, the Speight’s Coast to Coast . Taking place February 11-12, 2011, this premier multisport race traverses the South Island of New Zealand from the Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It involves 87 miles of cycling, 22 miles of running (including a mountain stage that crosses the Southern Alps) and 41 miles of kayaking down the grade two Waimakariri River and through the Grand Canyon of New Zealand, the Waimakariri Gorge.

To enter, participants need to send an email to raam@icebreaker.com telling of their own story of extreme endurance (limit 50 words). The winners will be chosen at the conclusion of the Race Across America and the four best, most courageous, most outrageous stories will win a place in the Speight’s Coast to Coast 2011 (a $1,000 value).

Grip Your World

This giveaway isn’t RAAM related but the deadline to enter Vibram’s “Grip Your World Giveaway” is this Friday. Grand prize is a trip for two to France and tickets to the world’s most famous ultra-trail marathon, the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. Plus 20 second place winners will win a pair of Vibram’s Five Fingers shoes. Entry is simple: just visit www.gripyourworld.com, Vibram’s new website for outdoor enthusiasts, upload a photo (and share a story if you like!) and you’re entered to win.

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Who Needs Disneyworld?

June 14th, 2010

The headline:  New Mountain Bike Park in the Works.

The location:  Surprisingly, Orlando, Fla.

The Orlando Sentinal reports that a mountain bike park with off-road trails, thick woods and man-made rolling hills will open on 17.6 acres not far from downtown Orlando and Fashion Square Mall.

The park is being built with private money and sweat equity, boosted by a $50,000 grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation.

The trails will be built by mountain bikers.  Local members of the Ocala Mountain Bike Association are forming a chapter to maintain the park once it is built.

The park is being built on land that was part of the Orlando Naval Training Center.  Once the park is opened, it will give mountain bikers a much-needed place in an area with very little off-road riding.

– Deb Acord

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Race Across America 2010

June 11th, 2010

Race Across America

The Race Across America started this week. It’s a 3,000 mile non-stop race across the US that has interested me for over 20 years. The course currently starts in Oceanside, CA and finishes in Annapolis, MD.

The long distance with little sleep is made tougher by tight time cut-offs across the country. In a typical year about half the racers that start make it to the finish. In 29 years, fewer than 200 have finished. My 2006 solo RAAM attempt ended at the Mississippi River after 2,000 miles of riding.

The solo women and Dex Tooke in the 60+ solo men category started on Tuesday at noon Pacific and the rest of the solo men started at noon on Wednesday. The relay teams will start on Saturday afternoon at 2 PM.

Once again 4 timer winner Jure Robic has opened up a good lead over his closest competitor. He has almost caught all of the women that started a day ahead. Robic said last year he wouldn’t race again after dropping out after claiming an unfair advantage was given to winner Dani Wyss.

Interestingly the solo womens class is lead by Barbara Buatois on a recumbent bike. Although a recumbent bike can be an disadvantage with lots of climbing, she has made it into Colorado and only has a couple big climbs before hitting the flat lands for many miles.

You can follow the race on the Race Across America website, the RAAM Facebook page or the #raam2010 hashtag on twitter.

In addition to RAAM, there’s also the Race Across the West (RAW). It covers the first 860 miles of RAAM from Oceanside, CA to Durango, CO.

Also check out my Race Across America FAQ.

Current Solo RAAM Standings After Almost 48 Hours

Solo Men

  1. Jure Robic – 814.03 miles – 18.82 mph
  2. Gulewicz Gerhard – 763.89 miles – 17.61 mph
  3. Mark Pattinson – 724.30 miles – 16.27 mph
  4. Rob Morlock – 679.68 miles – 15.64 mph
  5. Matthew Warner-Smith – 679.68 miles – 15.39 mph
  6. Georg Payer – 607.86 miles – 14.57 mph
  7. Tony O’Keeffe – 607.86 miles – 14.32 mph
  8. Julian Sanz – 607.86 miles – 14.31 mph
  9. Ian Fillinger – 607.86 miles – 13.83 mph
  10. Dr. Michael Nehls – 607.86 miles – 13.82 mph
  11. Ferenc Szonyi – 607.86 miles – 13.63 mph
  12. Ross Muecke – 607.86 miles – 13.38 mph
  13. Kevin Kaiser – 607.86 miles – 13.31 mph
  14. Thomas Strebel – 536.11 miles – 13.32 mph
  15. Samim Rizvi – 536.11 miles – 11.72 mph
  16. Holger Roethig – 536.11 miles – 11.62 mph
  17. Eric Dufor – 441.65 miles – 9.98 mph
  18. Scott Dakus (DNF) – 441.65 – 14.19 mph

Solo Men 50-59

  1. Timothy Woudenberg – 607.86 miles – 13.18 mph
  2. Team AFU/Rex Racing – 536.11 miles – 12.02 mph
  3. Paul Carpenter – 536.11 miles – 11.08 mph
  4. Gregor Komescher – 536.11 miles – 11.75 mph
  5. Michael Dunlap – 482.88 miles- 11.01 mph
  6. Valerio Zamboni – 441.65 miles – 10.03 mph

Solo Men 60+

  1. Dex Tooke – 763.89 miles – 11.58 mph

Solo Women

  1. Barbara Buatois – 857.68 miles – 12.61 mph
  2. Michele Santilhano – 857.68 miles – 12.39 mph
  3. Sandy Earl – 763.89 miles – 11.49 mph
  4. Amy Xu – 763.89 miles – 11.19 mph
  5. Sabrina Bianchi – 763.89 miles – 11.18 mph

See the latest standings on the 2010 RAAM Leaderboard.

UltraRob

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Goodbye, Pinnacle

June 11th, 2010

REI Rock Climbing Pinacle

Several years ago, it was unusual for my family to go shopping at REI without all of us coming home with something new.  But the small climbing wall at the REI store at 1376 E. Woodmen Road called the Pinnacle changed all that. 

Our daughter loved that wall, which was her introduction to rock climbing and she would choose to wait in line for a turn at the wall over any purchase. 

Since then, the Pinnacle has served as a safe, free intro to climbing to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young (and not so young) climbers.  Now, it’s being torn down as REI remodels. 

Say goodbye to the Pinnacle with a final climb from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  For more information, call REI at 719-260-1455.

– Deb Acord

Colorado’s First Womens Only Mountain Bike Race.

June 11th, 2010

This Saturday, June 12th, the Yeti Beti Bash will be the first womens only mountain bike race to be held in Colorado. It is being held in Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood Colorado.

The race course is a 4 mile loop with ~300 feet of elevation gain per lap featuring rolling, non-technical terrain at Bear Creek Lake Park. It’s mostly singletrack riding with 4 short punchy climbs. There are views of Red Rocks and the surrounding park.

Under 14 will do 1 lap (4 miles), category 3 beginners will do 2 laps (8 miles), the category 2 sport racers will race 3 laps (12 miles), and the elite/category 1 racers doing five laps (20 miles). Don’t want to do it alone? There’s also a 3 person relay where each lady rides one lap.

In the afternoon, there will be a kids race. It doesn’t say whether it’s limited to girls or if boys can ride too.

The last I saw, they have 147 women racers registered. It’s too late for online registration but you can show up and register the day of the race.

UltraRob

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Treehuggers Do It Better

June 10th, 2010

Walking in the Woods at DragonFly Farm

Here’s something we already knew – being outside in nature can make you feel more vibrant and alive. That’s the finding of a report in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Researchers conducted an experiment with college students, comparing their actual outdoor experiences with indoor experiences enhanced by photographs.  Those who actually went outdoors felt more energetic.  And here’s the cool thing – students in the study who didn’t go outside but imaged themselves in a nature setting also felt more energetic.

– Deb Acord

Related Link:

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Thunderstorm at Sunset Photos

June 7th, 2010

Saturday I stayed at the 24 Hours of eROCK mountain bike race a little longer than I planned because of a thunderstorm and a little rain. It meant that I got to see a beautiful sunset just south of Monument as I was riding home on the Santa Fe Trail. The different colors and light on the thunderclouds was amazing.

UltraRob

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24 Hours of eROCK Photos

June 6th, 2010

Here are a few of the photos I took yesterday at the 24 Hours of eROCK. If you want more to see more, check out my complete 24 hours or eROCK photo album. If you’re looking for results, they’re on this post.

UltraRob

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24 Hours of eROCK 2010

June 6th, 2010

24 Hours of eROCK 2010

Yesterday I rode up to the 24 Hours of eROCK and caught the last hour and a half of racing. It was a hot day for racing. Some of the past 24 Hours of eROCK, it got chilly during the night but riders told me it stayed fairly warm during the night.

For the first time, the course was run clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. A couple racers I talked to that have done it in the past thought that it made the course faster. Looking at the results, over half the class winners had more laps than last year so running in reverse is possibly faster.

I have several photos from late in the 24 Hours of eROCK in my photos section.

Here are the top results

2010 24 Hours of eRock Results

Solo Men

  1. PowerQuip (Sean Raborn) – 32 laps – 264 miles
  2. Andy Wenberg – 31 laps – 255 miles
  3. Sports Garage – 27 laps – 222 miles
  4. Feed the Machine – 25 laps – 206 miles
  5. Huge – 24 laps – 198 miles
  6. Feedchunkers – 20 laps – 16 miles
  7. Team Mox – 20 laps – 165 miles
  8. Natural Grocers PB XP Companies – 20 laps – 165 miles
  9. Adam Shaw – 15 laps – 123 miles
  10. Team Grinder – 13 laps – 107 miles
  11. Pale Rider – 6 laps – 49 miles

Solo Women

  1. Cathy Caramer – 29 laps – 239 miles
  2. Kim Godfrey – 20 laps – 165 miles
  3. Team Cuteness.com (Elizabeth Boese) – 18 laps – 148 miles
  4. New World Sports – 18 laps – 148 miles
  5. Teewinot Fitness – 16 laps – 132 miles
  6. Crazy Enuff – 12 laps – 99 miles

2-3 Person Coed Results

  1. Pactimo Racing – 38 laps – 313 miles
  2. Crazy Kat – 36 laps – 297 miles
  3. What the Heck Was I Thinking! – 32 laps – 264 miles
  4. 24 Hours in the Sage.com – 31 laps – 255 miles
  5. Double Team Supreme – 29 laps – 239 miles
  6. Big Cat – 25 laps – 206 miles
  7. James Munago and Assoc – 24 laps – 198 miles

2-3 Person Male Results

  1. Pactimo Racing – 44 laps – 363 miles
  2. Cogsnob – 44 laps – 363 miles
  3. Team Koobi 1 – 43 laps – 354 miles
  4. Gluey Porch Treatments – 41 laps – 338 miles
  5. Psycling Psychos – 39 laps – 321 miles

2-3 Person Female Results

  1. Team Marin Flyers – 25 laps – 206 miles

4-5 Person Coed Results

  1. Eric Short’s Team – 45 laps – 371 miles
  2. The Big Revolutions – 41 laps – 338 miles
  3. The Lone Strangers – 40 laps – 330 miles
  4. DST #2 – 39 laps – 321 miles
  5. Compensating For Benefits – 39 laps – 321 miles

4-5 Person Male Results

  1. No Dope – 43 laps – 354 miles
  2. The Dude Squad – 42 laps – 346 miles
  3. DST – 42 laps – 346 miles
  4. Last Lap – 42 laps – 346 miles
  5. Moose Knuckle – 40 laps – 330 miles

6-8 Person Coed Results

  1. Monumentally Afflicted – 44 laps – 363 miles
  2. We’re Not Welsh – 41 laps – 338 miles
  3. Blazzin’ Saddles – 41 laps – 338 miles
  4. Bisonics – 40 laps – 330 miles
  5. Nervana Dons and Donnas – 40 laps – 330 miles

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